T6 Huge disappointment..

[Clivebase]

Hello all.

Firstly let me apologuise, as i fully understand this a forum full of T6 lovers. Sadly im not one of them, however, i naturally respect your opinions.

I have had all sorts of VWs over the years, and in particular Transporters, indeed T3's hold a big place in my heart & i still have my 1989 syncro 16.

Im self employed & use a van for work, having had 3 T5's and never had any issues, i felt quite confident the T6 would somehow be even better, but 3 months in & i feel i made a huge mistake.

Before the masses start chasing me with pitchforks for VW blasphemy, let me point out that these are just my opinions & count for nothing. My van is a work van, and gets used, respectfully, as such.

I think my new T6 is the worst van i have ever owned, thats quite a statement so let me clarify:

The suspension is made of jelly, and the van wallows around the road with no drivers "feel" at all.
The tyres fitted are ditch finders, they genuinely lost traction this week on a damp road on a slight incline.
What total idiot decided cup holders on the dash was a good idea? Hot cup of tea = steamed windscreen - really??
The heating?? despite what the dial says, mine is either napalm hot or cold. Nothing in between, even at a micron off the cold setting its 28 degrees.
The rad fan, despite my temp gauge reading normal, i turn off the engine & a helicopter is running under the bonnet? Is there only an egg cup full of coolant in these vans?
The headlight illumination is simply pitiful.
The dashboard is very cheap & nasty, oh & no top glove box lid, brilliant.
The cruise control only increases or decreases by 5mph.
The MPG is significantly lower than that of my last T5
The fuel tank is smaller too, i assume, make way for the stupid AdBlue, nonsense. Which, is telling me by way of the most annoying message on the dash that i MUST do it in the next 1500 miles, yes ok but thats about 12 more full fuel refills so i think i have time.
On the front of my van is the most hideous wart, i think its something to do with the drive assist, but it looks awful.

So, overall you may have picked up that i really dislike this van with its ugly looks, very cheap build quality and extortionate price tag. This sadly will be my last Transporter, i genuinely wish i had held on to my last T5.

So, my missus thinks its just me, is it? there must be others who have made the change & dont feel the love?

 

[DaveyB]

Nice bit of honesty there @Clivebase. Personally I love my T6 but then I have never had a van before so have nothing to compare it to. If you hate it that much get rid of it and buy something else.

 

[Clivebase]

If it were that simple my friend, i would. I have it on a 3 year lease purchase so im stuck with it unless i fancy a huge bill to get out early, which i dont. I can live with it for the 2 years, 10 months i have left. Its a work van that does do what i need, ie carry gear around. Its better than a battered old tranny but i just dont like it, this is probably compounded by the fact i loved my t5's so much.

 

[andys]

It sounds like you've made your mind up but I'll go through your issues. I've had plenty of issues too and I'm not coming at this as a vw "fan".

1) Agreed, the suspension is rubbish, many of us have changed it and it helps - a lot

2) not had problems with traction myself, but at least tyres aren't massively expensive to change (but I know that's more money)

3) I have the dash with cup holders in the ashtray not on top, but that would annoy me too

4) Not had problems with heating myself but many others have

5) the noise is the dpf doing a regen. Yes it's a pita but emissions stuff like this is here to stay

6) Yes the H4 headlights are crap, many threads on here

7) Can't agree with you here, my dash quality is light years better than my T5, but there again I have a different dash that does have glovebox lid

8) Here I can help, use the set/resume buttons to adjust cruise control in mph increments

9) Can't agree here either, my mpg is significantly better than my T5 (150 DSG vs auto 130)

10) Yes the tank is smaller, but because of 9) I get more out of a tankfull. Hopefully yours will improve when it loosens up a bit. Filling up with adblue gets rid of the warning for 5-6000 miles.

11) Can't say the square on the front bothers me but on balance I think the T6 is better looking than the T5, but looks are subjective.

Have a deep breath and a drink and hopefully you'll end up not hating it so much. Plenty of people on here that will offer advice and sympathy

 

[Jonny]

Hello all.

Firstly let me apologuise, as i fully understand this a forum full of T6 lovers. Sadly im not one of them, however, i naturally respect your opinions.

I have had all sorts of VWs over the years, and in particular Transporters, indeed T3's hold a big place in my heart & i still have my 1989 syncro 16.

Im self employed & use a van for work, having had 3 T5's and never had any issues, i felt quite confident the T6 would somehow be even better, but 3 months in & i feel i made a huge mistake.

