I was reflecting on the 385 experience on my way home last night. I've been using them almost daily since their introduction, and I was, in fact, on the very first public run, so I've used them quite a lot now.
It took me a long time to like them, but I think I'm a convert now. Given the nature of the E&G, I think ScotRail have specified the train pretty well, and Hitachi have done a decent job, if you're willing to be charitable about the delivery delays and the windscreen problem.
I know the seats are controversial, but they're actually a very decent shape, certainly better than a lot of other seats out there. You need to sit very upright to get a comfortable position, but when you do, the seat gives very good support. There's a decent mix of airline and table seating, every seat has access to power, the interiors are bright and spacious, and some of the design touches are very nice, like the moquette on the priority seats. The ride quality is very good.
Negatives are that the units are quite noisy if you're sat over a motor bogie, there's a lot of poor window/seat alignment, and the automated announcements are seriously over the top. Also, I think there will be a significant over-provision of First Class once the eight-car sets start operating.
All in all, though, I think they're good. The best aspect of their introduction is that the E&G is now performing better than it has in a very long time. Cancellations are far less common, there's almost no short-forms, and they go like the proverbial off a shovel, so they can make up delays very effectively. As a regular E&G commuter, that'll do me just fine.