A
Anonymous
Guest User
Mazda bongo owner here but considering a california
What are he benefits if any?
What are he benefits if any?
Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop
Martin
Administrator
Admin/Founder
Where do we start .... this could be a long thread :lol:
calikev
Administrator
Admin/Founder
I know why you have asked this question. The bongo is a good vehicle. But!
The reason I bought the Cali is they still make them and will for the foreseeable future
The comfort,the style,the resale value.the way it drives, like Martin said this could go on.
On a different note
I am really pleased you are coming to meet us at wickstead your more than welcome.
We should have a demonstrator there from vw Leicester to have a play with.
We are a friendly bunch.
The reason I bought the Cali is they still make them and will for the foreseeable future
The comfort,the style,the resale value.the way it drives, like Martin said this could go on.
On a different note
I am really pleased you are coming to meet us at wickstead your more than welcome.
We should have a demonstrator there from vw Leicester to have a play with.
We are a friendly bunch.
A
Anonymous
Guest User
I am stunned by this as i thought all you were going to say to buy a california. This answers my question then. Keep the bongo. : 
calikev
Administrator
Admin/Founder
:lol: We were going to convert you to a Cali at wicksteads. looks like we won't need to.
Good move.are you definatly getting a Cali and what changed your mind?
Does this mean your username will change :lol: if you were expecting everybody to say buy a Cali
Here goes buy a cali :lol: :lol:
Good move.are you definatly getting a Cali and what changed your mind?
Does this mean your username will change :lol: if you were expecting everybody to say buy a Cali
Here goes buy a cali :lol: :lol:
C
C&HinNorwich
VIP Member
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Our friends have a bongo and we often go camping together, in fact his bongo is the reason we started looking at campers
The bongo is a great price and a fab little van
As seen here
http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=46&fullsize=1
He would say and does the thing that makes the Cali for him is the seating, when he goes away with 'bongo friends' they have to stay outside of an evening as the front seats don't swivel, when he comes with us evenings are spent round the table in the Cali ( or in the pub lol)
So I think bottom line as far as we're concerned is if there are only 2 of you and you don't do much winter camping with friends stick with the bongo
But saying that if you go for a test drive I think you will be hooked (we were)
The bongo is a great price and a fab little van
As seen here
http://www.vwcaliforniaclub.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=46&fullsize=1
He would say and does the thing that makes the Cali for him is the seating, when he goes away with 'bongo friends' they have to stay outside of an evening as the front seats don't swivel, when he comes with us evenings are spent round the table in the Cali ( or in the pub lol)
So I think bottom line as far as we're concerned is if there are only 2 of you and you don't do much winter camping with friends stick with the bongo
But saying that if you go for a test drive I think you will be hooked (we were)
debarros
VIP Member
OK! I own a Mazda Bongo and a California. Many posts have stated how great the Cali is and I echo this.
The Bongo is a marvellous vehicle, the seats I find are more confortable than the Cali's. The automatic gears and great power steering of the Bongo is second to none. BUT the Bongo is no longer being made (last 2003), any you buy today will burden you with considerable and very expensive maintenance. In addition the size is just enough smaller to make live a lot less confortable. Bongo conversion vary a lot ans some are just poor.
If you want a superb, confortable and beautiful van - buy the Cali .
If you are a hobby mechanic who likes to play around with cars than buy the Bongo.
Barros
The Bongo is a marvellous vehicle, the seats I find are more confortable than the Cali's. The automatic gears and great power steering of the Bongo is second to none. BUT the Bongo is no longer being made (last 2003), any you buy today will burden you with considerable and very expensive maintenance. In addition the size is just enough smaller to make live a lot less confortable. Bongo conversion vary a lot ans some are just poor.
If you want a superb, confortable and beautiful van - buy the Cali .
If you are a hobby mechanic who likes to play around with cars than buy the Bongo.
Barros
David Eccles
VIP Member
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A bongo does not have the shiny VW badge!
don't get me started on heritage!
don't get me started on heritage!
