| Road Test Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life 1.9 TDI DSG |
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The 1.9 and 2.0 TDIs normally have five- and six-speed manual gearboxes respectively, but the 1.9 can also be specified with the six-speed twin-clutch DSG, which takes care of the changes for you (though you can select gears manually if you prefer). I'm not sure that this is a wise move; the 1.9 DSG is fractionally quicker than the manual - like that really matters - and much less economical at 40.4mpg combined. It also costs £1500 more, and personally I'd stick with the manual at £15,995.
Apart from the rear parking sensors already mentioned, the test car came with metallic paint, 205/55 tyres on 16" alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and basic satellite navigation with a monochrome display, which added a total of £1345 to the price. There are plenty more options, the most expensive being satellite navigation with a colour screen and DVD mapping covering the whole of western Europe, which on its own costs £1550. You can also have towbars (with fixed or removable towballs), ESP plus (including a trailer stabilising function), all-weather tyres, heated front seats and a height-adjustable passenger seat with a drawer underneath it, just in case the vast amount of storage space available as standard still doesn't satisfy your requirements.
The Caddy Maxi Life is quite an unusual vehicle, and not many people are going to be able to make full use of it. For those who are, though, it's a splendid piece of work, and I almost wish my lifestyle was more suited to it so that I could wander down to my local Volkswagen Van Centre and place an order. Price: £17,495
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