Very reluctant sale of my Phaeton, which I've owned since it had approximately 55,000 miles on it.

Reason for sale is simply that with two very young children I've found getting them in and out of their car seats in the Phaeton increasingly awkward. I've now bought an old Range Rover, which is much easier for family duties due to the height.

There's no mechanical problem prompting the sale. It's been a lovely car to own and I'll genuinely be sorry to see it go. The Phaeton is incredibly comfortable, quiet and refined and still feels like a very special car to drive.

Service & Maintenance

The car has been serviced regularly throughout my ownership, generally every 10,000–12,000 miles.

The DPF was professionally cleaned approximately 20,000 miles ago, the air conditioning was recharged this summer and the tracking was done in Feb this year.

It also has cruise control, heated seats and climate-controlled air conditioning.

Bodywork – please read

I want to be completely upfront about the condition of the bodywork.

There is corrosion/bubbling on all four doors, predominantly around the lower areas and edges, together with a small amount on the boot. This is not structural, just cosmetic.

I originally intended to repair the corrosion myself, however I very quickly realised that this particular task was beyond my skill set despite being pretty good at most things mechanical - painting / blending paint in is not on that list! So I stopped rather than make matters worse!

The car really needs somebody who is comfortable with bodywork or is prepared to have the affected areas professionally repaired and painted.

There is also some cosmetic scuffing / damage to the bumper and the usual age-related marks you'd expect on a 2011 car. Again, I've tried to show these honestly in the photographs.

This is the reason the car is priced at £3,250. With the bodywork sorted it would present as a completely different car, but I've priced it to reflect the work required rather than pretending it doesn't need doing.

Interior

The interior is in good condition for its age.

The only thing to mention is a crack in the driver's door speaker grille. The speaker itself still works perfectly and the sound system is great.

Overall, this isn't being advertised as a pristine Phaeton. It's an honest, usable and very comfortable car which needs cosmetic attention, and the price reflects that.

I've owned it for a long time and know the car well. I'm only selling because the Phaeton no longer works particularly well for us with two small children, rather than because I particularly want to get rid of it.

£3,250

Viewing is very welcome and I'd actually encourage anyone genuinely interested to come and have a proper look around the car before buying. I've tried to photograph the bodywork faults clearly so that there are no surprises when you arrive.