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  Volkswagen Phaeton      

  Article Image gallery (12) Specifications User Comments (20)  
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Country of origin:Germany
Introduced in:2002
Source:Company press release
Last updated:Before December 1st, 2004
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Add your comments on the Volkswagen Phaeton

 The unbelievable Phaeton  
chase084
6-1-2004
"I was lucky enough to be selected to test drive the W12, 6 liter all wheel drive Phaeton. I used to park cars at a luxury hotel in S.F., but this was without a doubt the most luxurious car I've ever been in. Heated seats, with massage, but also, cooled seats which I've never seen. You can control the suspension from comfort to sport, I think there were 5 settings. You can raise and lower the car for off or on road driving. Double pane glass, for a very quiet ride; so quiet that you lose track of your speed, didn't realize I was doing over 90 till I checked the speedometer. The vents are covered with wood paneling until you turn them on, and they open up like a car from a James Bond movie. The car has a lot of get up and go, but is a ridiculously smooth ride. A Mustang saw my car, and I guess wanted to see what the Phaeton had to offer, so we did a little racing. I was passing 135, when he decided to back down, the Phaeton still accelerating and quietly too. I believe that VW is definitely looking to expand their horizons and maybe change their image some from the days of the Rabbit and the Fox. Some say for the amount of money you fork out for a Phaeton you can get a Benz or a Beemer; you can definitely do that, but I guarantee you won't get nearly as much. I was sadder than hell when I had to toss the keys back to VW after trying the car out for a day. It was a sweet experience and if I could ever afford a luxury car the Phaeton would hands down be my pick."
 Great car, but...  
weirving
16-11-2003
"iPaQ86 refers to ""unreliable engines."" I have owned several VWs over 30 years and my experience tells me that the engines are the best part of the cars. While VW, in moving its assembly plants all over the place, has experienced its quality control ups and downs, the engines have always been solid and economical in day-to-day use, even in comparison with Toyotas, of which I have also owned a few. As for the Phaeton, VW is offering Abrams tank-like body structure (and weight!), technologically unique and prodigiously mighty W12 gasoline and V10 diesel engines, thoroughly state-of-the-art suspension and all-wheel-drive running gear, and the understated elegance of design and appointments that are de rigueur in German luxury sedans - all for tens of thousands of dollars below comparably sized and equipped Beemers and Benzes. But among potential Phaeton buyers, who will care? My experience is that anyone who can afford to consider a $70,000 automobile won't blink at $100,000 and more either. It is brand cache that counts. Want an expensive watch? Bullova and Seiko make some very, very nice expensive watches. But you're probably going to go for the Rolex in the end. This is why there are no $50,000 Hondas or Toyotas. Though the expensive models share many platform and mechanical bits with the cars they sell to the riff-raff, Honda and Toyota created upmarket badges for their high-end cars. Likewise between VW-badged cars and the upmarket VW brand, Audi. Why would VW come out with a high-end Volkswagen that in the end would cannabalize Audi as much as rake in conquests from Mercedes and BMW? I think the Phaeton is an engineering triumph in a car selling for well under 100 grand, but from a purely marketing point of view, VW is shooting itself in the foot."
 Volkswagen's maybach  
haseeb-exotic
29-8-2003
finally VW made a luxury car.its a big step for VW.if a few months earlier someone told me that vw were gonna buid a luxury car i would never have belived her.its a real beauty.a navy blue phaeton passed in front of me in dubai some weeks ago followed by the touareg.I mistook it for a passat first as they look alike but have different dimensions & rear lights.it looks very different in real than in pictures.its a sleek car with simple yet sophisticated lines.despite its weight its been compared with the S class, 7 series , jaguar XJ & audi a8.great job done by vw , after looking at its interior i feel that vw can build any car possible.
 An extraordinary VW  
sIm1
23-7-2003
I've driven some pretty exclusive cars from VW lately, such as Passat W8, Touareg v10 TDI, and Phaeton W12. VW is truly on the offensive with more power,more prestige and a lot more elegance in their cars, witch represents an new era for VW. When it comes to my testrides of the exclusive VW's, the Phaeton w12 was the most impressive. Strong as a bull but, despite its 2,3 tons of weight, it was easier to handle than a Polo (!), much thanks to the Servo Tronic system. And the massage in the seats wasn't to bad either...
 Phat Phat! Phaeton!  
FightingDiva
16-4-2003
I went to the 2003 carshow in Stockholm (Sweden) last week and saw this beautiful car. It looks better in reality. In my oppinion this is more in the class of S600 Mercedes or Maybach. In short words it's a Maybach for the VW group.
