1994 Vauxhall Carlton Diplomat 2.0 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Stunning car from times gone by
Faults:
Whining rear differential near the end of the time I had it. Mechanically suspension tie rods and various parts were replaced, brake discs and so on. All as expected when age and mileage rose. I kept the car serviced on time and changed the cam belt. Alternator failed at around 100K, replaced quickly and cheap enough.
Interior wise the cruise and air con stopped working. Locks could be funny, sometimes worked, sometimes did not work with central locking.
On the outside cosmetically it was a little rough in its final years with me, no major rust but the last yearly MOT (Ministry Of Transport Test) required a bit of welding.
General Comments:
No car I have had previously brings up good memories for me like the Carlton. Top spec "Diplomat" model had leather and all the electric extras you could want at the time. Think of a mid-range or top end Mercedes and you have the idea. The only that let this car down was the Vauxhall badge, but it did not bother me. Most people actually quite liked them and respected them as a quality executive car.
Mine was a unique/rare color called metallic "Rjoca". Think of a dark red/purple metallic and you get the idea. Looked stunning when washed in the summer sun. Diplomat alloy wheels looked great also, deep dish style. This car really stood out.
Inside looked great also, electric everything and the seats were among the best and most comfortable I had sat on. Could have done with more holding though, things got a bit slidey with spirited driving. The car handled OK but was sloppy taking corners too fast. Get a 3.0 24V GSi if that is more your thing - this car was a comfortable cruiser, nothing more.
The 2.0 with the auto box will not win any races, but made progress and you could use sport mode to overtake. MPG wise it averaged around 30, you could get a little more on a long cruise. Would have preferred the 2.6 engine to be honest.
Miss it a lot, sold it to a Vauxhall enthusiast in 2008, doubt it is still around, but who knows, you do not see many of these cars anymore.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 12th February, 2022
16th Mar 2022, 18:32
2.0 auto in sports mode isn't bad, or with a manual transmission. I did know someone many years ago with a 1.8 Carlton estate! Drove it once, slowest car ever. The 2.0 wasn't great either, but was a huge improvement.
I do agree with you though in general, and as the reviewer says, get the 2.6 or 3.0 if you can.
17th Mar 2022, 14:39
A friend back in the day had an L reg (last of them) 2.0 GL petrol manual and claimed he got an average 35 mpg, respectable for its time. Still would be virtually unusable these days with current prices of fuel. You need a car to do 40 mpg minimum to be reasonable now.
16th Mar 2022, 11:20
You were quite generous rating the performance at 7 out of 10. The four cylinder Carlton was Slow with a capital S and shockingly heavy on fuel as well.