2002 Vauxhall Omega CDX 2.6 V6 24V petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Still a great car

Faults:

Timing belt kit and water pump, expensive but worth it. Every oil change since 2002.

Full exhaust, plus most suspension components have been replaced.

The car is heavy on brakes, but it is a bigger car and automatic.

Interior and exterior are holding up surprisingly well, you wouldn't guess it was 20 years old, but I do garage it and look after it.

The air con died long ago, never bothered fixing, usually not worth it. Passenger electric mirror a little slow to move. Oil leak but looks very small, not a problem.

General Comments:

The 2.6 Omega pulls very strong even with the auto, I like driving this car.

CDX model is a high spec - it has everything except leather, but the seats are still very comfortable.

Interior is quiet and smooth when the car is moving, even at higher motorway speeds.

It was my daily driver for a few years when I bought it in 2009, but lately has become a second/weekend car due to the fact it barely does 25 mpg. In short I love this car, but what to do with it? It is so bland and it never gained the following the Carlton and Senator did; mine is in good condition but will likely never be worth much. I'm going to keep it garaged and see if that changes in the next few years.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2022

10th Oct 2022, 15:00

You may have to keep it garaged a long time for value to rise :)

Recently for sale there was a mint condition 98' 3.0 Elite model, low miles (60K) only went for about £3000 at auction. That is one of the most sought after Omegas. I don't think much interest would generate or high value for an 02' 2.6 model with higher mileage - no matter how good it is.

Oddly enough, the Omega is old but maybe just not that old yet - only recently I have seen great condition Carlton's and Senator's go for £6000 + much more for sporty models (GSi/24v) so there is room for values to rise yet for the Omega.

Still, nice cars, enjoy them while you have em'!

2002 Vauxhall Omega CD 2.6 V6 24V from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Cannot quite match BMW or Mercedes, but still a nice car

Faults:

New battery and alternator, exhaust back box. Wear and tear at the mileage. I could list some suspension and brakes parts, but that is wear and tear also as expected at well over 100K miles, and probably had been done before, it was used when I bought the car.

Rear electric windows failed, height adjusters on front passenger seat broke, and some other minor electrical faults.

I changed the timing belt and oil at specified intervals. Timing belt kit was expensive on these V6 Omega's, but worth it for preventative measures.

General Comments:

What a nice looking and comfortable car for the money. The Omega was Vauxhall's executive car, but failed to compete against the bigger names. However having owned some Mercedes and BMW cars, I can confirm the big Vauxhall is a good alternative.

Bought used back in 2012, I still own this car. It has served me well as a second car, I would not buy one for everyday use - 25 MPG is not practical today. You might as well go for the V6's though - the smaller 4 cylinder 2.0 engines are OK but aren't exactly great on fuel either, and lack performance, so you might as well get the faster cars. Speaking of which, this updated 2.6 V6 24V is very nice, with nearly 180BHP and a top speed of 140 MPH. Auto box blunts acceleration a bit, 0-60 appearing in 9 seconds, pretty average by today's standards, but the car feels powerful, and I rarely have to use sport mode.

Interior is gorgeous, CD model is mid range but still very well equipped. Mine does not have leather, which I would like but the standard cloth/velour feel seats are comfortable enough. Cabin is also very quite and smooth.

Exterior is nice with original alloys. Looks very nice, would prefer a different/darker color though, would suit it more than bright silver, which every car seems to be these days.

At nearly 20 years old and over 150K on it, I suppose it won't last forever, but I have enjoyed my time with this car, and would recommend it to anyone. Not quite the following the Carlton and Senator had, but there are lots of websites and fan groups for this car which can help you out and source cheaper parts or help with common problems.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th February, 2021

1st Mar 2021, 15:05

They are nice cars. Had a friend with a 3.0 Elite model, says it was one of the best cars he had, only bettered by the Senator 24V he had previously.

These cars were much cheaper to buy new than a BMW or Audi, Mercedes, etc. The irony is now they would be the same as those cars cost wise if not more to buy and run due to rarity.

9th Oct 2022, 15:36

Mine is much the same, they are worth hanging onto, a good second car to cruise in on a nice day. They are not worth much, so just enjoy them till the end!