This applies to the 2016 range of vehicle also known as the T6 however many of the review components do cross over into the T5 and even the T4 models.
Firstly this is a very unique vehicle, it is made to look like a tradesman van filled with drop sheets and paint tins but the people at VW actually had the larger family in mind when designing and building this van. Depending on you needs and each individuals wants some vehicle features or characteristics that one would find annoying, ugly or problematic another find as a value add.
Fist up there is no getting away from the fact that the Multivan looks like a giant piece of duplo. Vw has put a lot of long nights into the styling of the van with windows, groovy looking headlights and flash side steps but the fact still remains that the visual aesthetics of the vehicle mimic a wafer biscuit. However inside the van and its a whole different ball game. Seating configuration is a a lot of fun, with multiple options available (provided motion sickness whilst traveling backwards is not a problem) Ample space inside allows for complete family, the oversized Labrador you regrettably adopted and now can’t bring yourself to return and your luggage is no problem at all.
The Van is significantly higher off the road than any of the competitors vehicles in the same category. This is one of those factors that some people really like about it and other do not. If your multivan is needed for elderly or disabled people to use the hight of the side sliding doors entrance may prove to be a bit much for some people. However the ground clearance is also something many owners love about these vans.
If looking to purchase a van to convert to a wheel chair compatible vehicle this is hands down our number one pick for this task. The space inside the vehicle allows for ramps and anchor points with our compromising on the comfort and space for the wheel chair user. In many cases we have seen these van used as a family vehicle where one family member was wheel chair bound and the van still carried siblings along for the ride.
The seating position is quite high in the Multivan and you are very much a wear that you are driving a vehicle thats classed as a commercial vehicle. Many of the competing Vans on the market still give the drivability and handling of a car inside a van, this is not something multilane does.
The T6 comes with both a front wheel drive option (which is far more popular) and a 4Wd option. The 4wd choice is almost redundant with very little need for it and our clients who owned them have experienced problems endlessly chasing oil leaks from the transfer case.
Features in this van are extensive with parking sensors, reverse cameras all the way through to electric sliding side doors and heated seats. Many of these features are great value add but can be costly latter in life if they fail and need repair or replacing. The key feature for us is the cool layout of rear seat set up that allows for this vehicle to be used not only for the family but for business purposes. A quick business meeting or a need to pick up an important client from the airport and this vehicle can be made to not only look the part but deliver in a very stylish a sophisticated manner.
Mechanically the Multivan is fairy robust, in its early days not much is left to report in the common faults except for one item. The DSG gearbox, the dreaded achilles heal of VW (That and having an international reputations for lying) The DSG has been a huge problem with all auto VW’s and Audis since the day they were put into production. Huge improvement have been made, yet around 50% of our multilane owning clients are experiencing DSG Faults.
We have seen one give trouble with Glow plugs that proved to be costly but one is hardly grounds for a “common fault” tag. We have also some across several giving door lock and hale problems latter in life.
Also be mindful of the fact that the multivan goes through breaks around 30,000Kms and tyres in about the same time frame. The huge front brake setup on these are very expensive to replace and in the case of the 4wd models, even more so. Tyre prices are not to out of control however the multilane does run a commercial tyre so its no VW golf tyre replacement.
Overall the Multivan is a very good vehicle, some additional costs in maintenance need to be taken into consideration but to be honest there is very little on the market that is comparable. In our opinion the only thing that even comes close is the Mercedes Benz Vito Van.
Book your car for a service today by clicking here
Menu