 Overweight  
iPaQ86
6-4-2003
This car is so heavy, it also looks heavy. Can it really compete with the Merc S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Jaguar XK-Series in terms of dynamics? It certainly looks very bulky, and given that Volkswagen has a reputation for unreliable engines with super-high fuel-consumption (particulaly in the low-tech 4 cylinder 8 valves engines like the 1.6L), it will glurp fuel instead of drinking it!
 It is really impressing  
gtr_racer
20-12-2002
I've seen one here in Brazil.. It was with green plates that are for tests... Its design is really impressive and the engine sound either. If people don't get prejudiced, it will sell a lot. Basically because it's the same technology that is Audi's, so there's nothing Audi A8 has tha there isn't in the Phaeton.Except for the badge.
 Literally...  
Outlaw
10-12-2002
VolksWagen, literally the car of the masses. The name of the brand says it all. The brand was neither born nor intended to make luxury vehicles, but to make cars available to everyone. Now VW's cars are no longer that cheap, but, in my opinion, the name's aura still there to dumpen any attempt to move to prestige markets. Moreover they already have Audi in the same group, and Audi is aiming to that luxury market with far more determination and chances to succeed. Toyota and Nissan created new brands to fight for their part of that market, and still I wouldn't call their attempt successfull. It's a fact Lexus (never seen an Infiniti here in Europe, but I guess what would happen if they sold their cars here ...same as L.) used cars lose value much faster than Mercs or BMWs or Audis, even when they're more reliable and sophisticated than their german contenders. It's a fact that people who buy these kind of cars are much interested in the message they're giving to the public, and VW, Lexus atc. don't sound just as good as Mercedes, BMW or Audi. Rest assured that I don't feel like this behavior is correct, it's just the way the minds of egocentric people (usually the rich ones) work. Anyway in some of the pictures above I sense a little of Saab's design cues in the rear side-windows, don't U?
 The big VW  
IBrake4Rainbows
10-12-2002
Think Prestige automobile, you think BMW, Mercedes benz, Audi (at a stretch), and maybe even lexus, but Volkswagen? Volkswagen has a reasonable prestige image in Australia and NZ simply because they are not popular family autos, Big cars are so much cheaper and the need to pay so much for what is essentially a family hatchback is one the average budget does not stretch to, But the Phaeton is trying to capitalise way too much. For starters, it is essentially, stylingwise, a big, bloated passat with and ugly grille and strange rear windows. secondly, It may be technologically advanced, but not far enough. Audi has the MMI system, and it's aluminium Construction, BMW has i-Drive and the special V-8 And V-12 engines, while merc may be lagging, you can hardly call it technologically defunct, it does has speed/distance cruise control.I mean, for heavens sake, even the new Jaguar XJ8 has aluminum construaciton adn an interface system! The aircon and engines may be good, but when you have a competitor in your cars class that comes from the same family, you're screwed. Period.
 the badge  
BlackSunshine
10-12-2002
"It's not selling because it doesn't hold the same stature as a Merc, a Bimmer, an Audi, or a Jag. In the luxury car segment, a name amounts to alot. The other reason, this car lacks pressence. It looks like an over sized Passat. No matter how deserving the car may be, it lacks the style and penache of the traditional name plates. When I pull up some where in a luxury car, I want people to look at think ""wow, nice car"", not ""hmmm... that's a big a Volks Wagon, did they put out a luxury car?"". With the traditional name plates, there's no questions asked. And that is what people want."""
 You think it's heavy do you?  
Bentley Baby
9-12-2002
Well ok it may be 500k heavier than your A8 but who cares! There is a few things wrong with this car, interior in the lower models and power on the V6 but heh look at the W12! This is a natasp that can do something with that weight you wouldn't believe! Adjustable suspension, turn it onto sport mode and keep looking forward and it's in a different league to that of the S-class or old A8, it's a huge sports car! You even get a sporty raspy note through the exhaust usually only found on cars half it's weight! Ok the more critical of you will say it's a luxury high end rep mobile and the exhaust note doesn't suit the car, but it truely is an exceptional piece of kit. VW should be proud of there work on this, the only thing i wonder is why is it not sellling? I have test driven both models of this car and was astounded by the quality and feel of all features and dynamics of the vehicle. Who ever below mentioned releasing a coupe or convertible version of this was spot on! They have put a great deal of money into the Phaeton Project already and unfortunately already it certainly isn't selling as they had thought, although you can see a blatent down turn in the luxury market sales accross the board especially in the German car markets, VW should pull there socks up and get on with it! Question, has VW any plans for a larger engine in this? W16 or W18, they have all been developed thanks to Bugatti, i'm sure the chassis could take it? Ponder Ponder, watch out AMG!
 weight  
henk4
12-11-2002
A comparison with the A8 shows a kerb weight difference of 500 kg, just wondering if the phaeton comes with standard armoured skin , or what.
