[Closed] Any T6 Caravelle owners here?

The price?

We have a T5-based camper, which is our main family vehicle.

In truth, a Caravelle would cover >85% of our needs. I'd mainly miss a kitchen and storage, but you can add those using the interior rail system.

So long as you're happy to sacrifice some acceleration and driving dynamics, the upsides are really are very useful for an active / mobile family.

I have a T6 204 4-motion DSG. AT 70 on the m-way it actually feels like its going too slow! Great for trips on the motorway, especially with active cruise control. Good in traffic with start stop and can do a fair turn away from the lights. Its also great on winter tyres in the wet and cold we've had recently. What's not too like. Even with all the California gubbins included its returning about 30mpg.

I'd have liked a 4-Motion but really on the south coast not much need for it and with proper winter tyres any hire car we've had has been 2WD and coped OK in the snow, we'd prefer to drive down that fly in future easier to take all our stuff. I'd have to buy new to get my ideal spec Caravelle and I'm not prepared to suffer depreciation like that again, did that with the A4 and annoyed myself, should have gone for a demo or lightly used. Price is 36K done 7k miles. Nappa Leather, heated seats no electric sliding door, mirrors or seats which I prefer as something less to go wrong. Ain't cheap but if I hired one for the trips we'd definitely each year it comes to over 2k per year and looking at 5 years time its the same as the depreciation I'd roughly suffer. Chopping in the Audi covers a chunk and have some savings too - not prepared so skint myself for a car.

Wife seeing it tomorrow with me - hopefully she will like it

What's not too like....

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...its returning about 30mpg.

~2.5tonne square fronted 4wd vehicle with 200+ bhp, 30mpg is pretty good IMHO.

I get on average about 48 to the gallon in my T6 kombi. My only regret is not getting one earlier. Going up to the in laws for half term and being able to take 3 adult bikes, my turbo trainer, 2 kids bikes plus all the other stuff with absolutely no hassle at all is a game changer for us

Should certainly be able to get more than 30mpg depending on type of driving and speed obviously. I have 1.9 diesel T5 and recently drove from Bristol to Manchester and back in a day and got 44mpg albeit I went about 60 all the way. VW quote 50mpg on a T6. I think that is better than most of the competition.

I have a mark 3 Renault trafic camper 38mpg 😉 10k miles and great had three VW's before. Great cars as they were and wouldn't want to insult anyone that has purchased one, but i do find the engine better than my 180bhp VW. The Renault had one big plus its bigger as a campervan and cheaper 😉

Well had 2nd test drive and my wife came along, she can see the sense in it too 🙂

Might be time to stop over thinking it!!

Even my old T4 Caravelle with 240k miles reliably does mid-40s mpg. If it's only doing 30mpg then either it's broken, or you're driving it wrong.

T5 lwb 180bhp DSG.
Will do ~35mpg (gentle driving).
Also goes down to ~28mpg if you do not hang around

What's not too like....

Its not a transit and waay more expensive than it should be

2.5 130bhp, LWB with furniture, pop top, two bikes on the back and fully loaded, 5000km down to Sicily and back. It returned 30 mpg despite cruising at 130kmh and lots of hills.

Otherwise get mid 40s.

30 is a bit low.....

Consider the amount of Adblue needed in the newer engines.

Yes they are more expensive than they should be, lots of things are. I'm sure lots of people riding a 7k bike when a for 2k something equally as capable. Sometimes its ok to buy something you like regardless of the actual "value".

mine does around 30mpg as well, californias are heavy vans so i guess that drags it down.

The kombi i had for a weekend was doing low 40's as a comparison.

i've driven down through france a few times in my 140bhp cali with a friend with a 180bhp sportline , both fully loaded with bikes and people and we both get approx 28mpg averaging 80mph.

T5's and T6's attract lots of attentions form the haterz who couldn't afford one and convince themselves that a Traffic or Vivaro is just as good, drives better in fact and is waay better value for money.

They just can't accept that they can't pull up next to a chrome finished T4 at the next meet-up and get a free tin of Stella from someone else who's on the scene 8)

No one is comparing apples with apples! 30mpg is mixed driving with some not hanging about, against which lots are comparing their driving-like-a-granny 300 mile motorway journey where they got 35mpg. Its a new engine with 2k on and a heavy vehicle. 30mpg is fine and I'm sure will improve!

30 mpg is possible if you use the accelerator pedal like an on off switch.

The T6 is a great vehicle for a family. Way better than any estate car.

Wouldn't worry about the cost of Ad Blue. You only need to top up every 4000 or so miles and it costs about a tenner.

Is anyone actually quoting the mpg of a 4-motion? Maybe what mine has used in fuel is save din Adblue by filling up at a truck stop for £3.80!

Jon Taylor - Member

T5's and T6's attract lots of attentions form the haterz who couldn't afford one and convince themselves that a Traffic or Vivaro is just as good, drives better in fact and is waay better value for money.

They just can't accept that they can't pull up next to a chrome finished T4 at the next meet-up and get a free tin of Stella from someone else who's on the scene

Troll. Nobody on the "scene" would be seen dead drinking Stella

We've got a LWB Hi-roof Transit. Cruising at 75mph on the motorway in 6th gear we get 30-32mpg. Not bad for a 3-tonne lump with crap aerodynamics.
So 30mpg in the VW sounds very low unless it's a hi-roof and towing a large boat.

So what we're saying is the real world Vw Mpgs dont match the claimed mpg's. I think we might be onto something.

I've got a 2007 Vw shuttle(poor mans caravelle) had it 6 years does 35mpg but is the 102 bhp Has no dpf which was deliberate decision.

Apart from a hideously expensive electro window controller replacement after I forgot that snow is actually water in a solid state and doesn't mix with electrics, it's just been regular servicing costs. Allegedly it's worth about £1.5k less than I paid for it 6 years ago which ain't bad. Been all over Europe with bike and kites. got a bed in and extra battery and fridge. Thought we might sell it now we have 2 kids but it's a brilliant family wagon if you need space for family and toys(adult).

All sounds good, just trying to do a deal with the dealer 🙂

We've had a 13 plate Caravelle for 3 years, 2 litre 180 DSG and it's brilliant. We wish we'd bought one before rather than estate cars. Dropped very lucky with our local dealer, rang to enquire and their demo was coming available. Saved them advertising and us searching. For almost all our use we keep the 7 seats in and for longer hols the middle two come out and the kids use the bench. Normal running we get around 30mpg, steady motorway mid 30s or higher if light on the pedal and towing caravan around 23.

205bhp 2.5 LWB get comfortably over 30mpg sitting at 80.

I wouldn't expect a big lump of a bus to get much more, unless I drive like Ned Flanders.