Running costs?

[jedi007]

Anyone got the diesel Phaeton?
What are the day to day running costs?

[MadMacStew]

Depends what you mean! Fuel is 25-35 mpg, depending on the length and speed of your journey, but then there's depreciation..........

[TSAY]

Depends what you mean! Fuel is 25-35 mpg, depending on the length and speed of your journey, but then there's depreciation..........

Don't think about the depreciation....I'm already thinking I'll keep mine for 5 years rather than the normal 3. I got 25% off list at the time and thought it was a good deal, to find it then dropped another 10k effectively within the next few months.

But the smile on the face is well worth it. :-) Simply the best car I've had and the best main stream vehicle I've had the pleasure to drive - that includes S Class Mercs and 7 Series BMWs.

I've had over 40 mpg a couple of times on a run and first set of tyres on the front needed doing at 20k. Rears are OK and a good 6-7k left on them I reckon which is strange for a Torsen 4WD as expected to have to change all 4 at the same time. But put it down to the tempatation to put it into Sports mode and sports suspension and chucking it into corners harder than I should ;-) It's amazing how the most sublime of cruisers then changes into a snarling aggressive beast!

VW wanted to charge £440 for the 2 front tyres fully fitted when it was in for the service (19,500 miles from new to first service!). Mobile tyre fitter did it for £284 all in for the same exact tyres and the added luxury of coming straight to my front door.

Annual Road tax is a killer though, but insurance on the 3.0 TDI is cheap.

Anyhow, not much chatter on this forum as most of the UK owners on the VWVortex forums where the yanks on there are actually quite nice and a sound body of UK owners exchanging tips and information.

Tim

[MadMacStew]

I'm not too worried about 'The Depreciator' on a personal basis, as I bought mine at less than 2 years old with 24k on the clock, for less than £16k - now that's what I call a bargain! Used to be the official car of the vice-chancellor of Leeds University, so kept nicely polished and likely not thrashed, and I agree that it's the overall best car I've ever had by quite a margin. Front tyres have lasted to 28k miles, I'm also surprised by the front/rear balance as the rears look to have another 10k in them - but I'm not complaining! Thanks for the tip re the other forum - I'll wander over and have a look.

[Leoflavio]

I had my 3.0 diesel since July 2007 and have just nudged over 110000 miles in those 2 years (I drive for a living).

Overall, my views of the car are as follows (including whats been done):
1) Still love getting behind that wheel everyday.
2) While she is quite thirsty compared to a 7 Series or the S-Class, its not horrendous.
3) The front tyres wear out at about twice the rate of the rears (and getting the front alignment sorted out is a nighmare to get right in terms of tyre wear - every tyre change we try something new)
4) Replacing brakes is a very expensive business (Front discs and pads and rear pads done at about 60000 - now due for all round discs and pads)
5) Gearbox suddenly a bit notchy with change downs from 3rd to 1st when coming to a stop
6) Had an airmass sensor replaced a while ago - effectively its like trying to drive 2.5 tons of car without a turbo - 0 to 60 in 12minutes - that sort of thing
7) Exhaust workshop light keeps coming up - had the relevant sensor replaced but still back on again.
8) Drivers window developed a strange jam this morning - deff needs to go in and be sorted - nearside passenger rear window gets stuck about halfway up every now and then.
9) The passenger side wooden airflow cover (the bit that rolls back into the dash) is permanently down now and will require fixing.
10) Drivers floor mat has worn through from the heel of my shoe.
11) Little bits of corrosion on both front doors have appeared recently.
12) Full VW service history to date.
13) Sometimes at start up horrible diesel clatter that kicks in - I am assured this is ok (I'm not so sure as its not always there and its a really mean clatter at times, but it settles down soon enough)

Overall, I haven't had much go wrong with the car at all. I am less than impressed with the slightly 'couldn't really be bothered attitude' that seems to affect many VW service personal.

The real fear now comes that the car is out of warranty (yes, I have an extended one), but its a graded thing and pretty soon I'll be completely cover free. I've been known to wake up in a nightmarish sweat, only to console myself that its was just a bad dream and I don't in fact have a HUGE repair bill hanging over my head like the Sword of Damocles.

Whilst the Phaeton is an awesome car, its a very expensive car to run.

[pscocoa]

First post for me on this forum - but well used to other forums and always a source of assistance.