M
malc
VIP Member
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- 187
- Location
- Cheshire
A California will fit under 2metre barriers on the coast car parks of France and here. Being a surfer it is important
to be as near to a beach as poss ....and to picnic as well .... dont think a Bongo will do that at 2.1 metres high. But I stand to be
corrected. Malc
to be as near to a beach as poss ....and to picnic as well .... dont think a Bongo will do that at 2.1 metres high. But I stand to be
corrected. Malc
A
Anonymous
Guest User
Not sure what the surfer boy pics have to do with this but i am looking at a california tonight £25,0000 wish me luck
Martin
Administrator
Admin/Founder
yes good luck bongo man, I hope the amount of zero's in the price is an error ?
C
choplee
Guest User
How did I miss this thread ... ??!!!!
This must have been my man flu week .
Cali-bongo ;-)
This must have been my man flu week .
Cali-bongo ;-)
C
choplee
Guest User
we camped next to a bongo at the weekend ...... i can see why people get drawn to them .
Hannick
VIP Member
After fours years with a Bongo campervan we too made the move last month.
I miss the Bongo already for it's driveability as it's such an easy one to drive about. It's narrower, shorter but higher. Auto gearbox and good 2.5l turbo diesel made it a joy to drive and on a trip I didn't miss driving my "day" car - a Merc CLS.
Two winters ago when we had weeks of snow and ice the 4WD Bongo just went everywhere we asked it to and we didn't shy away from some pretty scary conditions. Amazing vehicle.
So....
We decided we could afford a newer van. Yep, it would have to be a 4WD California SE auto 170bhp.
We now have a 2010 facelift 140bhp manual 2WD Cali. A compromise in other words.
First long drive of 400 miles showed me I was going to have to stir the gears on the hills to keep the momentum going, but 32mpg instead of 23mpg worth having.
Any regrets. No not really. It's just a different vehicle. The Cali has a lot going for it but as it's so expensive I just know that we are not going to be treating it like the multi purpose go anywhere, put anything in it, "utility" vehicle that the Bongo became. The Cali is going to be cosseted for sure and will always be a better place to be sitting/sleeping in.
In the snow and ice it will probably stay on the drive. With the Bongo we never hesitated if we needed to go out in the snow as being worth not a lot it wouldn't have mattered too much if we slid into a hedge and the chances of that happening were pretty slight. We'd be afraid of pranging the Cali.
To be perfectly honest if they bought out a brand new Mazda Bongo with a three year warranty we might have bought one. The Hyundai i800 if converted is probably the closest you could get to it but still no 4WD.
We've bought the Cali with a 10 year ownership in mind so it will be interesting to see if we keep it that long.
If I inherit a shed load of money we might swap it for the fully monty 4WD DSG 170bhp version "just because we can", but we couldn't justify all that money really which is why we bought the lesser version. We sold the Bongo for £4,500 though! Cheap as chips for what they do.
Now there's a thought - one of each!
I miss the Bongo already for it's driveability as it's such an easy one to drive about. It's narrower, shorter but higher. Auto gearbox and good 2.5l turbo diesel made it a joy to drive and on a trip I didn't miss driving my "day" car - a Merc CLS.
Two winters ago when we had weeks of snow and ice the 4WD Bongo just went everywhere we asked it to and we didn't shy away from some pretty scary conditions. Amazing vehicle.
So....
We decided we could afford a newer van. Yep, it would have to be a 4WD California SE auto 170bhp.
We now have a 2010 facelift 140bhp manual 2WD Cali. A compromise in other words.
First long drive of 400 miles showed me I was going to have to stir the gears on the hills to keep the momentum going, but 32mpg instead of 23mpg worth having.
Any regrets. No not really. It's just a different vehicle. The Cali has a lot going for it but as it's so expensive I just know that we are not going to be treating it like the multi purpose go anywhere, put anything in it, "utility" vehicle that the Bongo became. The Cali is going to be cosseted for sure and will always be a better place to be sitting/sleeping in.
