4 Motion California

[Vantastic2]

When you first looked for your California be it a SE, Ocean,Beach.I wonder how many owners on here that went and bought the 4 motion actually use the 4 motion for off road? I did a stupid thing many years ago, it was a short cut across grass on a campsite in The Forest of Dean one Nov,not knowing how much water was under foot !
As you can imagine our Cali came to a holt,well and truly stuck and had to be pulled out by tractor, very embarrassing ! But even if we had a 4 motion it would have been the same problem ! So is it worth paying all the extra money for one or is it a 'status symbol '?

 

[T6 CFO]

Primarily my reasons were in this order:-

1. Experience of a high torque front wheel drive Touran and subsequent front wheel spin.
(Don't get any with the 4 Motion)

2. Stability and cornering ability.

3. Less likely to get stuck in a field.

4. It's already an obscene price so a bit more made little difference. I still felt ill.

5. It may well end up going off road. Doubt I'll plan to but I don't want to be restricted.

Hardly a status issue as I did consider de badging as a few others with 4Motion have done.





Mike

 

[WelshGas]

Agree with @T6 CFO .
Mainly the drive, rather than off-road ability which is a bonus really.

Also with my style of driving front wheel spin on a FWD 180 was a given. Never had it with 4Motion.

 

[briwy]

Also agree, see my avatar.

 

[Shane Bennett]

I view it as an additional safety feature on the vehicle. While I don't have a Cali yet I have had several cars with 4Motion and Quattro (I'm guessing they are the same) and I have been in several situations where the AWD system helped me get out of a tight spot where others were having issues. Just a couple of weeks ago we were tent camping and it was early morning after some rain the previous day and lot's of FWD cars were getting stuck in the mud and not able to make it up the hill to the camp site, but our car just drove as normal.

When we started looking at the Cali's the 4Motion was not available so we decided to wait until they became available again. Once they were we ordered on the spot.

 

[sapto]

Sometimes I wish I had the patience to save more money to get a 4WD however I arrange myself with one without and drive it only in summer and try to think two steps ahead when choosing a camping spot.

In Switzerland I made the experience that on icy/snowy roads 4WD uphill is great (my other ride has 4WD). Downhill: we are all the same and more important to wear chains and adapt your driving style than 4WD.

 

[Vantastic2]

Thanks Guy's some very interesting responses ! we helped a Dutch couple outta trouble with there Quattro,they took it on sand got stuck ! He was shocked that his new 4 x let him dn. I found some drift wood and put under wheels as it was just going deeper and deeper ! took his wife,me and missus to push it out of the hole ! so I just wondered if 4 motion was worth it on a Cali for that extra money!
Must admit, am a little cautious where I take it off 'hard surfaces ' as for 'wheel spin' very rare have had it and when it happens,the tyres are nr the legal limit !

 

[Erbster]

I can spin the wheels on my new 150DSG Cali; I had a loan Caravelle 205 4M- did no spin wheels no matter how aggressively I pulled away. Good stuff. Worth the extra money? I don't regret not buying 4M. A factor less often mentioned is the reduction in payload with 4M, to the extent that VW will not sell a 5th seat with 4M. I regularly carry heavy payloads (dive gear) and would not like to think I was overladen.


Charles

 

[The Blue Merle]

Watch some clips on YouTube and your see how good the 4motion with diff lock is!
I like wild camping and the good spots always tend to be up muddy tracks.

 

[WelshGas]

Thanks Guy's some very interesting responses ! we helped a Dutch couple outta trouble with there Quattro,they took it on sand got stuck ! He was shocked that his new 4 x let him dn. I found some drift wood and put under wheels as it was just going deeper and deeper ! took his wife,me and missus to push it out of the hole ! so I just wondered if 4 motion was worth it on a Cali for that extra money!
Must admit, am a little cautious where I take it off 'hard surfaces ' as for 'wheel spin' very rare have had it and when it happens,the tyres are nr the legal limit !

That's not the fault of the 4 wheel drive, just the driver and the fact he probably had summer tyres on. Even a proper Off-reader such as a Land Rover Defender can get stuck on sand if handled incorrectly.

 

[Loz]

Actually the more aggressive the tyre the easier it is to dig yourself into the sand.
Letting tyres down to 1 bar is the answer.

 

[bvddobb]

Actually the more aggressive the tyre the easier it is to dig yourself into the sand.
Letting tyres down to 1 bar is the answer.

Agree! But 1 bar is very low... Depending on the size you run the risk of the tyre coming off. With ours we never went below 1.9 bar, which until now has been low enough to handle our 'sandy' situations.


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[Loz]

Agree! But 1 bar is very low... Depending on the size you run the risk of the tyre coming off. With ours we never went below 1.9 bar, which until now has been low enough to handle our 'sandy' situations.


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used 1 bar many times on the dunes in the Sahara its amazing the difference it makes, you will only drag the tyre off the rim if you are going crazy.

 

[B J G]

4Motion doesn't make the Cali an offroad vehicle.

I personally now think that the 4Motion DSG Cali should be based on the transporter T32 which has that extra 200kgs grosse weight limit making the payload the same as standard Cali's.

 

[Loz]

4Motion doesn't make the Cali an offroad vehicle.

