I'm considering my next car purchase, but I'm torn between the 3 above. I like all of them. I want a petrol, and I'm leaning towards the A8 as it is a nicer shape and has lots of toys.

I like the BMW but it has that badge,

I love the phaeton, but against an A8 it dosen't look as sleek or have as many toys..

I'm looking at 2004ish age wise and a budget of 12k.

Any thoughts?

Chris

I would have the VW , were well expensive new . I thought the Phaeton was loaded or are you going for a poverty spec.

I agree with Phaeton, its more exclusive than an A8. It should come fully loaded if you go for the top spec. Cant go wrong. However, the Bmw and Audi offer a better drive.

Think the Phaeton is a great car, engineered well and is lovely to drive .... but is let down by it's looks.

I'd go for the Audi myself.

just watch the gearbox on the phaeton prone to fail (auto)

I'd go for the A8. Muchos loveliness inside. The 7 looks to have been bestowed with jam jar spectacles. Phaeton is rare as hens teefs but still looks like a genetically modified passat.

Or what about a Jag XJR supercharged?

I have spent the weekend looking around. Looked at a Phaeton, but then saw 3 in quick succession on the road! I think its lovely, but they are heavy and therefore economy suffers as does performance. The Audi is beautiful, lively and the economy is better than the Phaeton. The 7 is also nice, but the badge puts me off.

I think I'm going to hold off for a bit longer as I'm leaning towards an A8. The 3.0 is underpowered and the 4.2's are expensive for the mileages. I would love a 6.0 V12 LWB but I think the insurance company might have a fit lol!!

Loads on Autotrader.

Hadnt realised how much motor you can get for little money(by comparison)!

Clicky<

Cant believe mileage!!

A8 gets my vote or the BM......

A8 gets my vote or the BM......

+ 1 for the A8, or better still . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . an S8 :yes:

I do like the Phaeton and it is very good but for me the A8 ticks all the boxes.

Many insurance companies won't touch the aluminium Audi, which would cover the A2 and the A8.

As for your badge comment, have you not seen recent episodes of top gear? Cocks now all drive an Audi.

I think you're best of looking at your budget and finding out which will give you what you want for the best price, taking further depreciation in and leave you money for repair bills.

It's obviously also worth looking at reliability.

The Phaetons aren't as good or reliable as other VW's, hence the dramatic drop in values. The Audi gets my vote.

How about something a little older with a few ££££ left over?

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1789084.htm

7 for me.

Alu body puts me off the A8.

Do you actually need something this size or is it the 'just because' reasoning? I'd look at a well-specced XF or A6 myself. Depends what your actual requirements/objectives are with the purchase though I suppose...

The Phaetons aren't as good or reliable as other VW's, hence the dramatic drop in values. The Audi gets my vote.

Since the normal VW's are (IMHO) hardly an example of reliability these days, that doesn't bode well.

That S600 is nice, but all things considered I'd probably go for a 730d

730d would get my overall vote too. Nabbed one for an M6 trip north a few years ago and it was a superb tool for the trip. Just a damn shame the outside look so damn ugly - especially compared with the relative class of an S or A8.

Audi wins my vote. If you going down petrol route why not get the S8

745i, or even better 760li. different and hellish powerful, comfortable luxurious with the right spec, you'll have more toys than argos!

the vw n audi are very similar. the thing with the vag cars no matter what priced car you have, they share small buttons and switches here n there, and that outs me off big time! e,g there'll b somethin in an s8 that'll be in a skoda octavia 1.6.

7, 7 or 7 :yes:

The A8 looks cracking and a quattro 4.2 would be nice, but it wouldn't drive as nicely as the 7 (except for 1 tiny wee bit of the driving experience, accelerating out of a corner, for everything else the 7 has the A8 licked).

The Phaeton's only attractive in w12 form, the rest are just "why bother"

E65 7 (facelift was 2004) with all the toys == life long love.

730d's the default choice for most, it's got the torque the economy and still has plenty pace.

If you're flush or this is a second car, you'd be doing yourself a dis service to choose anything other than a 750 or 760 :yes:

do they do a new 750 in e65 form? thought it was 730d, 735i, 745(l)i, 760li?

either way your totallt right mute!

the a8 you want the w12 engine in too...