Used Volkswagen Phaeton Saloon 2003 - 2010 review

Despite what we have said about the Phaeton suffering terrible depreciation, it's not a cheap car to buy. You could argue that it's a bargain, but only next to cars such as the S-Class and 7 Series.

It's a big, heavy car, too, so its fuel economy is pretty frightening. An Audi A8 3.0 TDI quattro returns 32.8mpg, but the heavier Phaeton with essentially the same engine does only 29.4mpg - and it's slower to 60mph. Diesel S-Classes and 7 Series don't have four-wheel drive, and are even more frugal, and it's same story with other engines - the VW is almost always thirstier.

At least it can recoup some of that extra cost with lower insurance groupings and cheaper maintenance: most Phaetons are in group 45, while servicing on a VW is much less than on a Mercedes.