1,500 miles and 2 months later... A Review

[Rhyddin]

Well, My T6 Beach arrived at the start of April and we have now had 2 months together, racking up 1,500 miles along the way. How has it been? Bl%$dy fantastic! I could not have hoped for the experience so far to be any better than it's been.

The vehicle itself looks great! Acapulco Blue is literally the colour of the sky on a sunny day and, even on the rainy days, it cheers me up to look out of the kitchen window and see it on the drive. The tinted windows and the black wing mirrors, part of the exterior pack, just finish it off nicely. I'd recommend the extra sliding window, too - partly because I like symmetry but also because I like a through draught.

The interior in black looks the business. I love the comfort dash and how car-like it is, I love the multi function steering wheel, I think Apple CarPlay is just spectacular and, most of all, I can't get enough of the driving position. My Audi A6 had seats that adjusted in every which way and the Cali has the most basic adjustments but it just doesn't need any more: it's comfortable for long journeys, it's surprising just how much more relaxing it is to be sat with your legs at 90' & your feet flat on the floor and the view above all the other traffic just finishes it off. I didn't realise that I would be looking down on Land Rovers or Q7s but I am! If there's traffic, I see it long before I arrive at it, which is just brilliant!

The engine is perfectly capable. It's not fast but it's got enough oomph to handle any situation and the DSG 'box is the perfect partner. It's smooth to drive, the engine is much quieter than I expected and the ACC is the ultimate compliment to both the engine and the DSG. To be able to get on the motorway, set the cruise control at 70, choose a safe distance and just let the Cali do all the accelerating and braking has made motorway cruising so much less stressful. I drive everywhere with it on, making me calmer, more legally compliant and safer, because the Cali is watching the safe distance for me at all times. The only downside, I have to admit, is the MPG is still a little lower than I'd hoped. However, I am confident that it will improve and I do think the ACC is helping me get a little more by keeping me slow and the acceleration moderate.

The kids love the back. We have tried so many different layouts: all seats facing forward, the middle seats facing back, one facing each way, both facing backwards with the table mounted on the rails (the favourite and in the photo below) and without the middle seats altogether. The versatility is just stunning - especially as the Cali is shorter than the A6 Avant which it replaced.

To be honest, we've only had one overnight experience in her so far but it was great and everyone slept well. I have a weekend away this coming weekend so am looking forward to testing the comfort mattress for myself (the kids slept on it last time).

The other funny thing is how other people react. It is a magnet for interest - the neighbours have all been and had a look, my clients all want to look at it and people are just a little friendlier on the road. It's odd but fun! I could have sold 3 or 4 Californias so far, I think, but I just direct them to Guy and get on enjoying mine.

Continued in the comments below (ran out of characters)...

Apologies if I have used some of these photos before - I just like looking at them

 

[Rhyddin]

As for the options, I am mostly delighted with my choices. For what it's worth, here's an overview for anyone who is considering something which I went for to go on/in their new Cali:

