Models and Fuel consumption

[eddmac]

I have a 2004 3.2 V6, VW quote it at 23mpg, although I have averaged 24.6mpg in my 36k of miles. What kind of consumption figures and with what engines have the rest of you been getting?;)

[TSAY]

I have a 2004 3.2 V6, VW quote it at 23mpg, although I have averaged 24.6mpg in my 36k of miles. What kind of consumption figures and with what engines have the rest of you been getting?;)

Seems a bit quiet on this board, but I;ve seen plenty of Phaeton's taking to the roads in recent months.

Can't actually answer your question as mine doesn't arrive for another 3 weeks but iwll let you know once the engine is bedded in and loosened up. :-)

[eddmac]

Yeah, it's quiet alright, but then I suppose it's to be expected when there aren't that many around. There's a lot more goes on at the US forum, but A lot of it's not really relevant to us here, One can but hope for more interest in the future LOL

[jbwn]

I have a 3.0 TDI and get 29.4 mpg over the last 4K miles - right on the manufactures figures - that compares with 18 mpg I was getting with my jag :-(

[TSAY]

Well, can't offer any advice as yet as waiting for my 3.0 TDI to be delivered in 3 weeks time.

I do about 20k per annum at present so it will take me until then to get the engine loosened up and the mileage figures as a true reflection. My commute to the office is 52 miles each way (including about 30 on the M25) so should get some reasonable return. Will let you know. :D

[eddmac]

Well, can't offer any advice as yet as waiting for my 3.0 TDI to be delivered in 3 weeks time.

I do about 20k per annum at present so it will take me until then to get the engine loosened up and the mileage figures as a true reflection. My commute to the office is 52 miles each way (including about 30 on the M25) so should get some reasonable return. Will let you know. :D

Nice one,

The best I have managed on ANY run was 32.6mpg, which for a 2.25 ton car with a petrol engine is pretty impressive - I was taking it VERY easy, but it was over about 75miles and shows what is attainable.

[TSAY]

Nice one,

The best I have managed on ANY run was 32.6mpg, which for a 2.25 ton car with a petrol engine is pretty impressive - I was taking it VERY easy, but it was over about 75miles and shows what is attainable.

Hi, car delivered, absolutely beautiful, only problerm is I broke my arm falling down a cliff in France over half term and not allowed to drive it! :zx11:

The next 10 days or so before my arm is allowed officially to come out of the sling will be absolute torture....

[eddmac]

Hi, car delivered, absolutely beautiful, only problerm is I broke my arm falling down a cliff in France over half term and not allowed to drive it! :zx11:

The next 10 days or so before my arm is allowed officially to come out of the sling will be absolute torture....

Dear God, it sounds like you were lucky not to have more damage done !!!

But, as it's an auto, surely you only need one arm to drive it anyway :biglaugh:

Hope you get better soon

[churcher]

I get about 28mpg driving carefully around town and 32+mpg on a clear motorway holding 90mph on the speedo (about 2500rpm) from my 3.0tdi. As said before, thats very good for this size of car. I love it!!

[TSAY]

Nice one,

The best I have managed on ANY run was 32.6mpg, which for a 2.25 ton car with a petrol engine is pretty impressive - I was taking it VERY easy, but it was over about 75miles and shows what is attainable.

Finally out and about this week and did a 310 mile round trip to Stafford with about 10% urban overall the rest M40/M6.

As I was "running it in" I didn't take it above 90...but certainly kept it at normal motorway speeds, so very representative.

Overall average for the run was 36 MPG which for a new engine, that's not loosened up, was very respectable.

Just got back today from a 140 mile round trip to Stafford and clocked just under 40 MPG.

The engine is an absolute marvel and unless you set the cruise control or keep watching the speedo like a hawk, you can soon get swept away and lose your license as the car just cruises along at a ton as if you're doing 30....

One very happy owner of an excellent car! :biglaugh:

[TSAY]

Finally out and about this week and did a 310 mile round trip to Stafford with about 10% urban overall the rest M40/M6.

As I was "running it in" I didn't take it above 90...but certainly kept it at normal motorway speeds, so very representative.

Overall average for the run was 36 MPG which for a new engine, that's not loosened up, was very respectable.

Just got back today from a 140 mile round trip to Stafford and clocked just under 40 MPG.

