Skip advert
Advertisement

New VW Caddy Life 2015 review

We get behind the wheel of the van-based VW Caddy Life to see if it's a worthy alternative to the usual MPVs and crossovers

Overall Auto Express rating

3.0

How we review cars
Find your Volkswagen Caddy Life
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

What the Caddy Life lacks in trend-setting styling and crowd-pleasing design features it makes up in cabin space and raw practicality. It’s well built and feels like a Volkswagen passenger car on the surface, although its van origins are betrayed a little by a driving experience that’s slightly rough around the edges. Pricing is likely to make it more expensive than most van-based rivals but none have the Caddy’s sheen of quality.

Advertisement - Article continues below

With the all-conquering crossover having comprehensively turned the heads of fashion conscious family car buyers in recent years, the MPV has felt the squeeze. But if you want big space coupled with kid-friendly versatility and don’t really care what the neighbours think, the good old people carrier is still hard to beat. 

Best 7-seaters on the market

The Volkswagen Caddy Life is a vehicle that seems to take this MPV ethos to its logical conclusion. It’s compact, with a 4,506mm length and 1,793mm width giving a footprint similar to a VW Golf Estate, yet there’s serious amounts of space and the option of seven seats on the long wheelbase Maxi models. 

The interior is robustly built but designed with adaptable seating and a total of 17 storage compartments. The latest Volkswagen technology also makes an appearance on the options list with City Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control and a neat 360-degree parking aid all offered. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

IS

2018 Lexus

IS

46,000 milesAutomaticPetrol2.5L

Cash £15,500
View IS
5008

2020 Peugeot

5008

59,271 milesAutomaticDiesel1.5L

Cash £16,800
View 5008
2008

2019 Peugeot

2008

34,033 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £9,400
View 2008
Astra

2018 Vauxhall

Astra

50,104 milesManualPetrol1.4L

Cash £7,500
View Astra

Best crossovers

Yes, the Caddy Life ticks the MPV boxes in some style and to please those MPV buyers for whom keeping up appearances couldn’t be less of a priority, it’s based on a van. 

The Volkswagen Caddy has served as the brand’s compact van since 1978 and it’s the latest Mk4 version that spawns this Caddy Life MPV. There’s no escaping the fact that it looks like (and is) a van with windows but engineering and technology wise it feels as though it’s out of VW’s current passenger car top draw. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The dash design and switchgear will be familiar to Golf owners as will the build quality. Hard plastics on the dash and door inserts betray the commercial vehicle origins but there’s a toughness and solidity that family buyers will appreciate. 

The big draw, however, is the big space inside. The standard Caddy life has space for five adults and towering headroom for all of them. A third row, making the vehicle a seven-seater, is an option on the Caddy Maxi Life versions that increase the wheelbase by 470mm for an even bigger boot. 

The Caddy doesn’t share VW’s latest MQB passenger car platform tech, instead riding on an updated version of the previous generation Caddy’s underpinnings. In general it rides comfortably but things can get unsettled over larger bumps and the vehicle’s height makes itself felt through corners and sharp changes in direction. 

A range of Euro 6 compliant 2.0-litre TDI diesel engines are offered with power outputs of 74bhp, 101bhp and a meaty 148bhp. We’re also likely to get a small TSI turbo petrol variant in the UK by the end of 2015. 

The middle-ranking diesel will take around 80 per cent of Caddy sales and feels both strong and quick to react to throttle inputs. That engine also powers the super-efficient BlueMotion variant that will lower fuel consumption from around 55mpg in the standard car to nearer 70mpg with an engine remap, eco-tyres and aerodynamic improvements. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Head of digital content

Steve looks after the Auto Express website; planning new content, growing online traffic and managing the web team. He’s been a motoring journalist, road tester and editor for over 20 years, contributing to titles including MSN Cars, Auto Trader, The Scotsman and The Wall Street Journal.

New & used car deals

Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,725Avg. savings £4,199 off RRP*Used from £15,337
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,255Avg. savings £1,848 off RRP*Used from £7,649
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £26,995Avg. savings £8,094 off RRP*Used from £13,199
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £1,676 off RRP*
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025