Faults:

Handbrake cable seized. Replaced myself in a couple of hours.

Exhaust manifold gasket blowing. Engine out job, not cheap!

General Comments:

I bought this car for £500 seven years ago with some work that needed doing, all of which I did myself in a few weeks after buying. This is the 3.0 Elite model with all the toys, and they all worked! I still amaze my friends with their multi thousand pound cars with all the gizmos the Omega's got.

It's not the most economical car in the world, but when you only paid the money I did, it doesn't matter that much.

The only major thing I've had with it is an exhaust manifold gasket blowing, which is either an engine out job or dismantling in situ; either way, not cheap or easy. This tended to take the edge off the £500 purchase price.

When all's said and done, this is the best car I've ever owned and the cheapest. It's enormous in the back (my car is an estate) and goes like the clappers, and with leather clad luxury and all the toys, I can see me driving this car for a few years yet.

Faults:

The car had a oil leak coming from the rocker cover when I bought it so I had that sorted out, but I have noticed that it has started leaking again apparently its very common with these cars.

Another oil leak from the sump has appered.

Both headlamps have gone a yellow colour and need replacing. Got a quote from Vauxhall of £155 each. (got them off ebay in the end for £20 each)

I have has a few Vauxhalls in the past and I have found that thier parts and servicing is a little on the expensive side.

General Comments:

The car is very nice to drive even on long journeys and is very quite. I am not the smallest of people and I find it very comfortable.

I find that the car can be a little heavy on fuel around town, but on the motorway it's much better.

The car can also be a lot of fun too with it being rear wheel drive, but be careful in the wet as I found out!

My friend has a Omega 2.5 V6 and mine keeps up fairly well with his whilst using the sports mode on the auto gearbox.

If you do need parts such as headlamps etc look on ebay and save yourself a fortune.

Faults:

Rocker leak.

Roll bar bushes.

MID display.

Sump plug gasket.

General Comments:

Was convinced I was staying with BMW after having various over last 10 years, but changed my mind, even with the faults listed.

Not fast off the mark, but eats miles and is very comfy, and can't see problem occurring with seat fabrics like the BMW seats in the past.

Nicely finished trim inside, poor paint job outside as its showing areas of thin paint (silver) losing lacquer and poor protection from stone chips at front as its showing quite a few for relatively low 73k mileage.

Bought car on strength of friends comments about predecessor (?) the Senator, with promises it was better on fuel than previous 520i (which it is!)

Faults:

Bought the car with a terrible oil smell in the cabin area, the guy said he spilled oil on the engine when he filled it. Wrong!!! It was a blocked breather pipe. Simple job to fix.

The trip computer was dodgy when I got it, but still readable.

Handbrake seizes easily if not used.

General Comments:

High spec level for a small sum of money.

Great motorway car, quiet as a mouse.

Plenty of power when you need it.

Fuel costs are in keeping with the size of engine - 32mpg on a run, 25mpg round town.