The engine is an absolute marvel and unless you set the cruise control or keep watching the speedo like a hawk, you can soon get swept away and lose your license as the car just cruises along at a ton as if you're doing 30....

One very happy owner of an excellent car! :biglaugh:

And 44 MPG today coming back from Warrington to London at a steady 70-75 as an exercise in "sipping fuel".

[MadMacStew]

I have the 3.0TDI on standard 17" wheels, I get 26-28 mpg on the 9-mile hilly country roads daily commute to work in Leicestershire, and about 37 mpg on a steady 85 mph cruise up to Dundee, about 375 miles each way (all on private roads, of course!).

[netherfield]

Just about the same as MadMcstew.

Still a joy to drive, Father has run C,E and S class Mercs,the Phaeton drives and rides better than any of them.

[passacc]

TSAY,

I'm due to take delivery of my 3.0TDI next month. Currently own a Passat CC DSG 170 GT which has an impressive fuel consumption-performance combination. Your experience is reassuring!

I was attracted to the Phaeton for its detailed attention to engineering and overcame nervousness regarding depreciation. Surely it can't be worse than my XJR which lost me £40k over 7 years!

Your post is 2008; do you still have it and what would you say about the Phaeton two years on?

Thanks.

[MadMacStew]

Might be the worst decision I ever made, because how the heck am I going to replace it for sensible money? :-)

Two years and about 15k miles on, she's far and away the quietest and most comfortable car I've ever owned, cruises at 95 with virtually no noise at all, and a magnificent sound system which sounds better than most people's hi-fi systems. Beautifully made (showing *zero* sign of the extra 2 years), elegantly styled, quick enough for most purposes and a superb long-range cruiser. I regularly drive the 400 miles up to my sister-in-law in Broughty Ferry, and you step out at the end perfectly fresh because it's so relaxing to drive. Since she only cost £16k at less than 2 years old and 24k miles, depreciation isn't really an issue, but how to replace her certainly is! Maybe have to be another one, hopefully with Sunny Beige upholstery this time. I'd love to have the 'real' 6-litre one (and damn the petrol!), but there are hardly any out there. Shame they never did it with the Audi 4.2 litre diesel, that would be near-perfect in that car.

[netherfield]

Still got the car and still love driving it.

Depreciation is nothing like your Jag because it didn't cost that much in the first place,and I intend to keep it until one of us dies.

I must agree with MadMacStew,the 4.2 diesel would likely be amazing,my Doctor and the boss of the indy garage I use have the Audi A8 with that engine and say it's brilliant, having had a demo in a Touareg V10 Diesel, that would be the icing on the cake(I believe the early models did have that option).

My only worry is maybe getting parts in years to come,the supplying dealers salesman managed to run in to the back of someone at traffic lights with mine and it took about 4 weeks to get all the parts to fix the damage,because the latest model has a different bonnet and front skirt fitted and there was no stock available on the old style.

[passacc]

Thank you, MadMacStew and netherfield!

Mine is a 3.0TDI and if it so impressed me, the 4.0 must be even better!

I am a car nut - started reading Motor and then Autocar from 11 but because my pocket money didn't stretch to essential buys at the tuck-shop AND car mags, I used to initially read my rich classmate's cast offs before graduating to the library and then buying my own! So I worked and studied and got to the profession that I wanted. With no other expensive hobby, I'm not too guilty....

Now, by some really strange coincidence, my wife also comes from Broughty Ferry; her parents' house just down the road from Moniffeith overlooks the Tay! And from door-to-door, it's 408 miles so I reckon, MadMacStew, you must be from the Midlands too!!

Cheers!

[TSAY]

TSAY,

I'm due to take delivery of my 3.0TDI next month. Currently own a Passat CC DSG 170 GT which has an impressive fuel consumption-performance combination. Your experience is reassuring!

I was attracted to the Phaeton for its detailed attention to engineering and overcame nervousness regarding depreciation. Surely it can't be worse than my XJR which lost me £40k over 7 years!

Your post is 2008; do you still have it and what would you say about the Phaeton two years on?

Thanks.


She'll be 2 years old in June, just had second variable service at 39k, engine now just about run in and loosened up properly (much, much faster than when new - a diesel engine doesn't really get "sealed" and fuel efficient until about this stage) and she still puts a smile on my face everyday I get in there.

