Depreciation is the biggest burden. All large saloons like Phaeton suffer on this front – losing tens of thousands of pounds – but the Phaeton doesn’t have the same image as alternatives like the Audi A8 or BMW 7-Series and as a result is less desirable. Fuel consumption is acceptable on the 3.2-litre and 3.0 TDI, but all other engines are quite thirsty.

Insurance – at group 16 – is reasonable for the 3.0 TDI while top models fall into group 20. Servicing is expensive, too, but in-line with other cars in this class.

The Phaeton performs disappointingly on the eco front. With an average of 300g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are too high for an executive saloon. The newest version of the 3.0 TDI is the ‘greenest’ with emissions of 239g/km of CO2 and average fuel economy of 30mpg.

Quality is much improved over Volkswagen’s usual high standards – which is saying something. The interior has a strong quality feel to it. Owners haven’t reported any major problems to us.