VW Phaeton - is this the most UNDERRATED car in the world?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 28 ноя 2024
- VW Phaeton - is this the most UNDERRATED car in the world?
Subscribe: bit.ly/2DeyUzQ | 🔔Make sure to enable ALL push notifications!🔔
Watch the NEWEST videos: • Newest Videos | TheCar...
#VWPhaeton #Phaeton #underrated
This week it’s time to take the recently purchased V10 VW Phaeton out for an extended road test to discover more of its charms. Is it really as good as Damian thinks it is? Can a VW really be worth £70,000? Can it still cut the mustard after 14 years? And what’s it like compared to Car Friend Tom’s 147,000 mile 3.0 V6 Phaeton? All these questions and more are answered in this episode.
Created by two ordinary guys with an obsession for cars, TheCarGuys.tv is a digital channel that celebrates everything automotive - supercars, classics, quirky, hidden gems and those in the TCG garage.
Note - for the purposes of this video Damian is using the Jeremy Clarkson pronunciation for “Ferdinand Piech”. We do however acknowledge that it can also be pronounced “peesh”
Thank you for watching
Don’t’ miss a single episode - subscribe to TheCarGuys.tv here goo.gl/iesy8n
Click here for the latest video! goo.gl/26pQPZ
Regular episodes include: Real World Tests, Car Buying Challenges, In 60 Seconds, Meet Your Heroes, This Week’s Rant and Top 5s.
Follow us on:
Website: goo.gl/ydkSDk
RUclips: goo.gl/iesy8n
Twitter: goo.gl/X9Gu5K
Facebook: goo.gl/8HnYsf
Instagram: goo.gl/H6pHRQ
Credits
The CarGuys are:
Damian Butt
Jason Taylor
Special Thanks
Tom Orton
Additional promo footage © Volkswagen AG 2018
Music
PG Butt (title & credits)
TheCarGuys.tv equipment:
GoPro Hero 4 (video)
Final Cut Pro x (video)
Sony AX-53 (video)
Rode NT1-A (sound)
Shure X2u (sound)
Marantz Professional sound shield (sound)
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
Since 2004, I have dreamt of owning this car and miraculously snagged a V8 for $6500 in the middle of Nowhere, Montana (I'm from Florida) while here for work. I could NOT pass this 15 year dream by, have had it going on 2 months now, and still occasionally tear up when I look at it. And I have some serious separation anxiety when I have to get out of it. 😭😭😭I will be driving it back home in 4 days. I still can't believe I own a PHAETON!!!
What do you think about it now?
Well, I'm waiting....
Welcome aboard. I have 2 of these
How has it been running?
@@mariantaraza4948 7:49
I am a Canadian Senior Citizen, but still adore cars. No licence any more, but my interest in cars has not dropped one notch. I found you by chance. You are the most civilized, balanced car guys on the planet. You have an energy which comes right through the computer screen. You have improved the quality of my life substantially, and I thank you. I have many favourite cars, but at the peak of the mountain are the Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds and Shadow l's, the Citroen DS ( I owned two ) and anything Citroen, the Austin A135 limousine ( I restored an early version - 1955 - terrible mechanically but beautiful ) and the Volkswagen Phaeton ( possibly the best and most surprising recent thing on four wheels ). Something which might help other de-carred car lovers, is collecting premium diecast model cars. I do (1/43 scale ), and it is a great salve. Keep up your impressive work... again, my deep thanks. ...Barry
b.w. highness, great taste in cars mate! You might consider checking your area for tracks that allow seniors without licenses. My grandpa did it in Chicago quite frequently with his beloved ‘58 Austin Healey. I believe the track had a special day dedicated to seniors a few times a year at a very reasonable cost and it brought him so much happiness! Cheers!
Wow, after all that the channel didn’t even acknowledge you😕
@@123macbookair Yes. I am surprised too ! And perhaps a little disappointed :(
This definitely deserves a shoutout by TheCarGuys. Maybe even a sticky.
I was thinking of joing this channel but now ; probbly not , Hey Barry what other cars have tou owned your absolute favorite and absolute worse? My fav was a 1971 SAAB LE
TDI fan here! This car is a forgotten gem. 308bhp 553ftlb in 2003! it’s a total sleeper. This is what gave spark to the Audi Q7 V12 TDI - the quickest production SUV.
Great to have to pull the engine out for anything really
I have the V10 TDI since over 10 years and am still fanscinated about this piece of engineering. The Pheaton is indeed one of the most undervalued cars. It's a 4 seasons car. You can drive cool in hot summer days as well as you can climb snow covered roads in winter thanks of its 4 wheel drive. This car is made for long, safe trips with high cruising speed. You feel safe and protected. The best travel speed on german Autobahn is in my opinion between 140 and 220 km/h.
You say the wife falls asleep in it really easily? that means no talking? I'm sold.
If my husband was toting me around town in one of these, I would pay close attention to what he wanted, and do it. Especially if it is something EASY like QUIET. Give the guy a break. Give him some peace and QUIET. Just relax and enjoy the ride.
It is what Bentley based on.
Ditto... Lol
Really great review... Looking to buy one here in the states.
