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Daddy is getting a new car... for a week!

It was a surprise for us when Daddy told us he will be 'changing' his ride. With the courtesy of Volkswagen Singapore, he drove home in the VW Sharan for an extended test ride. Upon his arrival, we wasted no time to hop on and explore. After a week of numerous outings in the Sharan, we were sad to see it leave our abode. It was a lovely seven days with the seven seater Volkswagen Sharan.


The experiences are truly divine.

As we reminisce on our adventures with the Sharan, it is inevitable that we would conjure a list why we think Daddy should reconsider getting re-acquainted with the Sharan in the future.

Here are 7 reasons why the Sharan had captured our little hearts.

1) A Gentle Giant
With its imposing size, we were immediately drawn to it. On the exterior, the VW Sharan stands taller than most ride. Given it's outlook, we think the name is befitting of the Sharan. With a size like that, it is not surprising that we decide to name it the 'Big Car'.

2) Acres of Space

The 'Big Car' lives up to its name in the interior as well. The back seats are easily accessible through the auto sliding doors. The Sharan is a comfortable 7 seater with a 2-3-2 combination.

To gain access through to the last row, we would need to pop the middle seat down with a lever on the side of the seat. Access is relatively easy and adults should have no problem moving in and out of the back seats. We reckon such a car is best suited for larger families or multi-generations families. We could already imagine an outing with Grandparents on the Big Car.

Throughout the course of our week long encounter with the Sharan, we decided to make the back seats our 'home'. It is rare that we get our own personal space in the car. With the Sharan, everyone has their own personal space. Best of all, it feels spacious and we think if we really need to, we can even fit 10 into the car!


3) Cool features we love
We decided to rope in Daddy expertise on the techie features of the Sharan.He was impressed with the key itself, which allows him to control all doors via one remote. Even without the useful remote, the Sharan is equipped with keyless entry. This makes fumbling for keys while carrying us and the grocery, a sight of the past.

The keyless feature extends to the start of the Sharan. A soft purr greeted us whenever the Start Engine Button was pressed.

Daddy thought that the safety features in the car is a careful thought for drivers with kids. There are child lock features on the drivers side for the sliding back doors. This is an important feature especially when travelling with kids.

There are more than one way to access the back entrance. By the time the week is over, we are very familiar with the door button on the back.

The other button Daddy found useful would be the Auto-Hold button. This button is an extension of the electronic parking system. It prevents the car from rolling in a stationary position. This function is extremely useful for traffic lights or traffic jam situations where you can safely lift your feet off the brake once the vehicle is still, making driving convenient and comfortable. Given that this feature is usually found on high end cars, it definitely position the Sharan as one of the elite of its class.

Another feature that Daddy found useful would be the rear view camera with 'rear assist' feature. There are also front and rear sensors that ensure that parking would be smooth.

There is also an automated parallel parking "park assist" that allows the car to park itself. Daddy had seen it in action and was duly impressed. With a car of this stature, it would be most useful if parking is left to the expert.... the car itself.

Storage is abundance within the Sharan. There are storage on the dashboard for your wallets and keys, cup holders on all rows of seats, sunglasses storage, storage at the footwells of the 2nd row seats (great for storing shoes) amongst others.

A cool feature would be the "Climatic" air-conditioning system with 3 zone temperature control. Other notable features include folding tables on the back of the front seats, roll up sunshade on the rear seats, a cool multimedia sound system with 8 speakers and 6CD Changer, ISOFIX seats and many more. Most features listed here are standard in the basic package, giving you a bigger bang for your buck!

4) Window to heaven

An optional feature in the Sharan would be the electronic panoramic tilt/slide sunroof.The Sunroof not only allows you a refreshing view while driving, but it also allows more light in the cabin. This makes the cabin feels larger than it already is and makes every trip and interesting one with the ever-changing views from above.
We would have loved to ride with the wind in the hair. However Daddy insists that we remain seated during the ride for safety. That did not stop us from getting up the open roof when the car is stationary!

5) Big useful boot

You would think that with a seven seater, boot space may be limited. From our week long usage, we managed to fit in 2 strollers, our recreational vehicles and shopping loot from Ikea. If space is a constraint, there are always spaces at the back seats.
You can even choose to fold down all the back seats and it would most likely fit a small bed in it. We think this combination is useful for getting bulky items in Ikea or transporting large items like plants. There are things you can carry in the Sharan that you would otherwise not be able to do so in most vehicles. Say goodbye to "delivery charges" with the Sharan

6) Smooth as silk

The cockpit clad in "Vienna" leather trim makes the interior feel luxurious and inviting. The ride itself is smooth for a giant like the Sharan. Pickup was smooth and steering was firm and responsive.

Daddy thinks the car drives as well as what German cars are famed for. A luxurious, smooth operator. With a top speed of 221km/h and an acceleration of 0-100km in 8.3 seconds, this gentle giant is no slouch. Safety is not compromised with an curtain air bag system for front and back passengers including side airbags in front.

I may not be of legal age, but I could imagine getting behind the leather covered 3-spoke mulit-function steering wheel with gearshift control. It may be marketed as a family car, but it sure have enough features to satisfy the closet racer in every Daddy or Mommy!

7) Bring us everywhere

The one thing that we enjoyed most is the numerous trips we had taken within the one week of use. The optional inbuilt "RNS 510" navigation system with it 6.5 inch touchscreen is a breeze to use. Directions are entered via the touchscreen. With its 'predictive' text for roads, address entries are easy to input.

Through the use of the navigation system, we had travelled all the way from Ikea in the East to Chinese Gardens in the west. Getting to our destination is a breeze with the clear instructions given. If given a chance, we would even like to bring the Sharan for a trip to Malaysia. With a 70 litres fuel capacity and a consumption of 8.5 L/100 Km, we think we could make a trip to Malacca and back on a full tank!

The Sharan is available at Volkswagen for a price of current transacted price $207,800 (click here for the latest price). If you are looking for an efficient, comfortable and luxurious drive, this would be a serious option for families with kids.

It was 7th Heaven on the week long escapade with 'Big Car' . At the end of the week we were reluctant to downgrade back to Daddy's 'tiny car'. With that in mind, we unanimously decided that his next car will be a VW Sharan.... how about that Daddy?

Till then, thanks to VW for making this a wonderful experience.

Disclaimer
The Wacky Duo were provided a week long use of the Sharan. This is an advertorial and all opinions are of our own