[Jesda]

Automobile Magazine, December 2005

Page 1 - http://www.q45.org/gallery/d/215-1/phaeton1.jpg
Page 2 - http://www.q45.org/gallery/d/219-1/phaeton2.jpg
Page 3 - http://www.q45.org/gallery/d/222-1/phaeton3.jpg
Page 4 - http://www.q45.org/gallery/d/225-1/phaeton4.jpg
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It looks bad.

 

[mccombie_5]

I can honestly say....

No such problems with mine. I have only owned it two months though.

I find the Sat Nav relatively simple, the seats are fantastic, and ive had no issues as the ones meentioned, my car is also optioned up to the equivelant of $140,000. No such issues........

The problems may not be visable, but so far, and 1800 miles later, its fine and ive not had an issue.

Mine is the 3.0 TDI

 

[Playdrv4me]

Seriously though... these are already cropping up on Autotrader with 20k miles in V8 form for 39k, by mid 2006 theyll be 35. Could this be the best used car buy in the industry? If I can turn my financial fortunes around and get the overseas job Ive been thinking about, a VW Phaeton may just be my next vehicle, its only competitor being either a 745Li or a 2003 Range Rover.

My only qualm is that VW did such a good job on the interior of the Touareg, the Phaeton only seems like a slightly more luxurious version of the fine Touareg interior, and the Touareg does more (has an offroad suspension only rivaled by the fine Range Rover), offers the same engine and costs 10k less similarly equipped (on the used market). Sad because the retails of both vehicles are 30,000.00 apart.

 

[mccombie_5]

Seriously though... these are already cropping up on Autotrader with 20k miles in V8 form for 39k, by mid 2006 theyll be 35. Could this be the best used car buy in the industry?
My only qualm is that VW did such a good job on the interior of the Touareg, the Phaeton only seems like a slightly more luxurious version of the fine Touareg interior, and the Touareg does more, offers the same engine and costs 10k less similarly equipped (on the used market). Sad because the retails of both vehicles are 30,000.00 apart.

Well, the interior of the Phaeton is a step above the Toureg, you wouldnt notice it at first glance, but honestly, when you have the options i do, the interior is SO much better. The seats do tricks....... The TV is fantastic quality..... Incrdible sound, and the engine, even for a diesel is SILENT. Its like no other caron the roads, it takes engineering to extremes. Everythig is fantastically made. It is SOLID.

OK fair enough, it has ALOT of options, but i still dont think it should be written up as badly as that.

I dont buy crap.

Well mos of the time, and i certainly dont spend £80k on crap.

 

[Playdrv4me]

Written up as badly as the way I described it, or the article? I never said it was crap, I just think the Touareg interior is spectacular for its price point, while the Phaeton interior is average for its price point. I personally like the A8 and Phaeton EXteriors about equally, but interior-wise, I think the Audi takes the cake (retracting Nav monitor, sound system, bias lighting and white LED door lights etc.) It is a moot point for me because the A8 is still thousands more than the Phaeton even on the used market.

 

[mccombie_5]

The article, they over slated it, it isnt as bad as they make out, i dont knwo whats wrong witht ieirs, but the DEALER has NOTHING to do with how the car performs, and they made it sound liek it did.

 

[Playdrv4me]

I agree, but the point they are trying to make is how foolish it was of VW in the United States to market a car like the Phaeton on an infrastructure of dealers that in all honesty are about as clueless and rude as alot of the Cadillac Dealers.

I can already imagine the way the service writer must joke with his buddies at a VW dealership every time someone drives up in a Phaeton "Oh here we go again". And with a 70-120k car the attitude needs to reflect the price.

 

[Jesda]

The article, they over slated it, it isnt as bad as they make out, i dont knwo whats wrong witht ieirs, but the DEALER has NOTHING to do with how the car performs, and they made it sound liek it did.

Youre right, but in the US, VW dealers are terribly incompetent to begin with (one of the reasons why VW consistently ranks near the bottom for quality). You give them a complicated luxury machine and the problems are exacerbated. Phaeton owners in the US have to endure a terrible ownership experience where nothing ever gets fixed, and VW North America remains disconcerned.

 

[Caddy Man]

I hear its navigation system is pretty bad, barely any street names listed. And this isnt just from the posted article, its from several other articles ive read about this car.

 

[[email protected]]

One day people will realise that German engineering is not all it's crcked up to be.

The Phaeton is probably a fine car, the one in the article is probably not indicative of all of them. As mccombie says, his has been A1 so far.

Even if they are reliable and even if the dealers do care they will plummet in value and they will be an excellent used buy. Because it's a 70 grand Volkswagen.

At that price, sadly for VW, there's more to it than the competence of the car. I watched Top Gear a couple of night ago and they reviewed an Aston, Porsche and BMW, placing the Aston last. But my money would have gone on the Aston, because it's an Aston.

