New Car Overview of the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton Full-Size Luxury Sedan

Description: Full-Size Luxury Sedan
Base MSRP Range: $66,950 - $96,100
Invoice Price Range: $61,423 - $88,051
Where built: Germany

The full-size Volkswagen sedan amounts to an ultra-premium limousine on a stretched wheelbase with luxury gear aboard. VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive (AWD) system is standard, along with an air suspension, xenon high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights, an automatic interior climate system with four-zone temperature controls, plus a deluxe digital audio system with 12 speakers scattered around a leather-lined cabin.

Phaeton brings two powertrain options as model nomenclature follows engine patterns -- Phaeton V8 and Phaeton W12. Phaeton V8 contains a 4.2-liter V8 producing 335-hp and connecting to a 6-speed automatic with Tiptronic clutch-less shifter. Phaeton W12 carries VW's W-shaped 12-cylinder engine at 6.0-liters for 420-hp through a 5-speed Tiptronic automatic.

The car has OnStar telecommunications with an infotainment center and seven-inch color screen in the dash serving as CD switcher, navigation system, trip computer and interior climate controller. Other standards range from heated washer nozzles for the windshield to entry-exit lamps on all doors, a big sunroof and a trunk lid that closes with the push of a button. For 2005, there are cabin hardwood trim upgrades for Phaeton V8 in myrtle and walnut, plus active cruise control (ACC) and new 'Soft Close' doors.