Why? - becuase they had a reputation for being unreliable. However, quite a few people I know have them and think they are great. Like the Volvo S80, a big luxury car that is not expensive to buy and does not have the sneer status of a Merc or BMW.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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The 3.2s we ran at work stood up to the pounding far better than the Volvos we had. Alas, the last one is due for replacement.......with Volvos!!
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I didn't know they were unreliable E - I thought they were rock solid.
I'd heard the straight sixes had problems and reading the CBCB seems to confirm this but this is the 2.6.
If petrol consumption is bad in a 1.8, a 3.2 will make me top myself most likely mlc!
Thanks for your thoughts.
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Adam
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suspect that the bigger engines will be more economical that the fours.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Before you consider one of these rather fine luxo barges, have a word with the insurance company. I am sure they have had a rather boring day and would appreciate a laugh.
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They aren't really that uneliable, now worse than a similar BMW or Merc.
But some people think it's not fair when they buy a £30,000 car with 100,000 miles for £4,000 and it needs new expensive parts.
What's more, post 2000 ones are better than the old shape for reliability.
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Ok - now I'm confused.
100 quid less than I'm paying now with the same company.
Explain.
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Adam
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Male, 51, no NCB, no history, Surrey.
Ford Focus, 4 door, classic not quite real Ghia, 600cc 8 hp.
£480 fully comp
Vuaxhall Omega, 2.5 V6 CD 4 door
£759 fully comp.
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My 2.0 Gls was a nightmare as far a reliability was concerned. Not so much the engine but electrics,suspension, steering and emissions control all played up.
I wished I'd stumped up a little more and got a 5 Series or Volvo instead!
Having said that, when OK, the car was very nice to drive and a lovely motorway cruiser.
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It is more expensive for petrol but it is so much nicer to drive a big car than buzzy little boxes. A big heavy car rides better and quieter on long country trips. It is a very reassuring feeling when you pull out to overtake to know that you have 3 or 4 litres of motor when you put your foot down. Go for it Adam. It will be a beaut drive and should really pull the birds!
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The diesel model with the BMW engine would make more sense.
As for pulling the birds, this is Adam we're talking about ;-)
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All 6 cyl Omegas are V6, not straight six, IIRC 58k miles is 2k before the cambelts and tensioners will need doing, not cheap on a 24v 4 cam V6. 2.6 lower compression than 2.5, better CO2, similar performance though lazy character, 2.5 more sporty, as is 3.0 and 3.2.
CD is nice spec though CDX has much nicer alloys, IIRC 16" rather than 15".
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I think they're chains not belts.
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The V6 is a belt. In fact I *think* the only engines having chains are the diesels.
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The 2.5/3.0 were certainly belts, pretty sure they did not change to chains for the 2.6/3.2. The 2.2 petrol was cam chaine though.
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Hmmm. That's the only thing putting me off. I've heard 40,000 for the belts. That, plus the fact I've just washed mine and....I dunno. I'm still getting that feeling that you get when you first get a new car.
I am crazy I know.
However,
snipurl.com/gzft
19 years old - paying I think around 900 quid as it is for the same level of cover. Something must be wrong surely?
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Adam
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Oh - and
>>It will be a beaut drive and should really pull the birds!<<
I don't need a car's help!!!
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Adam
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Hmmm. That's the only thing putting me off. I've heard 40,000 for the belts.
>>
My '98 Vectra V6 was 60k for the belts etc.
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The 2.2 petrol was cam chain though.
I was told the 2.2 was belt driven. Aparantly it's not the same 2.2 engine as fitted in the Astra / Vectra / VX220.
::Checks HJ's CBCB::
Yep, 2.2 petrol is belt driven.
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Yes, HJ says belt cam for the 2.2 though I am not 100% sure on this.
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Adam, your insurance quote is likely based on the fact that Omega's as a model will very likely have been crashed less often than Foci.
Together with the more 'mature' image conveyed compared to the average aged Focus driver, your insurers have probably come to their own conclusion (irrespective of ins group ratings) that you would be a lower risk in an Omega.
My own playing-with-online-insurance-quotes experience is that i could be insured on a grp 18 406 Coupe 3.0 V6 for £900pa, but that a grp 16 Clio 182 would cost me £1600pa. It's gotta be based on their own risk data aswell as the pre-set groupings i think.
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Ahh - that would make sense I suppose. I'm willing to bet that a Focus hatchback would me more expensive to insure too because of the image.
Remember when I had that Fiesta though? Had I kept it, it would have cost 300 quid more to insure than the Focus.
Crazy!
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Adam
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It's safe to say that the 2.6 is a belt though isn't it.
I didn't realise - it's a group 15 car. Mine's group 8. There is no way on this Earth that it could work out a ton cheaper.
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Adam
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Yes, HJ says belt cam for the 2.2 though I am not 100% sure on this.
