Volkswagen Transporter

The second confusion concerns the body. Panel van, kombi, dropside, double cab, Caravelle, Multivan and California share a floorpan and a name but are built for quite different purposes. The panel van is a pure load carrier, the Caravelle a passenger car, the California a camper. Listings run them all under the same umbrella term Transporter.

The industry length system applies at VW too: short and long wheelbase, standard and high roof. Anyone carrying loads should check this before engine output. A short wheelbase with a standard roof takes markedly less than a long one with a high roof, with otherwise identical designations.

On drive, all-wheel drive is the feature with the largest price difference. It was called syncro on older ranges, later 4MOTION. Anyone working winter service, forestry or unmade roads should search for those terms specifically — they often do not appear in the type designation.

For used purchases the history is especially telling here. A Transporter from a trade business has taken different punishment from a hotel's people carrier, though both carry the same designation. The number of previous owners and the body type say more than the odometer alone.