Faults:

The steering rack developed a leak after about 5 months. The company from which I bought it (a well-known London independent specialist) took the car back and reconditioned under warranty. A few months later, we took the car in for a regular service, and the company announced that they weren't happy with the reconditioning so replaced, again under warranty.

The rear cups that hold the kingpins have started to corrode, and needed replacing. Likewise the front negative camber bushes have needed replacing. Finally, the drive belt had started to stretch, and was initially tightened, then replaced.

These three items were "normal wear and tear" and thus we had to pay for the work.

General Comments:

The car puts a grin on my face every time that I drive it. At slow speeds, it is happy to waft along gracefully, and shows no signs of "wanting to go faster". However, when I decide that I want to up the pace, it responds incredibly smoothly, without a hint of turbo lag, and handles like it was on rails.

I had expected something like the Jag Sovereign, but a bit better. Instead, I've found it to be in a completely different league.

This is the long-wheelbase variant, and the interior space is incredible. When it rained, I could sit my baby daughter in her car seat, and then crouch down in front of her, in the foot well, to strap her in properly.

The pre-sales service from the (independent) dealer was excellent. We went up to look at their stock, but couldn't find quite what we wanted. A few weeks later, the dealer phoned to say that they had a car coming in that we might like, and then brought it down to us for a test drive later in the week.

Faults:

The rear on side shock absorber leaks.

The cruise has failed.

The steering rack leaks.

The windscreen rubber perished and caused a complete replacement.

The engine pinks at high speed. It dislikes LRP. (It hates unleaded).

General Comments:

Who cares.

I just love everything else about the car. It cost so little to buy, is very cheap to insure and if you keep out of a Bentley dealer's clutches and find a truly competent, local mechanic it will still hold its purchase value so well that even with all the problems I have had, it could well work out cheaper to run (15,000 miles per annum) over three years than a new Citroen Picasso. As a bonus, the walnut burr picnic trays in the back seats are better made than the lightweight, plastic, gallic alternative.