Faults:

Lever for adjusting the height/reach of the steering wheel came off the first time I tried to use it, 15 minutes after I took delivery.

The steering rack has been making a crunching sound on full lock ever since I took delivery.

Power steering failed after 600 miles.

General Comments:

This is a frighteningly quick car at times. Turbo lag is noticeable when accelerating from low speeds, but once you get going there is ample power throughout the rev range. The car will cruise very comfortably at high speeds and suffers from little of the unpolished road manners that characterize most 'hot hatches'. What this also means, however, is that handling has been compromised somewhat, and it certainly can't hold a candle to the 205 GTi I once owned in terms of cornering ability.

In addition to a slightly wallowy ride, the makers' other concession to comfortable motoring is masses of sound-proofing. At low speeds, you would barely know that the engine was running, which suits me fine, but will disappoint boy racers looking for a really sporty exhaust note. As well as being quiet, the cabin is extremely comfortable, even on long journeys.

The immensely powerful brakes give the car a very secure feel, while the suspension set-up and those wide wheels make it feel far safer in the rain than other cars that I have driven. That said, torque steer is still a problem, and is not helped by over-light (when it's working!) power-steering.

Reliability is the most serious issue, and my car has been back to the shop 3 times in 840 miles.

Faults:

External temperature gauge is occasionally unreliable.

Trim on underneath of rear seat bench started to come away the first time the seat was folded flat.

General Comments:

This is without doubt the best car I have ever owned. I have covered 14000 in the first four months of ownership and it has been mechanically faultless.

It is considerably more comfortable and rewarding to drive than either the Vauxhall Vectra or Ford Focus that I owned previously.

I have no idea why the Sport Tourer model is so rare in the UK, as it is very practical, has a huge luggage space and can seat four adults in relative comfort.

I initially had reservations about a 1.5 litre diesel engine, but it is quite powerful enough, except when the car is really loaded up and returns, on average, around 54-59 miles per gallon. I can easily keep up with the other traffic on my 50 mile motorway drive to work each day.

The equipment levels are very generous for a £15,000 car and I am sure that it would offer very good protection in an accident.

My only reservation is that build quality appears a bit shoddy. Although very stylish, I am not sure that the seat fabrics are going to wear very well and the underneath of the rear seat bench is particularly poorly constructed. The rear seat backs don't fold completely flat and foul the underneath of the bench when folded. If you look very closely the exterior paint finish is also somewhat patchy. I guess only time will tell!