Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life

What we liked
>> Room to spare
>> Economical means of shifting seven people
>> Versatility as a van with seats folded flat

Not so much
>> Ride
>> Paying extra for stability control
>> No side-impact protection for the little tackers

Overall rating: 2.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.0/5.0
Safety: 2.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
Buyers of the Volkswagen Caddy Life loved their car -- we're told by Volkswagen -- but did admit they would prefer something with even more room and less 'commercial vehicle' ambience. Enter the Caddy Maxi Life.

Based around the longer Caddy Maxi van, the Caddy Maxi Life offers seven-seat accommodation and is reportedly a more polished creation than the Caddy Life that preceded it.

The new car has been on sale since August 2008 (more here /news/2008/small-passenger/volkswagen/caddy/caddy-maxi-life-packs-seating-for-seven-6850), but sales have been slow -- hampered by constrained supply, according to Volkswagen.

With improved allocation for Australia, the importer has been able to launch the new model properly -- and the Carsales Network was there to check it out.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
Priced at $34,990 for the entry-level model or $37,990 with the DSG transmission, the Caddy Maxi Life looks expensive when its unique selling proposition is space (which costs nothing in the manufacturing process).

Volkswagen claims that the vehicle cannot be brought in any cheaper -- and that explains some of the cost-cutting (see SAFETY below) in bringing the Caddy Maxi Life to market.

Standard features for the Caddy Maxi Life include: alloy wheels, electric front windows, central locking, semi-automatic air conditioning and an MP3-compatible CD audio system with six speakers.

MECHANICAL
As mentioned already, the Caddy Maxi Life is based on the Caddy Maxi, which is a van built on a stretched version of the Golf V platform. Unlike the Golf, the Caddy Maxi (and Life) make do with a leaf-sprung dead axle, which has its place in supporting heavy payloads, but not if the heavy payloads are people.

At the front, the Caddy Maxi Life is suspended by a MacPherson strut system and steered by a hydraulically-assisted rack-and-pinion set-up. Front brakes are ventilated discs with rotors measuring 312x25mm and the rear brakes are solid discs measuring 260x12mm.

Volkswagen is importing the Caddy Maxi Life with just the one engine, a 1.9-litre turbodiesel developing 77kW of power and 250Nm of torque from 1900rpm. Fuel consumption recorded in the ADR-approved combined-cycle test is 6.2L/100km for the standard car with a five-speed manual transmission or 6.9L/100km for the Caddy Maxi Life driving through a six-speed DSG (twin-clutch manual) transmission. The Euro IV-compliant SOHC four-cylinder engine is mounted transversely and drives through either of the two transmissions to the front wheels.

Fitted with the DSG box, the Caddy Maxi Life's kerb mass is 40kg heavier than the standard five-speeder's (1701kg versus 1661kg). The manual variant will tow 1315kg (braked) and the DSG model will tow 1430kg. Being built on a 3002mm wheelbase, the Caddy Maxi Life turns through a relatively large diameter of 12.2m, which may be a surprise to some. Toyota claims an 11.8m turning circle for the 200 Series LandCruiser!

PACKAGING
Unlike the shorter Caddy Life it replaces, the Caddy Maxi Life is fully lined with plastic and cloth and it features alloy wheels and body-coloured bumpers, but it's still a silk-purse-wannabe based on a light commercial vehicle, the Caddy Maxi 'Kombi' van.

From a packaging standpoint, the Caddy Maxi Life -- which we'll refer to henceforth as 'Max Headroom' or 'Max' for short -- is blessed with cup and bottle-holders right throughout the vehicle. By our count, there's at least three bottleholders and six cupholders, but we may have missed a couple...

While the luggage capacity with all seats occupied is impressive as it stands, it would be enormous with the third-row seats removed and the second-row seating folded up. Volkswagen claims 530 litres for the luggage capacity with the third-row seating raised, 1650 litres with the third-row seating removed altogether and 3950 litres with the second-row seating folded up in addition.

'Max' is let down by its commercial vehicle origins and that means -- in addition to the hard ride (see ON THE ROAD below) -- extensive use of hard plastics and passive safety that is not up to the usual standard expected of Volkswagen passenger vehicles.
 
Headroom is undeniably excellent in all three rows and the kneeroom is also good, but there's not that much room to stretch out in the third row, since there's little toe-wiggle room under the second-row seating.

Another problem for the third row is that the flow of air conditioning just doesn't reach there and taller occupants will quickly feel like their heads are in a sauna as the heat congregates in the Volkswagen's high roof. The situation is exacerbated for third-row occupants because the vehicle's stadium seating places them higher than second-row seat occupants or those in front.

