TheSamba.com :: View topic - T4 Syncros...are they 4x4s or All Wheel Drives?

Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:47 pm

sorry, old thread revival, but Andy P, whats the update?!

Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:12 pm

Looks like he hasn't gotten on here in a couple months, so you might PM him since he's also a bus owner, and not going to be on the Vanagon side much. I'd tell him to scrap the Land Rover idea but someone earlier did and got his nose bloodied for the good suggestion. He didn't reveal he already is a Land Rover owner until later in the thread, so his loyalty to that brand may be less practical, and more as a cult-member. To each their own, but I wouldn't take an old Rover out back very far - especially since he also acknowledges he is not much of a wrench swinger.

Ah, well - keeps the Search and Rescue guys busy, I guess!!

Mon Jan 19, 2015 8:44 pm

Wow, this was all AGES ago.
Now I have 6 kids!
We ended up getting a standard, 5-cylinder gasolene, long wheel base Eurovan.
Unfortunately it wasn't a great vehicle.
It had been poorly treated and despite the significant repairs we did it ended up too much trouble.
In the end we traded it in on a new turbo diesel Hyundai van.
I'd like to say I'm ashamed but I'm not because it was the best option.
The new VW Multivan only has 7 seats and we needed 8.
Plus the Caravelle is IMO poorly laid out, at least $15k more than the Hyundai here in Australia and the gearboxes have had their problems.
We just couldn't justify the cost on brand loyalty, especially since VW dealers Down Under are infamous for their inflexibility and arrogance.
My only regret is that I'm currently without a 4x4.
Since I hunt that's been a real PITA.
And some of the places I've hunted in the last year required a serious 4x4, not just little SUV or "soft roader" as they call them here.
But since we have our '67 Panel, '62 Beetle and the Hyundai on the road it's not practical to drop more money registering and insuring on a 4x4 I'll only really need 5 or 6 times a year.
Because when I NEED a 4x4 I need a good reliable one that can drive 500 hwy miles to the hunting area and then climb steep grades often with mud on them.
Even my old Land Rover wouldn't have been suitable, mainly because it's top speed was about 55mph, so there aren't any cheap options, even purchasing one.
I don't know where that leaves me for the moment in terms of a 4x4, but I drive my '67 Panel daily to work and when the Beetle gets its new motor it'll be driven a lot too.
Practical is how I have to be while my family is young.

Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:03 pm

Andy P wrote: "soft roader"

LOVE IT! :lol:

Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:44 pm

It is a funny term.
It aptly describes the Tiguan though.
Only a Toureg would be sufficient in the VW range for what I need 4x4 wise and they are seriously pricey.
A T3 Vanagon Syncro would probably do it..... if I dropped a lot of money on it.
And T3s are pretty long in the tooth these days.
A Land Rover Discovery Tdi would be best but again.....they're not cheap if they're in good shape and many are likewise long in the tooth and their electrics can be dodgy and pricey to replace.
Even towing a serious 4x4 to the hunt zone isn't really practical.
I use public roads when hunting so it needs to be registered & insured anyway.
Anyhow enough about that!

Wed Dec 05, 2018 2:04 pm

let me add my very late to the table 2 cents, for anyone else who is considering a Syncro.

this past February we, having succumbed to the "Syncro must be Better" idea, imported, from Europe, a 1995 T4 Syncro.

having taken one long trip 8000kms and several short trips I am convinced that Syncro, for most people, is a complete and utter waste of money.
Not only does a Syncro cost significantly more up front (I would estimate.... Syncro over non-Syncro commands a.... 20+% premium.)
it adds weight, and way more complexity in terms of rear differential, activators, sensors, etc.
and when those fail it turns into a big money repair. (I just retrieved ours from the mechanic. but the time he had finished rebuilding the rear differential, we had invested about..... $3000 USD.

actually our Syncro started making terrible noises before we went on that 8000km trip and so we had the long drive shaft removed and we ran that trip 2WD. no problems.

unless you plan to go completely off road (which even a T4 Syncro is not really built for) Syncro is a waste of money.

I don't expect I will ever be off of pavement or at the worst, hard packed gravel or dirt.

Wed Dec 05, 2018 4:27 pm

Have you driven it in the snow? Seems that with the low clearance the AWD T4 Syncro would mostly be good for snow and ice.
Our T3 Syncro is so much better than the 2wd Vanagon in snow it's not even funny. (of course it's great off-road also :wink: )

Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:00 pm

I read this thread with some biased interest since I’ve work on and driven Land Rover products for almost 20 years now. Modern 4x4s are complicated and expensive, no argument there for even an older Syncro compared to a comparable 2wheel drive version of any make.
Once you’ve driven a 4x4 model in weather or driving conditions that would overly challenge a 2wd vehicle, you see what the fuss is about.
The extra expenses ARE annoying, and painful on a wallet or household budget..... :P
But when faced with difficult conditions, they get us through the awful weather or muddy tracks with more ease than you would think is possible, especially if fast acting electronics are mated to a system.
It’s those systems that make an inexperienced driver look good while driving poor or non-existing tracks that previously would have required great skill using a 4x4 from the 50s to 80s.
I don’t have a need for a Syncro, but I appreciate all those that are able to keep them on the road despite the added costs over a more humble 2wd like my Tin Top.
Take a BOW, all Syncro Owners, and keep on ‘trekking’.... :wink: