Volkswagen Caravelle 2005 Review

Mum, dad and five kids (yes, I'm crazy) ... and the dog, going away for the weekend.

Bags and bags of "stuff" five boys just can't do without.

And, we're going fishing. So add wet-weather gear, rods, the mother of all tackle boxes and its matching bucket for the big catch.

Now food ... for teenage boys, remember, so double what you think you might need. And drinks ... bring on the gigantic Esky.

Two cars are called for ... or are they? Not when Volkswagen comes to the rescue with its Caravelle.

"Oh, my God, it's huge," is the first reaction. Bus proportions, even. But don't let the size put you off.

This big beast is like putty in your hands, easy to steer with loads of grunt and, believe it or not, a breeze to park.

As a people mover, Volkswagen has it all figured out in a 2 x 2 x 3 seating setup in the Caravelle. This is a real seven-seater.

Two people sit up front, two directly behind (facing forward or back) and three more on a bench seat in the rear.

On the road, despite the fact we're loaded to the brim, everyone has plenty of room – and individual lights mean the kids can do what they want: read, snooze, play or send text messages to girlfriends back home. And each seat has its own storage tray underneath.

There are no fights; all are happy in their own "space". In fact, they're raving about the comfort and how "cool" and "awesome" it is – especially when I turn our multivan into a little cocktail lounge.

Remove the luggage, push the bench seat all the way back, flip the second row of seats around, push a button and pull a lever to transform the centre console into a table.

Voila!

But wait, there's more ... those in front also sit high and mighty 'cause this is a pretty flash dash we're fronting, with instrumentation and "extras" to rival most sedans. It's got:

A six-CD stacker with a sound that matches the size of this beast; dual air controls front and rear; auto-transmission with Tiptronic option plus a sports mode which lets the gears rev out a little longer between each shift; cup holders (seven) and compartments galore; butt warmers (gotta love those after a few hours on the jetty); airbags, ABS and ESP for safety; cruise control; and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.

... and this is just the entry-level.

LOVE IT LEAVE IT

Volkswagen Caravelle (T5 Multivan) 3.2-Litre V6 Petrol Six-Speed Tiptronic

Price: $69,698 (on road)

LOVE IT

Easy to drive. Loads of room.

Adaptable – converts into mobile party room or the back seat folds out to a bed. Tiny turning circle. Parking assist. Easy on petrol.

LEAVE IT

The dash lights look pretty but red is really hard to read.

Doors can be hard to close.