Every mans (married) dream
I purchased one of theses cars 3 months ago and its the best car Ive owned Apart from a RR silver shadow many yrs ago!!, I'm an ex RR engineer ( Retired) .. And its Drives like a bently Too .
Great to hear from you, Derek
I've always loved the Phaeton. Only true car enthusiasts appreciate one. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching, and glad you liked it
Adam Leask: I believe your friendly local (independent) VW mechanic appreciates the revenue they consistently generate for him.
Honestly, I don't think that this car has actually a place in a true car enthusiasts heart.
VW Phaeton is one of it's kind. Dream car since seen brochure in 2002 given by my uncle from Germany. Happily owning one today. Every day looking at this car , I am happy ever since.
Happy for you. Im also considering to buy one. How much does it cost to mantain?
If this had an Audi badge on it they would have sold them like hot cakes, but people are badge snobby and a VW isn’t posh enough apparently
True dat
why buy a VW at the price you can buy a Mercedes or Jaguar
You see? Too much badge snobbery!
But why wouldn't I be badge snobbery at a 70k$ car ? If I have to choose between Mercedes or VW , same car class, same price and I like Mercedes how it looks , why would I be considered badge snobbery?
So, following your logic, if you had been looking for a good sportscar in 1947, you would have gone for a Jaguar, An Alfa Romeo or maybe a Maserati, great badges, not like that unknown red Italian car with a badge with no prestige with that prancing horse with the yellow background.
I own a phaeton, waited 5 months for the right one, I wanted a black v6 diesel with cream leather, with the lwb model you get the sunroof rear blind 19 inch wheels , memory massage seats, when people say it looks boring I say thank you, not everyone who wants to drive a nice car wants to show there wealth off, I don't bother explaining anymore
It's yours and our little secret.
V6 is weak
David Piçarra not if you get a re map 😀
Made after owning a BMW 7series 2011 now i own a Phaeton 3 L diesel from 2007 and the ride quality its better on Phaeton I'm in love with that car
Don't forget that this car was the technology carrier/mule for all new Bentleys and VW got their money back by writing off the development costs in Germany and making a huge profit with Bentley in England .
I drove one W12 in 2004 on the Autobahn from the Danish border to Hamburg on a Sunday morning and averaged 175 Miles per hour! What a car!
wow that is genius. Where'd you hear about that r&d scheme?
The A8 which Clarkson drove to Scotland and back on a tank was in actual fact the 4.2V8 TDi. Interestingly though, when reviewing the Toureg V10 TDi he did say that if the planet ever stopped turning, the V10 TDi has enough torque to get it going again!
You both are wrong. It´s neither V10 TDI or a 4.2 TDI. Clarkson drove the pre-facelift 4.0L TDI.
Owned a Pheaton but sold it as I no longer required it to pull my 6 berth caravan and I’ve got to say it was the best car I’ve ever owned. I had the 3 litre Diesel engine and it was flawless. Smooth, powerful and had all the mod cons any Mercedes or BMW had. It was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Without doubt the most comfortable car I’ve ever driven.
Good stuff - great to hear
Great review, you really transport enthusiasm. 3 years ago I finally dared to buy a W12. It's probably the most beautiful mistake I've ever made. What a car and what an engine. And until now no real issues.
The most beautiful mistake?
What did you pay for it?
I’m absolutely in love with this car, only discovered it a couple of years ago.
So happy with your comments. I had a V10 4 long version 4 seater and drove it from 2008 to 2011 and sold it with 200K on the counter. Not one single problem. I found a very nice low millage V6 TDI and still drive it. Millage so far 150K Miles. Just came back from business trip from Bavaria and Switserland drove 1300 Miles in 2 days. Best car ever.
Good man
Great was was the L/100km you did?
'what was
Just got a V6 L one with 4 seats 2015 Build. Insane value.
Just found this video. It always puzzled me why VW never did any serious advertising or publicity when the car was new. Suddenly VW had come from nowhere to have a car better than the S-Class and 7 Series of the day hardly anybody seemed to know of its existence at the time. I ran several new 3.0 TDIs (by far the most popular version) and a few 3.2 V6 petrols, V10s and W12s, hardly ever saw the 4.2 V8 petrol though that must be the rarest of them all. Great cars all and I always found they handled very tidily for such a big car and with permanent 4WD even the 3.0 TDI wasn't that bad off the line!
The car was my dream, I owned a 2004 V8 , purchased used, with an extended warranty, and kept it until just before the warranty ran out, mostly because the need for maintenance was more a perpetual motion than a swiss watch. And the maintenance costs also matches the cost of Mercedes maintenance in the USA.
All of you should experience the ownership of a Phaeton, then most of you will realize that is it a vehicle for esoteric people, who will trade their time for the uniquenss of the vehicle, and the intense pleasure it gives to drive, on long trips, when not being repaired.
