Ordering new Cali but Which engine size please?

[HectorPascal]

Hello all,
My lovely missus and I are probably going to take the plunge and buy the most expensive vehicle we will ever purchase. I think I have decided on the 4Motion thing (no, but with good winter tyres) BUT... which of the larger engines? Could we respectfully solicit opinions out there?
Looking forward to talking-to/meeting some of you.

 

[WelshGas]

Welcome.
How are you going to use the vehicle. High Days and holidays or all year round ?
3rd car or daily driver?
What sort of car do you have now?

 

[HectorPascal]

Welcome.
How are you going to use the vehicle. High Days and holidays or all year round ?
3rd car or daily driver?
What sort of car do you have now?

Hi Welshgas,
We have an 8 yr-old E320 estate which is a great car. The Cali is to replace that for everyday use, and taking off when we feel like it. Retirement looms in about 3 years.

 

[WelshGas]

Others will no doubt disagree but I would say go for the 204. My 180BiTurbo is a great cruiser especially for the continent. Keeps up with the crowd and I enjoy driving. DSG suits the California and works well with Cruise Control. 4Motion, well thats upto you. I have it, with All Season Tyres, and it gives a very planted stance for all weathers and found it useful for greasy, wet grass campsites.
There are lots of counter opinions regarding the 150, DSG and 4Motion but in the end it's down to personal choice and finances.
Whatever you choose you'l enjoy it. Try and get test drives or hire if you can.

 

[Max-Felix]

Comes down to money surely, if you can afford it then get the top spec engine. Our Beach has the five speed manual 114 engine and to be honest was absolutely fine on our recent 1500 mile trip round France/Austria/Switz/Alps etc. Not often did I feel short of power, it's a campervan not a sports car. But if it was to be an only car and retirement conveyance then I'd want DSG and all the power I can for sure. Go for it.

 

[larrylamb]

Agree mostly with Welshgas. Do test drive the different engine sizes as the new 150 is a lot closer to the 180 in performance terms compared to the old 140. The new 204 engine is a lot quicker than the 180. MMM magazine review recommends the 150dsg and save youself £2500. As above re personal preferences and budget. DSG and then Four motion would be priority over the very quick 204 model.

 

[calimera]

Agree with Larrylamb.
We hired T5180 DSG & bought T6 150 DSG with the adaptive cruise & front assist( amazing) . Husband feels similar power.
Best to test drive both or hire .
So pleased that we finally took the plunge.
It's our near retirement gift.

 

[HectorPascal]

Others will no doubt disagree but I would say go for the 204. My 180BiTurbo is a great cruiser especially for the continent. Keeps up with the crowd and I enjoy driving. DSG suits the California and works well with Cruise Control. 4Motion, well thats upto you. I have it, with All Season Tyres, and it gives a very planted stance for all weathers and found it useful for greasy, wet grass campsites.
There are lots of counter opinions regarding the 150, DSG and 4Motion but in the end it's down to personal choice and finances.
Whatever you choose you'l enjoy it. Try and get test drives or hire if you can.

 

[Ciki62]

For me current multivan t5 2.5 TDI 175hp is daily driver. The best vehicle I can imagine . Now I order California beach. At the beginning I wanted 150hp. But than change my mind an place order for 204hp. Why? Because it is so nice, to drive this car with this powerful engine. For me although 4motion and rear differential lock. I read a lot about great 150hp if California will be my second car, Motorhome I will chose this engine. For daily use go for 204hp and sure with 4motion.


Ikr,.

 

[HectorPascal]

Interesting thanks. I have just spec'd up my wishlist on VWs 'build-your-Cali' configurator and it came out at £66K. Ulp. Feeling queasy now... I'm just off to dig furiously in the garden and try to forget about it.
Seriously, next step is to hire one for a week in early October to see if we even like the whole deal. We never have been campers or even 'Clampers' and the lack of a loo and shower is unsettling - we would have to get round that somehow or 'management' will veto the whole thing.

 

[HectorPascal]

Agree mostly with Welshgas. Do test drive the different engine sizes as the new 150 is a lot closer to the 180 in performance terms compared to the old 140. The new 204 engine is a lot quicker than the 180. MMM magazine review recommends the 150dsg and save youself £2500. As above re personal preferences and budget. DSG and then Four motion would be priority over the very quick 204 model.

Thanks, It's just the thought of all that lovely torque and the ability to get past slower traffic.

Comes down to money surely, if you can afford it then get the top spec engine. Our Beach has the five speed manual 114 engine and to be honest was absolutely fine on our recent 1500 mile trip round France/Austria/Switz/Alps etc. Not often did I feel short of power, it's a campervan not a sports car. But if it was to be an only car and retirement conveyance then I'd want DSG and all the power I can for sure. Go for it.

 

[HectorPascal]

That chimes with my own (not very grown-up) emotional response.

 

[GillianC]

Interesting thanks. I have just spec'd up my wishlist on VWs 'build-your-Cali' configurator and it came out at £66K. Ulp. Feeling queasy now... I'm just off to dig furiously in the garden and try to forget about it.
Seriously, next step is to hire one for a week in early October to see if we even like the whole deal. We never have been campers or even 'Clampers' and the lack of a loo and shower is unsettling - we would have to get round that somehow or 'management' will veto the whole thing.

