So why did Volkswagen build the Phaeton in the first place? Because it can and wants the world to know just how capable it is? That's partly true. But I'm still left shaking my head as to why the German automaker didn't stick its billions of development money into making the Audi A8 the world's benchmark luxury sedan - excluding Bentley, Maybach and Rolls-Royce.
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| Whatever the reasoning behind it, Volkswagen has created one of the best sedans in the world. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
You know what? Personally I don't really care why VW built it. Maybe it was a goodwill project for luxury car enthusiasts, or a halo car for showing off Volkswagen's many technologies? If this last one was the company's reasoning it would have done better to build the exotic mid-engine W12 powered Nardo supercar concept. Whatever the reason, Volkswagen has created one of the best sedans the world has ever seen, and in the process changed the minds of those in the know as to just what a modern VW is.
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| Minor issues with the infotainment display, navigation system and HVAC system took away from an almost perfect rating. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
But is it really that perfect? Well not exactly. For instance the infotainment display frapped out on me on one occasion, resulting in digital mayhem. It skewed the image back and forth like a TV screen that wasn't set on its vertical and horizontal hold pattern. Thinking Microsoft I naturally rebooted the entire system by pulling over, turning the car off and then restarting it again, with the almost expected results of a reliable system for the remainder of the week.
Once working the navigation system is about as far away from intuitive as anything I've ever tried. For instance, the one time I actually needed to find an address I couldn't even find the control for inputting the info. Later on my wife tried fiddling with it and couldn't make it work, without reading the manual. Funny, why didn't I think of that?