• The extra seats are worth the money, even if you only use them occasionally or just to allow the kids to move around and stay entertained.
• The comfort dash just looks awesome - I could be in any premium car cockpit when I look around and I love that. The climate control that comes with it is also worth the money, in my opinion. I like being able to set a temperature and forget about it, while the wife does the same next to me and the kids do the same in the back.
• The ACC (which includes the multi function steering wheel) is better than I could have hoped. It will literally come to a virtual stop at a roundabout, following the car in front, and then pull away smoothly without me touching anything except the steering wheel. So clever. I also love having all the controls for the stereo, etc at my finger tips.
• App Connect. If you have a smart phone, you should have this, full stop! It makes your stereo so much more capable and, unlike an inbuilt solution, will get better as each year passes and software updates for the phone keep coming. So good!
• Not used the auxiliary heater yet but good to know it's there and I'm sure it will earn it's place over time.
• The light and vision pack is worth the money to me, as I appreciate not having to touch anything for my lights and wipers to come on or dim the rear view mirror. It's not a hardship, I know, but I just don't have to think about it.
• The exterior pack is simple and a bit expensive but I do love the cornering fog lights. I've had them on my last few cars and, when the sun really has dropped, it is a useful addition to night driving.
• The 17" Cascavel alloys look great - that extra inch does make a difference but I bought them separately as VW charging you nearly £1000 to upgrade is daylight robbery!
• I'm not sure I'd bother with the electrically folding wing mirrors next time. If they automatically folded up when you locked the car, maybe I'd think differently but the fact you have to remember to turn the little lever every time you park means I often don't use them. Not sure why that option can't be turned on.
• The electric sliding door was the one option that my wife insisted on and I have to say that it has become one of my favourites! I love walking toward the Cali with my hands full, pressing the button on the remote and watching it open, ready for me to put my stuff down. The kids can always get in and out without any effort, whether we are on an incline or not, and I can control it from a button on the dashboard too. Once we're all out, I just push the button on the remote again, press the 'lock' button and walk away, knowing that it will close quietly and lock behind me. Plus, the child lock still works.
• The electric soft close on the boot is well worth having. Not sure why the Ocean gets it as standard and the Beach doesn't but it's worth the extra £115 (I think) to know that you can pull the door down gently and the mechanism will do the rest.
• Not used the removable tow bar yet but I'm sure it will be fine.
• The reverse camera and surround sensors are crucial. I felt the vehicle was huge for the first 48 hours or so but it very quickly became actually quite compact in my head, thanks to the sensors and camera. I am no longer intimidated by any situation and I feel I could take the Cali anywhere without fear - except low places! That has been a learning curve but I am now quite happy to drive into a 2.1m multi storey car park without ducking the whole way round! It's a worthwhile trade off for that amazing visibility when driving.
• As mentioned above, I've not tried the comfort mattress overnight yet but it feels pretty comfortable to me. I certainly could't imagine NOT having an additional mattress on the lower bed.
• The interior light concept is really cool, though I really think it should have been standard. I'd miss it if it wasn't there though, I'm sure.
• The awning is a staple part of the Cali, in my view. I have used it a couple of times and can see that I will use it a whole lot more over the coming years. It's good value and I don't know why anyone ordering a Cali wouldn't add one. The only downside has been the terrible rattling coming from it. I tried winding it out and then back in, as advised on the forum, but no luck. However, @daveyboydanger and I arranged to meet up yesterday and we had a good look at the mechanism and realised that the two bolts that appear to hold the arms in place at either end also serve as vertical adjusters, much like on a cupboard door hinge. Therefore, a quick tighten and the arm no longer rattles against the lower part of the casing - brilliant! Thanks again Dave!
• The T6 bike rack. I know this has been a topic of discussion but I think it's brilliant. It sticks out quite a lot and is quite thick aluminium but I think it looks awesome and, more importantly, it does a really good job of, well, carrying bikes! There's no strap to undo to get it down, there's no straps to move to lock in wheels of any size and the design is excellent at distributing the weight, especially thanks to the horizontal bar (which also serves as a great handle when lowering the boot lid enough for the electric soft close mechanism to take over). I am in no doubt that the older design is perfectly functional but I think this version is hard to fault and, whichever version you choose, the bike rack compliments the look of the Cali.
• Accessories wise, the Cali topper has only been used once and was fab, as was the silver windscreen cover. Credit to Comfortz: they make high quality products that perfectly compliment the Cali. The carpets which I bought from California Camping in Germany are brilliant. The perfect finishing touch to a high quality interior and a flawless fit. The only downside is that they're so luxurious and thick that they often pull the doors off the back of the bench when it moves back and forth but that's not too often so not important to me.

Last but not least, I am now in no doubt that I made the right choice, for me, by going for the Beach over the Ocean. Both are awesome things but I think the Beach is the better all-rounder and that epitomises the overall California experience for my needs.

That's about it! Thanks for reading through and I hope at least some of this proves useful to those people who are browsing the site, considering a California, like I did for months and months. Do it! It's an amazing vehicle and you won't regret it. It's not cheap but its residuals are class leading so it's all relative. I loved my Audi and, while the average motorist would not know it, this is definitely an upgrade.

