NAR Phaeton dealers that we (Phaeton owners) recommend

[PanEuropean]

Hello All:

I am getting kind of concerned about the recent flurry of posts in which new forum members (new Phaeton owners) have told of disappointing dealership experiences when they purchased their Phaeton. I think it would be useful if we who have already purchased Phaetons created a short list of dealerships that we can wholeheartedly recommend to prospective Phaeton owners.

If you have purchased a Phaeton and you had a good experience at your dealership - meaning, you would recommend your dealership to another forum member who is thinking of buying a Phaeton - please post the name and address of the dealership, and the name of the person to contact, as an addition to this thread.

NB: This request for dealership recommendations is made ONLY TO PHAETON OWNERS. I don't care if your brother-in-law is the best Phaeton salesman in the world, if you have not bought or leased a Phaeton yourself, then please don't post to this thread.

Michael

[PanEuropean]

I'll start things off: I purchased my 2004 W12 Phaeton from Volkswagen Richmond Hill, which is a medium sized, family owned VW dealer located on Yonge Street, just a few miles north of Toronto, Canada. I am very happy with all aspects of sales and service at this dealership, the Phaeton is the 8th VW product I have bought from VW Richmond Hill over the last 25 years.

Curtis Wichtler handles Phaeton sales, and Mark Klose is the Phaeton Technician. Both of these folks are excellent people to deal with. The phone number is (416) 889-7701.

Michael

[jmdpjd1]

I purchased my Phaeton V8 at Fairfield VW located just north of Cincinnati OH. The sales staff headed by Stu Willaims and my sales person Dave Lewis have been more than helpful in putting me into a Phaeton. The sales experience was no nonsense and efficient, even the paperwork was completed in a timely manner.

The service department, headed by Will Smith; along with the help of Chris and Matt as service consultants and Bill the Phaeton tech, are top notch. They bend over backwards to make sure that I am satisfied everytime I come in. Bill will discuss my needs directly with me if he has a question as to my wishes.

I would highly recommend this dealership if you are interested in a Phaeton in the midwest. I have purchased four VWs from Dave in the past 3 years; 1.8 Passat,W8 Passat, Touareg V-8 and The Phaeton. Dave can be reached at 513-874-3740.

A big to the staff at Fairfield VW.

[versatec95]

For the San Francisco Bay Area, Bob Lewis Volkswagen of San Jose has my vote. I purchased my Phaeton V8 there during November 2004. Their Phaeton Specialist is Peter Savale; he's very knowledgeable, might I say passionate, about this car, attentive, and above all straightforward. He doesn't extend allusions or promises that cannot be realized in any phase of the transaction.

Truly a rare individual in this business.

Peter Savale
Volkswagen Sales Guild
Bob Lewis Volkswagen
911-A Capitol Expressway
San Jose, California 95136
Tel. (888) 337-7008

[apeters]

I purchased mine over the phone from Santa Monica VW. Harrison/Roxanne and Brian the Sales manager were great. Very good communication. NO surprises and have (so far) handled any concerns quickly and responsively.

2004 V8

[trekguy]

My Phaeton was purchased from Dave Walter VW on Exchange St in Akron OH. 330-434-VWVW(8989) or 866-281-DWVW(3989).

Aaron Heinlein was the salesman-great guy.
Julie Parks is the Service Advisor-very efficient and helpful
Derek is the technician-very competent
The only issue I have with them is their refusal to disconnect the buzzer for the blasted seat belt warning... I always wear it, but it chimes the very moment it is disconnected.
I rarely take a loaner car when offered, since I bring my bike with me and ride it while the car is being serviced.
Also, Mr. Walter (the owner himself) has invited me up to his personal office for wine and chat anytime I am there. I feel special with this kind of treatment, since my salesman has yet to be invited to the upstairs office!

[riccone]

In Washington State, Tony Pignataro in Everett, WA. absolutely top notch. Tony and his family have been in the car business for years. His father who is now retired, still drives the first W12 they received and won't give it back. You get the distinct feeling that all of the employees are a cut above the normal. I would guess Tony hires good people, pays them well, and I have been surprised at the lengh of time the ones I have talked to have worked there.

[Jack Orr]

I had a very good buying experience with Park Cities VW in Dallas.

Address: 5555 Lemon Ave., Dallas 75209
Phone 214.561.8100
Internet/Fleet Director: Joe Pickering
Service Advisor (for Phaeton): Keith Connally

As I previously posted, Keith came to my home to get my garage door opener programed!

They have a modern, new dealership- one of those places where you can 'eat' off the floor.

They are part of the "Beck Auto Group" who have several VW stores, plus M-B dealerships, even Fords.

My son bought a Passat there a few years back and they have treated him well.

Jack Orr

[varun56]

Im still looking for the good Phaeton dealer around here (Washington DC metro area).

My service experiences to date has not been very pleasant. I guess when its time for the next service, we'll find out.

[dcowan699]

In Alabama , I recommend Royal VW in Birmingham, AL.
Very professional people there.

