Can't decide if I need all these options

[MrKT]

Hi everyone!

As the title says I can't decide what's really essential, I keep building and rebuilding in the configurator and range from cheapest 5 speed 110ps in Trendline trim for ~40k CHF to Highline dream build for nearly 70k Swiss Francs.

I have a feeling that with nearly 30k of options I won't have a radically different car, just more toys. 30k is a lot of money that has to be earned. On the other hand jumping into a basic Multivan from the fast (335xi with 420ps) or great cruiser cars (A6 Allroad 3.0 TDI) will feel like a major downgrade and I'll regret spending any money. Car will be mostly used for overnight drives through Germany and Poland so great lightning is a must. Automatic would be nice but I see opinions on the DSG are not flawless. If it was something like ZF8 I'd not even think about going with a manual but not sure now?

If I go DSG then ACC is a must, another 1k on top of 3k for the gearbox. But my last 4 cars were all AWD, I enjoy stability in the rain and not thinking "can I park there?" in the midst of the winter. I read DSG is very spin prone on FWD cars in the wet, there's nothing more I hate than that! So... 4motion? Right, 4motion and not getting a difflock will be a regret as the part can't be retrofitted. That's almost 11k Francs on top of 6 speed 150ps build!

Now if you build a 4motion DSG car there's no sense to cheap out on everything else, I have a belief that options need to be balanced or you'll alienate a large pool of future potential buyers with such weird builds, so an upgrade to cloth seats at at least. The VW Polo of 2000 era clocks and base colour radio doesn't really convey the price of the vehicle well so an upgrade is in order, at least another 2k.

Now I'm at 65k+ car and thinking if I'm making the right choice again! Maybe go with 40k build, throw in some nightbreaker H4's and enjoy rowing the gears, whilst spending the nearly 30k difference on something else or just buying more index funds!

Just looking for opinions of others who went through the same process.

 

[DaveD]

Maybe go with 40k build, throw in some nightbreaker H4's

You plan on doing a fair amount of night driving. Nightbreakers or any other bulb in the H4 light will only offer a small improvement on the dismal lights (Been there, done that).
I honestly think factory LED lights should be at the top of your list.
Unlike some options, these will make it more desirable to a future buyer too.

 

[ThreeBridgeT6]

'I wish I had less power'......said no one, ever! Having to work hard whilst driving just to maintain your speed or position in moving traffic is a drag, so in my view 150ps is the minimum to go for. If you're likely to add weight to it i.e, convert it, go 199. DSG is a no-brainer. You might read gripes on here about how it selects gears or holds onto gears, but it's still a great box. I'll probably have mine remapped by @BognorMotors in the not too distant future, but I'm certainly not unhappy with it in stock form. The other no-brainer is LEDs.

After that, the world's your lobster! Change your suspension, change your wheels, lower it, insulate it - the list goes on and the cost rises, but you'll love every mile you drive in it if you do these things - I know I do. I can't believe how good mine is to drive on motorways - puts a smile on my face every time. The only thing I'd probably change if I did it again is 4Motion.

 

[MrKT]

You plan on doing a fair amount of night driving. Nightbreakers or any other bulb in the H4 light will only offer a small improvement on the dismal lights (Been there, done that).
I honestly think factory LED lights should be at the top of your list.
Unlike some options, these will make it more desirable to a future buyer too.

I used to have a 1994 Legacy with big huge glass headlights, I fitted nightbreakers and it was a major improvement but tbh the headlight wasn't dismal in the the first place. I keep being told T6 H4s in the night are terrible and I've yet to see for myself, however passing these on the Autobahn looked like they output almost acceptable light... almost! So I thought nightbreakers would cross the treshold. I'll rent a base 150ps FWD DSG van for 4 days this weekend to get the feel of the car in various settings.

Thanks for your input Dave

 

[Ads_Essex]

cheapest 5 speed 110ps in Trendline trim for ~40k CHF to Highline dream build

Don’t forget you can always remap. Not sure how it stands over there with TÜV, mind.

Car will be mostly used for overnight drives through Germany and Poland so great lightning is a must

As above, +1 with the LEDs. H4’s are terrible. Particularly on the fridges on towns - you’ll end up thinking your headlights are off.

