VW Phaeton

T

Tasty

New member
I had no idea that VW made a $90,000 car. First of all I would NEVER spend that much on a VW, and second of all I saw one in downtown Houston the other day off of Fannin and it was TOTALLY uninspiring in real life. Is it just me or do the Jetta, Passat, and Phaeton all look remarkably similar. VW's styling has gotten very bland IMO. The Phaeton may be nice on the inside and run like a scalded ape, but it looks like Joe Average's commuter car.
 
yeah...For every 5000 no joke 5000 A8's I see I see one VW phaeton...Thing was a flop from the begining...no onw wants a 70,000Plus dollar VW...



-Justin
 
Well, because.....



Doesn't matter, the market has spoken and they wont be imported to the states any longer. Too much for a car with V and W on the back and it doesn't stand out at all.
 
I love the Phaeton. The interior is very beautiful, it has tons of features, and I believe it really has a street presence. Something about it makes it look very powerful and like the top-line luxury sedan that it is. I don't know where everyone gets the whole "bland-look" from. I've never mistaken one for a Passat, let alone a Jetta. Yeah it's not crazy and edgy but it would be stupid if it was an over-the-top design.



The "VW" name just did it no good. However, this cannot be said for the Touareg, which I believe is doing quite well, no? Also another awesome looking product.
 
I would never argue that it isn't a quality product made of very good materials but it has no "pedigree" to put it in the price category that it magically appeared in.
 
Even though I'd go Audi myself, I'll play devil's advocate just for grins:



I *like* the idea that it doesn't look like an obviously expensive car and doesn't scream "I'm trying to impress people". Sorta like the way I take the S4/6/8 badges off my Audis so they're more stealthy and even took the A8 badge off my wife's car. I genuinely like the understated look of the Phaeton, it's the soft ride and too-electro/non-analog interior features that put me off. If they made a GLI version of the V12 one I might've even thought about one.



And, heh heh, tip to VW: you'd sell more of your SUVs here in the states if you gave it a different name ;)
 
The Phaeton with its 12 cylinders and luxury accouterments is a very interesting story. Now begs the question - why on earth would VW compete with its sister brand Audi? RS4, S6, or S8 . . . I can understand $70k. Is it too expensive for a VW? Perhaps. Personally, I’ve had tons of trouble with VW’s 4th generation. If you talk from person to person, you’ll see it’s a like a VW support group because across all their various models . . . each and every one will note symptoms of piss poor reliability and god awful quality control. With a reputation like that (and whether the Phaeton suffered from similar problems I don’t know), it’s no surprise VW will no longer sell the Phaeton in the US market.
 
Accumulator, I agree with what you're saying but they missed the "middle market with this car. If they were going to market the Phaeton here it seems to *me* that it would have made more sense to have a car that filled the gap between the $3x,xxx dollar Passat and the $7x,xxx+ dollar Phaeton. The other spin off "luxury" brands allow steps to get to the top dog. I guess one could argue that the Touareg (sp?) is in the middle but a car would have been better, no? It's nice for the company to have something for it's loyal customers to grow into but not so nice to think that they can suddenly afford a car that's more than twice the price of the previous TOL car.
 
Yes, the Phaeton is a nice car. Competes hurdle for hurdle with Benz, BMW, and for some reason, Audi. It has tons of luxury features, an extremely smooth ride, and lots of power. But for that price??



If they sold it for $50,000, it'd be one of the best values out there for a luxury car. But they didn't.



And now, it's a failure.



On the upside, the Car and Driver test Phaeton was in town, and I got to talk to the driver, and he said that resale was horrendous on those. He said he'd buy a two-year old one without hesitation, as it'd be almost half-price.:)



I'd buy one for half-price, but otherwise give me a BMW or Audi anyday...
 
Im not saying its a bad car...Im saying that most people looking in that price range rather have a BMW badge, 4 rings or a three pointed star on their cars. One of the reasons the american car market sucks, people in the US seem to look for status not build quality. They want the most features for the cheapest amount possible with the biggest name, which adds up to a crap car that is mediocre at everything, instead of being amazing at one thing. Look at fords model line up right now, they have like 2 or three cars in every car category ***! Do one or none in each and make them the best, then you might be able to sell some cars…GOD! The phaeton is a great car, its a A8 for less money you cant get better then that. Start flaming!



-Justin
 
Accumulator said:
I *like* the idea that it doesn't look like an obviously expensive car and doesn't scream "I'm trying to impress people".
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That's *why* nearly everyone buys a car that expensive. And that's why most people don't buy that car. :lol



Nearly every wealthy person I know, drives a fancy car and they know jack diddily about it or vehicles in general. I know a family well that trades in their two Merecedes every few years and buys with cash, the next 2 near most expensive ones Mercedes makes. And one of them sits parked in a garage in their summer home in the Hamptons and is barely driven except around town with all the other exotics owned by clueless car people.