Before the masses start chasing me with pitchforks for VW blasphemy, let me point out that these are just my opinions & count for nothing. My van is a work van, and gets used, respectfully, as such.

I think my new T6 is the worst van i have ever owned, thats quite a statement so let me clarify:

The suspension is made of jelly, and the van wallows around the road with no drivers "feel" at all.
The tyres fitted are ditch finders, they genuinely lost traction this week on a damp road on a slight incline.
What total idiot decided cup holders on the dash was a good idea? Hot cup of tea = steamed windscreen - really??
The heating?? despite what the dial says, mine is either napalm hot or cold. Nothing in between, even at a micron off the cold setting its 28 degrees.
The rad fan, despite my temp gauge reading normal, i turn off the engine & a helicopter is running under the bonnet? Is there only an egg cup full of coolant in these vans?
The headlight illumination is simply pitiful.
The dashboard is very cheap & nasty, oh & no top glove box lid, brilliant.
The cruise control only increases or decreases by 5mph.
The MPG is significantly lower than that of my last T5
The fuel tank is smaller too, i assume, make way for the stupid AdBlue, nonsense. Which, is telling me by way of the most annoying message on the dash that i MUST do it in the next 1500 miles, yes ok but thats about 12 more full fuel refills so i think i have time.
On the front of my van is the most hideous wart, i think its something to do with the drive assist, but it looks awful.

So, overall you may have picked up that i really dislike this van with its ugly looks, very cheap build quality and extortionate price tag. This sadly will be my last Transporter, i genuinely wish i had held on to my last T5.

So, my missus thinks its just me, is it? there must be others who have made the change & dont feel the love?

Ahhh man, sorry to hear that you’re not into the T6.

My main gripe with the van is the headlights and that is really as far as it goes.

The T6 has outperformed every van I’ve ever owned.

I basically torture the poor thing by constantly towing at maximum train weight, getting it bogged down in muddy fields. I even took it through 4ft of water and flooded the inside of the van (water even came out of the vents) Yet, it keeps going without even breaking a sweat.

I’ve written off two vans before my VW and I have a feeling the T6 won’t let me beat it.

My mileage costs are better than ever, just bear in mind that MPG is awful to begin with, I think I remember quite a few memebers on here getting poor results when their engines were new. But it gets better. I’m getting 410 - 430 miles on 60ltrs and that’s amazing considering my van normally looks like this...



Interestingly I have noticed I no longer have the engine burn off the soot in the DPF when I’ve finished a journey. The engine just shuts down with the ignition. I think it’s been a good 6 weeks since its regen’d when switched off. Maybe my timing is just good.

 

[former member]

I totally sympathise Clive - after many years of happy VW ownership, our brand new (in 2012) California 180 4motion had no end of problems and we finally gave up.

It was only when we missed a camper and searched the entire market that we realised the T6 was different enough to be worth another go; while our old one was at the dealers far too much, it did provide a ticket to a lot of fun.

So the order went in and six months later, the T6 arrived. Overall it's a lot better but I must emphasise that it's better for us. If it was a hard worked trades van, I think I'd be miffed - the "posh" comfort dash is so prone to scratching, I reckon a spider crawling on it would leave marks behind, our front tyre wear (on a 4wd van) was utterly savage (6800 miles and I changed them), our boot latch failed leaving us in a right pickle in Spain and took three months for VW to fix (VW assist abroad is absolutely USELESS) and the smaller tank is silly BUT ours is way better on fuel, the 204 engine pushes it along at a genuine (not very fast) car pace, the interior lighting is far better and the roof is actually waterproof; the T5.1 roof wasn't at all.

The heavy Cali Ocean gets beefy suspension so while I don't exactly track mine, it's fine for me and we luckily get the better H7 lights as standard - not exactly mega lights but absolutely fine for us. Again if I was up in Scotland working late I'd be pretty narked with the terrible H4 lights.

I think the sensible ones on here have an open mind - the whole "it's a VW so therefore perfect" gang can't be swayed but to many of us who have owned loads of cars and vans, they are generally decent enough vans that hold their value in a slightly bizarre way.

Its a shame yours isn't for you and an even bigger shame you're locked into running it (part of the reason we buy outright - we keep it if we like it, get shot if we don't) but don't let that stop you venting here - it's a forum after all.

 

[Clivebase]

Thanks for the replies chaps, appreciated.