I personally now think that the 4Motion DSG Cali should be based on the transporter T32 which has that extra 200kgs grosse weight limit making the payload the same as standard Cali's.

but with that might come the lower speed clarification...

 

[B J G]

but with that might come the lower speed clarification...

Not with on that?

Speed comes in at over 3500 kgs. T32 is only 3200kgs.

From what I've found out the DSG 4M uses T32 front springs but on the lower rated axle.

 

[Loz]

Not with on that?

Speed comes in at over 3500 kgs. T32 is only 3200kgs.

From what I've found out the DSG 4M uses T32 front springs but on the lower rated axle.

no, is done on useable payload, loads of transporter T32 owners have been caught out.

 

[B J G]

Cali DSG 4M would have about same payload as standard manual version?
Haven't gone digging into actual figures to check.

All info I can find, DVLA etc. says that Maximum laden weight is the speed factor which is over 3500kgs. no mention of payload anywhere.

Only time I've ever found an issue is relating to Tacho's when towing for commercial purposes if total goes over 3500kgs.

 

[Loz]

Cali DSG 4M would have about same payload as standard manual version?
Haven't gone digging into actual figures to check.

All info I can find, DVLA etc. says that Maximum laden weight is the speed factor which is over 3500kgs. no mention of payload anywhere.

Only time I've ever found an issue is relating to Tacho's when towing for commercial purposes if total goes over 3500kgs.

If its factory built and registered as M1 (multi purpose it would be fine, but if its N1 (light commercial) as a lot of the conversions are then it would be subject to the lower speed limits for goods vehicles.

All set out here

"Dual purpose vehicles
A dual purpose vehicle is a vehicle constructed or adapted for the carriage both of passengers and of goods and designed to weigh no more than 2,040 kg when unladen, and is either:

• constructed or adapted so that the driving power of the engine is, or can be selected to be, transmitted to all wheels of the vehicle

or

• permanently fitted with a rigid roof, at least one row of transverse passenger seats to the rear of the driver’s seat and will have side and rear windows - there must also be a minimum ratio between the size of passenger and stowage areas"

From which you will see that a Kombi and indeed a lot of conversions may fall into the category of Dual Purpose.

Further if you have a conversion and get your V5 update so the body type becomes "Motorhome" or "Motor Caravan" (note you cannot change the classification from N1 to M1 just the body type) then the speed limit becomes 60/70/70 but your tax remains LGV (and you may get cheaper insurance) so it is worth doing.

This page is a good source with clarification from VOSA; Motorhome Speed Limits

 

[B J G]

With you now, saw warning mention of van conversions, especially if not reregistered as a camper/motor caravan..

Was thinking only in Cali terms.

As an aside I read that the Cali is registered as a motor caravan by VW but the Marco Polo is registered as a MPV by Mercedes.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/vans/news-and-advice/2017/may/van-speed-limits/

 

[bvirc]

My avatar confirms the usability of the 4motion option. It makes my winter travels in the Alps much easier and safer.

 

[cpjb@btinternet.com]

When we bought our Cali, we bought it to keep for the very long term, so we opted to keep things simple with manual transmission and 2 WD. So far so good - fingers crossed regarding the 180 engine though.

Not really related to this but I see the Marco Polo is 2WD with the driven wheels at the back. I just wonder how good that'll be on a sodden campsite mated with its auto transmission.

 

[Niborn]

I have the 4wd on my new 204 Cali and it's also DSG . On my first long trip I drove 600 miles and was rather tired at the end of it when I came into a small just gravelled road, I went around a corner , meant to slow down and brake a little before the corner but stupidly accelerated instead , I was expecting the Cali to slide at the back end and I saw/imagined myself sliding towards the little wall on the side of the road . No nothing it was a wierd feeling , the Cali didn't budge a bit and I knew I went around the corner way far too fast . In that moment I felt the price of the 4WD was worth it and the decision to have it was a good one .

 

[Rob H]

When you first looked for your California be it a SE, Ocean,Beach.I wonder how many owners on here that went and bought the 4 motion actually use the 4 motion for off road? I did a stupid thing many years ago, it was a short cut across grass on a campsite in The Forest of Dean one Nov,not knowing how much water was under foot !
As you can imagine our Cali came to a holt,well and truly stuck and had to be pulled out by tractor, very embarrassing ! But even if we had a 4 motion it would have been the same problem ! So is it worth paying all the extra money for one or is it a 'status symbol '?

4 motion gives a nicer vehicle balance when cornering, all of the time, and addresses out of season grass field camping were overnight sinking in can occur, with the correct tyres it just climbs out. So not limited to hardstanding or the overpopulated firmer grass areas ..

 

[GrannyJen]

Personally I find the suggestion of 4WD as a status symbol slightly absurd. Even more absurd, for me, would be getting stuck in conditions and/or places that I know full well my instincts for adventure would take me to.

To me it was as much an essential as decent footwear would be if I went trecking over mountains. I can think of just a couple of occasions where it has probably got me out of trouble, not definite but probable. However I can say with definite certainty that the peace of mind it has given me has been worth every extra penny. If I was buying again then I would look to my changing lifestyle, ( more tarmac and hardstandings than there were in the first two years), go through the same debate and probably come to the same conclusion: If I can afford it then why be without it.