J@mes wrote:

Just to bring this one back up, I have a set budget which will buy a 2009 HSE, 2010-11 XS or a 2012 8 speed GS. All on 60k-ish

So is the 8 speed box worth losing out on other features that can't be added later on? Obviously things like fog lamps, cruise, front PDC can be added for reasonable price, Xenons can be added, and leather/sat nav can be added at a high price.

Not bothered about sunroofs.

Can't increase budget, buying a caravan too

1. Buy a cheaper caravan
2. Use the D3 to tow, save, buy 8 speed HSE later when prices and savings have made up the difference

discoteca wrote:

I've only driven one 8 speed and own a 6 speed D4 so I'll qualify what I say with that first. I thought that the 8 speed I tried was a resoundingly better drive than the 6 speed.

However, if your budget is absolutely fixed I think you are right to be asking the question, personally I couldn't drive round in a base spec D4 no matter how much better the gearbox was. Perhaps you should have a good drive in both to make your mind up?

Other than the gearbox itself there is little difference between them so I'm not sure what the "all that goes with it" reference means. The only significant differences between MY10 and MY12 are 10 more bhp (negligible and not really noticeable), improved infotainment system (although some say slower nav - but you won't have nav on a MY12 GS anyway) and of course a vastly improved gearbox.

I'm not knocking that the 8 speed is a significantly better driveline and indeed drive than the 6 speed - it of course is. But if you absolutely cannot stretch the budget I'd always go with a higher spec 6 than a poverty spec 8.

Just my opinion of course

Thanks for the reply - I'm not too worried about the poverty spec side of things as the things I would want (front PDC, fogs, cruise, leather etc) could be added for about £1500, but nice things like the Sat Nav, higher spec audio, electric seats, are a lot more expensive but not really essentials for me.

My D3 was an 05 SE and a great spec, I have an Amarok Highline now which also has a great spec (Leather, nav, heated seats, bluetooth, F&R parking sensors etc) But to be honest its just not the car for me.


Dubbs - sold the D3 after falling out of love with it a year ago

Not buying a cheaper van, only looking at the £6-7K range anyway as its our first van and we don't know how much we'll get to use it.

Budgets are fixed due to renovating our house and trying to pay off the mortgage around 15 years earlier than planned.

Think I need to drive both and see. I've just had a 6 speed DSG VW as a loan car while my amarok was in for work and it was bliss compared to the clunky agricultural manual box on that.

Maybe I should only drive the 6 speed and save the 8 speed for when more of the mortgage is paid off?





Cars. Why do we have to like them so much?!

stick wrote:

I have now done 12k in an 8 speed after 112k in a 6, and I wouldn't pay any more money for the 8. What I gained in smoothness at higher speeds I lost at lower, as it gets caught in the wrong gear. And the mpg is worse.