I regret that I had the car with chestnut interior, as I tired of the colors, and so happily sold the car, though only after I spent $2K just replacing the front brakes at 80000 miles. Replaced with an Asian car that has broken less in 10 years than the phaeton in 1 year. Also, the Phaeton is a heavy car, and drove heavy. So many people love the feel of a heavy luxury cruiser, and it just turns out that I prefer the lighter car, lighter on it's feet, being able to turn on a dime. I enjoy my asian car more. Yes, even I am surprised.
Cheers, I am not criticizing anyone's taste, just that the car may not appeal to you once it's your own. To me, it was like a boat, much more pleasant when it belonged to a friend.
Thanks for your great comments and tales of Phaeton ownership. Top stuff
His enthusiastic way of describing this beautiful car put a smile onto my face throughout the video...
Thanks, 2233
Just picked one up for $700 bucks, runs and drives, needs suspension work. Really excited to start working on it.
I sold VW’s from 05-07 and when I saw the Phaeton for the first time and was able to drive and learn all its features I wanted it but was insanely expansive. Now not so much. I would love to own one but the maintenance costs scare me. Everything about the car screams luxury.
Make friends in garages. I did & I have one of these. DO IT!
Love the car. Never understood the business case for it. Audi is the luxury brand in the v.w. universe and I think people had difficulty paying the premium money for a car with a v.w. badge
I think the grill on top of the dashboard is a diffuser for the air conditioning. I'm not aware of any speakers behind there. The near silent air con is one of the Phaeton's best pieces of engineering. Even the latest S-class has noisier air con.
you are correct, the speaker setup was in the doors and boot, depending on whether you had the dsp system
This is the second Phaeton review (doug) that has made this incredulous assertion. The perforations on the top of the dash is for HVAC ... ARGGGGH, no air in the face unless more is needed. Without peer! Otherwise, great review.
www.volkspage.net/technik/ssp/ssp/SSP_271.pdf
Thanks for the correction, guys
The story I heard was that Ferdinand Peich suffered from colds as a child and wanted to avoid direct drafts on the face or upper body. So he insisted that the AC system of the Phaeton be designed in such a way that you had excellent ventilation, but no direct drafts.
I must add that we had a B5 Passat estate for 12 years and loved it. A classic beautiful rounded Bauhaus VW design. Our 2008 V8 Phaeton is from the same design period and we love its gently rounded contours, vastly more beautiful and dignified than its A8 sister car, also a classic of the time. Apart from disagreeing with your feelings about the look of the car, i could not agree more with your intelligent conclusions. So much crap has been written about these amazing cars. Thank you
Well spoken!
I've always loved the Phaeton but never driven one. I own a 6 year old Skoda Superb L&K which I love, its easily the best car I've ever owned or had as a company car. I brought this Superb when I retired so I know all of its history and it too has a TV with surround sound and plenty of punch when you need it from the 4 cylinder 175 BHP TDI.
As a long term VW owner, I love your videos on this
That's great to hear, thanks Andrew. I wanted to ensure I gave the old girl the respect she deserves
A former owner and mechanic of a 2006 3ltr diesel, love hate relationship with this car. Fantastic drive but wholey unreliable
Boot wiring harness fails, sacrificial corrosion on body work (mainly doors), aluminium corrosion on door mirrors, 19"ali's crack, gearbox wears out due to lack of oil changes (as prescribed by VW but not ZF), torsen 4 wheel drive system locks up causing rear wheel stutter (friction modifier at end of life issue), audio amplifier blows on both systems, infotainment panel fails,air struts fail, zenon drivers overheat and fail, soft door closers fail, door handle 'touch lock' fails, kessy system can become water logged due to blocked sunroof drains (total car shut down), Front headlight washer covers spring retainer snaps, power steering hydraulic pipes corrode, windscreen wiper mechanism locks up due to corrosion, timing chains/guides/tensioners fail on earlier diesel and v8 models, multilink suspension adjustment is a nightmare when an issue, battery management circuitry fails causing a cascade of DTC's and adaption errors on the car. These cars are money pits, the bentley version is troubled with the same problems. But when running as per designed they are a unbelievable comfortable drive.
That is quite an impressive list of issues, makes you wonder what they were doing so wrong when it comes to reliability when the Lexus LS of that era suffered from so much few issues while sporting a similar level of technology.
Thanks for sharing. I think Tom's car has most of this. Mine seems fine.
I think it depends on the car and how it was maintained also. The LS was very barebones compared to this though so I'm sure there was a lot less to break, especially as most people don't buy fully equipped ones. Things like automatically adjustable rear headrests and all vents being able to open and close can add all kinds of points where something can go wrong. Even ultra luxury cars in 2018 don't usually have those things.
@@iSOBigD true, but if you look at the list above from the op, I believe the LS had all of that as well. Toyota is traditionally a very conservative company, and Lexus's (except perhaps very recently) have been the furthest behind in features, technology, and style/design, truly rather boring cars. But, even with 90+% of the features and complexity of its German rivals at the time, they still aren't breaking down even all these years later, which leaves you wondering why they seem to be the only company that can manage to do that in the luxury market.
no wonder why Audi A8 costs more.
I became enamoured with the Phaeton at its launch and having watched JC's top gear review.
I finally picked one up , 3.0l diesel 120k fvwsh 10 plate 3 years ago.
