Why The Volkswagen Phaeton Failed In The United States
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ส.ค. 2019
- The term Volkswagen means “people’s car” in German. In the United States the car company is known for selling stylish, well-engineered cars that are still relatively affordable like the Volkswagen Golf, Passat, and Tiguan. But there was at least one time Volkswagen tried to elbow its way into the luxury car market. The Volkswagen Phaeton was introduced in 2002 and it quickly failed, especially in the United States.
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Why The Volkswagen Phaeton Failed In The United States
This shows how luxury buyers choose brand name over actual luxury
Ashutosh Sundresh cars are usually associated with status. So its hardly a surprise people would rather buy a better brand for the same amount of money.
Yeah, when looking at Teslas, I was very disappointed that our Chevy felt more luxurious. Model 3 was the worst of the line. I understand that it’s also the cheapest, but a Chevy shouldn’t be better than a Tesla at anything. And the Model 3 felt so cheap that I was worried about breaking it simply by looking at it. Model S was better, but considering how expensive it is, it only felt moderately equal to the Chevy.
Idk about that. Buying a Toyota over a Benz isn't brand shopping. I'd never buy a Lexus. It's just a Toyota dressed different.
@@UmmYeahOk Too be fair the reason why Teslas are expensive is because of the technology, not the luxury.
Emilthehun my mom used to buy nothing but Lexii. I used to tell her how it was just a Toyota, and how whatever vehicle she owned at the time, carried the Toyota name in its home country. Eventually she made the switch to Infiniti, and I would tell her how it was a rebranded Nissan. She, again, refused to believe me. However, she now accepts that Lexus IS just a Toyota (just none of hers were). My brother took after her, by getting an Infiniti too. His fiancée owns the exact same car, only, for some reason, it’s an Altima. Sure looks identical to his though. I wonder why.
Hoovie: I bought the cheapest W12 Phaeton sold in America
i'm still waiting for that video.... for a loong time!
@@janiss2926 I got a W12 Phaeton, I offered it to Hoovie, but he didn't e-mail me back yet.
Del JWD are you dead set on selling to him?
a V6 model here in Germany starts at around 3.000€ ~ 3.580$
a V8 model at around 5.000€ ~ 5.970$
and W12 models just around 7.500€ ~ 8960$ that the fk is that price-difference :D ? You have to pay at least 13.000$ for the Phaeton? That's ludicrous xd
You likely bough the cheapest 12 cylinder sold in the world.
At least over here in Germany, I would not call VW "affordable" anymore.
Not in Malaysia also
in europe they are expensive af
They are no longer affordable, they haven't been in over 25 years. They're just a kissing cousin to Audi at this point.
@@Gman941 They were affordable until 2005
The European VW´s have a other quality than the US VW models. The US VW is in quality and price closer to Skoda and shares more parts with Skoda than with Audi. Many EU VW parts are also from the same shelf that Audi uses.
I owned a phaeton. A 2005 V10 twin turbo diesel. Truly one of the greatest cars I've ever experienced
Well said 👍
Basically a Bentley inside !
Was it reliable?
@@MrCarguy2 I own one currently. Depends on previous owners. Mine ate it's cams and is now in shop. Some electrical problems sometimes and that's it. But my friend owned the touareg with same engine and only investments he had on it was service (oil and filters). Sold it at 450.000 kilometers.
@@EDINN2505 damn that's bad.
Honestly I would rather look at 2009 or newer Mercedes they really are starting even the gap between them and Lexus
Phaeton did well in China somehow because buyers loved its subtlety. In those buyer's eyes, Phaeton was just a larger and more luxurious Passat.
in NA people want to standout, so a luxurious car has to be a bit more flashy so that other people notice and see it.
in Germany and many European countries people also like the subtlety.
666 BRLN 999 Yes. In China, especially for officials or richer folks, sometimes it’s better to be “low key”. They have a very similar model in China called 辉昴 with a 600k rmb option (roughly 86k usd)
Still sells in china with a slightly different name
@@zheyuantang Phideon. VW's version of Audi A6.
