Faults:
The usual problems with the Omega.
Change the cam belt at 30k-40k, costs approx £350. Get it done by a dealer. There would be one hell of a bill if this went wrong...
New exhaust at 45k, brought at Kwik-Fit for £240.
New front wishbones, both sides, brought from www.autovaux.co.uk (pattern part, but made by the company Vauxhall use..), £125..., then fitting (www.mrclutch.com), £96 labour.
The other important thing to do with this car is to change the oil every 10k, or the breather pipes on the rockers get blocked and the pressure builds up and blows the rocker cover gaskets. 4 hours labour and can cost a lot of money in parts if you need to buy new rockers (£110 per side...). This also puts oil on the plug leads, and again costs a lot to fix.
General Comments:
This is my second Omega, I had a 2.5 Reflection before. The 2.6 has got a lot more pull than the previous model, and really takes off when you put your foot down.
I would have to say the handling of the older model was better. This one is nowhere near as sharp.
I don't like the heating system in the new one. Very messy; the original one was far easier to operate and use.
Apart from that, the car is very smooth, and you can hardly hear the engine running when idle.
Overall, does approx 23 MPG.
9th Oct 2022, 15:39
Good review, the 2.6 was probably the best all round engine, suited this car perfectly. Better than the old 2.5, though obviously not as fast as the 3.0.