As I mentioned earlier, it's not the same 2.2 engine as in other Vauxhalls. I previously had this discussion with HJ when his CBCB for the Omega had conflicting information where parts of it mentioned a belt for the 2.2, and other parts a chain. He's since amended the write up.
The 2.2 in the Omega is basically a bored out old 2.0 litre engine, but the one fitted to the Vectra, Astra, VX220, etc is an all all new alloy lump.
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>Adam
Do you drive fast round corners? In the wet?
If so with a Omega you will be in for a shock.
It's RWD and round corners at speed in the wet - unless you have traction control and very good tyres - you will lose the rear end.
BMW drivers tend to ignore these little facts as well.
In snow they are UNDRIVEABLE without winter tyres . A FWD car will go places where a RWD car will bog itself down helplessly spinning its rear wheels.
I know we have warmer winters but...
try the Buxton to Leek road in winter at 10pm when there is a blizzard and 2 cms of snow on the road in an Omega and chances are you will start going offroad. I did it in those conditions in an A4 diesel and managed. The guy behind in a Mercedes 240 gave up after the first hill. Wise man.
madf
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I dont think 3 days snow every three years is a serious factor in car buying.
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I can't agree with that at all madf.
I have always been amazed at the road manners of the Omega (when setup properly and when bushes etc.. aren't worn) , and assumed this is why the Police liked them so much as pursuit cars. Even if one was to be really silly and provoke the tail to slide, it gently and predictably grips again when you lift off without that dangerous grip-jerk you get on some RWD cars.
Having said that, there are several versions of the rear suspension over the years and engine sizes, plus the rear toe should be regularly adjusted as well as the front. The one you drove must have had a problem or been low spec?
Wasn't great in the snow, but not too bad either in snow mode, same goes gor quagmires.
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Until you crash in the snow RF.
BTW, on the subject of winter tyres, I think I´m right in saying that safety must have been a consideration when you bought the Guna. 5* NCAP rating, right? Sensible chap, I quite agree. So why the sniping regarding winter tyres? Your cynical comments from another thread were noticed.
They aren´t just for the snow, they improve your contact to the road from +11c downwards. That´s the reason the French call ´em contact tyres.
So why not get a set for the winter, and protect the Renault Family still further?
I´m not taking the mickey, it´s just winter tyres have got me out of a number of tricky situations here on Frankfurt.
Rant over.
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Yes but thats Frankfurt for gawds sake. Are you seriously saying that people in the uk should not choose RWD cars because of the bad weather?
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The only thing stopping me putting winter tyres on is...
The cost
The unpredictable weather, you can wake up with snow, and it's all gone and the roads are dry by lunchtime and then the winter tyres are a negative.
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I have no qualms about driving a RWD car in any weather. The last time I did, it fishtailed on a roundabout and it was great fun!
Thanks for the comments though guys - I think I'll be giving this one a miss though.
Cheers,
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Adam
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No RF, I´m saying that winter tyres ain´t just for the snow. One for another thread, methinks.... Off to bed.
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I went out this morning and needed some juice so naturally, went to a petrol station.
As luck would have it, what should I see at the pump beside me? Exactly - a Ford Mondeo TDCi.
So I ignored that and looked at the car at the pump next to that which was an Omega 2.2 CDX so a better trim level than the one I was looking at.
I knew what to expect - I'd seen the interior before but never with a mind to buying one. I really don't think I could live with it. I know it's only an interior but as one of the gents at the meet the other night said, you spend all the time inside the car so you should like it a little bit. It's too oppressive I think. Of course - I never told the bloke that - I just let him blather on about it.
The only way I could have one I think is if it were an Elite with leather. Other than that, I've been thoroughly dissuaded.
Many thanks for your help though - much appreciated.
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Adam
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"but as one of the gents at the meet the other night said, you spend all the time inside the car so you should like it a little bit."
Given that, for example I do 18k miles a year (average 50mph), I spend 15 DAYS and NIGHTS in the car, Yes the inside matters - a lot!
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Yeah I sometimes play that game. For the first 8 years I worked in London, I commuted 3 hours a day (8760 hours) by car. Which is like getting in the driving seat on New year?s day and not getting out again till my birthday which is on the 19th September.
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Adam said "I know it's only an interior but as one of the gents at the meet the other night said, you spend all the time inside the car so you should like it a little bit."
That were me!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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"It's RWD and round corners at speed in the wet - unless you have traction control and very good tyres - you will lose the rear end."
What a load of tosh. I've had one for five years/80K miles (see previous posts aplenty) and this had NEVER happened to me. Now, I might not be the world's fastest driver, but I'm also certainly not the slowest, so take it in that light, but I assure you this is twaddle of the worst order.
What you get with an Omega is low purchase price (hence low depreciation) and average reliability. That average reliability is tempered by the low cost of repairs. I've had full services for under £100. A full service on a 2.5 including cambelt was £400. Offset that against depreciation, etc and it's not bad.