Why are modern cars being made with massive flashy grilles for the Chinese market then?
There was a W12 engine option too right?
Yup, there was. They called it V12 in the video. Engine options were V6 3.0 diesel, VR6 3.2 petrol, V8 4.2 petrol, V10 5.0 diesel, W12 6.0 petrol
@@sidzeejj The W12 was a petrol engine.
W12 was even installed in the first (probably the last) supercar Volkswagen ever made.
Jimmy the Volkswagen Nardo was a concept car, never went into production.
@@user-vy6xx7gz6z I know. Only three units were made.
Don't spend 65 on a phaeton but spend 80 on a v10 touareg 😂😂😂
Just search what is the off-road capability of the Tuareg.
@@cipryan96 5000cc and all full option touareg is the best suv ever
I've thought exactly the same. :) Also, you know, one woman struck me right in the heart saying shyly about her Tuareg: "They say, Tuareg is Porche for the poor."
Touareg tows 8000 lbs too. But when it breaks, it tends to break real bad. Doesn't last like a diesel either
Li U MAAA What about the Audi Q7 V12 TDI...
One of the most memorable episode of Top Gear for me was the Phaeton. Jeremy Clarkson shot a skit, where he & a hot chick on the backseat would attempt to make the car windows steam. Jeremy ran a electric kettle of to make tea inside with the air conditioning at full blast. The Phaeton car windows didn’t even steamed!
Yeah, I've seen that, the chick was smokin' hot.
An investigation into the Scion name plate would be interesting.
RIP Scion (2002-2016)
so many quirks and features!
Doug Demuro? Is that you?
@@stayfrosty6290 I just watched his Phaeton review. The car is absolutely astonishing, it was his best review yet.
th-cam.com/video/1kIbRwNopWw/w-d-xo.html
1:03 I think it was offered with a W12 in the U.S. but idk about a V12.
These guys don't know the difference
Correct
AFAIK the "W12" actually was a double VR6.
For intents and purposes, it doesn't matter. Stop trying to sound like a super car nerd.
Bryan It does matter. If CNBC is going to report on something, they need to get the damn facts straight.
I've always loved and wanted a Phaeton!! Any car that can drive 186mph 24 hrs a day in 122 degrees F, has my vote!!!!
Hell yes! 💯💯💯
broke all the time... hard to get part... that just concept for car you can drive on autobahn in summer... engine can do that but the rest of the car can not...
I have a 2016 Phaeton (last year it was made). I drive it on the Autobahn frequently. That 186 MPH is a bit mis-leading as they have speed restrictors to only allow 150-ish MPH.....which Yes, I have achieved. It wants to go faster, but with pedal to the floor it just wont.
The Phaeton itself might've failed but the tech developed for it can certainly still be found in other VAG group luxury cars. The Phaeton walked so the Audi A8 and Bentley Continental could run.
When Volkswagen purchased Bentley, Bentley had only comparable old models and was having issues in funding the development of new models. Therefore there was a crossfinancing done between VW, Audi and Bentley to create a platform, which was used in the Audi A8, VW Phaeton, Bentley Continental GT/GTC and Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
The a8 was about long before the Pheaton
In Japan, the Lexus LS was sold as the Toyota Celsior until 2008. Until now, Honda sells their flagship luxury cars with Honda badges in Japan instead of Acura badges. The American car market demands luxury only brands that are distinct from the parent brand's mass market vehicles. Hyundai did it with the Equus, but still it didn't work even though they had a great luxury car.
The Hyundai Equus is soo exquisite on the road now! I see those all the time in Dallas, Texas. Those are going to be rare jewels in the coming years!
Now Hyundai's trying again with Genesis.
@@benhuang2773 Thing is, Hyundai is nowhere on the vehicle.
That's because American are most ostentatious and need to separate themselves from the masses by showing their wealth.
