VW Potatons

[cort16]

OMG THIZ THREAD IS JST LIKE PISSTONHEADZ.

 

I'm thinking of not leasing another car and buying a Phaeton to run as my daily driver. I'm thinking it'll be the 3.0 dizzler one. I seem to remember there was either someone on here owns one or knows someone that owns one.  Has anyone is shiteland driven or been in one?

 

I recon they're pretty shite given their horror depreciation and the general publics inability to pick one out from a passat.

 

All I can find on the interwebz is reviews of them when new. What I want to know is will running a 7-8 year old one ruin me as a daily driver.

Does anyone know the mpgs? They say 35 online, which could translate to 4 given how the manufacturs quote the figures.

 

This one's for sale at BCA in Edinburgh next week. It's got a weird plate on it given it's an 07 reg and the advert states

 

 

Dash Warning Light(s) ON - EML

 

There's also no v5

 

http://auctionview1.british-car-auctions.co.uk/Lot/VOLKSWAGEN/PHAETON/V654M/ES02KOP

 

 

 

Cap Value is between 4500 and 5100 trade and 7500 retail although i recon you want to be at the cheaper end given the EML issues.

 

Discuss

[alf892]

I had a A6 in 2.7 (diesel) manual form on a 57 (related?) and that could get 38/40 but that was weekend running about offset with a daily commute of (motorway) 220 miles so 35 probably doable if you keep off the throttle and only drive downhill with a following wind.

 

I only had it about 6 months but never had a problem

[skattrd]

I have no experience of these motors, but if I was going to buy one I'd look for one with decent history and no warning lights on. I expect repair costs could be quite frightening. quickly consuming any money saved on purchased price

[Split_Pin]

Looks like a personalised plate. It also has the 17 inch wheels which will give GR19 ride qualz over bigger rims. 07 might have an OMGDPF inside but not sure. Think they might still have been an option then. I love them and the only VAG car which actually portrays what should be the Groups image.

[Lukas]

It was and is a car for wealthy people, so the reparicosts are like this all it´s life.

 

Avoid the V10 TDI, keep it serviced religiously and look for a complete service-history. Than it should be fine.

[chaseracer]

Avoid the V10 TDI...

 

This being AS, to achieve CHOD_GOD:ASSURED status you must of course do the exact opposite.

[cort16]

For full autoshiteness it'd need to be the pez 6.0 W12

[Spiny Norman]

Personally, when they're down to a grand maybe, but for real money I just couldn't do it.

The idea of spending £3-4k (surely that one is worth no more than that?) on what looks like a big Passat but probably costs 7 series money to run just horrifies me.

 

BMW, Merc, or Jag every time.

[cort16]

Car tax is £465 a year. Ouch.

[cort16]

The 7 series of that generation are horribly complex and just well horrible really, I'd be looking at an old pre 56 plate S-Class, which have the build quality of portable toilet.

The Phaetons are supposed to be built really, really well, which is why I'm interested in them and was wondering if anyones driven one to see if it's all true or just bullshit.

 

I would however have an X350 jag with the 2.7 dizzler in it. Never really thought of that before. To autotrader -->

[EssDeeWon]

Hi Cort for reveiws try Autotrader. Search VW Potatons or whatever your looking for then at top of the page with all the adverts listed there is a link for owners reviews, mainly these are reviews of people who have bought them 2nd hand rather than the dribble you might get from Whatcar or TopGear etc...

[Spiny Norman]

I doubt a Feet-on is any less complicated underneath than a 7 series, and much as I hate the Bangle 7 series at least it looks & drives like a posh car. I've never driven the big VW but given how shit every other VAG offering is to steer I don't imagine they've miraculously struck gold with that one.
Your money, and it IS Autoshite, so you need the biggest engined, most neglected one you can find.

[Owain71]

Fabulous car, drove quite a few of these when I worked for VWUK.

 

I remember driving a 5.0 V10 TDI from Oxford to Norfolk (M40 > M25 > A12) and back one Sunday; with the cruise set at an indicated 80 on the motorway sections, I was amazed to see an overall trip return of 30mpg (and they sound like a yacht burbling at a mooring)

 

The 6.0 W12 petrol was, ahem, somewhat less economical...

 

Fearsomely complex electrics meant gremlins could be a problem - I recall one demo that I'd offered to run in on one of the hottest days of the year suddenly announcing "air conditioning off" via a message on the instrument pod - and it would not let me switch it back on. Cue a swift exit at the next junction of the M40, back to QEK at Upper Heyford to collect my Golf...