Automatic would be nice but I see opinions on the DSG are not flawless

The TVS remap on the DSG box is said to be a revelation, and plenty of drivers on here are problem free - we generally only hear noise when it’s a complaint about something.

an upgrade to cloth seats.. The VW Polo of 2000 era clocks and base colour radio doesn't really convey the price

Upholstery and radio can be upgraded after, for a better - certainly visually - product that the manufacturer cannot beat.

 

[MrKT]

Don’t forget you can always remap. Not sure how it stands over there with TÜV, mind.

AFAIK if the emissions/exhaust system is factory spec they can't detect a remap (yet), but dealer would a) detect it b) or overwrite it with any planned ECU software upgrade so I'd probably have to live with 110ps for 3 years at least till the warranty expires I think, that's a long time.

One option would be to buy the map files from mhauto or a private seller and learn to apply and switch between stock/stage 1 myself. It's probably done via WinOLS but honestly I've not dealt with it myself. E92 N54 mapping scene is a dream where you can change maps from your Android phone in 2 minutes. I used to switch to 95 Octane map at the gasoline station in case I couldn't find any 98 in time, that easy!

As you know 110ps and 150ps are exactly the same engines with the same stage 1 ceiling of around 180bhp, that makes 110ps a no-brainer if 5 speed manual is OK. But is it? I think that's around 2.5k rpm @ 120km/h (~75mph), 6 speed should be under 2k I think?

Also I read some posts saying 5 speed box is much weaker than 6 speed. On the other hand some people really enjoy the gear spacing of 5 speed as opposed to 6 speed. Again I'm dancing in circles.

 

[Garny999]

If I go DSG then ACC is a must, another 1k on top of 3k for the gearbox.

I have ACC and must admit, it is brilliant. DSG was a must for me and whilst good, it isn't perfect. (Mine tends to hold on to low gears too long, especially downhill ). I am however, glad I got DSG. LED is also a vast improvement. Unfortunately, if you skimp on some of the options, it will be a case of....I should have got that......further down the line. I do wish i had opted for heated seats though

 

[Broadside]

As you know 110ps and 150ps are exactly the same engines with the same stage 1 ceiling of around 180bhp

I don’t know that this is the case but someone else on here surely will. Some mapping companies will not do anything with the smaller output engines because there have been problems with the turbos. That makes me think they are physically different engines, not just one being a detuned version of the other.

 

[czmate1999]

If you’re driving a lot then 4M DSG ACC with LEDs and heated seats a must .

cz.

 

[dubber36]

DSG was a must for me and whilst good, it isn't perfect. (Mine tends to hold on to low gears too long, especially downhill )

It's supposed to do that to give you engine braking, although it does seem as if it holds a lower gear than you would had you selected it yourself. You can get it to change up with the smallest amount of accelerator.

 

[boxerdog1]

If you’re driving a lot then 4M DSG ACC with LEDs and heated seats a must .

My thoughts exactly and also with 199ps ..... strangely enough I've got one parked outside

 

[MrKT]

My thoughts exactly and also with 199ps ..... strangely enough I've got one parked outside

That's the rabbit hole I can't let myself into! I keep telling myself it's a Transporter underneath with fancy plastics, it shouldn't cost so much Sadly there's no alternative and VW can and does milk this segment as they see fit.

I might settle somewhere in the middle, with this build

* Family trim 150ps 6 speed manual
* Clayton 16" alloys.
* Heated ArtVelours Palladium seats
* Prep for tow hook - I understand this is the wiring and mounting points? 275 CHF option that would be a pain in the arse to retrofit later.
* Navi Pro + Digital Cockpit - 2.4k option but really modernises the interior, Android Auto + Waze should be glorious on that screen, anyone knows if the cockpit can display phone maps apps or just the main screen?
* 2 swivel/captain seats with armrests at the front
* 2 seats in the middle row
* 3 seat bench at the back
* tinted passenger windows + carpet in the cabin
* Roof rails installed for accessories
* 80l tank
* Rearview cam - must have with limited rear visibility IMHO
* LED lights
* Climatronic (automatic AC)
* Servo sliding doors - read these are hard to slam shut with windows closed but don't want fully electric.
* Heated window washer jets (how come these are not standard?!)
* ASR deactivation button. I know this can be deactivated in the dashboard but takes a bit of fiddling around. On the downside the you get 3 button row with 2 blanks just because of this ASR button. To get all 3 buttons you need downhill assist + diff lock.
* Steel spare wheel and repair kit.

What do you guys think? This is 58 470 CHF but I should get it down to ~51k with company fleet programme, or 43k GBP in todays money.

