Test drove a 3.0 Audi A6 today and was kinda let down. Not real quiet or comfy on the inside. Drove pretty nice, looked great, just not as luxurious as I was hoping for. LS430s are nice, but kinda old man for me, and their price is right there with the Phaeton, although owning the Lexus would probably be cheaper.

 

Hey Drew,

I did the same, thought about getting an A6, test drove the 3.0 and was really disappointed. In the end, I got a BMW 530 instead and didn't regret it yet.

Cheers

 

My friend's father has a Phaeton, and his wife has an A8 W12. We all agree (except his wife) that if gas money is no object, you would have to be an idiot to buy the Audi. The ride, the road manners, the civility, and quietness of the Phaeton is hard to match. Excellent car, just dont buy a new one.

 

comparing a phaeton to an audi a8L is like comparing an iPhone to a BlackBerry Pearl

theyre both great, but completely different

 

Steve please explain further.

 

a8w12 is more sporty, the chassis is more responsive because it's made from aluminium and is lighter

the phaeton is made for super comfort

 

Thanks steve. I have been shopping A8's but this thread has me thinking.

 

taken from wikipedia
btw, i am officially cancelling my order for an 08 a4 sline for my daily, and i am 100% certain to pick up an 04 phaeton in november

Trivia

Volkswagen Phaeton rear quarter

• Volkswagen has registered 100 patents on various innovations in the Phaeton. One such patent is for the 4-Zone Climatic Air Conditioner, which allows a separate temperature for each quarter of the vehicle, and is draft-free.

• The 25,000th Phaeton was built in early September 2006; half of all Phaetons are sold in Germany, (13,108 up to November 2006).

• The Prime Minister of Portugal, the Pope, and North Korean officials are all chauffeured in Phaetons as was former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder. He also received the very first Phaeton in 2002, when he opened the factory in which the cars are built. His first use of the car was at the World Trade Conference in New York City in 2002.

• Pope Benedict XVI was given a new Phaeton W12 by Volkswagen in October 2006.

• The Government of Hong Kong replaced its E38 BMW 7 Series fleet with 35 Phaetons in October 2006.

• Taiwan’s leading motoring magazine, "Car Magazine" [1]" crowned the Volkswagen Phaeton "Taiwan’s best luxury sedan" in its tenth edition Automotive Buyer’s Guide 2005.

• The Phaeton has a drag co-efficient rating of 0.31.

• With the speed limiter removed, the 6.0 W12 Phaeton can reach a top speed of 201 mph (323 km/h) as attested by Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear; Clarkson said that it was "totally smooth and stable" even at that speed, and that even at 201 mph, he "still could not hear the engine."

 

I didn't know much about the car until this thread. I'm absolutely astounded by it. I would pick one up in a heartbeat. Though, i think i'd have to go with the V-8 version. Only thing that scares me is this...

Thats not too great...

 

real mileage is a bit off
realistically, around 9 or 10 in the city, and about 20 on the highway

 

Well, I'm definately not getting one before getting out of school. A long story short, ('05 VW Jetta GLI)I hit a rediculous pot-hole that was covered by water (near the curb) pulling out of a gas station at 5mph OR LESS. Dealer is claiming it bent the rear axle, it's looking like $2,500+/-. The state SHOULD reimburse me, but who knows if that will ever happen, going to talk with insurance about it tomorrow and see what he thinks we should do.

I thought, what would it have done if I was driving a Phaeton? I can afford the purchase and the minor upkeep but if something major happend I'd be up a creek.

We'll see how the Jetta turns out.

 

I've always loved the Phaeton and that W12 is amazing. they're so rare here. I want one...