It failed in the US because people are too concerned about status symbols. Here in Germany the Phaeton didn’t flop. It actually fulfilled its purpose. Because if you had a Phaeton, you didn’t need a car to boost your status. You had the status, and the money not waste a single thought about how much you spent on a „VW-Badge“ when you could have had four rings or a star. You simply bought the best German luxury car there is. And I guess that makes the Phaeton a status symbol in and of itself.
Poor market choice by VW I’d say. Brand perception is key specially when you’re targeting the premium segment giving exclusivity.
Yep. Same thing happened with the Equus; the badge matters to people dropping that kind of money. I'm worried the new Supra is going to fail for that same reason.
it just a based car for Bentley.... alot of the car still a OEM part for many for VW high end car... they don't care it sale or not on first place... it do it job as flagship car and support the more high end brand....
May be they used it as a flanker.
I dunno if I'd agree entirely. The car itself wouldn't ever sell much, and surely they knew this. Why would you choose the Phaeton when for the same money you could buy a too spec Audi? It's the position VW is always in now that it owns so many brands, but it isn't a problem. Also, for those that are in to the whole brand etc, the Pheaton is now such a wonderfully sought after unicorn, that isn't flamboyant and loud in its presence. Infact, the beaut of the car is, you'd assume it's a Passat upon first glance or if you just weren't really into cars.. it's entirely inoffensive by its own design.
Though, it isn't really dead.. there's the new Phiddeon which is mostly a spiritual successor.
Not really. See the Arteon? It costs the same as the Audi A5, most VW’s do such as the golf-A3. Polo-A1. It’s whether or not you want the extra features, the golf is the uk’s best seller and that’s because most buyers have chosen it over the A3, the price isn’t a deal breaker to upgrade to an Audi and yet they still sell far more. VW is overall a brand for everyone, the cars can’t be linked to a certain demographic I could imagine
I own a 2013 VW Phaeton (3.0 TDI) and its the best car i have ever owned! Pure luxury and soft ride, no sport to ruin the pleassure.
I have it now in Germany, Leverkusen. No image, but perfect ride.
No Sport means no pleasure.
Gratulation to the Phaeton, enjoy it
(I have the V8)
@@Spacemanxful wenn Sie ne gute Werkstatt für den Phaeton mal brauchen sollten : www.rapacho.de am Rande des Münsterlandes. Die machen seit > 10 Jahren fast nur Phaeton.
Wow beat Doug demuro to explaining why it failed... props
The Phaeton did not fail. It was a very successful "Halo" car that moved the Volkswagen brand perception from being a competitor to GM, Ford and Toyota one class up, at least in Europe. Everybody talked about VW doing the Phaeton, Bugatti, Bentley and Lamborghini and how it does not fit the brand. Now it does. The world has even taken over Mr. Piech's word invention "premium brand" to describe those cars. (Before, Premium was a beer.)
Can you guys do a video on saab? Please!!!!
You found the one person in your staff that couldn't pronounce Phaeton to explain why the Phaeton didn't sell. Great job.
If Hyundai wasn't quick to come up with the Genesis brand, this would have also happened to the Hyundai Genesis and the Eqqus
It happened to the Equus 🤣
@@samvhell9104 didn't the Eqqus get turned into the Genesis G90
@@byronrideaux Yeah it did so it doesn't count.
Luxury cars from Hyundai and Kia are not so miserable compared to the Phaeton, as they sell good in Korean domestic market, and also perform fairly well in Gulf countries and Russia. The biggest problem of the Phaeton is that VW is a German brand and faces fierce compete even in German market. In other words, Hyundai/Kia holds some strong markets for Equus/K900 while VW has held none for Phaeton.
@@ThatSilentGuy and the ride smoother.
The sound track on this piece was simply incredible.
Look at this Macdonald wagyu steak!
Still a wagyu
@@praba991ify by McDonald's tho.
Nailed it
A very well thought out and edited video. It was perfect. Thanks for the video.
Many people want others to know they spent a lot of money on their car, the brand of the car is the biggest contributor to that image.