7 years old full history 2 owners. First owner (presumably) a chauffeur service or airport transfer as 90k where in the first 3 years.
Couple of parking dinks but otherwise mint.
Inside 6 months i had to replace 2 injectors , had constant dpf problems. Really poor fuel economy (low 20s) . In the end i removed the dpf and had a remap to delete it.
Then both rear suspension struts went , one just after id replaced the first followed by the suspension compressor.
2 months later another injector failed. At this point it id spent more on maintenance than the purchase in less than a year.
Maybe id been unlucky but i cant reccomend buying one DESPITE the fact it was an amazing car. Beautifully made, incredibly smooth drive. Its not just the unreliability , its the cost of parts too and this comes from a man who has owned over a dozen Alfas, has a jag xf and a classic accord type r now.
Sorry to hear that, JM
@@TheCarGuysTV gutted its a great car, not the one i bought obvuously 😂😂😂
When the car was first available in the U.S., I was drawn to its understated elegance, but I had already had 2 M-Bs and swore NEVER again. At the suggestion of a great M-B Master Tech, I switched to Lexus LS and have had 21 years of highly reliable transportation in a vehicle that is, in every way, a joy to own.
I currently use a Audi A4 B6 as a daily driver, its got 310000kms on it, next car is going to be a Phaeton V6 TDi.
Excellent video & massively underrated car. I’ve owned a 2009 facelift 240bhp 3.0tdi & having also owned BMW’s 5series & Audi A8’s including an S8. The Phaeton for motorway cruising was in a league of its own. I can only imagine what the W12 version would be like :)
I think I want to find out what the V12 is like.
TheCarGuys.TV w12* v12 isnt the same
I love the Phaeton. The design looks very neat. I might have it as a second car if it's still selling for cheap
Go for it. I have a Pheaton and it’s the best car I’ve ever owned.
the one tested by clarkson was a v8. audi only had a 5.2 petrol v10 (the one used in lambos). lovely episode though, so glad to see people talking about one of my favourite cars
I own both a phaeton and touareg in 5.0 v10 both twin turbo charged and both the absolute highest spec including front and rear massaging seats and a fridge as well as tv's the touareg is at the sad end of its life with 290,000 miles best pair of used ledgends money can buy
And the touareg has air suspension, low range box all optional locking differentials with brown leather interior
Fair play. I like that they are underrated... keeps 'em cheap for those of us that know.
The mark of a good RUclips Car channel. Making an interesting video out of a something I wouldn't normally look at. You actually made me go on Autotrader Damian out of interest! 37 for sale currently but all V6's (no V10's!)
Thank you very much, Yardelli
Having owned 3 Phaetons, I emphatically agree. Budget for some higher running costs than the other German barges, due to its rarity, and it's a great buy. All of mine were V10s, and I would buy one again in a heartbeat.
actually interesting to hear from someone with such experience... my previous car for a whole 10 years was a B6 passat 2.0 tdi highline ... and during those years it swallowed around 5-6k euros in servicing bills, mostly engine related things and two whole brake changes, very few other parts ever went wrong with it... how much higher do you think servicing bills could be of a 2013-ish 3.0tdi phaeton with some 80-100k miles on the clock? ... my average mileage is 15k a year or so...
@@janiss2926 that's interesting as we've had two cars with that engine and not skipped a beat - a Skoda superb 2.0 TDI 170 and a Passat b6 2.0 TDI 140, combined mileage about 300k on them. Routing servicing only apart from a couple of sensors.
The 3.0tdi will be the same, scaled up by maybe a factor of 2 - but have some money ready in case there are any bigger issues (the later models are more reliable but the parts are still expensive if a control unit gives up etc.)
I had the "bastard child" of the engine family :) code "BKP" 140hp so the faulty siemens piezo injectors died one by one ... two of them well before the recall and free replacement was introduced, i also did the regular clutch+dual mass flywheel replacement, this engine also has the balancer shaft on chain drive instead of the sprockets like newer gen variants... one day while driving on a roundabout at higher speed the oil pressure warning came on > a.k.a the fragile oil pump shaft-drive thing failed for just a tiny moment - as a result the turbo failed next day, it spat oil out the exhaust and i ended up replacing the entire balancer shaft/ oil pump contraption and we rebuilt the chain drive to the newer sprocket connection - 2k on that repair alone + a new turbo on top, a plus side = engine was smooth as butter afterwards ... felt like driving a new car.. before that i could feel a slight vibration on highway through the steering wheel cause the chain had worn out a bit and balancer shaft wasn't doing its job anymore, some say it might have been easier to replace the whole engine instead, but i persevered and kept it running! These problems are mainly on a few of the 2005-2008 engine variants and were fixed in later versions, the older 1.9 tdi variants are way more reliable cause they don't even have a balancer shaft... so the chain is just driving the oil pump which is not putting any strain on it... also only 8 valves on those while mine was 16valve ... it was a nice silent highway cruiser! also nice that it didn't come with the particulate filter - one less thing to worry about - i have also driven the "BMP" 140 engine in skoda superb2 (this version comes with DPF in both superb and passat) - i believe it was 8 valve and had bosch injectors and was much more reliable ... when overtaking on the highway tho - mine felt more refined.
