Phaeton of the VW opera

[SaabKen]

I was slowing down approaching a redlight and about 200ft away I see this new Passat. I thought "wow, it's finally grown up and large enough to compete with other best-selling family cars". By the time I got to 20ft behind the thing I saw the badge "Phaeton". I changed lanes and looked around it. Bwahahahahahaha what a joke. It's prolly a smidgeon bigger than the current Camry but looks totally undistinctive (in fact really just like a LARGER Passat). Yeah I'm sure it's got all the performance and luxury doodads to compete in its segment, but heck, according to VW Canada the Phaeton starts at C$99,600 for the V8 and tops out at C$136,520 for the W12

Give me a couple of used 2001 BMW 740i/750iLs any day

I was crossing the street yesterday and I turn and there's this massive car with an equally massive chrome "VW" on the grille. Turns out it was a Phaeton, and it was a family of four riding in it. Either they thought they were buying a Passat or got a really good deal on it, probably both. It just looked so annonymous, enough that it makes the Passat look unique. No wonder they can't sell any of them.

[Last_straw]

Saw one in the carpark of Shannon airport, as you say totally annonymous, no doubt it's a good car but at that money there is much tastier fare on offer, the depreciation must be a killer

[SaabKen]

One can find many nice '99-'01 740i's with 50K miles or less for $30-35k give or take a few coins.

[Kermit]

I see one of those Mercedes Maybach's today...you'd think for £285k they could have employed an exterior stylist, it looks like its been beaten by an ugly stick.

[SaabKen]

£285K for the Batmobile ?!? Sheeesh. Buy a house as better investment !

Average House Price in London

Originally Posted by Kermit

I see one of those Mercedes Maybach's today...you'd think for £285k they could have employed an exterior stylist, it looks like its been beaten by an ugly stick.

[Mag-X]

Edmunds.com seems to like the Phaeton. click

[JamieHutchie]

The best thing about the Phaeton is.........actually the Bentley flying Spur, it is a very very very cool car....it is the "saloon" model of the Bentley Continental GT and guess what...............it's actually a really well dressed Phaeton!

same floorplan.....and I think most of the electrics and stuff are also from it too.

So thanks to the Phaeton........for the Bentley!

[SaabKen]

I wonder if all the hardcore Bentley fans/owners cried: "Oh woe is me, this is a rebadged VW !!! The world is coming to an end."

Sound familiar ?

Originally Posted by JamieHutchie

The best thing about the Phaeton is.........actually the Bentley flying Spur, it is a very very very cool car....it is the "saloon" model of the Bentley Continental GT and guess what...............it's actually a really well dressed Phaeton!

same floorplan.....and I think most of the electrics and stuff are also from it too.

So thanks to the Phaeton........for the Bentley!

[Last_straw]

Originally Posted by SaabKen

I wonder if all the hardcore Bentley fans/owners cried: "Oh woe is me, this is a rebadged VW !!! The world is coming to an end."

Sound familiar ?

, I hope there are prominent VW badges on all the components, but I guess Bentley fans haven't had a 'real' Bentley for nearly 50 years now so they must be used to it by now, unlike some Saabers

[DougR]

I saw one in town, and my first thought was they changed the passat a bit too. Then I realized it was a phaeton. Maybe the annonymous look is to go with that whole "peoples car" thing.

[SaabKen]

Uh, rich people at that ...... maybe Phaetons come equipped with jars of Grey Poupon, but with the labels taken off so they simply look like "regular people's dijon mustard"

(I'll stop now .....)

Originally Posted by DougR

I saw one in town, and my first thought was they changed the passat a bit too. Then I realized it was a phaeton. Maybe the annonymous look is to go with that whole "peoples car" thing.

[Stefano]

I think it was oine of Clarkson's bombshells on Top Gear, he saied that the Bentley Continental was selling much more than the Phaeton, so the end was "if you really want to be exclusive don't get a Bentley, get a VW"


BTW yes guys I'm still alive, anyone noticed me missing for a while?

[DougR]

Funny thing is everyone made a fuss when I bought my SAAB, and said "oooh a saab", "I need to ride in it". "You must have got a raise".

I know that if I went in and said "Hey I got a VW Phaeton". People would have just said "nice". That is VW's uphill battle.

I remember an interview with some exec at VW about 5-7 years ago, where he said that their goal was to have VW to become their luxury car line, and Audi to become their sports car and younger peoples car line. Looks like that plan is really working out well...I think the passat 4-motion W8 was the first attempt and tanked, now the phaeton, and that seems to have tanked.

[sethsev7n]

I thinkt that these car people maybe need to step out of their offices sometimes and drive around a bit... see cars for what they really are, not see what they are in their own little world. I knew that there was reasonably no way for the phaeton to be successful, and in my mind its one of the biggest mistakes that ive seen a car maker do. I can't believe no one half way through making this thing didnt realize that it would take. Its very obvious.. yikes. They should have put the technology into the A8L instead. VW didnt make a great move with the new jettas either, imho... theyre boring. VW was on a great road awhile ago but they decided to steer quickly off of it.

[DougR]

I agree Seth, VW has really screwed up overall. With their MkIII they finally established themselves as a good car, and sold a ton of cars. With the MKIV I was not into the syling, but they became a bit more upscale, and the styling improved as the line aged, and again they sold a ton of them.

The MK V....ick. If I wanted a corolla, I would buy a corolla. That design is really terrible. And from what I have seen the golf will look like a new Civic Si, which I think looks awful as well. I have not seen a lot of new Jetta's, and I wonder if that is any indication of sales. When the MkIV came out, I saw a ton of them right away...not with the MKV.

And yes, anyone looking from the outside could see the phaeton was doomed from the start.

And further, the passat looks like a G35 ripoff. Sheesh, has VW lost all design ability. Not that looking like a G35 is an insult, but still.

Lastly, what is with VW and the horrid engine selections on the Jetta. You get your choice of a 150hp 2.5 NA 4 or a TDI???? Why no turbo or 6 out of the box? Why make people wait?

Has anyone checked to see if Steve Jobs is getting a paycheck from VW.

[Rob in Atlanta]

Originally Posted by DougR

Has anyone checked to see if Steve Jobs is getting a paycheck from VW.

Hmmm. Maybe VW needs someone like Jobs to turn it around. Jobs saved Apple after the awful Chairmanships of Gil Amelio and "Diesel" Spindler. Apple was burning very quickly through its money before Jobs returned.

[900t]

Originally Posted by Kermit

I see one of those Mercedes Maybach's today...you'd think for £285k they could have employed an exterior stylist, it looks like its been beaten by an ugly stick.

Looks like a mid-90's Korean piece of junk Hey Daewoo called, they want their grille back!

Today I saw one, on the back of a rollback tow truck! I was very surprised. It was right around the local Benz dealership, appeared to be leaving...

[Rob in Atlanta]

My afternoon travels took me past Bentley of Atlanta. The new dealer is located right behind a VW dealership. Smack dab in front of the Bentley dealer is a VW Phaeton. I wonder if the typical Bentley customer gets the irony.

[900t]

You know the new Continental GT? Phaeton underpinnings, Phaeton steering wheel, Phaeton switches too!