$10,000 off and other ways to get people to buy a VW Phaeton
When I saw this story about what lengths VW is going through to sell their luxury Phaeton I was not surprised. Actually I was a little shocked that they hadn't tried this sooner. Through September only 1,128 Phaeton's were sold in the U.S. VW was hoping for 5,000. The company also sent out offers for a 48 hour test drive to owners of other luxury brands like BMW and Jaguar. One dealer was just happy to get rid of a 12-cylinder Phaeton after it languished in his showroom for eight, yes eight, months. I "boldly" predict the Phaeton will not make it back for another go after 2005. If it does come back I'd bet on seeing a lower priced version.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Chen 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I think VW should have priced it lower in the first place- its a great car, just too expensive.
Reply
bob R 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
expensive: VW can't make cheap cars since thier cars are made in europe then shipped to america.
but they should give the vw buyer more for the money. use the v10 diesel and "vw 12" a v12 in the phaeton, put these engines in more vehicles or even better ones with a price tag under 50,000.
i'm sure someone would buy a passat with 500 hp.
Reply
David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
the W8 Passat didn't sell very well.
Lots of VWs are made in Mexico and still cost a lot more then the Japanese competition made in America.
No one mentions though that the top Touareg or however its spelled costs almost as much as a base Phaeton and is selling ok.
The Phaeton was a boring design, larger passat, and didn't show off any luxury to the common eye. If you had $55K or $98 for the W12 would you stick with a VW or maybe a nice Jaguar S-Type R on the low end or new Mercedes CLS 500 on the high?
Reply
nick t. 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
It was utterly rediculous to think that Volkswagen could pull off selling a car of this magnitude and price. It was the dilusional dream of the former chairman and current Board chief Peich. Never had a chance in this country. If VW were truelly serious about moving upscale, it would take at least a generation for the image of VW as a low cost brand to wane. But, thankfully, they may have learned a hard lesson about one man's ego, as well as marketing.
Reply
Fabulo 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Maybe they should bump up the marketing like those Chevy and Ford dealers (see yesterday's entries) Buy a Fantom and get a Golf GTI free!
Heck, VW are still more expensive than Japanese cars made in Japan (and Japanese workers don't work fro cheap) VW has the "tradition" to offer expensive cars. Kinda like Apple. But unlike Apple, there are plenty of compelling offers from competitors.
Just buy a Mazda or a Subaru. I would even get a Chevy before a VW.
Reply
rob rudorf 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
i saw a 12 cylinder phaeton with the piano black finish. i thought it was stunning. i did not understand why vw would compete directly with audi. an A8 is 1000 pounds lighter because of its aluminum construction. 1000 lbs! why couldn't vw move upmarket slower?
Reply
USA Chess Sets 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I'm intending to buy a Phaeton. It doesn't matter that the brand isn't a lux one like Merc or BMW, the car is superb and therefore has another highly desirable attraction - it is understated.
Reply