Which Model do I buy?

[dayslikethis]

I'm about to place an order for a new Cali but am having difficulty deciding on which model. Torn between the economy of 180PS at 44.1 or the 180PS DSG with 4 motion at 37.7. I suspect the latter to be an easier drive but would welcome any advice. The brochure ie what is standard and what is not standard. is also not the easiest of reads.

This forum by the way has been an invaluable source of advice to getting me to where I am on the issue!

 

[MisterTea]

I don't think economy figures like those are realistic. See other thread on the subject

Instead I'd worry more about driving experience and Total Cost of Ownership. (How long will you keep it and thus will costs of servicing or replacing DSG parts be important?)

 

[dayslikethis]

Noted thank you

 

[calikev]

It amazes me the amount of people that worry about mpg these are for driving and enjoying
If I was worried about mpg I would have bought a bike

 

[HistoryBob]

It amazes me the amount of people that worry about mpg these are for driving and enjoying
If I was worried about mpg I would have bought a bike

That would be a motor bike then Kev?

 

[calikev]

It amazes me the amount of people that worry about mpg these are for driving and enjoying
If I was worried about mpg I would have bought a bike

That would be a motor bike then Kev?

Of course

 

[gatvol]

DSG v manual is a vexatious subject. And much debated on this site. A very personal decision.

The 180 dsg 2wd was the best of the bunch for me as I don't need 4wd. Diesel plus auto plus turbo can be a truly shocking combo, but the DSG 180 works well in my opinion. I have an aversion to low revving diesel engines and the dsg basically cures this as I don't have to keep changing gear to get any semblance of performance out of it.

Winter tyres are far more important than 4wd in most slippy driving conditions anyway. A 1996 lime green 1 litre 2wd Nissan micra with skinny tyres was far safer and more accomplished on snow covered roads than my 4wd 4.2l Audi s5.

The Germans may have lost two world wars, but they are clever people. They produce beautifully designed vehicles with massive showroom appeal and then blitzkrieg post-warranty owners with massive bills, and fragile build quality that even the cheese eating surrender monkeys surpass nowadays. I hope my dsg was not a bridge too far, as some more cautious owners buy manuals fearing the future bills on dsg.

Buy dsg and pray

 

[teeboy]

There is no right or wrong answer - the only way to truly know is test drive a few.

We ended up with a 180 DSG and are very happy with it - we went looking for a 140 manual!

Although as we were buying nearly new rather than off the spec sheet our choice was based more on availability and price rather than the best combo!

I think any UK spec engine and gearbox combination has its pros and cons

T

 

[dayslikethis]

Thank you again for some very helpful replies, much appreciated.

 

[MisterTea]

FWIW I agree with the comment about winter tyres being more important than 4x4 alone. That's why where I live I value my cali having manual gearbox 4motion with the extra Diff lock and always stick winter tyres on as soon as ambient temp drops below 10deg. (Fun here in the Peaks)
It's gotten me out of trouble, and kept me going when all around me were spinning off or stuck, be that floods, ice, mud, snow.
So it depends where you live and what conditions you expect the vehicle to cope with.

 

[KernowLad]

If mpg is vital, don't get DSG or 4motion; both hit mpg, especially 4motion.

But IMO it's worth the extra outlay as your camper suddenly becomes a stealth SUV without the dreadful image!

I prefer the fine control of manual but that's just personal preference.

 

[bh-15]

I had a 140 2 wd cali on loan from the garage - the mpg was at least 10mpg better than my 180 4 wd. It felt lighter and easier to drive than my own. I was so impressed I think this is the one to buy.
But would I change?
I go skiing in the Alps, I drive to sports events through the winter and camp in muddy fields in the spring/summer. I like the confidence 4wd gives and the grunt of the 180 engine.
So the obvious answer is to own both (this also solves the problem of the cali being repaired at the garage for approx 50% of the time).
PS We have a 130ps 5 cyl T5 & a 102ps 4 cyl T5 at work & although the 130ps feels fast & noisy the 102ps is the better drive with fantastic MPG.

 

[daz60]

don't buy a California, buy the van and have it converted they will take pride in building it for you, V W don't. disgruntled California owner after 3 weeks

 

[nhurst59]

don't buy a California, buy the van and have it converted they will take pride in building it for you, V W don't. disgruntled California owner after 3 weeks

Hi there. I have just joined this site as starting to plan for what will hopefully be a March delivery of a California SE and keen to understand any negative experiences before writing the big cheque when I place an order at the end of Oct; probably won't put me off but keen to understand. Also wondered whether its possible to get discounts at the dealership and if so what level might be realistic.

Any info appreciated

 

[calikev]

Hi there you will find out all the negatives on here. More so than the positives. I have had my Cali for over 2 years with a couple of minor issues egr valve and a blind that didn't stay down
Apart from that I have enjoyed every minute lots of holidays and days out I even managed to travel to France this year

 

[Californiaman]

My Cali is 2.5 years old and after 220+ nights away in it, I have yet to have a real issue. For every *123,861 nights people spend happily in a Cali, there is one issue. That is the one that gets posted on here. That is the way forums work.

It would be interesting to see a real miles vs nights away vs smiles vs happy camping memories vs problems ratio. Mine and I suspect most owners would have a pretty good ratio!

(I hope I haven't just doomed myself...)

With regards to 180 manual vs dsg vs 4motion etc. Then only you can really answer that - the figures you quoted for consumption are definitely best case and in reality a 180 that does '44 mpg' isn't going to be a lot of use (other than for kipping and making tea in, admittedly) when the roads are 1' deep in snow when you live at the top of a mountain. You pays your money and takes your choice.

If the Cali were my only car, I would probably have 4motion as a lot of the roads I drive regularly are bad. They're bad enough and I drive them enough that I don't want to stick 20k+ miles on the Cali and/or batter it to bits though!

As it is, I chose not to go 4motion as I decided that if it needs 4x4 to get there or get out, I don't really want to take my Cali in the first place!

DSG however, I like. A lot. It wafts along with very little effort. Some say you miss out on the fine control, but I find that after a 200 mile journey, I can cope with it being 7mm further down the leveling block that I really wanted.

*68.7% of all statistics are made up on he spot