I love my 2005 V8 ❤️ There is no other car like the Phaeton.
Except the Bentley Flying Spur :)
Wears quicker does 9mpg repair bills are 4 times higher and if you drive it long enough you are going to get keyed
Great to see a car review of an older car and not a mention of Super or Hyper in the whole video.
Would love to see more like this
Thank you
You’re welcome Graham. We are trying to cover all bases, we just love interesting cars no matter how new or old or fast or slow.
@@TheCarGuysTV How about getting a Bond Bug 700 ES they are very different
Maybe a bit TOO different :)
There was one super I spotted just reading this whilst watching the video. Not pertaining to a super car though just super luxury 😁 16:29 oh also I'll share this to an online car enthusiast page I do on fb. C&G Cars and bikes!
I am going to buy one these days. For me this car A380 on the road. I am amazed and even I have another luxury sedan, I must have one.
Loved your idea of storytelling and visual honesty. Instant RUclips favourite.
Thanks 👍👍
After owning a W12 for two years (135,000), I can agree with much Damian said ... it is extremely comfortable and quiet. HOWEVER, the OTHER thing it has in common with the Bentley Flying Spur is the cost of repair, and the cost of repair is very, very high; for example, VW wanted $500 to eliminate a slight rattle in the moon roof, $1000 to replace a wobbly rear view mirror, $10,000 to replace O2 sensors located over the cat converters ... because ... you might as well replace the cats while the engine in sitting on its cradle in the shop. Yes ... you have to remove the engine to replace the O2 sensors (there are two upfront in the engine), but overall, the Phaeton is over-engineered and very much like a Chinese box to repair. Sad.
OH GOD YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY!!! You guys are aware of the truth that only owners and their lucky friends know about the best four door saloon ever made. It's the details that make it better than any boring cheapo Mercedes or saddo Bimmer. I read this lying in shade in Italy near my beautiful 2008 V8. A genius designed every little nit picking detail of the car and it is an object of love in our family. We find it deeply elegant and timeless. Great review. Let's hope others wake up and she becomes an honest classic. Herr Piech wanted VW to be the luxury marque, Audi to be the sporty one. The car is brilliant for long journeys, comfort personified.
Glad you liked the video, Kingsley - it has certainly divided opinion on our channel, but I always wanted to have one. Thanks for your kind words.
Always loved the Phaeton. There used to be one near where I live and always admired its looks. Keep up the good work car guys.
Cheers, Nico - thanks for the kind words
Another Fantastic video, again informative and so easy and enjoyable to watch. Currently my favourite channel on RUclips.
Wow, thanks Simon. That's just spurred us on to get something v special out of the garage
No, No.... Doug DeMuro is a king of car reviews!!
Simon Mark 2019 BMW eight series
I worked for a VW dealer here in the states back in the early 2000s and I had to road test a Phaeton overnight to make sure that every issue had been addressed. As I drove home on the highway, I thought that I was traveling at about 60 MPH but then I noticed I was quite easily passing everyone else on the road. I glanced down at the speedo and saw that I was moving at 95 MPH. No muss, in fuss. It’s an incredible machine.
Totally relate to this story, Gwynn :)
Excellent review of one of my favourite all time cars which barely anyone appreciates. Thanks!
You're welcome, Jon
TheCarGuys - I have had 2 of these the 1st Jan 2004 black SWB and now an Oct 2006 silver LWB w/ sun roof, rear blinds etc etc. Only problem is the road tax on the latter car. Had minimal problems with both. Seem to eat up tyres though - especially outside edges, even though I don't push it round corners. This is little to pay for a superb car
The A8 did not have a V10 5.0 TDI. Just the S8 that had a 5.2 FSI V10.
Nice vid - and in these memorable days I'm happy to see a British vid about a German car discussing the merits of the car and avoiding all stereotypes.
Big 👍
Thanks, No Troll - that means a lot. We just do our thing and hope you fine folks enjoy it. So far, it's working out.
saw a swiss owner on YT who had a w12 for 4 years,5 years old.
he had it for 70000 km ,total cost per km: about 1 swiss franc...
so, not for the faint hearted.
I've always been intrigued by the Phaeton. As you say 'A Bentley by another name'. You should compare it with a W12 next.
If I can find one I will...
I've got that 3.0 TDi V6 engine my Touareg. It's absolutely superb. 2008, 144k and it drives like new!! :)
Absolutely love it Damian, the ultimate sleeper barge and nobody would hate you if you left it in the supermarket car park, because nobody knows what it is. Funnily enough I was walking around one a week or two ago in morrisons car park, after the first of your videos featuring this car .
My favourite part of that car is the chrome billet bootlid gas struts, they really are a work of art. I always look at the finer details of any car to see the engineering ,quality and construction of components used, I'm a bit of a geek at heart as I like to spanner my own cars where possible , servicing and brakes etc. I do not trust main dealers and I used to work at one very briefly,
Thanks, E92. I've always wanted to scratch the Phaeton itch, and now I have! The gas struts on my car sure are stunning. Interestingly, Tom's had normal ones - possible cost-saving from VW.