 

Also, having had a quick squint on the 'bay, these cars are clearly now falling into the hands of dreamers/optimists who can't afford the garage bills when something goes wrong - which it invariably will.

 

Big cars usually mean big bills, regardless of their age...

[Asimo]

Buy it, lower it, Nitromors the bonnet and run it on four space-saver spare wheels with a pineapple carrier on the roof.

[Spiny Norman]

£3.4k for nice smooth pez V6...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401201168918/sort/default/usedcars/make/volkswagen/postcode/w1a4ww/page/1/model/phaeton/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/price-to/6000/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew?logcode=p

 

Massive diseasel for £5.3k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201312060370633/sort/default/usedcars/make/volkswagen/postcode/w1a4ww/page/1/model/phaeton/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/price-to/6000/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew?logcode=p

 

This is probably the one I'd have. Imagine the clag off that fucker when you boot it away from the lights...

[cort16]

 

these cars are clearly now falling into the hands of dreamers/optimists who can't afford the garage bills when something goes wrong - which it invariably will.

 

HELLO

 

It's the electrical stuff I worry about going wrong. BCA do quite a detailed appraisal now and on another one they have coming up for auction there was quite a lot of warnings against stuff like central locking and various other bits and bobs.

[cort16]

I was just looking at that v10 the big chunks of grassy earth hanging from the front bumpers doesn't bode well.

[Asimo]

I wouldn't bother with one, go for Audi 8 instead, or a Cayenne / Touareg. Same sort of running cost, more car.

 

But wise man says this is not the autoshiters way.

 

This is  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-Y-Cadillac-Seville-4-6-v8-32v-Auto-STS-for-sale-in-AYR-/141186126341?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item20df595205

 

[cort16]

That STS is very local to me. When they sold it on an ebay auction it only got to about 900 quid. The colour is like my wee after 2 days on the piss.

[chaseracer]

DOOOOO EEEEEEET...........

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

wasn't the photon the car vw used as practice for the bentley conti 4dr?

[cort16]

Yes but I'm not sure that's a good thing.

[Cavcraft]

Number plate suggests it was the property of a Liverpool supporter. The EML will be the fault of Man Utd fan, the log book will have been stolen by a Chelsea fan and absolutely nothing whatsoever will be a fault of the car itself.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I've been close to buying one on more than one occasion. The only weak points seem to be usual big VAG auto box and stupid things like the fancy electric opening boot motoring itself through the back window,which would amuse the people in Lid.. I mean Waitrose car park.

As for been simpler than a 7 series or S Class, just the fact they're all 4 wheel drive should mean that's not likely.

Two guys I know that have them swear they're better than the 7 series and Merc competion but that could be a bit of the Skoda effect- you know when the owners are so defensive they can't stop gushing about the fucjkin' things.

The big Passat argument is a valid one and my kids 'you can't be serious, it's a Volkswagen,we'll be bullied at school' did make me wonder about long term residuals. Although they seem to hold money better than Audi A8s or big BMWs,probably because of their rarity.

To sum up, my last three changes of car have seen me look at Phaetons then buy a BMW,Mercedes and currently a Chrysler 300. I think a lot of pele do the same ( ok,not the Chrysler).

[saucedoctor]

My mate's Uncle has a V10 Phat_One, and has owned it for a good few years. I think it shat an o2 sensor at one stage, but that's about it as far as I know. It's a stunning car and sounds like some sort of military vehicle.

[alf892]

And there was me thinking it was just an A6!

 

Sounds like you need to loose our collective virginity on this........do it!

[cort16]

I think I need to find a local one to test drive.

[Owain71]

I've visited the dedicated factory they built for it in Dresden - it's a stunning piece of architecture - they've even hosted operas inside!

 

The line was/is like an operating theatre - brilliant white, clinically clean.

 

Not forgetting that, a few years ago, they were building LHD Bentley Flying Spurs there, too...

[rml2345]

It's the complete lack of proper "luxury car prestige market segment" badge that draws me to the VW Phroton. You'll struggle to find something that does discreet better than one anyway and they were very well made AFAIK. Do it and let us know if it's an untapped gem or a mutt with fleas.

[oman5]

It's on my bucket list of mental big engined shite I want to own when they are cheap enough to throw away when they break (and when I have spare funds)

along with MG zt 260 (although these seem to be heading for immediate cl*ssic status)

Chrysler 300C Hemi

Audi A8 4.2

Vauxhall VXR8

Vauxhall monaro

cadillac sts

 

to be honest I'll probably never have the guts to take any of these on but I can dream.