Chipping the 2003 CL600 Bi-Turbo?
07-26-2004, 01:45 PM
#26
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Location: Boston
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SL600, A8L W12, Continental GT, Range Rover SC
Hey, Shoes! ... slightly off-topic, but how’s the Phaeton? My 01 S500 has just recently developed all sorts of problems (brakes, throttle response and a collapsing front ABC strut) so I’m thinking about getting rid of the thing. My thought was to buy a Phaeton W12 – kind of counter-cultural chic – but I have the sedan version of the Bentley GT on order for late next year. I figure if a got a 12-cylinder Phaeton and tried to resell it in 15 months when the Bentley comes in (and they are too similar to keep both) then I’d take a bath on the resale. Did you get the W12? Is it as good as the reviews say? Thanks.
07-27-2004, 12:23 PM
#27
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Mercedes C400, BMW X3
Phaeton
I did get a Phaeton, but I have the V-8. I spent a lot of time with the W12 and did not care for it. The W12 version of this car is tuned for extreme smoothness. You have to drive the two to understand this, since the V8 version is already incredibly smooth. The problem I had with the W12 was that it was so silent, it felt lethargic- remember what your SL600 was like before the Renntech mods? Pretty much the same thing. In the case of the Phaeton, the V8 version makes very nice motor sounds and has a more modern 6 speed transmission that has nice crisp shifts. The W12 is so syrupy that it seems slower. Also, as you point out, the depreciation on these cars is horrible and the W12 is much worse because of the $30K price difference. There is almost no content difference between the V8 and W12.
Autoweek has a comparison of the S class and Phaeton in this week's issue. They give the nod to the Phaeton. The Phaeton is more luxurious, the interior finishing is better and the ride is plush. However, the Phaeton drives like a German Town Car- feels very American at times. It is also very heavy and feels ponderous in the corners. I am uncertain about build quality, since rattles are appearing in the dash and speakers. Also, there seem to be some logic problems with the systems: the keyless go only opens the door, you still need the key to start it; there is no soft close feature on the doors; there is no automatic setting for the headlights; the tilt away feature of the steering column is disabled when you open the door, so you have to wait before exiting the vehicle and only the steering column moves out of the way, the seat does not; the drivers window will automatically lower itself if you try to raise both front windows simultaneously using the one touch feature; and so on.
Good lease deals though. Be sure not to pay a penny more than invoice.
Autoweek has a comparison of the S class and Phaeton in this week's issue. They give the nod to the Phaeton. The Phaeton is more luxurious, the interior finishing is better and the ride is plush. However, the Phaeton drives like a German Town Car- feels very American at times. It is also very heavy and feels ponderous in the corners. I am uncertain about build quality, since rattles are appearing in the dash and speakers. Also, there seem to be some logic problems with the systems: the keyless go only opens the door, you still need the key to start it; there is no soft close feature on the doors; there is no automatic setting for the headlights; the tilt away feature of the steering column is disabled when you open the door, so you have to wait before exiting the vehicle and only the steering column moves out of the way, the seat does not; the drivers window will automatically lower itself if you try to raise both front windows simultaneously using the one touch feature; and so on.
Good lease deals though. Be sure not to pay a penny more than invoice.