 

[DaveyB]

If it were that simple my friend, i would. I have it on a 3 year lease purchase so im stuck with it unless i fancy a huge bill to get out early, which i dont. I can live with it for the 2 years, 10 months i have left. Its a work van that does do what i need, ie carry gear around. Its better than a battered old tranny but i just dont like it, this is probably compounded by the fact i loved my t5's so much.

Ouch, that really does taint it even more.

 

[Dogs Dung]

im afraid I agree in some points, driving position is too high, 150dsg is as dead as a donkey,

the upside is itll hold its value as opposed to any other van out there.

 

[chriscroft]

Our T6 Vel is pretty much superb in every way for our needs; but virtually everything you list is wrong with your van, is different on a Vel Exec, so not much to compare against. My biggest concern was the cost of it......
But we run 6 company vans (Iveco's and Fiats), and they offer us so much more value than a VW, but we do destroy them and run their value down to about nothing, so it is a different concept to running a new/nearly new commercial.

 

[PukkaT6]

im afraid I agree in some points, driving position is too high, 150dsg is as dead as a donkey,

the upside is itll hold its value as opposed to any other van out there.

My 150 DSG shifts so not sure what you are used to lol

Im new to VW and generally say what I think so can totally agree about mpg, heating and lights.

The mpg though does get better and im gettting 40 plus which im happy with.

In regards to the dash I dont agree, its far better than T5 and any other van I have been in however I do agree it needs lids as the storage areas should not be visible and things slide around.

In regards to looks being someone who never paid much interest at first I couldnt tell the difference between a T5 and T6 but now I think everything about it looks better. They have kept the good bits and added sharper lines and to me its pretty much perfect.

I think in time you will grow to love it and those B14’s may be the one mod to make that happen.

And lastly never apologise for having an opinion, yes we do have a soft spot for these vans but my findings are that most people on here know they have floors and share some if not all of your reservations.

 

[Dragothesiberian]

im afraid I agree in some points, driving position is too high, 150dsg is as dead as a donkey,

the upside is itll hold its value as opposed to any other van out there.

Hold its value? thats a laugh! just been to p/x mine and all i can say is I will be be keeping it! robin Bas...ds

 

[Arrow]

Is the napalm heating control a fault or just the way it is? My one is the same. I cant see me moving it ever past 2 clicks off 18 as its either roasting or cold.

My moans after 3 month of ownership:

Headlights - Absolutely Sh!t. Cant believe they don't have projectors as standard on the new model.
Dash - Squeak from my driver side foot well. Also there is a gap into the obis for pens to fall down by the screen. I've lost my favorite bic down there.
Comfort - im 6ft 5 and feel the pedals are quite high on travel so my legs/ankles get quite cramped on most journeys.
Cabin Storage - Because of the open compartments a couple of bits and pieces makes the cabin look untidy and the glove box is too small even for the service book.
Rear Storage - I wish they included a little flap to allow long pieces of timber or copper tube under the passengers seat. Does make me sad having to stick long items in bent at a diagonal slant.
Electronic Speedo - Its only does KM's! WTF! How easy would it have been to add a MPH display function.

I know all the above can be modified, repaired, adapted etc but I think these issues are design flaws and really should have been addressed in the T6 for the price.

Other than those grumbles I like the way its looks, I think it drives pretty well and I can only hope its reliability with confirm to me why its the best.
I've only had a 06 Nissan Primestar van before so compared to that the new VW is a big upgrade, I do think its fellow competitors are ahead with the user practicality.

 

[Dieseldonkey]

im afraid I agree in some points, driving position is too high, 150dsg is as dead as a donkey,

the upside is itll hold its value as opposed to any other van out there.

Hold it's value. It won't if we keep slagging them off all over the tinterwebb. ;-)

But true. No van will be perfect but it's a shame so many small things add up to be irritating. Especially when they've had so many generations of Transporter to get it right.

Yet there isn't really another van out there that I'd want to use as a platform for a conversion. Strange really. It's a cult icon that commands a huge following. Although we should be careful of cults. A colleague of mine asked me the other day, how I was getting on with my Nazis Love Bus. Bizarre how VW, a company with the dark and murky origin, gains such a following with the white sock and croc brigade. (Each to there own though). We even seem to forgive it dieselgate. Although that might of been different if the Chancellor had given us a good pojering in the budget.

