Been going back and forth...I know what I can buy a Phaeton for but am
unsure about the A8L...with an MSRP of $75K what should I expect to pay..
how much over invoice?

Considering leasing too...best money factor and residual % @ 36 mo 15K...
the A8L is certainly much more the enthusiast's car.

Personally, I'd have a difficult time choosing it over the A8L unless the price difference was much more significant than it appears to be.

go with the A8L.

I would how much you could get the dealer down on a W12 Phaeton. That would be a real alternative to the A8. I would not be surprised if dealers start offering 10K discounts and more by September.

I remember in September or October of 96 I first considered an A8, and one dealer, who had three in stock, was immediately willing to take 10K off MSRP.

Apparently the Phaeton is not selling well, hence high lease
residuals and low money factors..leasing is the only way to go...
it is a nice car and according to posts on the Phaeton forum at
vwvortex.com $500 over invoice is a reality at more than one
dealer...

So what kind of deals have you owners achieved?

guesstimate on the latter was correct. Leasing is my least favorite way to acquire a car. . . hate the fact you are "stuck" with a car for years and they tell you how many miles you can drive.. . years ago the tax benefits of leasing where a plus, but no more. With the Phaeton, it might be the only way to go if they give it away on the top end and you are assured of getting out at the end without writing the big one. Good luck.
FYI the lease residuals that VW offers are way beyond what the car will probably be
worth at termination so in essence they are subsidizing the vehicle cost for those who
choose to lease vs cash. More than likely the real value of the car, at lease end, will
much, much lower than the residual. Most will walk away at termination. Make sure
you are prepared to ride the lease out to the end because if you want to bail early
you will pay the difference on what is owed and true market value. Could be huge $$$$

about $300-$400 per monnth over the A8L assuming the same level of equipment. And more over a BMW & Mercedes.

Yes. VW is subsidizing the Phaeton the same way Audi subsidized the A8 in the past and BMW is subsidizing the 745I today. So! All car companies put out incentives at various times.

Current lease rates for a 36/mo 15K year lease is 60% residual and .00140 money factor.

If your planning to lease then resale should not be an issue.

It includes all maintainence same as the Audi.

I think the Phaeton has the best interior on any car under a $150K. And the base car come standard with more equitpment than the Audi.

Obviously looks are subjective and therefore influences ones decision but you can not go wrong with either car.

If the badge of the car does not matter then you should give a hard look at the Phaeton.

If you're near So. Cal and want a Phaeton drop me an email and I'll set you up with my VW sales manager. Or I can guide you to a Audi guy.

If you have the chance to drive both cars back to back I think you'll find that the Phaeton has a much smoother feel to it. The extra weight of the Phaeton probably ads to this feel.

The Audi will feel more agile because it is lighter.

You really can't go wrong with either car.

The Audi World forum is a lot more active than the Vortex Forum for the obvious resason that the A8 has been around longer and therefore you get better input and feedback.

Good luck in your decision.

rmg

Drove both cars yesterday....the Audi is definitely tighter.
I like the looks of the Audi and the ride height is appreciably lower and more road hugging. The monthly
lease difference (Phaeton $72K MSRP-Audi $75.4K MSRP) is
about $160 month.......Thanks for the info!