 Not an A8  
IBrake4Rainbows
12-11-2002
"The A8 is in fact an entirely seperate model from the Phaeton, think of the ALUMINIUM construction in the A8, and the conventional STEEL floorplan of the Phaeton. The Phaeton is in fact sharing it's floorplan with another VW group model, the Bentley Continental GT. Granted, air suspension systems in the A8 and Phaeton may share similarities, but thats where they end. Get your facts straight before you rattle off. And as for the whole ""trying to seem less ostenatious"" trip, have you seen the Maybach 57/62 recently? This car is meant to appeal to these sorts of people, and true, it may not be exactly in the same league, but the response should be the same. I do agree, the days of showing off your wealth with extravagent machines is well and truly gone. and i'll be the first to admit to a lull in Premium cars sales because of the recession, but i don't think corporate CEO's will bother with a badge that HAS no class in this catagory, it has no standing, and hence will go and buy the A8, 7 series, s class , Continental GT and so on. If anything they'll be buying the Premium brands to show corporate wellbeing, rather than ""slumming it"" in a car with no standing, and no hope. It's better to turn up for a shareholder meeting in a BMW/Merc than showing up in a boring, dull, almost snore-inducing car, it will make people worry. Nevermind, at leats they had a good crack at it, but they need more work before they can break into the Premium sector. Maybe they could make it cheaper....."""
 this car wil sell  
energy2
9-11-2002
This car looks fantastic, take its speed limiter away and it goes 195 mph. Quality is in the same league as s-class and 7 series. For those people who think it won't sell, well it is selling. Who would buy it? well as the market is falling into recession , company directors are buying the phaeton BECAUSE of the fact its a VW. They dont want to appear ostentatious when markets are falling. ANd anyone who owns a phaeton will tell you its a damn better car than the ugly 7-series , cheaper than the new A-8, which is practically the same car but one big problem i see buying this car is depreciation.
 Luxury Volkswagen????  
IBrake4Rainbows
9-9-2002
Now, I may be going against the trend here, but, lets be honest here, who in there right mind is going to buy a luxury saloon Volkswagen? In a market where badge kudos counts just as much as techno wizardry, Volkswagen cannot compete, i agree the new W12 engine is a huge step foward in technology, but it's remarkibly sad that no-one will notice. Nice car, shame about the badge.
 heaven vechile  
toyotalexus99
28-8-2002
really from the first time i heared that volks wagen wants to make an automobile in the luxury vechile category i asked my self why volks wagen wants to make this car and it has beutiful car like a8/s8 & after 8 months the car i see this beutiful beast car . this car from the first look give to you that it lives with you from the begining of your life with its hard technological equipments ,luxury interior specially at the rear seats that make you as if you ade in limusine not sedan car all of that plus 6000c.c which gives to much power to a luxury sedan really iwhich to it atleast to be the most luxury car sell in 2005 if the price is suitable
 S-class/BMW 7 series or maybe MAYBACH?  
ralliart77
26-8-2002
what is an S class? I had an opportunity to drive the '01 CL500 recently. I was shocked. A car that costs 100,000$ plus had such shoddy workmanship...i would definately not buy one. Mercedes has always played second fiddle to BMW in a power struggle. I agree that the S -class W220 is quite a stunner. BMW has made a modern artistic impression of a luxury saloon...beautiful and hideaous at the same time. But when i first laid eyes on the phaeton,I knew where my money was going to go. Specially when the W12 will be priced around 64,000 dollars fully loaded, BENZ and BMW had better start scaling down their prices. Fabulous piece of work from all angles. A true Executives car. Truly speechless... way to go VW.
 Wonderful!!!  
breistul100
4-8-2002
Finally VW have come on the market with a great car. It is elegant, it's not a MB, BMW 7 series, but a good start and I wlould not hesitate to buy one. It's something else. Teh version weith W12 and 4 wd are just goodies. But VW, why dont make a coupe and convertible on this car, would be great image.!! will get MB and BMW and Audi a great fight in the future.
 bravo!  
Nvme
28-7-2002
This is what VW should have done long, long ago. I mean, although it might not be as successful as an S-class or a 7-series, saleswise, that is, potential VW buyers seeing what the marque is capable of, will not hesitate paying 25-30 grand for a golf, or 40-50 grand for a passat, thinking that kind of money would buy them a bimmer or a benz. Then others in the market for a midsize or a compact, will want a VW hoping to get some of the refinement found in the upper VWs.
 Long Live The Phaeton !  
Salwan-Zero Cool
6-7-2002
I was amazed when I first saw the Phaeton,over the last period of time ,I was having an idea that all the VW products are those Bettle-type Small Cute Cars,But The I saw this Car,I liked it,Just Look At it's Features.... BMW and Mercedes Watch Out !

  Article Image gallery (12) Specifications User Comments (20)