I have been looking at getting a VW Phaeton W12 what are /r/autos thoughts on this car in regards to maintenance costs?

Posted by HanSolo71@reddit | Autos | View on Reddit | 6 comments

I am 23 years old and looking getting it for around $14K.

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6 Comments

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MotorboatingSofaB@reddit

First off, I love the phaeton. Amazing machines with technology that rivals cars 2x it's price. Now with that being said, it is a VW and maintenance costs will not be cheap. Are you getting it with a warranty? If no, then plan on spending close to sticker price within 2-3 years from things breaking.

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rmccl54@reddit

One should not compare the Phaeton to other VW's. It's a slightly austere Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Nonetheless, it can be expensive. I bought an 04 v8 a couple of months ago with about 85k miles. It is like nothing I have ever owned and after fixing a couple of things, fuses, rear tailight which I bought from salvage and <half dealer price, it is 100% fabulous. If you are somewhat deft with mechanical things and can figure out stuff, then you are capable of keeping the costs under control, mostly. But check out the Phaeton forum at vwvortex for more detail.

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Ok-Volume3798@reddit

Just came across this thread 13y later while I'm looking at an ad for a seemingly very-well kept V8 04 Phaeton. How was your experience with the car long-term?

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rmccl54@reddit

Sorry for the late reply. I still have it and intend to keep it. Of course at over 70 I don't drive a lot of miles. I have the P and an '09 135i 6 spd so I have comfort in the one and fun in the other. The P is a great automobile as F Piech envisioned or perhaps demanded it be. For a person who is good at diagnosing complex issues and mechanically competent it can be very rewarding to own. The phaeton forum at vwvortex is outstanding with regard to the info and help that can be had. New parts are often not available but there tend to be used available from other P's and Bentley's. I've kept mine as well as I can and it is a dream to drive. There has been a couple of issues that have been challenging to solve, esp since the VW dealers are not always helpful so one has to be self reliant, and again the forum is invaluable. I'd say that without the forum I probably could not have kept the car going. I refreshed the front end several years ago and it is still solid as new. High torsional rigidity was one of the things that Piech demanded and that has kept the car rattle free and the quality feel is undiminished. 120k miles and the original fit and finish and the seats are excellent still. The 40 valve audi v8 is smooth and adequately powered even for such a heavy car. So yeah, its a great car, its as challenging as rewarding. Can be expensive. So if one is willing to takes some risks and be careful to buy one in good shape then it may well be worth it.

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AlmostRelevant2@reddit

They are amazing cars. A friend of mine just went through a year's worth of ownership on his V8 model, which you may want to consider instead. He posted a summary of his running costs here: http://hooniverse.com/2012/10/29/a-years-worth-of-vw-phaeton-running-costs/ It really isn't nearly as bad as people give them credit for. Basically, as with any car, keep up on the maintenance religiously and it shouldn't give you many problems. I usually recommend to people when buying a used car; keep a couple thousand available for things that turn up during the first few months of ownership. Make sure to have it inspected before buying by a mechanic of your choosing. Do your research, make sure you know as much about the car as possible, and good luck!

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Ok-Volume3798@reddit

Just came across this thread 13y later while I'm looking at an ad for a seemingly very-well kept V8 04 Phaeton. The thread you linked is long since dead, so how was your experience with the car long-term?