I may have only had the Swede 10 days, but I've already added nearly 1500 miles to the clocks so I thought I'm in a decent position to offer an update/initial opinion.
Things I like - the seats, probably the best I've ever sat in, longest journey I've done so far is just under 200 miles and I've never never had so much as a twinge from my back. Infinitely superior to the CDX seats and imho slightly better than the elite seats- although I've not done more than about 20miles in elite seats, so perhaps a bit premature.
- the economy, 38-40 on short runs is nothing to write home about, but at sensible motorway speeds (70-80), 47-50 is the norm.
- big fuel tank, 750 miles before I have to queue up behind the cretins putting £3.24p worth of diesel into their Japanese Tupperware boxes
- controls - everything, and I mean everything is incredibly intuitive, cruise, radio, everything just works and it's obvious how it all works
- stereo - it's an 11 speaker, 2 amp, Dolby pro logic thing and (in cd or USB mode) easily lives with the £1,000 Harmon Kardon system that I had in the 1 series. I've never heard an omega Bose unit so can't compare.
- brakes - like the omega, they're powerful but not in the overly-assisted, wooden way of some modern cars.
- boot divider- only a small thing, but it's an adjustable band of material that stops your one bag from distributing its contents all over the boot. I don't know why every saloon car doesn't have one.
things I don't like- diesel noise. The car sounds like it's broken, all the time - a necessary evil though
. Until I become as wealthy as lord opti anyway
- folding mirrors - it's great it has them, but they're on a switch on the dash, even worse they cut off with the ignition, so you stop the car, switch off and then remember you want to fold them and have to switch the bigger back on again.
- rear visibility - I've already ordered a sensor kit, cause I have no idea where the back end is!
- turning circle - hugely inferior to the omega, and wouldnt embarrass an ocean liner!
- front tyres - they're brand new, black and round. Beyond that they have no redeeming features. Thankfully I'll chew through them in about 6 months and can swap them out.
Overall I'm hugely happy with the car, and imho it compares favourably with the much newer mondeos, insignias etc which I looked at for similar money.