@@TheCarGuysTV I did take notice of that Damian , you have the auto bootlid closure and his car does not , bet that was not a cheap option, or maybe standard on the V10 diesel and W12 petrol only. ?
Or maybe his is just broken? #Likely
@@TheCarGuysTV
It was in option. My 2007 3.0 Tdi has not it as well.
First time I looked at this channel. Its informative, assured and authoritive....Thank you
Bj Roxborough 👍👍
Very surprising this has so few views. An excellent video.
The a8 had a v8 TDI, not a v10. The v10 you could get in the Audi "version" is the petrol 5.2 v10 as form Lambo in the S8. A deliciously exotic engine.
I own the V10 model . I love it. I enjoy every journey. Great video.
Awesome, I'm part of the V10 club
TheCarGuys.TV do you have v10 site or forum or smthng..? I am an v10 owner
I'd say the V6 TDI is still pretty quick off the line. I've beaten a Boxter at the lights once (although he didn't realise it was a drag race at the time ;) )
And Stop/Start had turned his engine off too? :)
Great entertaining review as always, as previously mentioned in the comments the Top Gear Audi A8 was a 4.0 V8 tdi which incidentally many moons ago probably 13 years or so I was in my old BMW 535 V8 at a set of traffic lights, an Audi A8 4.0 TDI pulled along side and when the lights changed it disappeared up the road at a hell of a rate of knots living me wondering what the hell was going on......and it was towing a Caravan!!.
Have had a interest in this car since it came out, collected the sales brochures from VW over a number of years and have them still sat in a box !! Really do like the V10 tdi but there are so few for sale now that finding a GOOD V10 i would say could be a 'Mission Impossible '. I will keep looking though, i would need one with the upgraded sound system though as this is a real bonus worth searching for. Great review.
I actually saw the first introductions of the car in the North American auto show in Detroit and thought it was a daft idea, done stunningly well.
I live in in the US and am actually thinking of getting one of these for a daily driver and long driving vacation car. The cost / value, and design sophistication are very appealing. Though finding a garage for repairs, or the cost of repairs (especially given the older age of US Pheatons), is a concern.
The only concern I'd have is VW Group's reliability reputation took a bit of a nose dive around 2005 with some models. The Passat B6 being one such example. I've no personal experience of the Phaeton, perhaps the segment in which this car competes led VW to pay a bit more attention. If I was to buy one, and I won't be, I think I'd lean towards the V10 TDi model.
Good video! I didn't realise that the Phaeton was like this, always thought it was just a "souped up" Passat. I'd still have something else over it I think, but very interesting. Thanks for all these videos, they're great and you should have way more subs for this exclusive content
Thanks, Aaron.
I drive a first gen Touareg, which shares a lot of the parts and a very similar platform with the Phaeton, and one thing that I strongly recommend to people looking at one is to make sure you have deep pockets and a secure job, because these cars are ridiculously expensive to keep on the road. Great cars though!
It's been fine so far, but early days...
Lucky! The good thing is that VW put out a bunch of updated parts. Mine has really low mileage, so not a lot has been updated yet. I’ll just keep weathering it out and blowing an obscene amount of money until everything’s been updated
I have a 2003 W12. Very Expensive to maintain but amazing drive.
In Spain I love that know one knows its a fancy car and now it actually very cool because old mercedes are wanabee cars and this has so much uniqueness
Great review. I have owned a Phaeton for 5 years. Love it.
Good to hear!
Have you had any problems with it breaking down? What maintenance/work have you done?
First time here.::and good review. Only pointer...the v10 diesel is not the one Clarkson used for his economy run...that was the 4.2 v8 diesel in the A8. Pretty sure the V10 diesel never appeared in the A8, and the lambo derived v10 petrol.
Other than that...i really likes the every day review, not just someone reading the sales brochure
Never sold in Australia. I think price made no business case for us. The all wheel drive passat was a staggering $96k. It did not sell well. I love your silver phaeton. The V10 was ideal for a heavy car on the Autobahn run. Cheers.
The Aussies are way too smart to pay £70k for a VW. Plus imagine how expensive they would've been if they had to add the shipping to Gold Coast! :)
the phaeton was one of my bests cars ever
And so few will ever experience one.
How many people ask you to go bowling ?
It looked too similar to the Passat. That was the problem imo
It looks nothing like a Passat.
really genuine review I enjoyed it, best Phaeton review I've seen so far good job
Thanks, Sam - much appreciated, and great to see people delving into our back catalogue
You mention the S-Class quite a lot in this video, but I haven't found any video about any S-Class on your channel. I recommend trying a W220 S-Class for comparison reasons. You mentioned that maintenance can get very expensive. That is true! The exchange of the dynamo in a W12 Phaeton (btw.: who wants a V10 Diesel, when you can get a W12 ;-) ): 12 hours of work. In 12 hours I can do a complete inspection of a S-Class. Please do a coparison video between S-Class (W220) and your Phaeton. Thx!
We'll certainly look into it. Thanks for watching.
