Faults:

Just a minor niggle:

The CD player is not always recognised on switch-on, but switching the radio off and on again always fixes it.

General Comments:

Plenty of power - goes like the wind.

Seats very comfortable, good side and thigh support.

Handling excellent, probably due in part to 17" wheels (fitted as standard on this model).

Nothing worn - body or mechanicals.

Faults:

Mileage counter faulty. This may indicate it has been clocked and I am still checking this out. I don't think it has because of the overall condition of the leather.

Heated seat on the driver's side is not working.

Passenger seat does not move to and fro fully; may be due to something caught on the runners.

General Comments:

An excellent car despite the faults. Serious value for money compared to the BMW 5 Series, especially with all the equipment as standard.

Dealer service (so far) very good. Cliffords of Gravesend are very helpful.

The car is thirstier than I expected, only averaging around 22-23mpg. I accept it's a big car with a big engine, but I was hoping for around 26-27mpg.

This model has satnav on it. It doesn't remember addresses in the memory when the ignition key is removed even though I have programmed them in. The ones from the previous owner still remain, even though I have deleted them. Any ideas? This satnav works very well in my opinion though, apart from this minor point.

A very good car overall and one which I am proud to own!

Faults:

Heater by-pass valve failed i.e. water leak, which can be hard to diagnose, as it is right at the back of the engine, and would only leak when the water was fully topped up.

Very slight misfire, most noticeable at idle speed with no air-con on. Has been hard to diagnose and is still there.

A single tappety noise from the right hand cylinder head. Could be a hydraulic tappet gone and could cause the above misfire.

Passenger seat rattles slightly when not occupied.

A rear light bulb!

General Comments:

Very smooth and quiet.

The cabin is well kitted out (climate control, CD changer, electric sunroof, windows and mirrors, Xeon headlights, front and side airbags) and very spacious.

Engine is a peach, even though it has a very slight misfire!!!

Due to the car being very heavy, it's only just quick enough for me, probably should have gone for the 3.0, but it's hard to find a manual one.

The engine is as frugal as my old Sierra 2.0 twin-cam!

Parts are cheap. Did my own cam belt - cost £19.99!!! My own service, parts £25 for plugs, £3.50 for an oil filter, £9 for a pollen filter, £12 for a fuel filter.

Handles superbly for such a big and heavy car.

As long as it has a full service history and is well maintained, these cars can rack up huge mileages and you can pick them up so cheaply.

Faults:

The only problem, shortly after delivery, was a faulty solenoid on the engine cooling fan. This allowed the fan to run after the engine was switched off and flattened the battery.

I also discovered that one of the rear light bulbs was wrongly fitted, transposing the stop and tail lighting.

General Comments:

The six cylinder petrol engine is smooth and provides plenty of power at low revs, it gets a bit rough and noisy at higher revs. The engine burns absolutely no oil and does not need topping up between its 10 000 mile services.

The air-conditioning is pretty basic and of limited value.

It's a big comfortable car with plenty of leg room for me (6ft 2in) and any rear seat passengers. The seats lack any lumbar support and give me a back ache on long journeys (4 hours).

The metallic paint finish is good and is retaining its shine.

Faults:

Heater and ventilation system absolutely useless. Steamed up screens etc. Engine v/noisy when cold. Things stop working or break too often. Floor of rear is too soft and weak for an estate. Illuminated switches overheat. Engine burns oil. Rear seats are poor, ie too low and not supportive. Door locking system works when it wants, which is almost never when I want it to work. Rear screen is distorted so wipers don't keep it clean properly. Apart from the superb drive and front seat comfort the vehicle has been a great disappointment, wish I could go back to my VW Passat estate, probably will do so when I next change car.

General Comments:

GM had better put some better designers on the replacement model if they want to keep my custom.