Hello and advice

[Baylisstic]

Hi all, great forum you have here although I've only scratch the surface I'm sure.

I'm looking at Transporter Kombi's at the moment and wonder how many people use them as a family 'car'?
I'm trying to convince my wife we can ditch the estate Passat and use one of these as our weekend/kids/holiday car as well as being handy for my Enduro bike!
On top of that we are getting to the point of needing to move four bicycles around soon and I know you can do that we racks etc on the Passat the Kombi seems much more practical.

I need to sort a decent test drive (look at them in the show room) but wonder what people think for this use, best option to have for ride/comfort etc T30/T32 and any suspension mods required (if required) to make it more 'car' like?

Cheers in advance for any advice.

Dave

 

[DaveyB]

Hi all, great forum you have here although I've only scratch the surface I'm sure.

I'm looking at Transporter Kombi's at the moment and wonder how many people use them as a family 'car'?
I'm trying to convince my wife we can ditch the estate Passat and use one of these as our weekend/kids/holiday car as well as being handy for my Enduro bike!
On top of that we are getting to the point of needing to move four bicycles around soon and I know you can do that we racks etc on the Passat the Kombi seems much more practical.

I need to sort a decent test drive (look at them in the show room) but wonder what people think for this use, best option to have for ride/comfort etc T30/T32 and any suspension mods required (if required) to make it more 'car' like?

Cheers in advance for any advice.

Dave

Hello @Baylisstic, my van replaced our family A6 Avant 3.0 tdi black edition 272. Do I regret it? Not one bit, Audi Schmaudi! Brilliant vehicle, makes me smile every time I drive it. Is it as fast or comfortable, hell no, never will be, it's a van! However I have lowered it onto Bilstein B14 suspension which has taken the rock and roll out of the standard sprung vehicle.
If you are going brand new rather than buying what fits the bill off the forecourt, then go T28 or T30. A 2.8 or 3 tonne payload is more than enough if you are using it as a leisure vehicle, plus you can get a far wider range of wheels and tyres for it if you want to change them for aftermarket items.

 

[rmo69]

We couldn't do without ours (well we have had to but that's another story)- three kids two dogs multiple bikes scooters, so handy not to have to get roof racks, bike racks etc sorted before a trip. I've also done a fair bit of MTBing in my time before a back injury closed off that particular avenue of pleasure, and the one thing I can tell you is that a LWB will allow you to chuck in upto 4 650b bikes with wheels on, on a SWB won't and if you've got a 29er you'll have to take one wheel off regardless. This is only a consideration though if you're a lazy impatient bugger like me!

Welcome and happy hunting!

 

[rmo69]

Perhaps should have checked if it's MTB or MX Enduro! Either way I much prefer the LWB you just don't run out of room.

 

[Morg]

Hi Dave

I've just made the switch from Passat estate to my 1st Kombi & cannot believe i didn't do it years ago!

The drive takes a few days to get used to but it's quiet & smooth & the cruise control is great for motorways

The driving position is so much better than the Passat & way more relaxing for long journeys
& the added bonus of being so high in the cab with much better visibility, means that everything is slowed down & is much safer,
which makes it great for ferrying around grumpy elderly parents & mine haven't moaned once, they love it!

The T6 is only a tad longer & wider than the Passat but because it's square & has parking sensors, it's way easier to park than the curvy Passat.

Mine came from the Das Welt Auto used van website, a demo vehicle that had only been driven by the vw branch manager to & from work,
had a couple of thousand miles but with the spec i wanted, saved about £14,000 on a brand new one & they delivered for free...couldn't resist!

My T6 T30 150 came with 18" sportline alloys, i had planned to get 20" alloys & lower on B14 coilovers but having lived with the stock suspension & 18"s, i have absolutely no complaints & my warranty is safe.

As well as the euro 6 engine choice, i'd definitely advise twin sliding doors & split rear seat
& if you go the DasWelt route, pick one with the vw media satnav & ask for a discount so you get it for free!

My only tiny regret, is now i'm used to driving a van everyday, i agree with rmo69 & should've gone for the lwb, i'd like that extra bit of room especially for camping

ps. i kept the Passat, 200,000+ miles & many dents it wasn't worth selling but have discovered it's now loads of fun to drive after the T6, feels like a sports car!

 

[Baylisstic]

Hello @Baylisstic, my van replaced our family A6 Avant 3.0 tdi black edition 272. Do I regret it? Not one bit, Audi Schmaudi! Brilliant vehicle, makes me smile every time I drive it. Is it as fast or comfortable, hell no, never will be, it's a van! However I have lowered it onto Bilstein B14 suspension which has taken the rock and roll out of the standard sprung vehicle.
If you are going brand new rather than buying what fits the bill off the forecourt, then go T28 or T30. A 2.8 or 3 tonne payload is more than enough if you are using it as a leisure vehicle, plus you can get a far wider range of wheels and tyres for it if you want to change them for aftermarket items.

