Category: Large MPV 
Price Range: £29,945 to £36,440
Space, strong diesel engines, versatile cabin, good equipment levels
Looks like a van, feels like a van to drive
The Caravelle scores no points in the style stakes, but it's an appealingly no-nonsense proposition.
It's a large, weighty vehicle, and fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions reflect this. The 3.2 V6 returns 21.9mpg and 310g/km, the 174bhp diesel 31.7mpg and 240g/km, the 130bhp diesel 31mpg and 246g/km and the 104bhp model 36.7mpg and 208g/km.
None will work out cheap as company cars, and real-life consumption of the less powerful engines with a full load on board is likely to be even greater. On the plus side, if you treat it well a Caravelle can go up to 18,000 miles or two years without servicing (intervals are variable, depending upon usage and driving style, as indicated by the on-board computer). That's with special fully-synthetic LongLife oil; traditional oil can be used instead, giving service intervals of one year or 10,000 miles.
You have to pay handsomely for the best examples, so don't expect any bargains. With prices starting well below £25,000 for a decently-equipped vehicle of this size, the Caravelle works out cheaper than, say, a Grand Voyager or Grand Espace, and is roomier and more versatile than the 807/C8/Ulysse family or Sharan/Galaxy/Alhambra. It might not suit everyone, and not many private consumers will want to live with its commercial vehicle image, but it's a well-priced proposition.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Volkswagen Caravelle
wrote on 29 08 2006