*bump*
About time I broke cover and confess I now own Del Lardo's old GS. I'd been eyeing up replacements for my Volvo S40 T5 and had originally discounted the 450h given the potential for huge bills, but then he announces he's going to trade it in despite having most of the known issues sorted and with 2 years warranty to boot so I jumped on it.
First impressions... it doesn't handle anything like as well as the S40, there's no feedback at all from the steering, and the interior isn't nearly as well laid-out. No surprises there, though. It's by far the most refined ride I've ever had (yes I'm aware of the LS but it's just too big and too expensive). Aside from a bit of tyre noise it's whisper quiet, the suspension absorbs all but the worst of the bumps and potholes, and the Mark Levinson stereo is superb. Straight-line performance is absurd, it doesn't feel faster than the Volvo but that's mainly down to being more refined, and 40-70(ish) comes up well before the constant drone from the CVT becomes annoying.
So, do I like it? Well, it's not an involving drive but I can scratch that particular itch well enough on two wheels, and although it fits my needs it's impractical for transporting anything more than a couple of flight cases. But minor caveats aside it's a resounding yes.