That's great to hear to be honest I wasn't sure what the T numbers were but now I understand!

 

[Baylisstic]

We couldn't do without ours (well we have had to but that's another story)- three kids two dogs multiple bikes scooters, so handy not to have to get roof racks, bike racks etc sorted before a trip. I've also done a fair bit of MTBing in my time before a back injury closed off that particular avenue of pleasure, and the one thing I can tell you is that a LWB will allow you to chuck in upto 4 650b bikes with wheels on, on a SWB won't and if you've got a 29er you'll have to take one wheel off regardless. This is only a consideration though if you're a lazy impatient bugger like me!

Welcome and happy hunting!

More good info, I have been looking at SWB, but perhaps should be looking at LWB as I do a bit of MTB and also have a Enduro bike (motorcycle).
Cheers

 

[Baylisstic]

Hi Dave

I've just made the switch from Passat estate to my 1st Kombi & cannot believe i didn't do it years ago!

The drive takes a few days to get used to but it's quiet & smooth & the cruise control is great for motorways

The driving position is so much better than the Passat & way more relaxing for long journeys
& the added bonus of being so high in the cab with much better visibility, means that everything is slowed down & is much safer,
which makes it great for ferrying around grumpy elderly parents & mine haven't moaned once, they love it!

The T6 is only a tad longer & wider than the Passat but because it's square & has parking sensors, it's way easier to park than the curvy Passat.

Mine came from the Das Welt Auto used van website, a demo vehicle that had only been driven by the vw branch manager to & from work,
had a couple of thousand miles but with the spec i wanted, saved about £14,000 on a brand new one & they delivered for free...couldn't resist!

My T6 T30 150 came with 18" sportline alloys, i had planned to get 20" alloys & lower on B14 coilovers but having lived with the stock suspension & 18"s, i have absolutely no complaints & my warranty is safe.

As well as the euro 6 engine choice, i'd definitely advise twin sliding doors & split rear seat
& if you go the DasWelt route, pick one with the vw media satnav & ask for a discount so you get it for free!

My only tiny regret, is now i'm used to driving a van everyday, i agree with rmo69 & should've gone for the lwb, i'd like that extra bit of room especially for camping

ps. i kept the Passat, 200,000+ miles & many dents it wasn't worth selling but have discovered it's now loads of fun to drive after the T6, feels like a sports car!

Thanks for all that, so looks like I should be thinking LWB and need twin sliding doors plus split seat.
What do you mean re the Nav, is that a dealer fit extra if not fitted from new?
Been looking on the approved used, lots of ex demo nice spec on there.
I have down traded my car to make some room for this in the man maths and trying to convince the good lady she can swap in to 5 door mini or similar for school run and work when the Passat lease comes up next year

Cheers again

 

[Morg]

There's some great deals on that VW used website, i found it hard to justify the rather hefty pricetag for a new T6, so looked at loads of low mileage used ones & found a lot of rather dubious ones out there

The VW (Discover media or pro) nav is an optional extra when you order a brand new van, not all used vans come with the nav fitted & you can't just buy a VW one & fit it, as they're coded to the van at the factory

A dealer will only offer a Kenwood nav dnx516dabs which is expensive £950+vat & not so great (bad screen) according to a few people on this forum

You can get an aftermarket Pioneer F88dab which is meant to be great but again isn't cheap £800+ & you'll need a fitting kit £80 + a cable £150 to get the parking sensor graphics on the display & doesn't have good security so could be a target for thieves

Long & short...if you definitely want a nav i'd get a van with the VW one already fitted to save on expensive headaches

Oh...& some sidebars with a step in them or running boards so the missus & kids or elderly parents can climb into the van easier...it's really high!

ps. if it's a T30 or T32 you can put all costs thru you're business & claim the vat back

 

[Baylisstic]

Oh that last bit was gold, it would be 'business' purchase so can't go T28 then?!
Yes also like the look of side bars so some with steps would be great for the little monkeys.

Cheers again, wish I'd found the forum weeks ago!!

 

[Roadrunner]

Best thing to do is take the wife along to a dealer and take one for a drive. My wife was taken witha Kombi though I must admit I had a Cali on orde at the time. I think it's great and love driving it and takeing photos of it as well

 

[Pauly]

Oh that last bit was gold, it would be 'business' purchase so can't go T28 then?!

HMRC want to see a min 1000kg payload (load capacity) to qualify it for 'work' and make VAT fully reclaimable
There are several threads on this subject discussing sole trader/limited company - outright purchase vs BIK etc etc

 

[DaveyB]

That's great to hear to be honest I wasn't sure what the T numbers were but now I understand!

