Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life 2009 Review

Perhaps the nicest thing that can be said about the Caddy Maxi Life is that it is not the type of car you expect from Volkswagen. What was once known as 'The Beetle Company' has forged a reputation for designing and building quality cars like the Golf, Passat and Tiguan. They are solid, reliable, dynamic cars that have elevated the brand into one of the best selling marques in Australia.

Sadly, the Caddy Maxi Life contains none of those qualities. Perhaps it's because it was never designed as a car...

Disappointments include a general lack of quality. Hard, rough plastics dominate the cabin in a major departure of the VW norm. It is a clear link to the car's commercial roots, but given the competition the Caddy Maxi Life competes against in the peoplemover segment it's simply below par.

And the issues don't stop there. There were several rattles and noises from the dash that is also unusual in a modern VW. The tray at the bottom of the centre console was either faulty in our test vehicle or simply badly designed because it repeatedly fell out when we tried to open it.

On the road we found the Maxi Life at times a handful. A trip to Geelong sent us onto the freeway and crosswinds made it a very unpleasant journey. The large sides of Maxi Life were susceptible to the wind and pushed the car around the lane during the highway run. It required extra attention throughout the trip to make sure the Caddy remained in the lane -- unlike any rival peoplemover we have driven.

There were positives though during our time. The 1.9-litre TDI engine and six-speed DSG dueal-clutch automated manual gearbox lived up to VW's usual high standard. Power and torque were more than adequate to pull the Caddy along comfortably.

Another highlight was the steering which was well weighted and provided good feedback. Even in the crosswinds!

Perhaps the biggest positive is the space provided by the large roofline. While it doesn't give the Caddy the same sleeker ‘wagon-like' appearance of some of its rivals, it does create a feeling of spaciousness. With a full load of seven-passengers on board, peoplemover models with lower rooflines can feel confined.

Combined with the Caddy Maxi Life's pricetag, however, the positives were not enough to offset our disappointment. Starting at $37,990 puts the car directly up against better driving, better built and sleeker styled peoplemovers. Our test car was fitted with three options that took it over the $40,000 mark. For that price you don't expect pieces of the cabin to fall off!

Although more expensive, a drive in the new Honda Odyssey following the Caddy Maxi Life provided a reminder of just how good a peoplemover can be. The same could be said of vehicles like the Citroen C4 Picasso (from $39,990), Dodge Journey (from $36,990) and even Kia's 20-soemthing Rondo, that are in the same pricing arena as the VW. Just because you need to carry more than five people doesn't mean you have to sacrifice driving dynamics or accept commercial van aesthetics.

Maybe if VW had priced the Caddy Maxi Life significantly below its rivals it could have worked as a value proposition. In this case, however, it seems the company has missed its target.