Make sure that you stay on sites with good facilities and hook up for your first trip away or your management will not enjoy it. Be gentle on yourselves and don't try and do too much.
The more you get used to the van the more adventurous you are likely to be.
Choose places that are near to pubs in case you don't want to cook in the van or the weather is bad.
Good luck

 

[Teejay]

Thanks, It's just the thought of all that lovely torque and the ability to get past slower traffic.

That's the main reason we've ordered the 204, overtaking with confidence. It will also replace my current XC60 and be the daily driver/family car.

 

[HectorPascal]

Make sure that you stay on sites with good facilities and hook up for your first trip away or your management will not enjoy it. Be gentle on yourselves and don't try and do too much.
The more you get used to the van the more adventurous you are likely to be.
Choose places that are near to pubs in case you don't want to cook in the van or the weather is bad.
Good luck

Nice, thanks. I guess the brochure picture of a couple gazing at the sunset under the awning in a heavenly wilderness does not happen too often. If it's even legal?

 

[Max-Felix]

Nice, thanks. I guess the brochure picture of a couple gazing at the sunset under the awning in a heavenly wilderness does not happen too often. If it's even legal?

No, you can have lots of nights like that but October in the UK, hmmmm.....you will need to be lucky! My usual advice - head south! Loire, Dordogne, Alps - camping in France, Austria and Switzerland is an absolute joy.

A wet dark evening stuck in a camper van is not much fun to be honest.

 

[larrylamb]

Interesting thanks. I have just spec'd up my wishlist on VWs 'build-your-Cali' configurator and it came out at £66K. Ulp.

Like has been said, depends on your budget. Money no object I would love a 204 dsg 4motion with all the extras but you could easily knock 10-12K off your price if it hurts too much. They all have the same camping features at the end of the day and they all drive nice compared to motorhomes etc. We are not campers by nature so tend to stick to sites with good shower facilities etc.

 

[HectorPascal]

I did think.... 'let's try it in the shoulder months - in the UK - and then we might get a more realistic impression'. Also we do have a need to spend a few days in the Lancs/Yorks area.

 

[kave]

The more the better. I have a beach 204 and I am not overwhelmed with performance.
Look at the 0-60 figures and decide for your self.
I like my "car" to be close to 10 seconds.

 

[WelshGas]

Interesting thanks. I have just spec'd up my wishlist on VWs 'build-your-Cali' configurator and it came out at £66K. Ulp. Feeling queasy now... I'm just off to dig furiously in the garden and try to forget about it.
Seriously, next step is to hire one for a week in early October to see if we even like the whole deal. We never have been campers or even 'Clampers' and the lack of a loo and shower is unsettling - we would have to get round that somehow or 'management' will veto the whole thing.

We stay on all manner of campsites and have a Popaloo and tent for emergency use only at night, also we stay in hotels, friends drives, 5* campsites down to CL sites and even the occasional wild camping. The fact that you own a California doesn't mean you have to camp in a lay-by, carpark or field ALL the time.

 

[Borris]

We are very fortunate to own both a T5 180SE dsg 4motion and a T6 150 manual Beach. They are both great but completely different vehicles both with superb engines and gearboxes. However, as you are used to the effortless performance of the E320, if I were you, I would go for the 204 dsg. The Ocean weighs more than the Beach because of the kitchen. So IMO, if you are going to use it as a daily driver why not go for the 204 with dsg. The more powerful engine with the dsg gearbox suits this vehicle well and makes for an effortless and very relaxing drive.
The 4motion is very useful to have for wet, boggy grass campsites and for general road use in slippery conditions beyond that I really don't know.

 

[HectorPascal]

We stay on all manner of campsites and have a Popaloo and tent for emergency use only at night, also we stay in hotels, friends drives, 5* campsites down to CL sites and even the occasional wild camping. The fact that you own a California doesn't mean you have to camp in a lay-by, carpark or field ALL the time.

I suppose it's the variety on offer that is a big part of the appeal. I like the idea of the Solar panel and the wi-fi booster in your spec. list.

 

[HectorPascal]

We are very fortunate to own both a T5 180SE dsg 4motion and a T6 150 manual Beach. They are both great but completely different vehicles both with superb engines and gearboxes. However, as you are used to the effortless performance of the E320, if I were you, I would go for the 204 dsg. The Ocean weighs more than the Beach because of the kitchen. So IMO, if you are going to use it as a daily driver why not go for the 204 with dsg. The more powerful engine with the dsg gearbox suits this vehicle well and makes for an effortless and very relaxing drive.
The 4motion is very useful to have for wet, boggy grass campsites and for general road use in slippery conditions beyond that I really don't know.

Thanks, Borris. Is seems most people agree with you - and I think I do too. Now, to research the Adaptive suspension??

 

[Alibee]

Have just placed an order for a 150 after test driving both. Went for the 150 as it seemed to match the character of the Cali and the way I spent most of my time driving my T4 Westy. That’s not to say we hang around (generally cruise around 120-125kmh on autoroutes).

Also noticed some wheelspin with the combo of 204/DSG in the wet and a slightly more ‘peaky’ power delivery that matches to the power/torque curves published by VW.

Should probably say that most of my daily driving is very much at the urban end of the scale, so toque and smooth delivery are more important than top end power.

 

[Skinnee D]

Thanks, Borris. Is seems most people agree with you - and I think I do too. Now, to research the Adaptive suspension??

Combining the 204ps with the VW-approved 18" wheel/tyre size would give a bigger footprint to help with the extra torque too.