Need your valued advice on vw california purchase

rbraddley · Dec 22, 2012

I am very interested in purchasing a california for my camping trips to france. Firstly if i decide to go with an older 09 reg what is the best engine to go for. I will be towing a trailer tent also. i have 3 young kids so the 5 th seat is a must. if we were using the roof and downstairs bed, does the 5 th seat have to be completly removed from the vehicle to enable sleeping downstairs. My third query is what does vat qualifing mean in for sale ads?

Would i be better buying a newer 2.0 engined cali and would i be better taking out a bank loan to part finance or take finance with dealer?

Sorry that my queries are so varied but i need to ensure i dont regret my long term purchase later on. Would really appreciate any advice. Brad.

Meoncoast · Dec 23, 2012

Finance, I would set up a loan prior to purchase, so you have the details to compare with what VW dealer finance can offer - then you can will see which is the best, if VW is the best go for that I would expect that deal would be the best.

I am sure on this forum it has been said that the 5th seat has to come out to make up the bed as we do not have a 5 seat I can not say from persoal use

on another point re gear box I had never driven a automatic before and the van we desided to buy had a DGS gear box which was the only thing I was not sure about but within a few days I had fully adjusted to in , you could try a weekend hire

BMVS-Camper-Hire · Dec 23, 2012

Good morning.

If you can try and squeeze into the later engined California's, they are more refined and better on fuel, however if you need to go for the earlier California, then try and go for the more powerful 174, especially as you will be five up with a trailer.

Financing wise, I would suggest a lease purchase which, due to the excellent residuals, means it keeps your monthly payments nice and manageable. But probably the best option is to get a quote for a loan and though the dealer and see what works for you best :thumb

Reference the 5th seat, this does have to be completely removed to get to the downstairs bed, rember you will need a toilet tent, or similar to store it when not in use. We always use the 5th seat, as we have 3 children, and although its a bit of a faff to remove, there is a knack to it and it gets easier each time.

And your question about VAT qualifying, this means that the price includes VAT, which if purchasing for business use, means you can claim it back, or part of it. If purchasing for private use this makes no difference.

Andresz · Dec 23, 2012

For 5 people consider version Beach or even Multivan with a pop-up roof. The 5th seat is going to be big obstacle on vacations, in my opinion.

Anonymous · Dec 23, 2012

having to store a 5th seat in a toliet tent whilst away on holiday sounds like a lot of hassle to be honest, does this also mean you need to have the bench seat pushed all the way back while travelling which limits storing gear in the boot

rbraddley · Dec 24, 2012

Guys,
Thanks for the feedback so far. I would like to know a little more about the 5th seat setup. Firstly with the 5th seat located on the sliding door side of the van and the 5th seat rotated facing the rear door, can the two captains chairs still rotate, and can the table be erected with the 5 th seat in this position. Can any cali take a 5th seat or does it have to be factory ordered. Can the 5 th seat be located on either side of the van or just beside sliding door side? Regarding the climatonic what does this do over air conditioning , is it worth having as its expensive as a factory option. Engine wise the older model 2.5 has a chain as a cambelt, is this so for the newer 4 pot engine. I I I have seen on Autoebid that there is now a 2.0 bluemotion cali 180 for new release dec 2012, is there any on sale yet? Lads thanks for the feedback so far. Nice to know i can get genuine views and advice on here. Brad.

muttley · Dec 24, 2012

rbraddley said:
Guys,
Can any cali take a 5th seat or does it have to be factory ordered. Can the 5 th seat be located on either side of the van or just beside sliding door side? Regarding the climatonic what does this do over air conditioning , is it worth having as its expensive as a factory option. Lads thanks for the feedback so far. Nice to know i can get genuine views and advice on here. Brad.

I can answer a couple of those questions for you: to fit a 5th seat you need a Cali with the 3rd seat rail. Standard Calis don't have that. In my opinion, the 5th seat is really for travelling only, not camping. If you need to carry an extra passenger then it is great, but for camping it is a pain. To summarise, you can't get the table up, you can't make the lower bed, and you have to have the bench seat right back which limits luggage space. The seat is heavy & awkward to move too. We used ours once, and it likely to sit unused in the garage forever more. Maybe the beach is a better option if you need more seating, as has been suggested.

Climatronic gives your rear passengers their own control over the ventilation. The rear temp can be set independently from the front, so it gives the kids something to play with. For us, this was a worthwhile option.

Whatever spec you go for, you will love it!

Simon

rbraddley · Dec 24, 2012

Thanks muttley.
Ok have decided on the following spec; 2011 reg or something 6 months or older, california natural grey with climatronic, 5th seat, bike rack, privacy glass, manual, 180 bitdi, parking sensors f &rear,mfsw. The search begins; if anybody has something matching spec and wishing to sell could they pm me. Brad.