VW Phaeton - Talk to me

[tbc]

Passed a garage today and they have a big imposing black Germanic hulk of a Phaeton for sale. It's a 3.2 V6 with 140k but has had a high spec LPG conversion.

Now i've owned Jags and Audis from 2.0 V6 right up to 3.2 and 4.0 V8 but i know absolutely nothing about Phaeton. I like the fact they are a bit of a rarity but is that a bad thing.

I know they're loosely based on a Bentley Flying Spur /Conti GT platform.

MPG isn't really an issue with LPG being 60-70p a litre.

I know they still sell them at £48k with a facelift grill but other than a few interior touches they haven;t really changed them a great deal.

I believe this one is up for sale at around the £2-3k mark and the bodywork is flawless and it's just been through an MOT a week ago.

Anyone have or owned one?

Educate me PHr's, try and stop me buying it

[Don1]

I have one - the v10. I use it as a daily driver and love it. vwvortex has a great faq.

The 6 might feel a little under-powered..... maybe?

[tbc]

They look like a lot of car for the money. I mean i'm not expecting Bentley quality or waft-iness.

[Sir Fergie]

Apparently these 3.2s can have timing chain stretch - not sure how common it is.

But was browsing through a magazine the other day that had a Pheaton buyers guide - and that was mentioned

[PGNCerbera]

tbc said:

Passed a garage today and they have a big imposing black Germanic hulk of a Phaeton for sale. It's a 3.2 V6 with 140k but has had a high spec LPG conversion.

Now i've owned Jags and Audis from 2.0 V6 right up to 3.2 and 4.0 V8 but i know absolutely nothing about Phaeton. I like the fact they are a bit of a rarity but is that a bad thing.

I know they're loosely based on a Bentley Flying Spur /Conti GT platform.

MPG isn't really an issue with LPG being 60-70p a litre.

I know they still sell them at £48k with a facelift grill but other than a few interior touches they haven;t really changed them a great deal.

I believe this one is up for sale at around the £2-3k mark and the bodywork is flawless and it's just been through an MOT a week ago.

Anyone have or owned one?

Educate me PHr's, try and stop me buying it

Rarity is not a bad thing.
They are not 'loosely' based on the flying spur platform, they share the same platform.

I had a 3.2 V6. Gutless, and thirsty. And when things went wrong it was expensive to sort. Probably the worst car I have ever owned - should have got a V10 or the W12. LPG might just about make the consumption bearable but there needs to be a trade off in these things and I can handle poor mpg as long as the car either looks amazing or goes like stink. The Phaeton did neither. It was cool for about a week and then the reality of owning it dawned.

Was delighted to sell it.

However, as you are one of the most contrary s I have ever come across on PH I would say go for it, buy it immediately, don't look back, do it etc etc

[Escy]

I recently had a 3.2 Touareg which shares lots of parts with the Phaeton. It was utter ste. It had wiring issues caused by poor design, loads of problems with various motors on the HVAC system (same as the Phaeton), a problem with the auto box banging down gears when warm. It had a blowing down pipe, all the bolts were rotten so it was a mare to do so I didn't bother. Loads of plastic vac pipes had split (one was for the brake servo which was interesting). The heated seats packed up. Every time I did a job on it, i'd remove an ECU of some sort and the sticker would say it's new, various owners must have spent thousands on it.

No way i'd touch another early Touareg/Phaeton. My 05 Golf isn't much better either. VW are a triumph of marketing over substance.

[acd80]

Escy said:

I recently had a 3.2 Touareg which shares lots of parts with the Phaeton. It was utter ste. It had wiring issues caused by poor design, loads of problems with various motors on the HVAC system (same as the Phaeton), a problem with the auto box banging down gears when warm. It had a blowing down pipe, all the bolts were rotten so it was a mare to do so I didn't bother. Loads of plastic vac pipes had split (one was for the brake servo which was interesting). The heated seats packed up. Every time I did a job on it, i'd remove an ECU of some sort and the sticker would say it's new, various owners must have spent thousands on it.

No way i'd touch another early Touareg/Phaeton. My 05 Golf isn't much better either. VW are a triumph of marketing over substance.

Funnily enough, I traded in my old 05 Golf when I got my A4 in 2011. It was easily the worst car I ever owned. I'm in South Wales as well. It was a petrol 2.0 GT 3 door.

[MJK 24]

Escy said:

I recently had a 3.2 Touareg which shares lots of parts with the Phaeton. It was utter ste. It had wiring issues caused by poor design, loads of problems with various motors on the HVAC system (same as the Phaeton), a problem with the auto box banging down gears when warm. It had a blowing down pipe, all the bolts were rotten so it was a mare to do so I didn't bother. Loads of plastic vac pipes had split (one was for the brake servo which was interesting). The heated seats packed up. Every time I did a job on it, i'd remove an ECU of some sort and the sticker would say it's new, various owners must have spent thousands on it.

