Faults:

Windscreen washer pump failed.

Some of the interior lights have failed.

Some digits fail to light up on the instrument panel.

Brake lights and tail lights are constantly in need of fiddling with to keep them all working.

Knob on switch for drivers seat adjustment broke - works fine without it!

Plastic handle for releasing handbrake broke off - replacement from BMW was surprisingly cheap.

General Comments:

I bought the car for a tenth of the price paid by it's first owner.

It's a fantastic car even just to sit in. It is as luxurious as I will ever need and it's much nicer to look at than the new one.

The boot is cavernous, even for this class of car.

It's smooth, comfortable and very fast on the motorway, but the acceleration from a standstill is nothing sensational - the 2.8 engine simply doesn't have enough horses for rocketing away from traffic lights.

When I bought it I was wondering how expensive it would be to run. I've been getting about 24mpg, mostly in urban use. I once achieved 28 mpg on a long trip.

Tyres (if you buy Pirellis) are about £400 a set.

A set of front discs and pads cost about £85 pounds (not from BMW).

I find that the wheels need balanced every 3 months or so. Other than an oil change that's all I've had to do so far.

It's been incredibly reliable, especially considering the high mileage on the car.

Faults:

Current leak to earth

Power steering hose failure

Radiator leak

Heater/air con control panel malfunction

Door mirror motor failure.

General Comments:

This car has tremendous presence, even in standard wheelbase form, due to its size-check it fits your garage!

The interior has exceptional ambience due to the clever mixture of chrome, leather and wood. Everything fits, clicks, closes and operates nicely-no sloppy levers...

Despite the performance figures, this vehicle is heavy and is best at wafting around. If you are worried about fuel consumption, don't buy it!

The ride is surprisingly clonky on poor surfaces, even with everything in order. High speed cruising is very quiet and its very easy to exceed speed limits because of this.

Rear seat comfort is better than the fronts, which are rather flat. The steering wheel is much too large, given the assistance available.

Much vaunted build quality is let down by rather flimsy and brittle plastics, and trim items. Boot trim is satisfactory, but not sturdy like my Saab 9000.

Although the dash is uncluttered, you have to learn the functions of lots of small buttons-and this takes time. You can't jump in and have everything learned in 2 minutes.