 

[fast66]

they are selling brand new phaetons in Kuwait for 12,000kd that is around $39K-$40K . This has been going on since the beginning of summer. now I knw why

 

[fast66]

very nice car I love the interior

 

[Caddy Man]

At that price, sadly for VW, there's more to it than the competence of the car. I watched Top Gear a couple of night ago and they reviewed an Aston, Porsche and BMW, placing the Aston last. But my money would have gone on the Aston, because it's an Aston.

i completely agree.

 

[mccombie_5]

VW in this country only sell them in prestige centres with Touregs.....

I agree, as a used buy they will be fantastic, some people might call me foolish for plumping up £80,000 in cash for this car. Why? Im not going to sell it for at least 10 years, by which time with will have depreciated as much as a Mercedes Benz of that age. It really is super engineered, every component of this car has thought behind it. Its silky smooth, as a fantastic engine, the best quality interior I've ever had, my Bentley wasn't this well put together.

Unfortunately the buying public are too badge focused to see the car behind it.

I get brilliant service from my VW Prestige Dealership.

Maybe the US dealer network is poor, but in this country (i am not sure if dealerships in the US are indipendantly franchised or owned by the car manufacturer) i would NOT include a rant about the service network in the review of the car

It makes it sound like the car is a complete abomination, when really, the idea behind it is, whoever wrote that article, has some issues with VW.

 

[[email protected]]

If you're happy with it that's all that matters, doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

I wouldn't have coughed up 80K for a VW (not that I have 80K), but that's me, because at that price all cars are very good so I'd be looking for more than just competence, I'd be looking for prestige (because frankly you can get competence and luxury for half that), heritage, old school craftmanship and a brand that the masses are not driving.

Your Bentley may not have been as well put together, but it is a Bentley and I'd prefer that. But only if it's a proper Bentley made by actual craftsmen, not a reskinned VW. But that's me, whereas orthers would prefer to spend money on actual competence and the driving dynamics.

 

[Jesda]

As long as I'm an American, there's no farking way I'd buy anything branded as a Volkswagen.

VW North America lost a billion dollars this year, which is staggering considering its diminutive size. You can't blame an American journalist for possibly having something against VW, considering their abysmal track record in this continent. Volkswagen spent the last ten years churning out garbage for American buyers, all the while treating us like dirt. You get this feeling of arrogance from them, like we're expected to grovel at their feet for offering us any bit of their 'fine German engineering.'

Additionally, VWs here are preferred by sexually ambiguous urbanites and teenage girls. So even as a mainstream brand, they're still kind of out there.

In addition, all Edmunds, Car and Driver, and Automobile Magazine long-term reports include service reviews from a variety of dealers, as the cars get driven nationwide. It doesn't matter how good the car is if the darn thing can't be fixed.

Just when you thought GM was run by the biggest morons in the industry, VW comes along and steals their thunder.

 

[mccombie_5]

I am very happy with my car, and as far as i could tell, my £80k was well spent. For my money i wanted a good looking, smooth, luxurious car, to ferry cluients around in when they came to me. The Phaeton was the best and most discreet.

What impression would it give that i knew about design if i pulled up in a BMW 7 series?

My Bentley, which i bought new for cash in 1995, was the Turbo R. It was crafted from a lump of steel, a lump of wood, and a cow or two.

It was a great car, i loved it, i want another but the Phaeton doesn thave the problems that it did to live with...

 

[[email protected]]

If you pulled up in a BMW of any kind I'd class you as knowing nothing about cars and just buying the BMW cos that's what your mates told you to buy (after watching too many episodes of Top Gear).

Turn up in a Jag and you'd get respect from me.

Turn up in a VW Phaeton and, well, it would certainly be a conversation piece. But then, I seem to remember you saying you work in the design industry? And as a piece of industrial design it's some conversation piece.

 

[mccombie_5]

If you pulled up in a BMW of any kind I'd class you as knowing nothing about cars and just buying the BMW cos that's what your mates told you to buy (after watching too many episodes of Top Gear).

Turn up in a Jag and you'd get respect from me.

Turn up in a VW Phaeton and, well, it would certainly be a conversation piece. But then, I seem to remember you saying you work in the design industry? And as a piece of industrial design it's some conversation piece.

Exactly, I NEED to know about design, and i need to appear that way. The 99-05 Mercedes S Class is off the pace now, i will be popping into my Jaguar dealer next month to order a SUper V8 or an XJR, i havent decided yet.

Every single person who has seen or ridden in my VW has complimented me on my taste

It truly is a fantastic piece of design

 

[gdwriter]

What impression would it give that i knew about design if i pulled up in a BMW 7 series?

Ha! Well put. What if you pulled up in a Pontiac Aztek?