Still deciding between Cherry Red (kirshrot) and Pure Grey.

 

[RedUn]

If you can get 15% off I'd get the one you want and don't worry about it, there's no right answer when it comes to these, everyone on here has been round it and in the end, it's your van, buy it / make it how you want it. There's one thing, no matter what you buy you'll end up spending more on it anyway so you need to learn to depart with your money freely, mostly without telling the wife

 

[czmate1999]

Mine came in at £44k for the van - new from factory. Check out my build thread for spec if you want to compare.

 

[Garny999]

It's supposed to do that to give you engine braking, although it does seem as if it holds a lower gear than you would had you selected it yourself. You can get it to change up with the smallest amount of accelerator.

Yeah i totally get that and it certainly works but just a bit too much for me tbh. I will get used to it i suppose

 

[MrKT]

Alright, here's some thoughts after driving T6 150ps FWD DSG for 1000km (600 mls), these are my opinions and hope some new members may find them useful, these may sound negative and I hope no ones offended, I will likely still go with the car as it has many many positives but just praising is not constructive I think.

* DSG almost great. ALMOST. The negative opinions on the forums are much overblown IMHO. Two things let it down, both not critical and I'd pick DSG over manual still.

1. It holds on the high gear when dropping speed going down to ridiculous RPMs and lugging the engine. All new VWs seem to do that and I hate it, probably not too good for the engine too as low RPM + load = bad, because oil pump pressurises linearly with RPMs, in other words high lubrication request but poor lubrication. The rental has 260k km on the clock and I think is on the first engine, but I'll ask the owner next week.

2. Traffic jams up hill it delivers the power in pulses, much like you'd do with a manual gearbox, that's a non-issue but you do have to be mindful and not creep too close to the car in front.

Otherwise can't fault it. No lag, fast shifts, 1-2 shift is very smooth, suits the van well.

* 150ps is the minimum power level I'd go for. It's enough for a van and even a car but no lower.
* DSG + FWD + cold tarmac (wasn't even wet) = you have to modulate the thottle or wheelspin and aggressive cutoff by ESP. I'll probably shell out for 4motion.
* The standard audio is one of the worst I've heard in any cars, really really shitty audio That and pretty bad wind and tire noise in the cabin after 120km/h does not make a pleasant cruising environment. Do the Discover Pro radios come with better speakers?
* Automatic AC is a must, very hard to find the perfect temp with manual blower, either too hot or too cold. I've had plenty of cars with gas knob heater controls but this was bad, might be something wrong with the car IDK.
* H4 lights are worthy of all the cursing they get, better bulbs can't fix them because the problem is narrow spread and hard cutoff line without any contrast, you don't need more brightness, LEDs are a MUST. The H4's are effing scary! T6.1 comes with H7 but after this experience I don't even want to think of it.

EDIT:

a couple more things I forgot.

* the drivers seat is not very comfortable, I lacked lower back support, it was just a basic cloth seat and a small pillow would fix it.
* the short front means pedal box is pushed far back in relation to the steering wheel, I couldn't find the perfect position where legs have enough room and steering wheel is in proper position (wrist rests at 12o clock with back fully leaned). Even with fully extended steering wheel the pedals are too close or I can't reach the wheel enough. That's just the nature of not having any space between the console and the firewall, I believe that's also why the glovebox is so tiny and vertical... I'm 1.82m short

 

[Garny999]

It holds on the high gear when dropping speed going down to ridiculous RPMs

I agree if you mean low gear, quite horrid at times.

 

[MrKT]

I agree if you mean low gear, quite horrid at times.

The one I drove would hold onto D7 going down to 70km/h with engine speeds of 1100-1300rpm, that's with depressed throttle! You'd have to give it some serious gas or keep in S mode to use lower gears.

 

[Garny999]

The one I drove would hold onto D7 going down to 70km/h with engine speeds of 1100-1300rpm, that's with depressed throttle! You'd have to give it some serious gas or keep in S mode to use lower gears.

That's odd

The one I drove would hold onto D7 going down to 70km/h with engine speeds of 1100-1300rpm, that's with depressed throttle! You'd have to give it some serious gas or keep in S mode to use lower gears.

Interesting, not had much chance to fully test mine on motorways with lockdown,but will check that. I,m hoping it was just the one you had but doubting that now.
Not overly impressed at mo and been in better "Autos", but its still so convenient.