I am thinking of a Sept 09 reg Phaeton 3.0L diesel. It has some extras and is offered at £30k (about £19k of list plus cost of extras). There seem to be quite a few disatisfed posts from a couple of years ago on this forum. Wonder if there are just too many features on this car to avoid big bills after 3 years.


Should I go for it or keep away? Am I likely to be any better off with an A8?

[MadMacStew]

I am thinking of a Sept 09 reg Phaeton 3.0L diesel. It has some extras and is offered at £30k (about £19k of list plus cost of extras). There seem to be quite a few disatisfed posts from a couple of years ago on this forum. Wonder if there are just too many features on this car to avoid big bills after 3 years.


Should I go for it or keep away? Am I likely to be any better off with an A8?

The A8 is a fine vehicle, and similar in many ways, but while the running costs will be similar to a Phaeton, the purchase price will be much higher (although the depreciation will be lower), and you lack that air of exlusivity you get with the Phaeton. I couldn't in fairness knock either choice, you buy them for different reasons - and the 'big bills' spectre applies equally to both cars once out of warranty.

[pscocoa]

Thanks - I had a good look around the A8 on the weekend but decided on a new Phaeton at the right price which will be delivered next March. As you say it is a balance of things in coming to a decision.

The garage sold the one they were talking to me about at £30k last week to someone else and got £36k apparently. I did not buy the new one via them as they were less than straightforward having greed to ring me on Monday to progress. Every cloud has silver lining I suppose.

The A8 would have cost me £10k more with 10000 miles. Salesman spent more time slagging off VW badge than difference in features.

I take your point on running costs and will try and 4th and 5th year warranty I think.

[Leoflavio]

As a current Phaeton driver, these are my views on the car and the support system in place to service both it and you as the owner.
The car itself – marvellous. Still can’t wipe the smile off my face every time I get into her, despite it now being nearly 2 and a half years since new.
Would I buy another one? NO!
Here’s why! The car, taken in complete isolation from the rest of life, is truly a wonder, a complicated expensive wonder, but one that I think might be worth living with. BUT, I still wouldn’t replace her with another one because VW don’t seem to know what they want to do with her.
Granted, the car was conceived as a vanity project, and one that was designed to showcase VW’s growing confidence and prowess in the market place (along with the Veyron etc), but the good Doctor is no longer in day to day charge of the VAG group and his successor, no doubt, has commercial considerations to think about.
I think it’s safe to say that the Phaeton, despite being an awesome car, has NOT transformed the face of luxury travel. All the little things that made Phaeton ownership a worthwhile prospect seems to have slowly been eroded away. No more the idea of having the dealership treat your car with preference. In fact, you’ll be treated no different to the bloke that pulls up in his Fox, which is fine from an egalitarian view, but not so cool when you are paying over the odds for the service.
The glass factory, where all Phaetons are born, cost a few Euro’s, and I suspect that the costing out was done in anticipation of droves of people giving up their desire for a 3 pointed stars to take on the new WunderAuto – didn’t happen did it. In fact, Phaeton’s continue to be heavily subsidised by Germany in order to move units – further destroying the precarious resale value even further.
Dealerships have very little experience of dealing with a Phaeton, and despite much of the technologies being spread across the VAG group now, the technicians remain exactly that – at a complete loss if the computer says no.
God forbid you have an entanglement with a dealer and need to contact VW UK itself to come to your aid – there are more user friendly bureaucrats in 3rd world dictatorships (perhaps a little strong there, but I am still smarting from my last foray)
There are other Marques in the group that fulfil the status thing very well. Audi don’t do a bad job of it, though they seem to be focusing elsewhere apart from the A8. Bentley is looking good. I even hear that Porsche might finally be getting grafted into the fold (though more serious petrol heads could correct me on that I’m sure).
VW don’t seem to know what they are going to do with their lovely stepchild. She held so much promise at first, but seemed to end up as the Beta version of her more glamorous cousin, the Bentley. Attracted the suitors with gasps of wonderment, but they ended up falling for the poise and sophistication of heritage and bloodline in the end.
So, the Phaeton was invited to the ball, but was forced to leave before midnight, in case the changing face of luxury motoring and technological advancement, made a fuel heavy, multi-ton glamour puss, turn back into a mothballed vanity project.
Who knows? Perhaps she’s left a glass slipper behind for a prince to find, but we’ll just have to wait and see how close to real life fairy tales can be!

[pscocoa]

The last post was really good. I am intrigued by the whole Phaeton thing - my interest did not start off like that but it is quite different now.

Despite all the depreciation issues for me it is a car I want to own and providing the VW dealer does not abscond with my deposit then next March I indeed will be an owner.