People say $80k for a VW?! Forget it!
 
I agree with most of the opinions on here that the Phaeton is a flop. Sales declined 52% this year, the number one decline in sales?: Volvo C70 Convertible. No one with that kind of money wants to buy a car from a company that also markets their cars to yuppie/hippie looking people in Jetta commercials. People that drive Benz and Mercedes, etc. get to be in a bit different class. I don't want to be in a $90K car and have someone pull up next to me in a car by the same maker that sells for one-fifth of what I paid for ultra luxury. They make Beetles for crying out loud.
 
Tasty said:
They make Beetles for crying out loud.
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:LOLOL



When my dad was looking for a car (he got a bmw, month later got a merc. its a long story) We went into the porche dealership and right next to it was the VW I told him to take a look at the phaeton, he asked the make I told him VW its next store, we went over took look at it, he then walked over to look at the price tag and walked out, and commented, "for that much money I rather get a E500"...My dad is one typical car buyer...I dotn agree with him...



Despite what my car has turned out to be I like understated out of the norm cars, but they dont ahve the wow factor that sells cars, thats why I drive a Subaru instead of a A4, Its different from all the other young punks who think there little BMW is the shiznit.



-Justin
 
I don't want to be in a $90K car and have someone pull up next to me in a car by the same maker that sells for one-fifth of what I paid for ultra luxury. They make Beetles for crying out loud.[/QUOTE]



Great point!



It seemed silly for VW to have a car that would more than likely take sales away from the A8, which, correct me if I'm wrong, shares the same platform.

I think one of the main reasons the Phaeton didn't sell is that VW is just not considered a luxury brand. That's what Audi is for. Dealerships just can't cater to both classes of people. E.G. When I take my Honda to the dealership, I can get complimentary donuts or fruits and coffee while I'm waiting. When I go to the Acura dealership, I also get free bottled water and soda. They even have a cappucino maker. I know the Mercedes dealership in my area even has an entire soda fountain to boot. These things might seem miniscule, but people who buy those cars expects that kind of treatment. Oh yeah, they also get free loaner cars. I got a free rental at Honda, but only because I spent over $1500 in repairs. :p
 
It was mentioned about not wanting to buy a car from a mfg that sells a car for 1/5th the price. Mercedes sells cars fro $130k+, but also sells the $30k C240. Bmw sells $120k 760il's but also sells a $30k 325i, heck even ford sells the $150k GT and the $15k Focus. Also, the Bmw badge was pointed out as a status symbol on an (implied) poor quality car. To be honest I dont mind the bit of status my M3 carries, but thats not the reason *I* bought it. It is a very well built car, with quality materials and has been basically trouble free. Not mention the gorgeous styling regarless of name. Thats not even taking into considerations the superior driving dynamics, excellent power and great brakes. I know many people buy a premium car just for show, but there really is something to buying a "name brand" over say a Ford, Subaru, Chevy, hyundai or other "everyday" make (I have 3 Fords, a Mercury and the BMW). Im not trying to flame anyone. :dance
 
SpoiledMan- From a marketing perspective I agree with you entirely. They really missed a chance to own a certain segment of the market. The Germans have a weird inability to figure out American car buying habits/concerns. Not that I *agree* with those habits, but I'd at least recongize them if I wanted to make money here.



termigator- Guess it just depends on the dealerships. Back when I had a VW (my beloved '87 Quantum Synchro wagon) the dealership, which also had other, more expensive marques, treated me *great*. Free BMW loaners that they'd send home with people who lived near me, never a problem of any kind. Best service I ever had until Stoddard, and all I did was buy a VW station wagon from them. I had a talk with the owner about how I expected to be treated and they followed through (plug: Dave Walter VW/BMW, Akron OH).



Spilchy said:
That's *why* nearly everyone buys a car that expensive...
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Heh heh, *nearly* everyone ;) I find people just *SO* :rolleyes: and I'm sure the feeling is mutual :D
 
From Car and Driver: "The Phaeton, which sells for between $68,000 and $104,000, "fell a little bit short of our expectations," Volkswagen spokesman Tony Fouladpour said. The company is currently selling only 90 Phaetons a month, he added."



Full article



What I personally find odd is that it will still be sold in Europe. Is there a larger VW following over there that's willing to spend that kind of money on it?
 
i had no idea they costed that much, i saw one on the road a while ago and figured they were 40 or 50 grand. thats about what they would score on the apperance scale.. not very good..
 
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