In total, I've seen exactly ONE Phaetons on the road, in person. And actually you can find used ones for way less than $12000. I've seen them for around $5000!
I have visited the Dresden glass factory last year. It was now hosts assembly line and showroom of VW plug-in hybrid and electric cars. Sadly all the clue of Phaeton was erased from the glass factory, as if Phaeton never existed.
I wanted to see where my Phaeton was built, but sadly, never did.
After Piech, VW went downhill, unfortunately.
I got to be inside of a V12 model two years ago. It was awesome and I agreed with the owner that VW, made a great car. Bummer it didn’t take off.
I bought a US spec V8 in 2004. It was faultless. Loved it.
Not just in US. This model basically failed everywhere.
passat
@@cxsian that ain't a phaeton tho
It sold Ok in Asia.
William W not in china
Jannis Höntscher puh... it didn’t sell well in China. As it’s low profile doesn’t not reflect the high price tag, which doesn’t provide “face” for its Chinese owners.
How do I know? I’m from China!
They didn't fail, rebranding and using the architecture of the Phaeton into their Bentley Continental / GT was cost effective. keened eyed enthusiast will spot carry over of the V12 engine /seats / AVAC controls etc. Phaeton was their attempt to step out a comfort zone and build a true over engineer-ed Flag ship vehicle and not give customers rebranding of an A8.
Pull up old promotion videos on the extreme testing and attention to detail of the product lines it was impressive.
I think it's important to note that VW did this in retaliation to Mercedes for releasing the A-Class which was encroaching on VW's more affordable car market.
hyundai did it right with the genesis by making it its own brand. now all they need is to get their dealership system figured out and they’re good.
I don't think it was a good idea. Genesis was the name of a Hyundai, so therefore Genesis is directly associated with Hyundai.
What truly killed the Phaeton was that you could buy an A8 for the same price with a better brand image, same thing happened with the Touareg when the Q7 was released.
HA, never seen a genesis on the road.
Timren1 you must live in the broke boy capital of the world then
@@TheRandumDude Genesis cars are only sold in North America.
The Outsider i totally disagree with you , i think the biggest problem of the phaeton was the design , seriously that thing didnt looked better than a cheap toyota corolla from the outside, an im sure that bentley sold way more cars than the phaeton which was basically the same car
How many times is that guy gonna say “you know” in the video.
The VW Phaeton was the poor man's Bentley.. same W12 engine , drive train , brakes and controls..all for 1/3rd the price.
I own a Phaeton: luxury, confort, power. Super great car (I own also a Mercedes C class 2016).
It's because people pay for badge and logo, not quality
The phaeton was just ugly though tbh. Looked like a stretched passat
That's the same reason on why some marriages fail.
I really wouldn't consider Volkswagen's "quality".
As with many VW's it was a dull, boring and ugly car. people won't pay a premium for car like that even if it is packed with tech.
1:46 The time lapse makes it look like that guy is throwing a fit in that car. 😆
Today Volkswagen is trying to be luxurious again with Arteon and Touareg.
The Touareg and the Phaeton were released in the same year, at least in the USA (2004). In USA now, VW discontinued the Touareg.
The Touareg was always a premium SUV. But neither is up the the standards of the Phaeton.
Meanwhile in Jamaica they sell a a VW Toureq for $100,000.00
2019 touareg is expensive car not only in Jamaica
The platform share with Bentley and Audi A8/S8 made it great. Also it's a great sleeper and will be a future classic.
I'll never forget the first time I saw this car at the auto show and both me and my dad had brought up the W12 A8 to the brand ambassador and he instantly got very defensive and started his schpiel on how the car is its own thing completely designed to compete and even outstanding the A8. That was the first time but certainly not the last where I would hear that VW shot itself in the foot with that one. Still, forever a special car in time. RIP Dr Peich
This is going to be a collectors item in the future
If it was a Coupé or a Convertible yes but 4 door cars hardly ever become collectable.
Except tons of 4 door cars.