SAFETY
While the front-seat occupants in 'Max' are protected by dual front and side-impact airbags, there are no side-impact airbags of any kind for the second and third-row passengers, in this vehicle -- and that is at once understandable from the manufacturer's point of view, but also hard to justify from the consumer's perspective.

Consider that the Peugeot 308 Touring in XS 1.6 HDi trim will provide higher levels of safety and better ride comfort for less money, even with the option of the third-row seat thrown in. The only real advantage 'Max' can offer lies in its interior spaciousness.

Stability control is an option for Max and so are the reverse-parking sensors with acoustic guidance. A vehicle with a relatively high centre of gravity, all the weight of the drivetrain at the front and such archaic suspension at the rear should certainly be fitted with a stability control system as standard, and since its actual length belies its looks (viewed from the front, at least), it should also offer something to ease the difficulty of reverse-parking and make the driver aware of obstacles behind the vehicle -- obstacles such as small children running across the path of the reversing vehicle.

COMPETITORS
Without a diesel option and restricted to a four-speed automatic, the Renault Grand Scenic is not only an expensive alternative to Max, but lacks the VW's DSG option, which would be far more effective for performance and frugality, but it IS an alternative to the Volkswagen.

Kia's Rondo also lacks a diesel engine, but considering the Korean car's low purchase price in the first instance, the difference -- even over the course of a number of years -- will make up for the running costs that favour the Volkswagen. Further in support of the Kia, it's still cheaper by far -- even with the optional side-impact protection fitted -- and it's certainly more refined and pleasant to ride in over a longer journey. 'Max' goes a bit harder and is bound to be more economical (but diesel fuel costs more too).

For many people, the Peugeot 308 Touring poses the greatest threat to 'Max'. The Peugeot is substantially more refined, cheaper in its base-grade diesel variant, offers more safety while still undercutting the VW on price. Regrettably, to drive the Peugeot inevitably leads one to question why any buyer would consider Max.

The Peugeot, with its optional third-row seat lacks the Volkswagen's spaciousness and you wouldn't confine any but the smallest of kids to a long journey in the seven-seat-capable Peugeot. On the other hand of course, you wouldn't subject anyone to a long journey in the Volkswagen wherever they sat -- simply because the ride is abominable.

ON THE ROAD
The Carsales Network only drove the manual version, not the DSG variant, which is likely to account for as much as 80 per cent of sales. Nonetheless, it's always good to start with the base model to get an appreciation of how much better the up-market variant(s) may be.

From the driver's position is arguably where 'Max' works best. The front seats are quite comfortable, grippy and supportive; certainly they're better than in the rear. In some respects, the high seating position is a little truck-like, with the manual gear shifter a bit of a stretch, but easy and light enough to use.

At lower revs (below 1500rpm), the engine is relatively refined and is willing to whip up some higher revs also. Given its commercial vehicle origins, 'Max' remains reasonably quiet and also provides respectable performance.

While it only develops 250Nm, which is a bit on the low side for a diesel-engined vehicle that approaches 2.0-litre displacement (1.9 litres), it balances that with 7.5L/100km fuel usage observed during the drive program. It would rate higher too, if it were coupled to the optional DSG box, which as well as being a self-shifter, also provides the sixth gear that would reduce fuel consumption and NVH further.

Admittedly, NVH wasn't a major issue in the Volkswagen and seemed to be one aspect where the manufacturer has overcome the car's commercial vehicle shortcomings -- although we haven't driven the donor car for comparative purposes.

We weren't so impressed by Max's ride, but its handling and steering weren't bad. Despite the dated rear suspension system, the Volkswagen let you know when it was not coping with the road speed by front-end tyre squeal -- but the front tyres continued to bite and hold their course. Steering provided more feel than we expected from a people-mover based on a light commercial vehicle.
 
Ride was harsh from the leaf-sprung dead axle in the rear. This system is designed to carry much higher payloads than three blokes and luggage for one night. With that relatively light load, there was a real dichotomy between the softer-sprung -- and better controlled -- MacPherson strut front end and the basic rear suspension.

As a consequence of the high-payload capability of the rear suspension, the ride was quite punishing in the rear-most seat (third row), over the lumpy bitumen of the scenic drive through Sydney's Royal National Park -- punishing to the extent that there's real potential for car-sick kids. And the ride is not much better in the second row seats either.

So despite Volkswagen's assertion that the Caddy Maxi Life is a response to customer feedback, it seems like something has been lost in translation between the question, 'Can you supply a seven-seat people-mover with the footprint and comfort of a small car?' and the answer proffered: 'Yes, try this car, the Caddy Maxi Life'.

It's not comfortable or safe enough to drive any significant distance -- but it does make a good van.