Faults:

There is only really one niggling fault with the car. Sometimes when you are driving along, three warning messages come up in rapid succession. They are:

ABS

BAS

ESP

Following the computer's advice, I took my car to the dealership where they found that the sensors were loose. The dealer promptly fixed this.

However, these messages still come up from time to time, and since I'm not going to bother with these persistent niggling faults any more, I just ignore them.

General Comments:

On the bright side, though, the car is very quiet, smooth and comfortable.

Long journeys aren't a problem - the seats give excellent support, so you don't get tired driving the car.

There is a surprising lack of road, wind and engine noise which makes for a pleasant journey.

Reading other reviews, I noticed that a lot of people have a problem with worn or hard leather seats. Not a problem for me, since my car has cloth seats.

The car's performance is satisfying taking into account the size and weight of the vehicle. Although the manufacturer claims a 0-60 time of 10.0 seconds, under full acceleration, the E240 feels much quicker than that.

Handling is great and although the car is no BMW 5 Series, It's still more than adequate for my needs.

Build quality is very good, although not quite up to Benzes of old.

There is a huge amount of space for passengers, front and rear. The car is wide, has plenty of head and legroom, and the boot is also a very usable size.

Faults:

The EPS steering was noisy when the car was turned into a corner, the supercharger has gone on it 3 times, the cabins lights had to be changed, the wheel nuts all gone rusty, the front off the car is rusty, the brakes are hopeless, the on board computer failed to detect the ABS and the ESP was faulty.

General Comments:

Very comfortable on the motorway seats hold you well on the country lanes, sound system is a wonderful.

Faults:

Cup holder door persistently refuses to work properly even after several trips to repair.

Passenger Front Window requires above average maintence and repair - faulty fuse.

A/C needed recharging a little early.

General Comments:

Smooth as silk and nicely powered. One of the most comfortable cars I've ever driven.

Very comfortable and controls are nicely placed, with the exception of traction control on/off switch.

Visibility excellent for all passengers, spacious, plenty of headroom, easy to clean, Solid Road feel.

Surprisingly good fuel efficiency.

Very impressive suspension.

Faults:

Thus far there have been no defects in 14 months of ownership. I have had to replace the windscreen due to a stone chip.

General Comments:

Very well thought out car. Excellent suspension and transmission. The engine is clearly blue blooded, but not quite as turbine-like as previously owned in-line 6 cylinder BMWs. Most surprisingly is the excellent fuel economy. I achieve 18 mpg is solid city driving and approach 30 mpg on the highway... at 80 mph! This compares to 16 in the city and 27 on the highway to my 1999 BMW 328i. Remarkable.