Stop with the winga dinga dinga dinga school of collectibility where what were once basic family drivers became collectible because so many were scrapped but even a post model takes a hit in value.
This is like a 1962 Lincoln Continental with suicide doors... or a 1969 Chrysler Imperial. Just try and tell me those are not collectible.
This was my first car, I got my for $7,500 with just 40,000 miles in it! 😊
(It was from a family friend)
How did that go?
Zoltan Shapiro theirs a reason it’s cheap with those low ass miles
don't sound like it a good first car...
phaeton was for 2000's what W140 was for 1990's
This is an interesting video... keep up the great work
My dad had one of these, they were great cars. Just expensive as hell.
It’s W12 not V12. In the phaeton they put together 2 V6.
It failed everywhere too. It just cannot appeal the same way a Mercedes S class, Audi A8 or BMW 7 Series. The VW is in Genesis terroritory but charging much higher prices.
In fact, the price was lower. That was their sales campaign. Thing was, those few thousand dollars didn't matter much to those that could afford luxury brands. The emblem on the exterior was more important than the comfort and features inside the car.
I want a "Range rover" in that price 😂😂
Only a few manufactures are willing to take big risk which keeps them interesting.
There wasn’t a V12 though, what you meant is a W12
The Phaeton was a baby of Piëchs megalomania...Bugatti Veyron, V10 and W12 Touareg and this thing to name a few...It was like McDonald's started selling $600 michelin star type luxury menus...
I have a theory about the Phaeton; it wasn't a failure. They knew they were making the best car in the world, and they knew it wouldn't get the recognition and sales a title like that would suggest. For VW and for the lucky Phaeton owners out there, success is in the product itself. Its very existence is victory.
Until it's time to replace the water pump (or any other part) on the W12 engine.
I went with my dad when he test drove one circa 2005. I member it being big and my dad said it was the best car he had driven at that point
More expensive than a Mercedes or BMW?
If those MPH/temp in F seem like weird numbers at 3:15 ... they make a lot more sense in metric/Celsius.
300KMH, 50C, 22C.
Thank's!!!😉
Its PR BS anyway.
It failed because it's a 70 to 80K VW, that's pretty much sums things up.
I bought a 2016 Phaeton not too long ago. I paid 23K for it. It had 72K Kilometer on the clock (44K Miles). The brand new new price that some guy paid 3 years ago for it was 121,000 ! 3 years and 44K miles later, I got it for @ 100,000 off. I can't complain.
Does that mean VW can't build a luxury car? What is a Lexus except a Toyota with a different name.
@@krane15 VW makes junk Toyota does not. That is the difference.
@@bh2155 If that's true then people are buying a lot of junk since VW is the leading car company in the world. They're neck and neck with Toyota.
The point you miss is that the car was part of a larger strategy of moving VW upscale, to slot between Czech Škodas (owned by VW and now occupying much Volkswagen's traditional market) and Audi. They moved all their model lines up a bit with tech, equipment, & trim, then gave the Phaeton a shot as the range-topper, necessary for most any brand with upscale aspirations.
I don't think it cost a fortune to develop, it's built on an Audi platform and dipped heavily into the existing VW parts bin. They probably knew it wouldn't be a significant player in the US, but why not try. I've seen a lot of them all over Europe tho.
Compared with similarly priced 'brand names' it was probably a good choice.
I would of love to buy one of these super rare W*12 engine cars
Volkswagen:
(Fails with the Phaeton, comes back with the ID R)
_[Surprised Pikachu Face]_
I don’t think the car failed we failed the car. A reliable luxury model for that price. The technology in that car was way ahead of its time.
We? you and who?
Reliable and Luxury model do not mix. The Phaeton had many issues as well. Just because it had many parts.
Do I hear Rival Consoles in the background?? Sounds like Phantom Grip or Memory arc from Persona
I recently sold my 2004 VW Phaeton V8 with 86k miles for $6500.
The Sounds of the Suburbs I’d love to have a car like that. Too bad the maintenance costs would be too prohibitive for many.