David

[mkla2000]

I will second the VW Santa Monica in California

[kippvisual]

I would recommend Heritage VW in Owings Mills MD 410-363-8300 They have been great so far. I would NOT however recommend Valley Motors in Huntvalley, MD

[apeters]

Just a follow up for Santa Monica VW. I've had 2 small paperwork glitches with my purchase but Santa Monica VW was extremely responsive and handled the issues without a hitch. They have been a dream to work with.

2004 V8

[PanEuropean]

Just a quick note to say "Thank You" to the 12 Phaeton owners who have posted a recommendation to this thread. This thread may be a very valuable resource to prospective Phaeton purchasers - so, if you have had a nice dealership experience, either with sales or service, please take a moment to recommend your dealership here.

If you're not that great a typist, don't worry - You don't have to write a love letter - just the name and address of your dealership, and the name of the person you dealt with is enough.

Thanks again, Michael

[taygeorge5288]

If you are in the south-east the best dealership is Holman VW in Jackson,MS. They also carry Audi and Jaguar so they know how to sell a luxury car.

[iluvmcr]

I highly recommend Vorderman Motor Werks, Inc. of Fort Wayne, IN.

I bought my 2004 V8 Phaeton from Nolan Wolfe in sales after purchasing 5 other vehicles from this dealership. Their sales and service departments have earned my trust and respect over the years. That trust allowed me to purchase the Phaeton with confidence.

I fell in love with the phaeton after driving it but would not have purchased it without knowing it would be properly maintained and repaired.

[NiveK]

I recommend Zoran at the AutoBahn Motorcars in Fort Worth Texas, he's the most knowledgable person about VW and expecially the Phaeton that I have ever run across, and is an exceptionally nice guy to boot. Thanks for all your help Zoran

[PacRim]

Just wanted to second the accolades that were previously attributed to Peter Savale at Bob Lewis Volkswagen in San Jose, CA. Peter is an exceptional business professional who thoroughly understands his product (Phaeton) and has the utmost integrity. It was a pleasure to work with Peter; I enjoyed the experience so much that I got a second Phaeton from Peter.

I truly believe that it was a combination of both the inherent strength of the Phaeton, and Peter's outstanding service that convinced me to get the second Phaeton (to replace a 2000 S-Class). Kudos to all of you as well; this has been an outstanding forum.

[fly4food]

I completely agree with PacRim and versatec95 regarding the positive attitude of Peter Savale from Bob Lewis in San Jose. When my car needs service, he comes to my place of business in the morning, drops off a Phaeton loaner, drives mine to San Jose has it serviced and brings it back washed and with a full tank of gas.


Modified by fly4food at 3:44 PM 1-19-2005

[PC Dave]

VW of Santa Monica - I travel to SoCal a lot on business, and I just stopped off at VW of Santa Monica to ask about service when I was in town. Even though I didn't buy my car there, the Phaeton manager (JD) couldn't have been more friendly, took my name, we talked about his staffers, loaner policy, his 20 Phaetons he "looks after", etc. While the proof will come at the first service, I feel comfortable bringing my car to VW of Santa Monica. I'll also check out VW of Capistrano when i'm in the area, they have an excellent reputation in the TDI community, and one of their staff contributes here to the forum (something I strongly suggested to JD at VW of SM).

(Edited to remove negative comments about my local dealer, who've proved to be pretty decent).


Modified by PC Dave at 2:28 AM 6-4-2005

[PanEuropean]

Editorial Note: I deleted a few posts that were made on this thread recently, not because there was anything wrong with what was said, only because they were 'off topic' from the intent of this thread, which is to provide a list of Phaeton dealers that we, Phaeton owners, have had good sales and service experiences with.

If anyone wants to start a tangential discussion, by all means go ahead and do so. BUT: Please start a new topic, don't post onto this 'reference' thread and knock it off topic.

Michael

[dzier]

Dryer and Reinbold of Indianapolis (Greenwood) has been excellent. Much better then the customer service I received on my 2 Audi's purchased from Tom Wood.

However, they no longer keep any Phaetons on the lot like other dealers in Indianapolis, so NO MORE Phaeton Loaner. With no Phaetons on the lot any longer, I question their committment, and may be going to one of the other 2 from now on (post April 2005).

UPDATE -THEY NOW HAVE A BRAND NEW 2005 COUCOU GRAY/GRAY INTERIOR WITH MYRTLE WOOD.


Modified by dzier at 2:49 AM 4-8-2005

[iluvmcr]

Hi. My husband logs in as ILUVMCR. This does not stand for I love my car. I am MCR. Gross huh? I want to elaborate a little on our sales experience. First of all, we bought 6 cars in 5 years. No one does that if the experience is torture. Five of which from the same salesman, Nolan Wolfe. Nolan was not working on the Sept. 30th which was a Thursday, his normal day off. He, however, busted butt to make a 110 mile trip back from Lake Michigan where he was sailing to help complete the sale. Joking all the way that if he drove like I did, he would have been there in half the time. Knows me too well!! As we are sitting in the car going over all it's features and doing some basic programming, Reg Vorderman jumps in, not crawls, (because of all the room despite his 6'2" frame) and hands us a bottle of French Champagne. We are known by first name by over half the employees at the dealership and are treated like royalty. It has always been this way even before we bought the Phaeton. Most of the sale was done over before we even arrived at the lot. All we had to do was basically sign. Now, six cars later, three of which we still have, we often stop over to just look around. They have built more than the usual relationship with us, we are considered friends. I would recommend this place to anyone and have on many many occasions. Try it you'll love 'em.