 

[Vinci]

I’m a first time van owner. Strange, but I didn’t even consider any other make, such is the cache of the brand.
Done about 6000 miles now. Issues none, noise effectively deadened by Slidepods’ conversion to mobile office, although squeaks from SCA roof are annoying, and it crashes over potholes, but it is a van, and I enjoy driving it for what it is.
Would have liked better dash storage with lid. Fuel consumption is acceptable...full tank test = 36 mpg, mixed driving with a fair bit in Bath, which is hilly.

 

[Clivebase]

Some truth there. I have been a lover of VW's for many years, Prior to being faithful with all my work vans, im trying to think of all the VW cars I've had:
Mk1 golf GTI - the original, 1600, 4 speed small rear light model, 1979 - the one i wish i kept!
Mk2 GTI x 2
Mk2 GTD
1969 Karmann Ghia
Scirocco x 3
Passat
Golf Mk3 GTI
Corrado G60
Golf Mk 5
Numerous T3's & syncros

Indeed the dieselgate, actually did me well, as when this news broke & VW shares tumbled, i bought quite a few, i sold them before i bought this van to help fund a car & did very well, hey maybe its karma!
The truth of it now for me is that for a work van mine is very expensive, and i dont like it, so i could have saved half the money and got a mediocre van (that i possibly wouldnt like either) but i think that would sit better as in my mind i could say but its only £x.

My work ethic tells me that its important to have a van which looks decent, but there are others out there, and dare i say it, the new transit is not too shabby. I also had a real issue with VWFS (who royally messed up with the dealer, won't go into detail but after paying the final payment on the last one, 12k, i didnt expect them to take it again 3 weeks later!) so my next van wont be a VW im afraid.

My old syncro however is a keeper!

Thank you for all the replies, and im genuinely pleased many of you are happy with your vans/campers, clearly there is a vast difference between having a van as a working tool and as a recreational vehicle. Also thanks for some of the pointers on improvements that can be made.

 

[CRD]

I’m coming to the end of my T6 Kombi experience in the next couple of months. I’ve had it for 14 months and have covered 38k miles. I originally intended to keep the van on after its work term, but it hasn’t ‘grabbed’ me the way I thought it might. I haven’t decided what to replace it with, maybe a Caravelle or possibly a Passat GTE.
My opinion of the van is that it is probably overpriced for what it is and VW could have maybe tried a bit more to improve on the T5 which for all intents and purposes is the same vehicle.
The drive ability of the Kombi up until its 2nd service was atrocious with poor throttle response and a dpf regen that was out of control. An ECU ‘remap’ done during service completely remedied this however.
There’s no denying that corners have been cut in the name of profitability- the dash is a poor design and is made of same plastic as used in Bic pens, squeaks and rattles surround you, H4 headlights (lol) and if you want any semblance of refinement, then you need to soundproof and insulate every square inch of steelwork behind the panels.
As a first time van owner who intended to replace his car with something a bit more utilitarian and multi purpose, then maybe I was expecting too much. That’s not to say having a van hasn’t come in useful at times, but I personally miss the refinement of a car.
Again, this may be heresy on a VW enthusiasts forum, but the new Toyota Proace is available in a number of formats that seems to give you more for less.
On the T6 just adding the Discover satnav over the standard unit is now an £1100 option!
Apologies if this comes across poorly, but felt I should add my tuppence worth.

 

[former member]

If you want car like refinement it has to be a Cali or Caravelle. Even a top spec Highline is still a metal box with no insulation.

Factory satnav is free in many low spec cars; £1100 is insane; I’m never paying for factory Satnav again; just too clumsy and so hard to update. Portable all the way.

 

[CRD]

If you want car like refinement it has to be a Cali or Caravelle. Even a top spec Highline is still a metal box with no insulation.

Factory satnav is free in many low spec cars; £1100 is insane; I’m never paying for factory Satnav again; just too clumsy and so hard to update. Portable all the way

That’s it, there’s literally nothing to stop noise and being an open interior rather than maybe having a bulkhead fitted behind rear seats doesn’t help noise levels either but I couldn’t be bothered with having to fit and remove all the time.
I think as the vans are just so expensive that I maybe expected more.

 

[Vinci]

Yes, large screen Tom Tom mounted above the media screen.

If you want car like refinement it has to be a Cali or Caravelle. Even a top spec Highline is still a metal box with no insulation.

Factory satnav is free in many low spec cars; £1100 is insane; I’m never paying for factory Satnav again; just too clumsy and so hard to update. Portable all the way.

s, large screen TomTom