After all, why have a vehicle that just gets you from A to B in luxury and then is capable of nothing more when you can have a vehicle that gets you form A to B in elevated comfort and then comes alive once you arrive? That is the California!

 

[T6 CFO]

Nice to read something positive while I'm waiting


Mike

 

[snowy55]

So you like it then?

 

[Hotel California]

So you like it then?

He seems low on exitement .....no

Glad you love it ....now enjoy it!

 

[daveyboydanger]

Your van is superb and this review is really good to read and will be so helpful for those looking at buying or waiting impatiently for builds.
Your van has also been great for me to see and compare mine to.
Having the very strange opportunity to spec another new California I am excited about the electric sliding door. After seeing @Rhyddin and his beauty of a van it was very obvious that it was a necessary luxury for my family.

 

[GrannyJen]

A lovely, comprehensive, positive and happy review! Thank you.

 

[CoboCali]

well done @Rhyddin - a great review.
You'll remember we both picked up on #SuperCaliFriday from Guy(!) - we've done only 1000miles, but have stayed away 3 nights, including CC sites in Wales and the Lakes, plus a wild camp. Ive just invested in the Cadac Safari Chef2 for this weekend's booked trip to the Llŷn Peninsula. Still can't wipe the smile from my face... and just like you with your A6, I've barely driven the 5series since picking up the Cali. Keep on truckin'

 

[hirsty]

well done @Rhyddin - a great review.
You'll remember we both picked up on #SuperCaliFriday from Guy(!) - we've done only 1000miles, but have stayed away 3 nights, including CC sites in Wales and the Lakes, plus a wild camp. Ive just invested in the Cadac Safari Chef2 for this weekend's booked trip to the Llŷn Peninsula. Still can't wipe the smile from my face... and just like you with your A6, I've barely driven the 5series since picking up the Cali. Keep on truckin'

Good to hear that news from both! - as 'the third man' on #SuperCaliFriday I too have done about 1,400 miles in mine now and am as equally pleased as you both sound so that's a full-house.

Fascinating that whilst @Rhyddin and I have the same base Acapulco Blue DSG T6 Beach, his has hit almost all the branches on the Options Tree, whilst mine is quite spartan by comparison. It's a very broad VW church and we all have such different ideas about what's needed - though I've missed the thought-it-was-fitted standard cruise control a bit & am looking forward to the retrofit kit coming out. Very much enjoying the 6.33" SatNav & excellent standard music here too, but haven't wished for a single other option yet.

I'd also second all the 'car like' comments above, it's a night & day difference with my previous T5 conversion and I'm loving both the DSG and general air of A6 / 5-series type refinement by comparison. Brilliant vehicle, super chuffed with it.

 

[sapto]

Thank you Rhyddin for sharing! Great review and good to read you and your family are happy with your choices you made!

 

[kave]

Thank you for your great review. Nice to read positives on a forum as well.

 

[CALI FATE]

Great review Rhyddin - loving it too - I have done 10000 miles in 4 months in my Beach, spent 22 nights away and use it as my everyday car - i dont have the comfort dash, the reversing cameras, the MFSW, the Apple Iplay, DSG, ACC, App connect, Extra seats, 17" wheels, electric mirrors, electric door, electric rear door, tow bar, comfort mattress, cali topper, windscreen cover and carpets, but reckon i am driving my lottery win automobile - it all goes to show that what ever bits you add or dont add, the cali beach is the coolest car on the road

 

[Ignazio]

Great review Rhyddin - loving it too - I have done 10000 miles in 4 months in my Beach, spent 22 nights away and use it as my everyday car - i dont have the comfort dash, the reversing cameras, the MFSW, the Apple Iplay, DSG, ACC, App connect, Extra seats, 17" wheels, electric mirrors, electric door, electric rear door, tow bar, comfort mattress, cali topper, windscreen cover and carpets, but reckon i am driving my lottery win automobile - it all goes to show that what ever bits you add or dont add, the cali beach is the coolest car on the road

I agree. ;-)


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[Borris]

An excellent and very comprehensive review Rhyddin. Thank you.
I am very interested in your comments about your rattling awning. I also have one that rattles and can I ask, is there any possibility of a bit more detail as to how you resolved your rattle? Was it purely a case of adjustment?

