Faults:

Timing belt, alternator, new shocks, rear and mid section exhaust, brakes renewed all round, ABS sensors, air con re-gassed, minor cosmetic repairs, etc.

General Comments:

A great executive car I have kept as a second car for years now; this Omega is a nice big cruiser and the closest you can get to a modern version of the old Carlton and Senator cars from Vauxhall.

CD model has plenty of kit, nice seats and electrics. Very nice to be in and cruise in this car.

The car drives great, but the 4 cylinder 2.2 engine is not the best, lackluster performance and not very economical (around 27-30 mpg at best) so you might as well go for the 2.6 or 3.0 V6 models, they have similar economy and much better performance. That said, the auto box is smooth, the car can keep up with modern traffic no problem. But it's not really a car for driving fast, I just like to cruise on motorways or country roads, where this car is at home. I believe the V6 models of this car were also popular in the police force.

Reliability for the Omega has been good for me (keep up those oil changes), but I don't think these cars were as well built as the older Carlton or Senator models.

It's just a great weekend/summer cruiser car. Rare nowadays, so if you are buying one I would recommend doing as much research as possible, and finding a local mechanic that knows these cars well; do not bother going to Vauxhall with a car of this age.

My car is silver, a very common color for these. It's not bad, but I'd prefer a darker color, the car just looks much better in those.

Finer points aside, this is a decent car, well worth the asking price; you can get them in good condition for as little a couple of grand now.

Faults:

Entire exhaust system with catalyst was expensive at £500, but acceptable at the mileage.

Drop links and all the usual suspension wear and tear. Local independent garages were obviously much cheaper than Vauxhall for this.

Electric windows can be slow to move. Air con is useless. Cruise control stopped working.

Cosmetically, the car still looks good, but some small rust spots have appeared in recent years.

General Comments:

Elite Omega on a 53 plate was one of the last of these cars (I believe 2004 they stopped making them), the absolute pick of the Vauxhall range at the time. Always liked these cars, but was told to stay away from them due to poor reliability concerns from people I knew who ran Carlton's and Senator's back in the day. Generally this car has not been as reliable as a car this expensive to buy new should be, but really the problems I had were due to its age more than anything else (I bought mine used) that you would get with any car. Always check out local garages and see if they are knowledgeable about these cars - I would advise you steer clear of Vauxhall dealers.

The 3.2 V6 is just tremendous. The sound is great at higher revs, and although not a very fast car by today's standards, I find 0-60 in 8 seconds (autobox, manual is faster) and 150MPH top speed more than enough. Fuel consumption? Forget about it. You can expect 24 miles per gallon on average, much less if you drive fast.

Interior is excellent with beige leather, very quiet and smooth. Best thing about the car, I always look forward to driving it, even long journeys. Everything is electric.

Not many left on the road now, and it is the type of car you buy as a second car for weekends, not everyday use, but if you do find a nice one with history (oil service and belt changes are a must) in good condition and you know a good mechanic that knows old school Vauxhall's well, go for it!