Decided to treat myself for my 40th to a new transporter never had one before but struggling a bit with the options.
Defo having,
Led lights
Sat nav
Power latching tail gate
Rear camera (for the wife honest)

Unsure wether to get
Heated seats
Window in the tailgate
Roof bars
2+1 rear seats

Any options I’ve missed that I should get ?

It’ll mainly be used as a biking van until the kids have grown up then I’ll probably convert it and travel around with the wife

Heated seats I’d not be without.
Tailgate window useful if you’re doing a future conversion but not essential.
Things like roofbars can be added afterwards.

I’d drop the sat nav though in favour of Carplay (or the Android equivalent) though if it’s an option – use the money on the other options.

I’m in a Transit though rather than VW but similar use.

Heated seats (and heated steering wheel) is a must for me now I’ve had them.

Heated seats (and heated steering wheel) is a must for me now I’ve had them.

Conversely, if you’ve never had them, you won’t miss them (like me), and you can spend your money on something else.

Just bought a new one (camper conversion), sat nav not needed, Android/Apple play needed. Parking sensors very useful.
Defo a tailgate and window. Cycle rack is easier than a tow bar one. Mine is a 4 bike rack and is permanently left on the van. Doesn’t have heated seats, but has the heater that runs from diesel. Heated steering wheel would be nice.

Air ride
Awesomez wheelz

Stuff I couldn’t do without now I’d got it (especially on a car/van to do long distances):

Heated seats
LED/Xenon (high spec) lights
Adaptive cruise control
Lane assist (steers you slightly to keep you centred in the lane, a godsend on motorways)
Android Auto
A good stereo
Full parking sensors
Rear camera
Automatic gearbox
Heated windscreen

Towbar/rack makes less sense on a van as I’d want the bikes inside the van.

Yes, my car has a LOT of options and I bloody love them. Makes 7+ hour drives easy.

DSG, love mine.

Space. SWB doesn’t really cut it once you have lots of bikes to get in. Go for the LWB.

Heated seats is a very desirable feature. Not too sure about LED lights. A mate of mine has a T6 with a heated front windscreen. If that is still an option definitely get that…if its anything like a T5 (which is is as its use a facelift really) then clearing the windscreen is a proper PITA.

I’m in two minds about a reversing camera. When I had my T5 I thought I wanted one to support the rear sensors, but the car that replaced the van has a rear parking camera and I find I don’t use it so you can defo do without it. Parking sensors are good and the door mirrors are huge so give you good visibility.

Also I don’t think you need a window the tailgate. Mine had one but was retrofitted during the conversion so did’t have a rear view mirror, or windscreen wiper and wasn’t heated so never used it and could have done without it.

And radar guided cruise control. dumb cruse control is good but radar guided is brilliant.

I wouldn’t bother with heated seats. Can you get a diesel heater? Might mean you need a 2nd battery. I’d also think about 2 zone heating/air conditioning. The back of the van is a long way from the dashboard. The kids can have their own heating cooling in the back it seems to work a treat for out two.

The diesel heater is brilliant if your wanting to keep warm while the kids are playing football or if your getting changed after a bike ride or before.

Have you realised you can get a T6 with a fully opening sunroof yet? It’s pretty wild bombing down the motorway in a van with a huge hole above your head.

Heated windscreen is amazing because it can take forever to clear on a cold day.
Heated seats also desirable as it can take forever for the heater to warm up a big space.
Get whatever the best version of the headlights are because the regular ones are abysmal.

– Captains chairs up front (you don’t seem to mention this?)
– Do you really want Sat Nav? Doesn’t everyone just use Google or Waze on their phone instead?
– What’s the plan for getting it lined? This isn’t really an option, you’ll need it lined
– Twin sliding doors are a must for me (our Kombi didn’t have them, it was annoying)

Get whatever the best version of the headlights are because the regular ones are abysmal.

It’s 2020, halogen headlights need to stay in the 1990’s!

Mine are ‘only’ xenon but have the clever shutters which blank off the beam around cars etc, and turn with the steering wheel. Makes those dark drives home on singletrack lans a lot safer!

I’d take the auxiliary heater in a van over heated seats to be fair.

Not sure what tech the VW heated screen uses, mine’s a skoda and uses a copper film so you don’t have the micro wires in a ford, it’s completely invisible.

Any options I’ve missed that I should get ?

upgrading to a Transit Custom? 🤣

A mate of mine has a T6 with a heated front windscreen. If that is still an option definitely get that

you have to spec that as an option?! 😳 It’s essential.

Did you miss out the overinflated price tag? 😉

I’d love a van, but not a VW, so i’m envious of you getting a new vehicle, but really not on the vehicle choice (hence the sarcastic question).

Tailgate option rather than barn doors as it is a godsend in bad weather as a make-shift shelter – however, it does make car park access problematic if whatever you have must go in the back and not the side.

Window in rear would also be my preference as it improves visibility for driving (but get it tint so it is harder to see in).

Enjoy the new toy when it arrives!

T6.1 Beach about to be on configurator this month. Def LED Lights, option diesel night heater rest is flashy stuff. Oh and towbar prep otherwise a PITA aftermarket.

upgrading to a Transit Custom? 🤣

I was thinking that but I didn’t want to be a salty VW hater.

New Transits are mint and they come packed with all the stuff you pay a fortune for a T6.

Tailgate option rather than barn doors as it is a godsend in bad weather as a make-shift shelter

never got this, in bad weather just sit IN the back of the van, surely?! Tailgate looks way cooler, barn doors much more practical though.

New Transits are mint and they come packed with all the stuff you pay a fortune for a T6.

yeah most of these “upgrades” come standard on a Transit don’t they 🤣

Check whether a Factory Fit diesel heater bumps you up a VED bad as it all counts….

