Faults:

The cam cover had been leaking oil, but this was rectified by the dealer before I started to use the car.

Last evening the engine suddenly died. The AA engineer diagnosed quite prophetically it was the crankshaft sensor. The main dealer has confirmed this is the case today, so that's going to cost £280 maximum to fix.

General Comments:

So far I'm very impressed with the comfort. Air conditioning, great stereo, armchair-like seats all combine to make long distances seem like a trip to the shops.

The performance is deceptively quick. Admittedly it's not very quick off the line (not like my previous car which was a BMW E30 325), but once it's moving you can seriously embarrass supposedly superior machinery (e.g. Mercedes, BMW).

I'm also quite impressed with the looks. I know the majority of people would say the styling is bland, but features such as the muscle-car style curve over the front wheels is particularly impressive.

I'm generally looking forward to using it on long distance journeys. It's very nature encourages a relaxed driving manner, something the BMW did not. Hopefully it should keep my license a little safer as a consequence.

Faults:

Cam belt sensor.

Camshaft sensor.

Front bushes.

General Comments:

I use this car as my living, as I am a taxi driver.

The car has only had had original parts replaced, and has never let me down.

Front bushes were replaced. Using my reliable mechanic, the cost with front discs was 120 pounds!!

Not an expensive car to own. Front pads, 17.50, exhaust, 250 full system, and a full service can be done for 60 pounds... I rest my case.

As my car is used as as taxi, it is used to the limit!!

Faults:

Sat nav has trouble picking up satellites (even in areas of good coverage where a handheld GPS unit on the dashboard has no difficulty), and sometimes gets very confused as to the car position even when it has a good satellite fix. Suspect this is a faulty nav unit rather than a general design flaw in the system.

Stereo occasionally fails to detect the CD changer (NO CASS error on display), but this goes away after switching the stereo off and on again.

General Comments:

First the bad points:

Rear visibility when all 3 rear headrests are installed is very poor - removing the centre headrest is a must for anyone who likes using their rear view mirror.

Very difficult to judge where the back of the car is when reversing - none of the rear bodywork (saloon body) is visible through the rear window.

Windows mist up very quickly in cold/cool weather unless you keep the climate control switched on.

Now the good:

Very VERY comfortable ride on all road types. Just completed a 1000-mile weekend trip which, in all the other cars I've ever driven, would have left me with an aching back and right leg. In the Omega the miles just rolled by without any discomfort.

Driver seat/mirror memory is very handy when you share the driving with a partner who's 10 inches shorter than you are. The mirror memory is also useful if you want to adjust the wing mirrors to help in reversing - once you've finished just push the button and the mirrors go straight back to where they were.

When the sat nav isn't being uncooperative, it does a good job, particularly on unclassified country roads where roadsigns are few and far between, and junctions take you by surprise unless you're crawling along at 10MPH.

The auto box is as smooth as lightly creased silk - not so smooth that you can't tell when it's changing up or down, but easily smooth enough to be unnoticeable unless you're paying close attention.

With that gorgeous 3 litre V6 up front, the performance is superb. Push your foot to the floor, let the auto box kickdown, and feel that shove in your back as you accelerate away. And it's got the power to do this at practically any speed - from standing starts at traffic lights through to overtaking at motorway speeds. If you're a real speed freak you probably won't be satisfied with anything less than a sports car, but those of us who want a seriously fast car that's also practical (and doesn't command sports car insurance premiums) won't be disappointed.

The Philips/Bose audio system sounds superb, no matter what kind of music you're playing. And if you like your music loud, that's not a problem either... Not that you need to turn the volume up, thanks to the excellent soundproofing - a 2002-spec Mercedes E class is the only other car I've driven that let in as little road/wind noise as the Omega.

The climate control system works very nicely - no more sweating on hot days or shivering on cold ones. If you set it to auto mode, it takes just a few seconds to get the temperature to where you want it, and then it'll constantly fine tune its output to keep it there.

I could mention so many more good things about this car - that huge boot which swallows just about anything you want to carry, masses of legroom front and back, the way it makes every drive feel effortless - but I'll bring this review to a close with a quick summary of my feelings about this car:

Every time I drive the Omega, every time I'm a passenger in it, I end up with a big smile on my face. It might not have the prestige of its 5 series/E-class rivals, but its their equal in every other respect - except price.