In the snow and ice it will probably stay on the drive. With the Bongo we never hesitated if we needed to go out in the snow as being worth not a lot it wouldn't have mattered too much if we slid into a hedge and the chances of that happening were pretty slight. We'd be afraid of pranging the Cali.
To be perfectly honest if they bought out a brand new Mazda Bongo with a three year warranty we might have bought one. The Hyundai i800 if converted is probably the closest you could get to it but still no 4WD.
We've bought the Cali with a 10 year ownership in mind so it will be interesting to see if we keep it that long.
If I inherit a shed load of money we might swap it for the fully monty 4WD DSG 170bhp version "just because we can", but we couldn't justify all that money really which is why we bought the lesser version. We sold the Bongo for £4,500 though! Cheap as chips for what they do.
Now there's a thought - one of each!
briwy
Super Poster
VIP Member
We are in exactly this position, keep the 2001 extremely good condition Bongo or spend up and buy a California.
Our main concern is, as already said, the Bongos are no longer made and getting long in the tooth and as we intend to keep the camper for at least 10 -12 years we need reliable backup.
We intend to spend some long periods in Europe and if the Bongo should break down then we are pretty much stuffed as there are no spares/service available. In the UK I can get spares and mend the van myself.
Together with with this and the fact that the California is more "livable" in than the Bongo it looks like we will be taking the plunge. I am trying to get a spec that relates to the Bongo so 4motion is essential. I would really like the DSG auto but I'm concerned about the reliability/drivability after reading horror stories of faults and recalls. Is the DSG in the California being van based stronger than the car ones?
Our Bongo has limited slip rear diff and has been brilliant in the snow here in the Peak District so does the Cali diff lock work well, is it worth paying the extra.
We have had snow tyres on the Bongo so would probably get a set for the California as well but is it possible to fit chains as we will be in the Pyrenees for periods in winter.
I'm surprised that at the price they are Climatronic (and headlamp washers) isn't standard, is it worth the extra.
Sorry to be long winded but really would like some feedback, especially on the DSG.
Thanks for any help.
Our main concern is, as already said, the Bongos are no longer made and getting long in the tooth and as we intend to keep the camper for at least 10 -12 years we need reliable backup.
We intend to spend some long periods in Europe and if the Bongo should break down then we are pretty much stuffed as there are no spares/service available. In the UK I can get spares and mend the van myself.
Together with with this and the fact that the California is more "livable" in than the Bongo it looks like we will be taking the plunge. I am trying to get a spec that relates to the Bongo so 4motion is essential. I would really like the DSG auto but I'm concerned about the reliability/drivability after reading horror stories of faults and recalls. Is the DSG in the California being van based stronger than the car ones?
Our Bongo has limited slip rear diff and has been brilliant in the snow here in the Peak District so does the Cali diff lock work well, is it worth paying the extra.
We have had snow tyres on the Bongo so would probably get a set for the California as well but is it possible to fit chains as we will be in the Pyrenees for periods in winter.
I'm surprised that at the price they are Climatronic (and headlamp washers) isn't standard, is it worth the extra.
Sorry to be long winded but really would like some feedback, especially on the DSG.
Thanks for any help.
James
Top Poster
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I'd compare the Bongo to the Beach - they seem more closely related. No 4 Motion in the UK for the Beach though and no DSG either.
James
James
James
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Hannick said:
i don't know much about Bongo's but I have had a little look and considered one pre Beach and that was my interpretation.
It always amazes me with these Jap Imports - Mazda import models to the UK, can't sell some of them, then one of the models they choose not to import, proves really popular.
James
C
choplee
Guest User
Both the Bongo and the Cali are totally different animals im afraid ,so comparing would be just wrong in both counts ,due to the bongo having a good following being a good little bus
James
Top Poster
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choplee said:Both the Bongo and the Cali are totally different animals im afraid ,so comparing would be just wrong in both counts ,due to the bongo having a good following being a good little bus
Ford Freda?
James
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