LWB is essential

captain’s chairs are essential

Sunroof is nice

I didn’t want to be the first one to say “Transit”, but (seriously) they’re worth a look. As others saying, much of the kit VW charge extra for is standard on the Ford.

Transit Dual Cab, LWB (L2), captains chairs, heated full leather with leccy seat adjustment and extra/side airbags, tailgate, quick clear windscreen, A/C, cruise (not adaptive), towbar. Headlights are pish as standard, adequate with better halogen bulbs but really wish the LED option they offer now was available at the time we bought (3+ years ago). Was <2/3 the price of the equivalent T6 and has a lot more kit. I just couldn’t justify the T6 price.

Defo get the front bench seat. being able to take six people now and then is very handy

Not too sure about LED lights.

The stock halogen lights are literally the worst headlights I’ve ever seen. Not much brighter than sidelights, in my opinion.

Defo get the front bench seat. being able to take six people now and then is very handy

but the rest of the time you’re left a really uncomfortable seat that you’d never want to sit on yourself. 2 seats up front is far better in my experience unless you absolutely need to be able to take 6. It also means you can walk straight into the back

In our T6 the extras that I’d not be without; heated seats; parking sensors F&R and camera, tow bar, split rear seats, sunroof – wasn’t sure but being able to leave it vented when parked-up in summer is brilliant. I don’t use the factory nav, but CarPlay is something I’d not be without, as is DSG and a tailgate.

Power latching tail gate
Rear camera (for the wife honest)
Personally I wouldn’t bother with the power latching tail gate. I had it on our older T5 and not on the newer one and I can’t say I miss it at all. Also personally I find parking sensors front and rear way more useful than a rear camera (we have one on our mobile home and it’s practically useless in poor light conditions). I would also agree with heated seats. Use ours a lot in the winter.

never got this, in bad weather just sit IN the back of the van, surely?! Tailgate looks way cooler, barn doors much more practical though.

Isn’t life weird. I had never once imagined that anyone could possibly try to suggest that barn doors are better than a tailgate for s leisure van….

Are you smoking crack?

Or do you live in a desert somewhere?

Likes to load his kit using a forklift, so barn doors ftw!

Transits…For people who want a VW who can’t afford one 😉

If available on an options list i would get lowered springs, look and ride much better with them.,

Just to echo the comments above, I’ve recently got a new posh ish VW with the Discover Pro navigation system in it. Looks fine and works well with the digital dash – which car play navigation apps don’t.

However it doesn’t allow full postcode searches and as such is hugely annoying. There are numerous videos and posts on the web about daft ways to get the full search but it seems on the newest firmware none of these ‘shortcuts’ work.

If you decide you want the factory nav, please get assurance it will have the full postcode search enabled.

LED headlights, seriously the standard lights are crap.

adaptive cruise control, very nice.

dsg.

Captains seats.
heated screen.

factory leisure battery??

I’d run an aftermarket head unit with appleplay personally.

I’ve got a T6 satnav is shite so go with Carplay instead

We’ve had our T5 Kombi 12 plate from new. The only thing we regret not getting are tuck in electric mirrors.

LWB , high roof .

LED lights are better for sure, but assuming the OP hasn’t got the budget to have everything then LED lights are usually a very expensive option and I’d rather have other stuff like heated seats, heated front windscreen, adaptive cruise control etc than LED lights. Yes the stock lights might be crap…but actually not crap just not a good as LED lights…the ‘crap’ lights on my T5 were perfectly adequate and main beam was more than adequate. If you’re in a line of traffic then so what if the dipped headlights are crap…you don’t need them especially on a road lit by street lamps. When the road opens up you have main beam which was more than adequate on my T5 – how fast are you driving heat you feel you need to illuminate the road as if it were daylight?. So an issue you can easily deal with and manage. But yes, if you can afford the other stuff AND LED lights then great. If you can’t then I’d be prioritising other stuff. You’d use and appreciate heated seats and windscreen far more than LED lights and Adaptive cruise control is just a game changer. But I concede if you’re a night shift worker and do most or all of your driving at night the LED lights would be a priority.

As for all the VW haters who complain about the VW premium…I take it you always shop at Poundland and B&M then for everything and never step foot in any other stores? and in all other parts of your life you always, always choose the cheapest options available??? Fair enough if that is you. You’re walking the walk and talking the talk never paying for premium anything. Nowt wrong with cheaper van alternative…I prefer the Transit over the T6 for looks. But you get the VW scene tax back, and a bit more, in far superior residuals you get with a VW van, so not just a premium for premiums sake.

Phone satnav over factory fitted every time.

Tailgate over barn doors every time (coming from someone with barn doors!)

bench seat is fine for short journeys, I wouldn’t want to be a passenger for more than a couple of hours though.

If lights are a problem, maybe those folks need their eyesight tested, spend the money on a diesel heater and leisure battery.

T5.1 California Owner for last 8 years. So here’s what I would do if optioning from new.

Musts
Parking sensors
Heated Seats / wheel
LEDS
Glass rear window
Tailgate
Tailgate bike rack (I use it all the time)

Maybe
DSG (we have and makes the Cali easy as a relaxing daily driver for my Wife)
Diesel heater (works really well, but we have hardly used ours)
folding mirrors
sunroof (but if you want to add a pop-top later this could be an issue)

Would’t bother now, retrofit later
Android Auto / carplay aftermarket head unit
camera

Don’t
Electric sliding door (we have its crap, noisy and unreliable)

You’re walking the walk and talking the talk never paying for premium anything

The trouble starts when you try and work out what elements of a Transporter are premium other than the price. We had a T5, really liked it, would get another, it never once felt like a premium product