Buying Guide

For our 1500th issue, here’s a motorway hero that you can easily snap up for £1500 or less – and there are plenty of reasons to do so!

Vauxhall Omega

It seems incredible in 2019 to think that there was once a time when mainstream car makers, such as Vauxhall, Ford and Rover, used to sell significant numbers of large saloons and estates.

It’s a long time since premium brands took over these hunting grounds, but in the 1990s the UK executive car market was dominated by cars such as the Ford Granada, Rover 800 and Vauxhall Omega. The Germans were already making major in-roads though, which is why the Omega was the last large car from Vauxhall, before it switched strategy by instead offering the stretched Vectra as the Signum.

The Omega was launched in the UK in April 1994. Buyers could choose between saloons and estates, while the engine range ran to 2.0- or 2.5-litre V6 petrol units along with a 2.5-litre straight-six turbodiesel, the latter sourced from BMW. Within

a couple of months there was also a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. A mini-facelift in September 1997 brought a spruced-up nose, featuring ellipsoid halogen headlights along with extra standard equipment. Then, in May 1998, an LPG option was introduced for Omegas with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. By October 1999, a major facelift arrived, with new bonnet, bumpers, rear lights and boot lid, along with a 2.2-litre petrol engine that had been added to the line-up; this was based on the 2.0-litre unit.

In November 2000 a 2.2-litre fourcylinder diesel engine superseded the previous 2.5-litre BMW straight-six, then in January 2001 came the final flourish: a 2.6-litre V6 superseded the 2.5-litre unit, while the 3.0-litre V6 powerplant was replaced by a 3.2-litre engine, available only as an auto – unless the car was police specification.

The final Omega was sold in the UK in 2004 and since then the number of survivors has plummeted. But there are still several thousand to choose from, although at any one time there tends not to be a lot of examples for sale.

With its roomy cabin, spacious boot and the option of an ultrapractical estate the Omega’s focus is definitely on usability, but this is no one-trick pony. Cheap to buy and potentially also to run (if you buy well), the Omega is comfy, refined, can be well equipped and as a result it’s a superb long-distance cruiser. That’s why police forces across the country ran these cars, and if it’s good enough for the boys in blue it’s sure to be good enough for you.

Here’s what to look for if you’re thinking of buying one. Thanks to Omega guru James Waddington of Autobahn Stormers for his help with this guide.

‘If it’s good enough for the boys in blue it’s good enough for you’