Volkswagen Caddy 1.6 TDI Black Edition – Long Term Test Month 4

JULY ended for the Caddy the way it had begun – with lots more miles! Longest of the month, was a four day trip that started in Hampshire and ended in Leicestershire, taking in Luton along the way. This trip and other local work has seen almost 600 miles wound on to the Caddy’s milometer. The trip home from Leicester was a particularly memorable one, as a serious accident closed the motorway, meaning we weren’t going anywhere for about an hour – thank goodness for the Caddy’s comfortable, supportive seats and the fact that the Bluetooth allowed me to access and play the music from my iPhone to keep me amused! On one of these trips I caught up with a fellow journalist, who’s running a rather tricked out T5. Like me, he was impressed with his Volkswagen van’s build quality and ability to swallow miles with ease, but had issues with some of the aftermarket kit, such as the sat-nav and Bluetooth. I don’t have any problems with the sat-nav, as the Caddy doesn’t have one (instead I’m relying on my trusty portable Tom Tom!), but I haven’t had any issues with the standard fit Bluetooth either. Maybe more equipment equals more problems? Since then, a summer holiday and a stream of test cars have meant that the Caddy has had a bit of a rest during August. However, rather than the planned trip to IKEA, a house declutter at chez Collins gave me a chance to give the 3.2 cubic metres load area a proper test by loading it up to take to the stowage place. Anyway, I’m pleased to report that the Caddy swallowed a large and very heavy chair, three large boxes, a couple of very full bags of stuff and some of my children’s toys.