The Volkswagen Phaeton is a luxury vehicle sold in the US between 2002 and 2006. It was intended to compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW products, and is basically a Bentley under the hood. The Volkswagen Phaeton W12 price was over $80,000 when it was released, but now a used Phaeton may be under $5,000 (If you can find one. There were fewer than 3,000 Phaetons sold in the US).
Even by today’s standards, the Phaeton specs are impressive. The W12 has 420 HP, 6.0 liter, 12-cylinder engine with a top speed of over 200mph. It has features and gadgets galore, including 12 airbags, a sunroof, heated seats, a 12-speaker sound system, and a ton of legroom. It is still amongst the most comfortable vehicles on the road today.
However, it is not without its drawbacks. The VW Phaeton’s fuel consumption is 12 city / 18 highway, so you can expect to pay for those features at the pump. Also, you can expect to pay costly Bentley-sized repair costs (think $1,200 for front breaks).Though the engineering may lead to fewer trips to the shop.Unfortunately, it handles like an old luxury town car and you can expect a bumpy ride if the roads aren’t great. For its price, the Phaeton W12 may be a good investment, but remember you will be taking a gamble on repairs and fuel prices, so you’ll need some luck.
While the W12’s engineering is superior to many of today’s cars, it is still at 10+- years-old car and many of the luxury flagship features are, by today’s standard, not terribly exciting. Features such as the electrified cup holders still feel exotic, but that’s not a make-or-break feature for most buyers.
So far as safety goes, it is a nice big car and you are going to get that nice big car protection. And it has a lot of features to help make sure you and yours make it to your destination safely including 4-wheel ABS, daytime running lights, self-leveling headlights, and child seat anchors. On the other hand, many reviewers have noted that it has a rather large blind spot, and by today’s standards the W12’s safety is not particularly exceptional. Try it and you will not regret of anything pertaining the car, it is well vanished in a good standard to be used.
Overall, the VW Phaeton W12 is still a well-engineered, comfortable luxury vehicle, but the cost of gas and potential repairs may make buyers want to look another way.