I really wouldn't have any other car, and I've owned and driven several other "prestige" models over the years.

Tim :biglaugh:

[passacc]

She'll be 2 years old in June, just had second variable service at 39k, engine now just about run in and loosened up properly (much, much faster than when new - a diesel engine doesn't really get "sealed" and fuel efficient until about this stage) and she still puts a smile on my face everyday I get in there.

I really wouldn't have any other car, and I've owned and driven several other "prestige" models over the years.

Tim :biglaugh:

Thank you for writing, Tim!

I can't wait for May to be here!

By the way, I had a look at the new face-lifted model due for Beijing Motor Show next week (and probably due here later this year). The new grille now has slats that stretch from headlamp to headlamp and the bonnet fluting ends abruptly in a horizontal line at the upper headlamp level. Looks 'cheapened' somehow.

What do you think looks better - the present bonnet that swoops down towards the front and carries the central grille or full-width grille?

Cheers!

[passacc]

Still got the car and still love driving it.

Depreciation is nothing like your Jag because it didn't cost that much in the first place,and I intend to keep it until one of us dies.

I must agree with MadMacStew,the 4.2 diesel would likely be amazing,my Doctor and the boss of the indy garage I use have the Audi A8 with that engine and say it's brilliant, having had a demo in a Touareg V10 Diesel, that would be the icing on the cake(I believe the early models did have that option).

My only worry is maybe getting parts in years to come,the supplying dealers salesman managed to run in to the back of someone at traffic lights with mine and it took about 4 weeks to get all the parts to fix the damage,because the latest model has a different bonnet and front skirt fitted and there was no stock available on the old style.

Hi MadMacStew,

If you are in the Midlands area, where do you take your car for servicing? I used to take my VR6 Sharan to Nottingham where I bought it but occasionally to Leicester.

(PS: I am still amazed by our mutual connection with Broughty Ferry....through an appreciation of the Phaeton!)

Thanks!

[passacc]

Might be the worst decision I ever made, because how the heck am I going to replace it for sensible money? :-)

Two years and about 15k miles on, she's far and away the quietest and most comfortable car I've ever owned, cruises at 95 with virtually no noise at all, and a magnificent sound system which sounds better than most people's hi-fi systems. Beautifully made (showing *zero* sign of the extra 2 years), elegantly styled, quick enough for most purposes and a superb long-range cruiser. I regularly drive the 400 miles up to my sister-in-law in Broughty Ferry, and you step out at the end perfectly fresh because it's so relaxing to drive. Since she only cost £16k at less than 2 years old and 24k miles, depreciation isn't really an issue, but how to replace her certainly is! Maybe have to be another one, hopefully with Sunny Beige upholstery this time. I'd love to have the 'real' 6-litre one (and damn the petrol!), but there are hardly any out there. Shame they never did it with the Audi 4.2 litre diesel, that would be near-perfect in that car.

Hi MadMacStew,

If you are in the Midlands area, where do you take your car for servicing? I used to take my VR6 Sharan to Nottingham where I bought it but occasionally to Leicester.

(PS: I am still amazed by our mutual connection with Broughty Ferry....through an appreciation of the Phaeton!)

Thanks!

[TSAY]

Finally, incontrovertible proof that the Phaeton is the finest car to own and drive.
This afternoon, I left the office a few hours early and headed home the 22 miles to Twickenham from Rickmansworth, round the maginificent M25 from J17 and its roadworks and then exiting onto J15 the M4.

Arrived home, no keys and an image of them sitting on the left of my desk.

Spent a few pleasant minutes chatting to the builders working on my house, followed by the next door neighbour and then phoned the office to verify that I had in fact left them on my desk.

And then, at almost 4 pm on a Friday evening, in the most congested part of London I got back into the car and joined the early getaway Friday rush hour and headed out of town again with everyone else.

Slow on the M4, big 6 mile queue of slow moving traffic going into the roadworks on the M25 and almost an hour spent to complete a normal 30 minute commute.

Arrived into the office in shorts and shades with a big grin on my face, retrieved my keys and happily went back out into the full on Friday rush hour.

Got home after a total of 2 hours to find the wife had arrived shortly after I'd left and of course we do have a spare set as well, so I wouldn't have been inconvenienced over the weekend.