As for running costs, bit out of date now, but try www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=15063&...f
V
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"What a load of tosh. I've had one for five years/80K miles (see previous posts aplenty) and this had NEVER happened to me. Now, I might not be the world's fastest driver, but I'm also certainly not the slowest, so take it in that light, but I assure you this is twaddle of the worst order."
Have you driven a RWD car in snow or ice .. round a corner and up a steep hill?
madf
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" I assure you this is twaddle of the worst order"
Fighting words:-)
I assume you HAVE driven a RWD car in snow and ice then?
I've driven a series of BMWs - 3 and 5 series - Ford Granads, XJ6 and Mercedes in snow and ice . I can assure you they are VERY very unpleasant to drive and much worse than a FWD car.
madf
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apologies : duplication.
madf
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Ding Ding Round two for fighting words.
Yes it is twaddle. Unpleasant? Nay my dear fellow, driving a big rear wheel drive saloon in ice and snow is possibly the best fun you can have with your clothes on.
Nothing comes close to having a big old barge with its botty hanging out.
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Madf,
How did ?round corners at speed in the wet?
Become ?Have you driven a RWD car in snow or ice .. round a corner and up a steep hill? ?
One I do regularly, the other very rarely. As I made perfectly clear, I was answering what was in the earlier post.
V
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I couldn't remember if it was you or Lee who'd said it E. Sorry!
(And no offence to Vin with regards to my description of the thoroughly nice interior on these fine automobiles).
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Adam
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The late Phil Llewellin ran a W reg 2.5 diesel omega on long term test in Diesel Car mag a few years ago. He reckoned it was good but did have a thirst for oil though!
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Mine's done 180,000 hard miles (2.5TD) and uses no discernable oil between changes! but then the service interval for oil is 5,000 miles on this engine (BMW)
madf, I can't remember the last time we had snow and ice that wasn't anymore than a few hours of novelty (much to my disappointment), I guess it depends where you live.
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As I live in darkest Staffordshire with even darker and wetter and colder Derbyshire and the Peak District only some 10miles away, snow and ice occur in winter. Every winter. We had them in April this year. For 2 weeks.
Just because many of you live in Southern England and are wusses:-). Adski lives near Manchester where men are men, and winters are winters. So my advice is far more relevant than you namby-pamby Southerners:-)
madf
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You should know how to cope with it then madf!
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As I live in darkest Staffordshire with even darker and wetter and colder Derbyshire and the Peak District only some 10miles away, snow and ice occur in winter. Every winter. We had them in April this year. For 2 weeks. Just because many of you live in Southern England and are wusses:-). Adski lives near Manchester where men are men, and winters are winters. So my advice is far more relevant than you namby-pamby Southerners:-) madf
I grew up and learned to drive in Sheffield. On hills, with plenty of snow and ice. All done in RWD cars. If you can't cope with that, you shouldn't be driving in those conditions.
And even with that, I would never advocate buying a car based on what the weather MIGHT do for perhaps five or six days a year. And don't tell me it's more often than that, I lived in and near Manchester in my time, too.
V
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I was brought up(driving wise) on RWD and prefer to let the front end do the steering while the rear does the pushing,no hassles with CVJs and boots either.
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Yeah - real men up here. Bring on the RWD.
Now where did I put my earrings....
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Adam
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Call that snow?
We get snow that buries phone boxes.
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"We get snow that buries phone boxes."
I could have added I was brought up in NE Scotland. First winter there we had snowdrifts outside our house - 6 to 10 feet tall inplaces. Took 2 months to melt..
I moved to England: it's warmer even if less civilised and the roads are too crowded.:-)
madf
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Every Christmas wifey decorates the windows with that spray-on snow stuff and every year it?s obscured when the real stuff outside rises above the top of the glass.
Polish drivers dive into the pits for winter tyres when temperatures drop to about 7 degrees. The quick-fit places open 24-7 for the first couple of weeks. It?s not required by law but it?s money well spent. I?ve done 70+ on packed snow with absolute confidence on the motorways. But then I?ve also seen enormous military snow ploughs come to grief down in the mountains.
And oh yeah, fitting snow chains in minus 20 is one pig of a job.
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When my daughter sarted university last Sept, I needed a large estate and wanted something large, comfortable and fast. Looked Volvo V70's but at around what I wanted to spend thes had highish milages and were older than I wanted.
Decided on X reg Omega 2.5V6 Auto and boy do you get alot of car for the money. Mega carrying capacity both volume & weight. Loads of spec and superbly fast & comfortable on a long run.
RWD so handles well with 3 mode autobox that is silky smooth.
External build excellent -- interior not so good and this is the face lift model. On a run fuel consumption okay for this type of transport but not good in town (V6 Auto - what can you expect). So not a car for town work, But on a motorway!!!!! Why did the traffic police love 'em.
Service history and cam belt change every 40k essential.
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Gatwick Taxis used to have a very large fleet of Omegas - does that mean they are reiable?
Gatwick Taxis do not now use Omegas - does that mean they are unreliable?
I dunno.
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