2004 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 Published 07/08/2004

What would a hundred thousand dollar Volkswagen look like?

Well the answer is that it looks a lot like a thirty five thousand dollar Passat.

Recently I spent a week with the ultimate Volkswagen, the 2004 Phaeton W12, with the "four-seater" option. While the VW "Bug" was known as "the people's car" this Phaeton should be known as "the rich people's car."

And just how rich do you have to be to own a 12 cylinder 420 horsepower Volkswagen Phaeton? You have to be so rich that you are no longer trying to impress anyone. You must value performance and luxury, but if you still have the desire to "show off" your wealth, then you are simply not rich enough to drive a Phaeton.

The Phaeton is a beautiful vehicle designed in classic elegance, but arriving in a Volkswagen will not evoke passionate feelings or jealous stares from onlookers. In fact as I drove the new 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 around town this week, few registered any acknowledgment of the luxury hidden behind the hideous VW emblem desecrating both the front and back of this otherwise truly magnificent vehicle. It is one thing to be unpretentious but it is quite another to deliberately sully artistically clean lines with the crass commercialism of huge unsightly VW badges.

Competing with the ultimate flagships of both BMW and Mercedes Benz, the 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton W-12 is unique as an all wheel drive luxury vehicle capable of effortlessly climbing from a dead stop to sixty miles per hour in less than six seconds. The advanced 6.0 liter engine stacking 12 cylinders in a "W" configuration produces 420 horsepower and 406 lbs -ft of torque. Acceleration is most impressive when moving this 5,400-pound sedan from fifty-five to one hundred miles per hour without a second thought. Where is the autobahn when I really need it?

The Volkswagen Phaeton will share much of its heritage with the upcoming Audi A8 and there is a strong family resemblance to the Bentley Continental GT. The Bentley however, coaxed 551 horsepower out of the W12 engine by adding twin turbochargers. In addition to Audi and Bentley, Volkswagen AG also owns Lamborghini so luxury performance is not foreign to Volkswagen.

Interior quality is absolutely superb with attention to pampering occupants rather than trying to impress with cutting edge technology. It is fascinating to see the genuine walnut trim automatically move to cover the dash mounted ventilation vents as the car is turned off or the passenger requests. Our car was equipped with the "four-seater" package adding 10 way adjustable heated, cooled rear seats complete with massage for the weary passenger. Four-zone climate control is truly complete as each passenger can adjust each vent individually. Rear side privacy curtains and power rear privacy curtain completes the ultimate luxury for the pampered rear seat passenger.

This is a vehicle dedicated to traditional luxury rather than emerging technologies. Navigation system was deficient to those found in newer high end Acura and Lexus vehicles. At this level I expected fully automatic lights, rain sense wipers and even a DVD entertainment system for the rear seat passenger in the "four-seater" package. But the Phaeton seeks to impress with quality, luxury and performance rather than gadgets and status symbols.

One area of ultimate luxury is the ability to adjust the air suspension from a higher to lower ride level. Air shocks are adjustable from a comfort to sport mode all by the touch of a button. Air pressure in all tires including the spare can be read from the ingenious drivers information screen.

I guess I should not expect economy from a 420 horsepower, all wheel drive, 12-cylinder car, but I don't believe I ever achieved the 12/19 MPG the EPA advertised for this car. I know I can't complain but even the Ford Expedition looks like an economy car next to this.

If a $100,000 12-cylinder vehicle is too much, a very nice Phaeton is available for under $70,000. The V-8 version is still all-wheel-drive, and produces 335 horsepower propelling the Phaeton from zero to sixty miles per hour in a very respectable 6.7 seconds.

Either version of the 2004 Volkswagen Phaeton will provide ultimate luxury and performance in a non-pretentious environment. For those wealthy enough to be unpretentious, a Phaeton would be a rich reward. More could be less.

2004_Volkswagon_Phaeton_W12

$99,300 Base MSRP W12
$5,000 4-seater option
$615 Destination
$104,915 includes Gas Guzzler tax

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