@@clothestravel I didn't drive mine. I had to do the 80k service and it was about $2k with an online parts kit and VW specialist performing the work. So yes, it is hella expensive to maintain.
Still driving a 11 year old V8 with 212tkm (Phaeton of course) : love it!
Good luck finding parts for it...
All still available at VW. May be some have to be shiped from Germany, but at that time VW still used the "Platform" were many cars used the same components. Bentley and Audi A8 have many common parts with the Phaeton.
I've only seen 1 here in Las Vegas. It was some old guy keeping it in his garage.
I own a 1 in 172 in Europe 2008 GP1 with massaging air conditioned seats. I love it!
Use metric system!
*Because it's not a Prius*
Zenn Lozanno very underrated comment, the prius is almost like a brand on its own , you have the prius c, prius V, prius prime and finally the all mighty prius
I’m surprised the internal dehumidifier didn’t become widespread. Like that’s an ingenious idea to compensate for foggy windows inside the car.
I use to want one so bad but every one I saw suspension was broke and i wasn’t gambling on getting it fixed considering dealers don’t know how to work on them.
disliked because no metric units
It did say in the United States so you should have know imperial will be used
Found the smug European a hole.
who would buy a luxury Volkswagen? lol isn’t that basically an Audi?
Luxurious Audi is an Bentley
Taurean Simmons I did. Personally like the styling better than Audi
moses 1997 bentley is still designed in the uk just like the rolls Royce, only the technology of audi is in the car and vw is actually bigger than audi, porsche and other of its companies which they all share mostly some parts, a lamborghini for example has some vw parts in it
What part of "people's car: did Piech NOT UNDERSTAND?
Who would buy a luxury Toyota? lol isn't that basically a Lexus?
Do the Pontiac Aztek next. It is seeing a resurgence in the used car market because of Breaking Bad.
Me i have been driving VW & Audi since 1980........my favorites Audi '86 coupe GT and my 04 Phaeton presently in the drivway with 140,00 km. v8.........even my wife loves this car
1:58 holy orange peel.
fay-eh-tun
The Phaeton was a great car! I love the car! Someday, I would love to have this car in my possession! Today it would probably costs somewhere around $11,000-20,000 by used car standards!!!
Just saw one at $6,000 with 36K miles
Doug DeMuro is the type of guy who is disappointed in your pronunciation of Phaeton...
Sad that it failed. Such an iconic car.
Well engineered?You mean over engineered. Affordable? Yes maybe after 5 years of owning one.It failed because it's so expensive and unreliable.
And because it's a Volkswagen. At that price range, objective truths fade away and get blurred by subjective opinions. Phaeton was by all accounts a Fantastic Limousine, but it didn't matter because it was still a Volkswagen. Swap the badges for Bentley and redesign the body to look less like a Passat, and it would be a Massive Success. And pretty much that's what the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is and it was, for its segment and price, a huge success.
Ultimately it's the people who decide what will and what won't be a success and the people don't always make rational decisions. Was it smart to get a Phaeton rather than a Mercedes S-Class or the Jaguar XJ? It was, but the Mercedes and Jaguar had something that Volkswagen did not- Image, Prestige in the eyes of potential customers who care more not for the objective qualities but subjective opinions and status. That's what Piech missed with Phaeton. No amount of engineering and quality materials is going to offset the fact that in the eyes of customers, Volkswagen is not a Luxurious brand but a People's Carrier manufacturer producing Golfs, Polos and Passats. There is no Wood Trim that is ever going to make people forget that the same manufacturer who made that Phaeton also makes a Golf.
Phaeton never had any chance of success, not just because it was overengineered and overpriced, but because it was a Volkswagen.
People buy horrendously unreliable cars and overpriced cars for the Badge and the Status it caries with it, and only thoughts most people have hearing Volkswagen is "Oh, so you're driving a Golf?" whereas with Mercedes, BMW or even Audi (Volkswagen's own Brand) the name evokes sense of at the very least Moderate Success.