 

[DM]

Great review Rhyddin. We have an Acapulco Blue Ocean that's about the same age. We've done a few more miles - 2,800 - and spent 9 nights in her so far. That's 24 person nights (+4 dog nights) in total so we the cost per person per night is already down to less that £2,500 - bargain!

We are absolutely loving her and I'm always looking for excuses to use her.

I'll post a full review soon - concentrating on the Ocean aspects to complement your Beach.

 

[Rhyddin]

An excellent and very comprehensive review Rhyddin. Thank you.
I am very interested in your comments about your rattling awning. I also have one that rattles and can I ask, is there any possibility of a bit more detail as to how you resolved your rattle? Was it purely a case of adjustment?

It was. I realised that the rattle was coming from the extending arms hitting the bottom of the casing, internally. Initially, I was thinking of ways to pad it out but Dave suggested that there might be another way and so I got my socket set out and had a go. The two nuts that are at each end of the arms (facing forwards and backwards, not out towards you) work to adjust the height of the arms, it turns out. Tighten the top one and the arm rises. I didn't want to go too far, in case it had an adverse effect on the roof material, so just did it enough that the arms no longer bounce off the casing. I then drove along a bumpy road and not a sound!

 

[GrannyJen]

Well,

All I can say is....

All this fun, it's because you're...............

ok, ok ..... well, I was at the hairdressers today

 

[Rhyddin]

Well,

All I can say is....

All this fun, it's because you're...............

ok, ok ..... well, I was at the hairdressers today

Indeed, i AM worth it! Or, at least, my employer's car allowance is, for helping to buy my dream vehicle.

 

[MattBW]

Just hit 10k miles and spent the weekend camping in mine and I am still loving it. I certainly reflect your views.

I wish I had an app connect stereo but it wasnt an option on the last of the T5s. Tempting to upgrade.

 

[DM]

Just hit 10k miles and spent the weekend camping in mine and I am still loving it. I certainly reflect your views.

I wish I had an app connect stereo but it wasnt an option on the last of the T5s. Tempting to upgrade.

I'd hang on Matt. We're finding we don't use it. Problem is that the satnav is on my phone and the music is on Jacquie's iPod. If you use AppConnect you cannot Bluetooth to the iPod. Theoretically the iPod can be plugged into USB but there is a bug which means the music jumps when played through USB. It's fine on Bluetooth.

 

[MattBW]

That does sound frustrating. I tend to use an iPhone for my satnav and for Apple Music. I was pondering a carplay one.

In Vanessa's Seat it seems to only work wired is it the same here?

The benefit of my rns315 is it's got preloaded maps so works even in signal black spots. That said the mapping data is horrendously out of date.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CoboCali]

The two nuts that are at each end of the arms (facing forwards and backwards, not out towards you) work to adjust the height of the arms, it turns out. Tighten the top one and the arm rises.

@Rhyddin any chance you could elaborate on which two nuts you mean.. I've had a look at mine but a pic might help me. My awning rattle seems to be coming from the outer casing which is a metal on metal contact...but I want to eliminate the same cause that you have experienced, cheers.

 

[CoboCali]

ah @Rhyddin dont worry I worked your instructions out. It wasn't causing my problem, all OK.

 

[hirsty]

that's a slightly niche problem though no DM - maps on one & nav on another?

I don't have AppConnect, and therefore no CarPlay yet, and am very keen for VW to release the aftermarket licence key - the VW satnav / phone / music functions on the headunit in my T6 are really good, but I'd much prefer to use the CarPlay interface for familiarity/continuity, future-proofing and Siri voice commands & confirmations.

For Matt though I'm not sure any of the aftermarket headunits with CarPlay are quite there yet - the ones I've seen are a bit clunky so far, but definitely the way to go as they continue to improve.

 

[Amarillo]

Well, My T6 Beach arrived at the start of April

Thanks for this splendid review. We are not expecting delivery of our Beach until December. we are more excited than ever.