The act of voluntarily spending a fine Friday afternoon in London rush hour traffic, is madness for the driver of any other vehicle, but for a Phaeton owner it's just another excuse to get back into the car and enjoy life. :D

[passacc]

Tim,

There is a large element of self-selection towards a lot of things in life. Cars are no different and so the Phaeton, I believe, attracts those who rank highly features that represent the epitomy of engineering in an unostentatious car.

Like you, I have over the years driven miles at the merest excuse, simply because I enjoyed motoring. In fact, I did a lot of research on selecting snow tyres for my wife's Murano that I offered to drive my family, not once but twice in 3 months, to ski in Switzerland. That must beat all madness of car enthusiasm! I am convinced about the merits of 4WD ever since I had Sierra XR4x4s (including estate versions).

I am now even looking up various snow tyres to fit the Phaeton for the same expedition.....

Sad? Mad? Who cares if you only live once to enjoy such pleasures.....

Cheers!

[netherfield]

One of the beauties of the Phaeton is of course only true car people realise that it is 4WD, I have an ex colleague friend who drives a Discovery and gets a few snide comments about it being a gas guzzler/Chelsea Tractor,yet nobody says anything about mine.

[passacc]

Yes, netherfield. Cooler than a Subaru - rather more mature - and certainly less showy than a Rangey!

Cheers!

[MadMacStew]

Hi Passacc,

I live in Rempstone, a village pretty much equidistant from Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. We've had a string of Audis from Leicester Audi (wifey runs a TT), and I recently had the Phaeton serviced at Nottingham VW, beside Asda on the West Bridgford Road. Good work, friendly service and a £200 bill that I thought wasn't bad for the second variable service. Noticing the other comments, mine is a 'posh' village with lots of Rangies and Q7s etc which get loads of flak from the tree-huggers, but my 2 1/4 ton 4x4 only gets admiring looks - most people assume that it's some kind of upmarket Passat! On that subject, we go to quite a few horsey events and when it's a typical soggy sloping field, it's always fun to wave to the BMW and Merc drivers who can't make it up the hills, as we sail serenely past! :drive:

[passacc]

Hi Passacc,

I live in Rempstone, a village pretty much equidistant from Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. We've had a string of Audis from Leicester Audi (wifey runs a TT), and I recently had the Phaeton serviced at Nottingham VW, beside Asda on the West Bridgford Road. Good work, friendly service and a £200 bill that I thought wasn't bad for the second variable service. Noticing the other comments, mine is a 'posh' village with lots of Rangies and Q7s etc which get loads of flak from the tree-huggers, but my 2 1/4 ton 4x4 only gets admiring looks - most people assume that it's some kind of upmarket Passat! On that subject, we go to quite a few horsey events and when it's a typical soggy sloping field, it's always fun to wave to the BMW and Merc drivers who can't make it up the hills, as we sail serenely past! :drive:


Hi Passacc,

I live in Rempstone, a village pretty much equidistant from Nottingham, Derby and Leicester. We've had a string of Audis from Leicester Audi (wifey runs a TT), and I recently had the Phaeton serviced at Nottingham VW, beside Asda on the West Bridgford Road. Good work, friendly service and a £200 bill that I thought wasn't bad for the second variable service. Noticing the other comments, mine is a 'posh' village with lots of Rangies and Q7s etc which get loads of flak from the tree-huggers, but my 2 1/4 ton 4x4 only gets admiring looks - most people assume that it's some kind of upmarket Passat! On that subject, we go to quite a few horsey events and when it's a typical soggy sloping field, it's always fun to wave to the BMW and Merc drivers who can't make it up the hills, as we sail serenely past! :drive:

MadMacStew,

Thank you for writing back. My daughter who goes to school in Loughborough has classmates in your village although we live in Oadby just outside Leicester.

My wife bought her Murano from Sunwin Nottingham (Haydn Road) and still gets it serviced there, so going to Nottingham would not be any hardship. I will try the Leicester one first.

On the subject of 4WD, I have had Sierra XR, 4x4estates, Jeep and Murano. We had taken the Murano once to Switzerland on all-weather tyres and had felt unsafe up the mountain hairpins. When it came to replacement of the originals, I opted for Vredestein Wintrac 4Xtreme and the tranformation was remarkable. The Wintracs are doing alright in this current weather with no signs of excessive wear or noise but with the bonus of good wet/slippery grip!