Phaeton failed not because it was Bad, or Expensive, but because it was a Volkswagen and people were not ready for a Mercedes S-Class money Volkswagen Car that looks like an inflated Passat...
@@edim108 and that's why I drive an RLX, and it costs me just the same as a honda civic would!
if you own Bentley geting vw part still cheaper than go through the dealer...
@@edim108 What I'm saying is that every car that pulls out of the market is either unreliable or very reliable .Take for example the Toyota fj cruiser .They stopped making it because they aren't making money from the repairs. Speaking of luxury brands ,land rover and jaguar will start making electric cars in China because people aren't buying their cars due to unreliability.
@@edim108 True. They can take a VW something and put the Audi symbol on it instead and easily get away with charging at least $20,000 more for the same car. People are stupid.
I want buy this car. But in Ireland not possible to find. Plus road tax expensive.
There will always be a market for understated luxury cars: powerful ultraluxurious cars from not so luxury oriented brands. The only issue is, that's a small market, and it won't ever be big enough for many companies.
Americans don't want to spend 65K....proceed to buy a 50K+ Ford SUV
TheNacropolice that’s still 15k cheaper
And a bigger car
your just bending words now... they dont want to spend 65K ON A VOLKSWAGEN. Maybe open up your ears a bit.
I would love to have one, but I get nauseous when thinking how much that $12,000 Phaeton is going to cost in repairs...
One of the problems with this car is that when it was shown me and a lot of people assumed that if the Passat was like an affordable version of the A4, comparable in specs to a A4 but with a size closer to the A6, the Phaeton would be something like an affordable version of an A8, same size but probably at the luxury level of an A6. In fact the Phaeton was as good or even better than the A8.
Nobody could understand what the car was.
It is a shame, it is said to be an amazing car.
It is the best car for people who wants a discreet luxury quality car with a lot of technologies
Too bad well made doesn't translate to a reliable car.
Simon Quach I own a 2007 Phaeton. They're surprisingly reliable :)
Comparable to Audi A8 and Porsche Panamera, as well as the Mercedes S-Class, and BMW 7 series.
VW is a one of the most success German company in China, every vehicle is very popular except phantom
Just saw this title and went to Doug demouro channel and it was really ahead of its competitors way ahead I mean for that time
It has a awesome W12 engine shamed it failed
It didn't fail=it is the same engine used in the Bentley which is also the same car.
it just a based car for Bentley.... alot of the car still a OEM part for many for VW high end car... they don't care it sale or not on first place... it do it job as flagship car and support the more high end brand....
Well I mean it mostly failed everywhere
Martino Bana except for China.
Yes. Failed as in broken down
The Audi Q7 6l V12 TDI Diesel was also a unicorn, but actually the prices rise, as many people tune the car easy to power levels of a aircraft carrier.
I heard the main reason Ferdinand piech ordered the development of the phaeton was because they wanted their mainstream VW brand to compete in Mercedes traditional market after they introduced the A class into Volkswagens traditional segment
Normal car companies: let's do cars that do not become global failure
VW: hold my diesel
NUMBER 1 lesson: don't charge people expensive products that had barely anything special
It was well beyond the BMW and Mercedes at the time please. I owned the w12 for 3 years and my friends had the other competitors. They all liked the phaeton more. I sold it before any engine or air suspension issues. One of the smartest decisions I've made.
It still is the comfiest, best handling, and quietest car I've ever had. After that I had a vintage Bentley (did not handle and had a noisier drivetrain,) and a Tesla (Eco-conscious tires and not enough soundproofing)
I should add that I shoehorned 275mm tires onto it. It is the basis for the Bentley Continental line of cars, to the point that almost all non-body or interior parts swap directly over, but it also means it could fit some gigantic tires and was built to drive fast, like a Continental.
There was a women in my Apt complex that had one. I talked to her once and asked her about it, her Ex bought it and she got it in the divorce, she knew nothing about it and didn't really like it. I almost cried.
That drove me crazy when it came to fixing it.... But love it...