2004 Volkswagen Phaeton Black Piano Klavierlak / Sonnen Beige on 2040-cars

Year:2004 Mileage:116577

Location:

Wilmington, North Carolina, United States

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For your consideration is an immaculate 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 edition.

Click on the link below for a walk around tour on youtube.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w87zTF8TL-0

Below is an Edmunds.com review and road test that is worth reading and may answer the many questions I get about this car. Thanks for looking and happy bidding.

Sitting behind the wheel of the top-of-the-line W12 model, you would be hard-pressed to cite any reason why the Phaeton isn't as overtly decadent as its competitors. From the elegant gauges to the perfectly polished wood trim, this is a car that oozes class from every seam and stitch. And it should, considering its six-figure price tag, one that puts it into an exclusive but hardly vacant class of premium luxury sedans. For those who cringe at the thought of spending that much on a car, the eight-cylinder base model starts at a more reasonable $64,000 and still includes many of the 12-cylinder's luxurious appointments.

The peculiar "W12" name of the top-shelf Phaeton comes from its unusual engine design. Unlike a typical V12 that places its cylinders in one neat V-shaped row, the Phaeton's power plant meshes together two V6 engines in such a way that it resembles a shape more like a "W." The result is a more compact overall size despite the engine's substantial 6.0 liters of displacement.

Developing 420 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, the Phaeton's W12 delivers the kind of irresistible force necessary to get the nearly 5,400-pound sedan up to speed in a hurry. Our test numbers indicated that its quickest sprint from zero to 60 mph took just 6.4 seconds, a respectable number for any sedan let alone one that weighs as much as the Phaeton. Like most 12-cylinder engines, the W12 produces its enormous thrust in a graceful and muted manner that belies its prodigious output. It's not the kind of engine that you lay into just to hear the exhaust roar and watch the gauges swing, but it's always there with plenty of torque on tap to give the Phaeton a feeling of quickness that can be equally amusing.

Assuring that all of the available power gets to the ground in an efficient manner is a standard 4Motion all-wheel-drive system coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission. In dry conditions, the 4Motion system splits the power equally between the front and rear wheels, but if it detects any loss of traction, it can reroute power to the wheels that still have grip. The Phaeton's five-speed automatic is a traditional gearbox that also offers a manual shift gate should you care to select the gears yourself.

Unlike some all-wheel-drive systems that tend to bind up when turning on dry surfaces, Volkswagen has refined 4Motion to the point of complete obscurity. Get into some slippery conditions and it will no doubt come to the rescue, but during most normal driving conditions, you hardly know it's there. Unfortunately, such a discreet presence is not maintained by the automatic transmission, as it's often conspicuously derelict in its duties. All too often a punch of the accelerator is greeted with confusion from the transmission as it struggles to find the right gear. Even with the near limitless torque from the 12-cylinder engine, the Phaeton can feel clumsy at times due to the transmission's inability to make up its mind in a timely fashion.

You would think that any clumsiness would result from the vehicle's massive size and substantial weight, but the Phaeton's sophisticated suspension setup is able to keep the big sedan well in check when you toss it around a bend. Adjustable to one of four settings, the adaptive air suspension goes from pillow soft to noticeably firm in an instant. At its softest, the Phaeton glides along with the kind of unflappable stability you would expect in an autobahn-bred luxury sedan. Cranked up to maximum firmness, the suspension delivers a more direct feel for the road below, although calling it harsh would be an overstatement.

As adaptable as the suspension is, however, there's no denying that the Phaeton prefers a more sedentary lifestyle than one filled with back road shortcuts. It may be predictable and stable, but it never shakes the elephant-on-a-toothpick feel that keeps it from coming across as nimble. Part of the problem is the steering as it tends to feel a bit feathery even when you're going hard, but the undeniable chief culprit is weight. With well over two and a half tons to throw around, the Phaeton has a tough time duplicating the dexterity of its rivals, most of which weigh 600-1,000 pounds less. Fortunately, the Phaeton's brakes feel well up to the task of dragging the hulking mass to a stop, as the sedan was able to stop from 60 mph in a respectable 130 feet.