MCR

[PanEuropean]

Hi, and welcome to the forum - hope you visit more often in the future. Great to hear that you have found an excellent dealership. I know from my own experience how much more fun that can make the whole car buying / servicing / modifying experience. Thanks for posting your recommendation.

Michael

[viscount]

Autobarn of Evanston Illinois...Steve Severineau...honest, hardworking and great salesman.
Ed.

[rjlvw]

Greetings,

I purchased my Phaeton, as well as many other VW's, from Jim Ellis Volkswagen on P'tree Ind. Blvd. in Chamblee, GA. Jay Flynn and Phil Coleman in sales and Lisa in service have been great over the years. When my Phaeton has needed regular service, it gets picked up at my work and a loaner left. My car is either returned or I've met the guys somewhere for lunch - their treat.

Robert

[dzier]

Dryer and Reinbold of Indianapolis (Greenwood) has been excellent. Much better then the customer service I received on my 2 Audi's purchased from Tom Wood. Purchase experience was great.

However, they no longer keep any Phaetons on the lot like other dealers in Indianapolis, so NO MORE Phaeton Loaner. With no Phaetons on the lot any longer, I question their committment, and may be going to one of the other 2 from now on (post April 2005).

UPDATE - THEY NOW HAVE A 2005 PHAETON ON THE LOT!!!

Modified by dzier at 2:46 AM 4-8-2005

[edthorne]

I purchased my Phaeton from University VW in Albuquerque. They have been very friendly and responsive. I had one problem with the vents in the dash - parts were ordered and it was fixed quickly. I think that there are only two Phaetons in New Mexico.

[gregraq]

Easily, without a doubt, the premier Phaeton dealership in Houston, TX is Momentum VW. I am told that they consistently rank in the top 5 of all VW dealerships for Phaeton sales in the US.

I bought mine there, and although the experience wasn't perfect, it defnitely had the "high end" feel to it, much like I would expect at a MB or BMW dealership. Service is great too, appointments are honored in a timely fashion. When in for service, Phaeton owners always get a high end luxury loaner, most often a Toureg.

The dealership is about 2 miles from the one of the highest income-bracket neighborhoods in Texas, which only heightens their visibility to the targeted clientele. Deesn't hurt that they have a sister Audi dealership next door, where prospective A6 and A8 buyers get a glimpse of a Phaeton during their shopping trek.

They know what the Phaeton owners want, and they deliver.

Greg

[vwtdipwr]

quick and fast. central florida eurocars in lakeland florida. salesman Harry Smith.

[phaeton Also]

I purchased my V8 at Dick Hanna VW in Vancover, Washington state. Very good dealership with good service. The address is 3500 NE auto mall Drive. Toll Free phone 866 217 1460. The service is very good. The service tech is Josh he is young and knows the car.


Modified by phaeton Also at 7:38 PM 6-3-2005

[Phaeton Phan]

Gregraq,
How much service have you had done there? I recently had my 10k done at Demontrond. (Where we bought it). It was dissapointing to say the least. They actually tried to charge us for an Oil change!!!!!They didn't wash the car when done, didn't reset the service warning, rotated the tires (only because requested) and then didn't reset the pressures so the tire warning was lit up. They gave my wife a base Toureg, so at least she got a loaner; however, after making an appointment for early morning they couldn't get the car back the same day for an oil change & half baked rotation. We requested a new set of wipers, but they had to be ordered.
The 5k service was better, but I had that done while on the road in Savannah Ga. they did it in about 2 hours while I waited. I drove out with a shiny car, clean oil, and a smile.
I bought my GTI at Momentum and was Ok with the service, but haven't been back since nothing has gone wrong and just get the oil changed at a local oil place. Do you have a recommended service manager to deal with?

[w12phatreg10v]

Audi/VW of Naples is fantastic. The owner, Thomas, is really into the cars. He is just as excited as the buyer and loves to show off the cars. Peter Hall is a great salesman. The f and i guy has his stuff togather. Quickest purchase I have ever made, insurance tags and all. I could not say enough good about Audi/VW of Naples. After purchasing my W12 and an R32 for my son, I wanted a V10 Touareg and they came through in spades. Also they usually have a Phaeton in the showroom. They have sold quite a few. I have seen at least 12 different ones in the last year and I am only past the dealership about once a month.


Modified by w12phatreg10v at 11:00 AM 5-6-2005

[LongIslander]

Been shopping and may wind up with one shortly. Has anyone had any experiences with any Long Island VW Dealers/Techs re: Phaeton service?

Thank you!

[coucou]

Martens VW Service Department has been superior to the other VW Service Departments in the Metro DC. I've tried all three.

The service staff is always helpful, competant and friendly and my Phaeton is always ready on time as stated. Loaner cars are above the norm as well.