The electronic dampening control (EDC) is accessed through a button near the shifter. It offers four settings from comfort to sport, with each setting becoming progressively tighter. I didn't really mess with the EDC for the first week as all of my driving was within the city and I found the suspension damn near perfect. There was no reason to change it. However, on one particular freeway ramp, a high-speed left-hander, I had a brief "moment" when the car porpoised substantially. I'm guessing the comfort suspension setting is not optimal for those types of chassis loads. The car didn't really do anything more that slap me out of my driving coma. I quick turn of a dial and I set the suspension to sport, which left the Phaeton with a much more controlled ride. I leave it on sport all the time now. The ride is still great and I've yet to hear a passenger complaint. And there have been many, many passengers.
Although most people want to experience a car from the driver's seat, most begin the Phaeton tour in the back seats. The closest analogy I can come up with are the first-class seats on Virgin Atlantic Airlines. It's hugely comfortable, luxurious and there's plenty of room to stretch out. And those massage chairs are a big hit. Folks would sit in the back, raise the privacy screens and close their eyes while a thousand tiny fingers rubbed out the day's tension. In most cars, people race to the "shotgun" seat,with the Phaeton they're fighting for the back seat.
The first 2,000 miles have been incident-free save a few niggling problems. Occasionally, the automatic trunk will mysteriously refuse to open. The next day, however, it works just fine. And given the huge-no colossal-trunk, there's always something back there. The second issue is the electronically controlled vents that open upon ignition. Sometimes they'll stick closed. It's funny, though, these things seem to work fine now, as though the Phaeton is being fixed during the night by VW elves.
On a recent visit to several VW tuners, it was interesting to note how many of them wanted a Phaeton in their respective shops (some of these guys were barely 30 years old). A few have already received their Phaetons and are aching to customize them. Personally, I think the car screams for a bigger wheel/tire combo and a mild tint on the windows. You can bet we'll be hitting up Volkswagen Parts and Accessories before the year is up (you've been warned Robert Gal).
The Phaeton V8 has proven to be one of our more popular long-term cars, especially among the more car-savvy crowd. It seems everyone wants to experience what Volkswagen can do with a luxury car. From their responses, the Phaeton has impressed more than a few with this gorgeous piece of machinery. I know, because I'm one of them.