My intention is to keep the car for at least 5 years - I have my current car for 7 - it still drives amd looks great with 90000 miles on clock and I will keep it even beyond next March.

[Leoflavio]

The last post was really good. I am intrigued by the whole Phaeton thing - my interest did not start off like that but it is quite different now.

Despite all the depreciation issues for me it is a car I want to own and providing the VW dealer does not abscond with my deposit then next March I indeed will be an owner.

My intention is to keep the car for at least 5 years - I have my current car for 7 - it still drives amd looks great with 90000 miles on clock and I will keep it even beyond next March.

I have absolutely no doubt that you'll be beaming from ear to ear with your purchase - when she arrives next year. Like I said before, the car itself is awesome., but the backup for that car is somewhat iffy.
I am in much better spirits now that I have found a sound independant service agent (namely Inde-tec - based in Milton Keynes) as they have a wide area of expertise across the brands of VAG and CAN actually look after a car.
I'd urge you to consider doing likewise as your warranty will remain intact, BUT you'll get the extra piece of mind that real pro's bring to the ownership experience - not some bunch of computer says techies.

BTW: 90 000 miles is barely able to even make a dent in the Phaeton - mine has done loads more and she's swallowed up the miles easily enough (apart from the terrible service experience I've had at VW's dealers hands - and the long frustrations to get them to actually sort anything out - if ever) Inde-tec couldn't come more highly recommended from me - even if I make a 120 mile round trip to get my car to and from them - well worth the extra hassle and a pleasure to have an excuse to drive the car anyway.

[jbwn]

As a current Phaeton driver, these are my views on the car and the support system in place to service both it and you as the owner.
The car itself – marvellous. Still can’t wipe the smile off my face every time I get into her, despite it now being nearly 2 and a half years since new.
Would I buy another one? NO!
Here’s why! The car, taken in complete isolation from the rest of life, is truly a wonder, a complicated expensive wonder, but one that I think might be worth living with. BUT, I still wouldn’t replace her with another one because VW don’t seem to know what they want to do with her.
Granted, the car was conceived as a vanity project, and one that was designed to showcase VW’s growing confidence and prowess in the market place (along with the Veyron etc), but the good Doctor is no longer in day to day charge of the VAG group and his successor, no doubt, has commercial considerations to think about.
I think it’s safe to say that the Phaeton, despite being an awesome car, has NOT transformed the face of luxury travel. All the little things that made Phaeton ownership a worthwhile prospect seems to have slowly been eroded away. No more the idea of having the dealership treat your car with preference. In fact, you’ll be treated no different to the bloke that pulls up in his Fox, which is fine from an egalitarian view, but not so cool when you are paying over the odds for the service.
The glass factory, where all Phaetons are born, cost a few Euro’s, and I suspect that the costing out was done in anticipation of droves of people giving up their desire for a 3 pointed stars to take on the new WunderAuto – didn’t happen did it. In fact, Phaeton’s continue to be heavily subsidised by Germany in order to move units – further destroying the precarious resale value even further.
Dealerships have very little experience of dealing with a Phaeton, and despite much of the technologies being spread across the VAG group now, the technicians remain exactly that – at a complete loss if the computer says no.
God forbid you have an entanglement with a dealer and need to contact VW UK itself to come to your aid – there are more user friendly bureaucrats in 3rd world dictatorships (perhaps a little strong there, but I am still smarting from my last foray)
There are other Marques in the group that fulfil the status thing very well. Audi don’t do a bad job of it, though they seem to be focusing elsewhere apart from the A8. Bentley is looking good. I even hear that Porsche might finally be getting grafted into the fold (though more serious petrol heads could correct me on that I’m sure).
VW don’t seem to know what they are going to do with their lovely stepchild. She held so much promise at first, but seemed to end up as the Beta version of her more glamorous cousin, the Bentley. Attracted the suitors with gasps of wonderment, but they ended up falling for the poise and sophistication of heritage and bloodline in the end.
So, the Phaeton was invited to the ball, but was forced to leave before midnight, in case the changing face of luxury motoring and technological advancement, made a fuel heavy, multi-ton glamour puss, turn back into a mothballed vanity project.
Who knows? Perhaps she’s left a glass slipper behind for a prince to find, but we’ll just have to wait and see how close to real life fairy tales can be!

Amen to that

[feared]

A side note, does anyone know of any Phaetons that are breaking, or where to get used spares? I need a few parts.