The other thing I would offer is;
The SWB is actually 37mm shorter than my old A6 Avant, but you can get so much more stuff in it.
I also had never driven a van so went to a VE commercial vehicle dealer and told them I wanted a day's test drive, no problem at all. Took a van out with the family for the day, identified that the principle behind getting a van was sound, however it equally told me that I did not want a 140 dsg (now the 150 dsg due to swap between Euro 5 to Euro 6 engine), that I wanted twin sliders and would definately not want to keep it at stock height on stock suspension for what I wanted it for.
The SWB makes for easier daily use such as parking at the shops, whilst the LWB is only a foot longer but the trade off is more room in the back but sticks out of a standard parking space so could get bumped and knocked more easily (speculation on own personal consideration not based on having owned a LWB).

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

The other thing I would offer is;
The SWB is actually 37mm shorter than my old A6 Avant, but you can get so much more stuff in it.
I also had never driven a van so went to a VE commercial vehicle dealer and told them I wanted a day's test drive, no problem at all. Took a van out with the family for the day, identified that the principle behind getting a van was sound, however it equally told me that I did not want a 140 dsg (now the 150 dsg due to swap between Euro 5 to Euro 6 engine), that I wanted twin sliders and would definately not want to keep it at stock height on stock suspension for what I wanted it for.
The SWB makes for easier daily use such as parking at the shops, whilst the LWB is only a foot longer but the trade off is more room in the back but sticks out of a standard parking space so could get bumped and knocked more easily (speculation on own personal consideration not based on having owned a LWB).

Being pedantic about it @DaveyB, the LWB is 1' 3 and 3/4" longer than the SWB - 400mm. That extra 3 and 3/4" means a lot to many .

 

[DaveyB]

Being pedantic about it @DaveyB, the LWB is 1' 3 and 3/4" longer than the SWB - 400mm. That extra 3 and 3/4" means a lot to many .

Yes but if you've already got the first 12 inches you don't worry about an additional 3.75 it's not like you can really use it for anything extra.

 

[T6 Dave's Dad]

Yes but if you've already got the first 12 inches you don't worry about an additional 3.75 it's not like you can really use it for anything extra.

Not so, you can increase the standoff distance

 

[Baylisstic]

The other thing I would offer is;
The SWB is actually 37mm shorter than my old A6 Avant, but you can get so much more stuff in it.
I also had never driven a van so went to a VE commercial vehicle dealer and told them I wanted a day's test drive, no problem at all. Took a van out with the family for the day, identified that the principle behind getting a van was sound, however it equally told me that I did not want a 140 dsg (now the 150 dsg due to swap between Euro 5 to Euro 6 engine), that I wanted twin sliders and would definately not want to keep it at stock height on stock suspension for what I wanted it for.
The SWB makes for easier daily use such as parking at the shops, whilst the LWB is only a foot longer but the trade off is more room in the back but sticks out of a standard parking space so could get bumped and knocked more easily (speculation on own personal consideration not based on having owned a LWB).

Cool, sound advice. I'll try and get one for the day, I'm looking for ex demo or nearly new through VW dealer network anyway.
Have a list of must for and the Mrs, will now add twin doors. Still thinking SWB will be plenty for our needs but will try it with mountain bikes and motorbike when I get the demo.
Was thinking the 150 DWG would be ok.....not man enough? So 180 or 204 a better bet?
Cheers

 

[DaveBos]

Best family car ever, went for a kombi with the T6 to cater for the new kid on the block. I have a 140 and it has plenty of power for me, had a 102 T5 before so the T6 is an improvement.

Size wise, I can fit a road bike in the back standing up lengthways with the rear tyre wedge between the 2+1 rear seat, more bikes a LWB I reckon or just whip the wheels off.

 

[DaveyB]

Cool, sound advice. I'll try and get one for the day, I'm looking for ex demo or nearly new through VW dealer network anyway.
Have a list of must for and the Mrs, will now add twin doors. Still thinking SWB will be plenty for our needs but will try it with mountain bikes and motorbike when I get the demo.
Was thinking the 150 DWG would be ok.....not man enough? So 180 or 204 a better bet?
Cheers

How many kids?
Reason being is you may struggle with enduro bike unless..........
Two kids, you and the Mrs:- single captains chairs up front then swap the rear seating for three individual chairs. That way two kids in the back on the outside two chairs, remove the middle one and the enduro will roll in between them and you could possible use the QR floor brackets for the chair to form some kind of tie down for the bike wheel.
Three kids, you and the Mrs:- bench seat up front for you, the wife and one kid, same set up in the back as before.
Four kids, you and the Mrs:- at least you've had fun along the way . Buy a trailer (to put the kids in obviously), so the bike can go in the van!!!!

 

[Alan Croft]

Gone from a Subaru Outback estate to a LWB kombi. So far am hugely impressed with it. Not quite as refined as a car but so multi use it is unreal. Cracking vehicle and not looking back to going to a car for a while. Fuel economy is ok if you stay under 70mph. Certainly comparable to a big estate or 4x4. Enjoying the experience so far