Unfortunately, Vredestein which make W-rated snow tyres don't make one in the Phaeton size (255/40R19 100XL). Both ContiWinterContact TS810 Sport and Nokian WR G2 do but with V speed rating. Continentals have stiffer sidewalls but tend to wear out quickly so I suspect if I wanted to have all-year-round use, it will be the Nokian.

Cheers!

[passacc]

One of the beauties of the Phaeton is of course only true car people realise that it is 4WD, I have an ex colleague friend who drives a Discovery and gets a few snide comments about it being a gas guzzler/Chelsea Tractor,yet nobody says anything about mine.

Hi Netherfield,

I think when Phaetons were first introduced, the 3.2-litre petrol model came with front-wheel drive.

Cheers!

[MadMacStew]

That's true, although I'm not sure that the VR6 version was ever sold in the US - it really doesn't have enough torque to drag a car that size around. Mind you, I had an A3 with that engine and the DSG 'box, and it was a real hooligan's car - probably the fastest 'B road' car I've ever owned! :D

[bellkevin]

I have a 56 plate TT with the 3.2 petrol. On a 90 mile run, resetting the the MPG when I'm on the motorway I get 31mpg at 76mph. I've found that the spoiler comes up at 77mph so I keep just under that. 70mph gets 33mpg, which isn't bad considering it's a petrol.

[MadMacStew]

I have a 65 plate TT with the 3.2 petrol. On a 90 mile run, resetting the the MPG when I'm on the motorway I get 31mpg at 76mph. I've found that the spoiler comes up at 77mph so I keep just under that. 70mph gets 33mpg, which isn't bad considering it's a petrol.

Cool - not too many 65 plates around! :p
It's all relative - my wife has an 06 plate (well, L17DY P actually, but you know what I mean!) 190BHP front-drive, a mk1 runout model, and it does 37 mpg at a sat-nav verified 80mph on a 400 mile drive from the Midlands to Northeast Scotland. The spoiler is of course fixed on the mk1. :drive:

[bellkevin]

Ooops... I amended it..

[DSG4ME]

You ppl should consider yourselves the smart money, the Phaeton imo is an exercise in powerful elegant motoring, infact I positively love the car, I can't have one yet due to running costs, when you compare a Passat DSG that can return 30+ urban as a cab, and 55 on a steady run, the Phaeton sadly means another 50% more fuel bill to me, as it would struggle into the 20's using it for my business, however, for someone who say drives 30 miles each way to work, and gets straight out on a motorway, it's a really good choice, the only other cars I could say would appeal, are the 5 or 7 series BMW, or an E or S class Merc, sadly there is one other achillies in the Phaeton's foot, and that is some of the part costs, when I was sniffing to see if I could make one work, I found that the hazzard switch was intergrated into the entertainment console and carried a £3k replacement cost, and the air shocks come out at £5k for a set of 4 fitted, but hey ho, what a great car though.

p.s Tony Adams, former (Arsenal & England) defender owns/owned one, so what does that say, either Tony was too tight to buy a BMW, or he's smart enough to recognise a £150k car dressed up as a £50k car new.

[wytco0]

Finally, incontrovertible proof that the Phaeton is the finest car to own and drive.
This afternoon, I left the office a few hours early and headed home the 22 miles to Twickenham from Rickmansworth, round the maginificent M25 from J17 and its roadworks and then exiting onto J15 the M4.

Arrived home, no keys and an image of them sitting on the left of my desk.

Spent a few pleasant minutes chatting to the builders working on my house, followed by the next door neighbour and then phoned the office to verify that I had in fact left them on my desk.

And then, at almost 4 pm on a Friday evening, in the most congested part of London I got back into the car and joined the early getaway Friday rush hour and headed out of town again with everyone else.

Slow on the M4, big 6 mile queue of slow moving traffic going into the roadworks on the M25 and almost an hour spent to complete a normal 30 minute commute.

Arrived into the office in shorts and shades with a big grin on my face, retrieved my keys and happily went back out into the full on Friday rush hour.

Got home after a total of 2 hours to find the wife had arrived shortly after I'd left and of course we do have a spare set as well, so I wouldn't have been inconvenienced over the weekend.

The act of voluntarily spending a fine Friday afternoon in London rush hour traffic, is madness for the driver of any other vehicle, but for a Phaeton owner it's just another excuse to get back into the car and enjoy life. :D

Great post ...