No way i'd touch another early Touareg/Phaeton. My 05 Golf isn't much better either. VW are a triumph of marketing over substance.

To add some balance, I own a 2004 Touareg (diesel) that is now on 151k and it has had:

1 x prop centre bearing at £145
1 x air flow meter at £55
1 x window regulator at £90

Other than that, just standard servicing. It's been a great car.

[Escy]

I bet if you scanned it with vag com it'd throw up a huge list of errors. They always do. Guy I know that had a V8 petrol one ended up spending 4k at a garage getting his ABS wiring sorted out (auto electrician was on it for weeks).

Avoid like the plague.

[MJK 24]

Escy said:

I bet if you scanned it with vag com it'd throw up a huge list of errors. They always do. Guy I know that had a V8 petrol one ended up spending 4k at a garage getting his ABS wiring sorted out (auto electrician was on it for weeks).

Avoid like the plague.

It has never put a warning lamp on so I've never had it hooked up to a diagnostics machine. I suggest finding a better auto electrician if they genuinely did take weeks to remedy a ABS brake wiring fault and charged £4,000 to do so. A fool and their money...

[Escy]

It wasn't me that spent that. I know what the fault was as my Treg did the same.

ABS light on. Diagnostics show no power to the pump. He spent about £800 for a new pump, that showed the same error after a few weeks. Went back to the garage (VW specialists), they couldn't work it out so brought in an auto electrician that spent weeks on it. He had to strip back the loom which meant removing the dash before he found a problem in the loom. I think he also had the belts done that made up the 4k bill.

My car had loads of faults (lambda sensor, vacuum leak, alarm sensor, 5 motors for the HVAC system), none of which brought up a light on the dash.

Edited by Escy on Monday 8th September 22:30

[Ozzie Osmond]

IMO Phaeton is a strange car. Somewhat similar to Merc's venture into "Maybach" - now abandoned. Or to put it another way, I think both were attempts to sell cars "up" a sector and haven't really worked.

Probably good cars though.

[feef]

The Phaeton was on my list when I was in the market to replace my DD. I ended up with a Citroen C6.

More wafty, more interesting and similar MPG.

[Don1]

I think you are looking at this the wrong way... Mine was £5k. 1 owner, FVWSH, 83k miles. £5k. So half the amount you would expect to pay for a S-Class or the like.

If you are looking at this car, expect the worst, and be pleasantly surprised when you waft along without any issues (touch wood). For that kind of money you can't get anything like this combination of anonymous refined power.

[Simond S]

I've had two 3.2 V6 Tregs which are the same engine / electrics.

Never had an issue with either of them, fuel consumption was a little steep but less that the RR they replaced. Speed was also better than the RR (TD6) so I wasn't unhappy with that either.

I would have had a Phaeton if I could justify a saloon car. At a couple of thousand it is almost end of life so you need to expect some things will go wrong. If you have a VW independent locally why not ask them their thoughts on working on it.

Or just buy it, enjoy it and be prepared that old cars have faults.

[ILoveMondeo]

I was going to say, Why not look at A8's? Same platform, but aluminium construction, considerably lighter, hence faster, more economic.. etc.

But at 2-3k for the Phaeton, get it done, "bit slow" isn't so bad for a great big wafter like that anyway.

the big diesel would probably be a better engine for that car (4.2 v8 derv?) but again, 2-3k... what's not to like!

Check to see if the gearbox has ever had any servicing done, "sealed for life" means "breaks at 150k" unless you get the oil changed once in a while. (at least that's the opinion on most of the VAG forums for these ZF boxes, I'm assuming it's the 6 speed auto, is it 2WD or 4WD?)

[BGarside]

Phaeton buyer's guide in PPC magazine this month.

[robinessex]

Phaeton topic been her before. 'Cos I posted it!! Seems as if the smaller engine ones are under powered. The V10 and W12 are ok. Get extended warranty. The diesel is going to be cheaper to run, and it has oddles of torque. And more can be got !!!!!

Stick Phaeton into the search box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdd7Tq3w2r0

704 HP 1300Nm Torgue. Should pull a 40 ton trailer with ease !!!!!!!!!!!!

And they can look nicer as well

Edited by robinessex on Tuesday 9th September 11:33

Edited by robinessex on Tuesday 9th September 11:37

[996TT02]

Escy said:

VW are a triumph of marketing over substance.

+1, and then some.