Like the Phaeton D1 this is the best luxuary sedan ever biult. No doubt. The great Ferdinand Piech gave his engineers at the end of the 90s the order "Built me the best sedan ever made" Until today, not only for me, the Phaeton W 12 is the best luxuary sedan ever produced. This is undisputed even among hardcore Mercedes fans. Hopefully the Phaeton will come back under the new CEO Oliver Blume, both as a W 12 with E-Fuels, and as a electric version.
I have a TDI passat and love it. I would love to drive one of the TDI phaetons.
You should.
Same here. Passats owned for the last 15+ years.
Massive fan of these, having an Audi A8. You must try the W12 version 👌
Love the channel, keep up the great work 😃
Thanks, W12. Yes I WILL get a W12 version as soon as I can find the right car.
@@TheCarGuysTV not too many now a days. Owning a A8 W12, I can say getting an Audi A8 is the preferred option 👌
another quality piece of content, seems u guys are reading my mind personally, its all those unanswered questions we always had, like "is that phaeton actually any good" lol thanks guys
Thanks Haks, you are clearly on our wavelength so any suggestions for the another car? What’s really been pestering you?
TheCarGuys.TV Here’s a few to try; Honda S2000, Sierra RS Cosworth, Porsche 928. A Reliant Regal could be good for a laugh. :-)
i have a 3.0 v6 tdi and it has loads of power. maybe one of the turbos were shagged on that one haha
I have owned a 2003 Phaeton for 8 years now and have loved the car completely. It’s been serviced every 2 years or 20,000 miles by VW and other than tyres, front and rear callipers and a few break pads and disks nothing has ever gone wrong with it.
I have the 3.2 Petrol and it burns through the fuel tank at a great rate but that’s my only complaint I guess, everything still works and it looks like a car way less than half it’s age and it’s 96000 miles. I have recently purchased a 2010 S-Class S350 BlueTec to replace it and this too is a lovely car but considering the age gap it’s not the far superior car that I was expecting considering it’s supposed to be the benchmark, in fact the Mercedes is already costing me money on an engine fault with the Adblue that won’t go away and is still under investigation.
So have I done the right thing in buying the Mercedes? I not so sure and as yet I’m keeping the Phaeton just for now until the S350 starts behaving itself or it’s going.
An interesting choice, the Mercedes. I'm of the view that they don't build 'em like they used to, so I've stayed away from Mercs for years. It will be interesting to see how it performs for you over the next year. Thanks for getting in touch and watching the vid, Nick.
After all this time I thought I’d go back and give an update. I kept the Mercedes for a year and about 15000 miles. In that time it required NOx sensors, Adblue loom and sensor, rear suspension levelling sensor ( cheap plastic and tin that rusted any ) and seals for the oil cooler. The oil cooler seals were a very cheap part but the labour due to the amount of work was horrendous. Probably spent around £5000 - £7000 on it in that time but choose to forget this huge mistake. So how did it live up to the phaeton?
Well the engine was surprisingly powerful and the car would pull very well for its size and that’s about it for positivity. I didn’t like the engine at idle and pulling away as it was very noisy in the cabin, the road noise was poor, the trim felt cheap and would buzz and rattle, the seats were ok on short journeys but soon became very uncomfortable at any distance, the air suspension when working was ok ish but nothing special as could be said for the rest of the car. The Phaeton in comparison was super comfortable even after hours at the wheel and did everything better. After getting rid of the S-Class I went back to the Phaeton getting myself a 2014 3.0 diesel LWB which I still have now. The car performs perfectly in every way and I can’t see myself parting with it any time soon, as for my original 2003 phaeton.. my son had it for around three years taking it to about 160000. In that time it did requiring some money spent on it needing an air conditioning pump. Some coolant pipes and a radiator. The suspension was starting to show its age and needed some new bushes but considering it’s age was to be expected, the car was sold on to an enthusiast and is still going strong but doing less mileage. My son now has a 2012 3.0 and loves it. The Phaeton was a marvellous car on it’s launch and still is today, I’ve added apple car play to mine which brings it up to date and being the last face lift version it still looks like a modern quality car.
I have a 2004 VW Phaeton v8 it's amazing it just hit 200,000 miles
Awesome
A Superb channel, I must say that it's as informative and enjoyable as Harry's Garage and Chris Harris' videos
Matson757 Thank you - that’s a massive compliment
Good vid. The 'big front speaker' is not a speaker but is part of the ventilation system. The dash layout is not the same as the early Bentley Continental - Phaeton actually has 2 more dials (oil temp and voltage). Maintenance is not bad - any shop that can work on an A8 or a modern Bentley can work on a Phaeton.
Second time I've watched thos video within the last year or so. And it is better second time around
Great content
Thanks, Andrew - much appreciated
What a beautifully understated car that just seems to have so many well executed surprises. It looks as well put together as a Mercedes, or BMW. Perhaps even better. What a shame such an awesome car was overlooked. People didn't know what they were missing out on. Makes me proud that I at least drive a VW Golf TDI.
It does make them v affordable now for those in the know though.
