2003 Opel Omega 2.0 DT Review,Start Up, Engine, and In Depth Tour

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Uploaded by on Feb 10, 2011

For more in depth reviews check my channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/avtomobil...

Filmed by: Tomaž Kožar Jesenice

Models Covered: 1994 to 1999: 4-door saloon, 5-door estate, 2.0, 2.5V6, 3.0V6, 2.

0 Tdi, DTi and 2.5 turbo diesels, [Edition S, Select, GLS, CD, CDX, MV6, Elite] 1999 to date: 4-door saloon, 5-door estate, 2.0, 2.2, 2.5V6, 2.

6V6, 3.0V6, 3.2V6, 2.0DTi and 2. 5 turbo diesels, [GLS, CD, CDX, MV6, Elite]

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

The Omega was to be the Vauxhall that BMW, Mercedes and Audi customers could buy with confidence. Launched in 1994, it was intended to blur the difference between mainstream executive cars and their prestige sector counterparts. And it has. Though there aren't many about on the used market, they make desirable buys. An Omega is built just as well as any rival from Bavaria, Stuttgart or Ingolstadt. Yet market perception continues to place a lower value on that Vauxhall badge; hence the fact that a second-hand version is far better value.

A car that's every bit as good as German, British, Japanese and Swedish competitors; better in many respects. The ride and handling are superb and it feels as if its been built to last. It really just comes down to whether you feel theres enough character - and that badge of course.

Prices start at under £1,100 for the first of the 1994 2.0-litre Edition S models. More common M-plated 2.0-litre Select entry-level cars will retail at between £1,200 and £1,500.

Expect to pay £1,600-£1,900 for N and P-registered models. Add premiums of between £150 and £1,200 for better-equipped 2.0-litre GLS and CD variants. And estates? Usually, a premium of between £100-£500 more.

Prices for the popular mid-range 2.5-litre V6 start in GLS form at around £1.100 for the first of the 1994 L-plated models. Pay £1,000-£1,400 for an M-registered car and between £1,300-£1,700 for an N-plater.

Plusher CD variants cost from £200 more and CDX versions retail from about £2,000. That leaves only the flagship Elite 24v 3.0-litre V6, priced between £1,100 and £6,500 depending on age and mileage, the popular BMW-engined 2.5-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel (from under £1,500), and the 2.

2-litre 16v models launched in 1999 (from around £3,800)

Most cars that are on the used market will have come off company fleets; no bad thing, since they will probably have been used at director level and had an easy life. Make sure that the catalytic converter is in good working condition (replacements can be expensive) for under-car knocks may have rendered it useless. Check the history and examine the state of the trim carefully to make sure that it tallies up with the stated mileage.

(approx based on a 1996 Omega 2.0 SE) A catalysed exhaust system is about £430. A clutch assembly will be around £100, whilst a new starter motor will be around £75. An alternator should be close to £120 and a radiator around £160.

It would cost in the region of £160 for a front headlamp and around £20 for front brake pads and £52 for rear shoes.

The car really handles like a thoroughbred sports saloon, even in its humbler guises. The combination of an agile chassis and thorough development of the old Carlton/Senator suspension layout has produced remarkable results which youll be keen to demonstrate to BMW-owning colleagues. Flat out, the car is impressively stable, giving a feeling of unflappability even at highly illegal motorway speeds. Punt it round your favourite twisty `B` road and the responses are as satisfying as you could wish for. The steering is precise and the handling is predictable and progressive that you feel that youve access to every last inch of grip. Only when you really throw the car from lock to lock that any weaknesses show through. What doesnt need altering is the ride quality.

In a class noted for superbly sprung cars like Citroens XM and Peugeots 605, the Omega still stands out. It travels silently and smoothly over the bumpiest of roads, the springs soaking up the undulations so that they are passed through to the cabin with little more than a flutter. And performance? Well, once more, you wont go away disappointed. Even the entry-level 2.

0i models manage rest to sixty in 9.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of some 130mph. Drive the car that way and youll inevitably suffer at the pumps (to the tune of between 23-25mpg) but with a little restraint, at least 30mpg is possible. At the other end of the scale, the flagship 3.

0-litre V6 Elite models sprints to sixty in 8.5 seconds on the way to a license-losing maximum of 149mph. Heck, even the turbo diesel makes 124mph and gets to the sixty benchmark in around 12 seconds. More importantly, it manages 50mpg - or at least it would if you could ever bring yourself to drive at a constant 56mph.

German quality, Vauxhall value. If you're looking for a top quality, modern executive, then the Omega should be very near the top of your list.

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All Comments (2)

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  • I love the lines of the interior design. It's all nice and straight which is my kind of taste when it comes to interior design. Very classy car ;)

  • I used to have a 2.2 LPG coverted omega.

    But watching your video "round and round" makes me kinda dizzy!

    I cabbed the said vehicles for a full 5 years and loved the car.

    She had the full leather package and was a good solid car to drive.

    I do miss it, and its a shame that they stopped production. Or id have considered updating to a newer model. Only thing is, the PCO in London have brought the ten year age restriction into play.So no more omegas for cabbing! Was nice to see the video though!

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