Unlike
conventional wisdom about when to avoid playing the stock market, you might consider
buying your Volkswagen Phaeton luxury sedan on a Friday. The full-size, all-wheel-drive
Phaeton comes loaded with every conceivable amenity, we discovered. So loaded
in fact, that it takes a good weekend read of the manual just to figure out what's
what. That
was evident on our inaugural drive in the highly accessorized V-8 version with
a sticker-shock price of about $72,000. In still novice state, we had stopped
to watch summer fireworks in leather-seated comfort, with balmy breezes and explosive
thunderclaps flowing through open windows and sunroof. That's when a bevy of automatic
functions unexpectedly came to life: Piercingly bright, high-intensity xenon
headlamps (with washers); a lengthy, booming audio OnStar welcome apparently launched
through the multi-level, day-lit navigation system; a full-blast air conditioning
fan that defied an uneducated shut-off; and a blaring, motion-activated intruder
alarm as a garnish. Such
a casual dalliance probably isn't what VW had in mind for its new flagship, which
is hand-assembled in a glass-walled, maple-floored sanctum in Germany by workers
in white jumpsuits. We assume VW, keening for super luxury status that defies
anything mundane, invented its long-bodied road cruiser for more stellar pursuits. Here's
a rolling definition of sumptuous-within-reach, from a 200-mph speedometer and
startling supply of torque to send 17- or 18-inch wheels surging with the slightest
tap on the accelerator, to a decadent palate heaped with pampering touches. Among
them are auto retracting, mahogany-toned wooden air vent doors, four separate
comfort zones, an optional cigarette lighter-charging mini flashlight for those
who eschew smoking; side and rear sunshades; and rear foot bolsters. Safety gets
serious as well, with curtain airbags, the tops in anti-skid technology, tire
pressure monitor and adjustable air suspension to keep them performing at their
peak. (Upcoming '05s will add advanced airbags, active cruise control, by next
May, and cell phone preparation.) During
testing, we missed out on the tantalizing 420-hp, 6-liter W-12 power through a
fluke, but assume it just makes the experience even sweeter than our nimble and
powerful 335-hp, 4.2-liter V-8. We'll just imagine its punch as we thumb through
our weekend reading (with white gloves, perhaps), while longing to try it again. |