I was looking forward to this video and it didn't disappoint. This car has intrigued me and it's good to see some real world experience, as it is not a car I am likely to buy. As much as the Ferrari content is worth viewing, it's great to see something a little left field on the channel from time to time. Good to see the channel gaining some momentum, keep it up!
Thanks - glad you liked it, and continue to support the channel
The 2 main reasons I chose my A8 over the Phaeton: weight (less fuel, less road tax) and rust! And believe me, when you live in (like me) the Netherlands, the Phaeton does RUST!!
Can’t argue with your logic
This is the one thing that scares me ... i have heard of the rusty doors issue etc... but how can this be on such a well engineered car?... VW have messed something up here. They put a lot of salt on the roads in winter where i live but my 2005 passat stayed rust free for over 10 years! ... i did wash it often in winters tho - important step! but it was never kept in a garage ... ever! out on the street or in the yard at most.
Great review. Accuracy is very much appreciated thank you so much!
My pleasure!
I recently sold my Tesla MS and bought a 2006 Lexus GS 450h for £4K. I can honestly say I get as much pleasure driving it than I did the Tesla costing over 10x the price! I think this car is similar maybe even more luxurious - but it almost feels like cheating that you can buy such a well engineered, luxury car so cheaply!
It really does. Thanks for watching
I own a Lexus and will be changing it later this year.
The one rule I've always lived by is to never purchase the same car twice, simply for no other reason than life is too short.
I'm breaking it for the Lexus.
Absolute epic car.
Excellent practical video, great job and very happy to have found your review’s, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video. The A8 clarkson took to Scotland and back was the V8 diesel by the way.
Apparently so, yes. I believe the phase is "doh!"
Excellent review and humorous found this while researching to buy one - against the trend in 2023!
👍🏻👍🏻
Fantastic presentation! You've set me on a mission to buy one asap. Presented in such a way that one could almost be in the vehicle. I have to agree the styling is it's weakness, as they opted out of assistance from the Italians. I think they need to go back in for round two. As is said " Fortune favours the brave ".
Wow, good luck, Paul. Let us know how you get on
Great video, my choice of Q car was the other Piech 'special' a 66k km , 2 owner, W8 Passat Estate. After some suspension upgrades (H+R springs + Bilsteins) and a set of replica RS6 18" wheels, I think it's perfect. Can you do a W211 E55 soon please?
First of all, great in depth review. And kudos for recognising this car for what it is - a masterpiece. The car in the video is a carbon copy of the one i've recently sold (right down to the non-retracting right headlight washer).... and damn do I miss it badly. I still have a 4.2 A8 and a 4.4 7 series, but the Phaeton shits on 'em. Like the vid says, this car is so stiff and rock solid, it's a different experience to be in. The bodyshell's torsional rigidity was second only to the Veyron and RR Phantom at the time of manufacture. The HVAC system is brutally and industrially powerful... on the hottest or coldest days you can be comfortable in seconds. The power of the V10 is intoxicating, especially when remapped. The seats are probably the best i've experienced in a car, and the cabin has a beautiful cockpit-like ambience at night. The car is filled with small details and touches that pass most people by. I used to love it when people got in thinking it was a normal boring old car, only for it to slowly dawn on them they were sitting in something special as they took in the details. Non car people could be quickly identified by their silence.
I'm sure there's loads of comments below telling you what a nightmare these are for maintenance and problems etc etc.... I had mine for about a year and did 12,000 odd miles, and I didn't have a single problem. Aside from changing both AGM batteries and all tyres and fluids when i got it, the car didn't skip a beat and I wasn't gentle with it by any means. No rust either. If you are scared of big bills at the pumps and garage, this is not the car for you. It's cheap to join the club, but can be very expensive if you want to stick around long term.
To be honest I regret getting rid of my one and I'm already eyeing up the next... this time i'll be patient and get the options and colour i want, and keep it for long term.
Amazing comments, thanks for sharing. Very useful stuff
Just bought one...I understand why you regret getting rid of yours. Nothing else compares to this masterpiece.
Ey buenas tardes yo tengo panthom y seme está eschndo aperder loando vendiendo para irme al sur con mi familia y no lo ocupo ygualito que que está en el canal para más aclaración llamarme es v8esta semi nuevo los usado como 6veses
Meurje venderlo llaque mi mamá está literalmente sola meurge venderlo
I have a TDi. Never heard of this car. Now I really want one
My 2008 3-series has a tiny orange LCD display so that car's display is still miles ahead of mine.
Step 1: buy phaeton
Step 2: buy 2018 rr black badge wraith
Extra credit: plug and play phaeton parts when the rolly breaks down
Ouch!
Yep, this is one of my favorite cars too. So underrated!!! Sad that it didn't do so well in the US market! I would love to see a 2018 version of this car in the US (with some of the modifications from the Audi Group Installed) Shaking My Head!!!!
It didnt do well in any market
@@jigrodrigues
Except the Chinese Market, it was rebagded.
Watch "NEW 2018 VW Phideon Luxury Full Review" on RUclips
ruclips.net/video/wYng6ahwOrU/видео.html
I will have 3.0 V6 2008 one of these is light metallic blue. Its a must have.