The Phaeton's poor imitation of a sport sedan shouldn't come as much of a surprise. It may have an exotic engine, all-wheel drive and a computer-controlled suspension, but its ultimate goal is sumptuous luxury, not overwhelming athleticism. Nowhere is that objective more apparent than within the confines of the Phaeton's lavish interior, as no expense was spared in its attempt to compete with the finest sedans in the world.

Given the fact that Volkswagen's entry-level cars have a reputation for upscale cabin designs, the Phaeton's plush interior is almost a given. Unlike some of its competitors, the Phaeton's cabin manages to offer all the latest electronic features without resorting to an overly complex or distracting design. The classically styled gauges look proper for a car in this class, while the rest of the dashboard remains relatively free from clutter. The center stack control center has its share of gadgets, but once you become familiar with its topography, the controls seem logically arranged.

While both Phaeton models come standard with an 18-way power-adjustable driver seat and a 16-way adjustable front-passenger seat, the W12 one-ups the base model with driver and front-passenger seats that also include multilevel ventilation and massage functions. Each of the sculpted rear seats can be equipped with similar climate control functions, but their range of adjustment is limited to a 10-way system. Further comfort is provided through a four-zone climate control system that allows varying degrees of temperature for each of the four seating positions. Despite a wheelbase that's several inches shorter than a Mercedes S-Class, the Phaeton offers more legroom front and rear than both its Mercedes and BMW rivals.

You don't have to compare the numbers to get a sense of the Phaeton's spacious accommodations. Even with the driver seat adjusted for an over-six-foot pilot, the rear seat still yields more than enough room for a tall passenger to stretch out comfortably. Up front, the nearly infinite array of adjustments for the front seats makes getting comfortable a simple matter of taking the time to find just the right setting an then saving it into one of the three memory presets. Visibility is good in nearly all directions, although the slim rear window cuts down on rearward visibility somewhat. Optional front and rear parking sensors assure worry-free parallel parking.

The Phaeton's cabin displays flawless build quality and materials indicative of its price. Pushing and tugging on the various dash and door panels reveals construction so solid you would need a well-placed crowbar to budge them. The standard walnut wood trim has perfectly matched grains and a rich finish that adds some polish to the interior without looking overdone. For those who prefer a more personalized look, Volkswagen offers three additional choices of wood trim and five different interior colors.

Other than choosing your preferred interior colors and trim, there are few options as the standard features list is extensive. In addition to the previously mentioned items, the Phaeton also comes standard with a 270-watt audio system, OnStar emergency assistance, xenon headlights, rear sunshades and a CD-based navigation system among others. It's an impressive list, but the Phaeton is missing a few key features that its competitors have already embraced, such as adaptive cruise control, an up-to-date DVD-based navigation system and a keyless ignition system. If you have to have the latest gadgets, the Phaeton will disappoint.

The absence of perfection extends to the execution of the interior as well, as there are some elements that prove annoyingly out of place. Although the vast majority of the hardware looks and feels top-notch, a few choice control buttons feel flimsy and look less than substantial. The window switches for the driver are buried so far down in the door that even the tallest drivers are left stretching to work them. The shifter handle also showed signs of looseness that was hardly pleasing, given its role as the most direct link between driver and drivetrain. The motorized vent covers are a neat trick, but should a fuse blow on a hot day with the covers in place, the novelty of the system will wear off quickly.

Dissecting the Phaeton's minor flaws may seem like a concerted attempt to discredit its luxury pedigree, but when it comes to cars of the Phaeton's caliber, nitpicking is pretty much all that's left to do. Like every other $100,000 luxo-cruiser on the market, the Phaeton W12 delivers heaping amounts of power, faultless construction and enough luxury amenities to keep four passengers content even on the longest of trips. There's a reason it costs as much as it does, and those with the means to buy it aren't likely to be disappointed.

Volkswagen Phaeton for Sale

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