Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: SparticusMK2 on 26 October 2007, 16:43:09
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Once again id like to thank everyone for the warm welcome to you site! :)
On the beginners page under V6 Virgin, I asked the question what to look for when buying an Omega V6?
Even though I would still like the answer to that question I have another..........
Looking on eBay I found a rather nice 3.2litre version which has less miles and is newer!
The question is........ What (if any) are the advantages/dis-advantages between an Omega Elite V6 2.5 and 3.2litre?
And more to the point what would you buy?
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I've got a 3.0 and a 2.5.
The 3.0 is much thirstier in urban type driving (although this may be partly due to it being an auto). I actually think the 2.5 is a nicely balanced engine for the car.
3.2 (and 2.6) is the later generation which using drive by wire etc - others can comment on its merits/otherwise..
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3.0 =208bhp
3.2=218bhp
If you can get the 3.2 in your budget and the insurance is ok and your not too worried about the fuel being used then go for the 3.2. But at the end of the day your the one to make the call. ::)
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and the drive by wire part, two dispacks going into each bank of cylinders rather than the hard to change single dispack at the back - its a common failure.
Also no accelerator cable or ignition leads or egr.....
Minimum performance increase from 3.0 to 3.2.
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Big is best. Bigger is better still!!! ;) ;) :y :y
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Main drawback of the 3.2 is that you can't get a manual gearbox unless it's an ex-cop version, so that makes it a non-starter for me. 3.0 manual is quicker anyway, both in acceleration and top speed. No doubt the ex-cop 3.2 manual are a little quicker than the 3.0, but there are no official figures that I can find because it wasn't sold as retail.
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I've got a 3.0 and a 2.5.
The 3.0 is much thirstier in urban type driving (although this may be partly due to it being an auto).
That will be hugely due to it being auto -- the torque converter means it's like driving a manual with the clutch partly disengaged all the time. Those things produce a shed load of heat, which of course is energy from the fuel hence the inefficiency. It becomes less of an issue at a constant speed on the motorway because the torque converter is locked out.
My 3.0 manual gets just over 26 MPG average overall, with a mix of town and motorway, and I drive it quite hard. 30 MPG should be achievable driving like a pussycat ;)
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Main drawback of the 3.2 is that you can't get a manual gearbox unless it's an ex-cop version, so that makes it a non-starter for me. 3.0 manual is quicker anyway, both in acceleration and top speed. No doubt the ex-cop 3.2 manual are a little quicker than the 3.0, but there are no official figures that I can find because it wasn't sold as retail.
or .... (for the majority of us ;D)
Main advantage of the 3.2 is that you can't get a manual gearbox unless it's an ex-cop version ............... ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
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I have a 2002 3.2 Elite Auto and a 1999 3.0 Elite manual and IMHO theres no comparison. The 3.2 is quiter has comfier seats and I would rather drive the 3.2 than the 3.0 even though it has covered 172,000 miles it drives like a new car; however, I think the mini facelift looks better externally and internally but thats just my opinion ;)
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.............. however, I think the mini facelift looks better externally and internally but thats just my opinion ;)
Which is why I looked for the newest PRE face lift that I could find. :y
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The 2.6 manual is plenty fast for normal driving... the "speed bumps at 50mph" put me off a plodwagon, else I'd have got a 3.2 - oddly, the insurance for 2.6 and 3.2 autos was exactly the same quote...
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My 3.0 manual gets just over 26 MPG average overall, with a mix of town and motorway, and I drive it quite hard. 30 MPG should be achievable driving like a pussycat ;)
My auto gets 25mpg. And I'm no pussycat. So how poor is a modern, well matched, auto?
;D
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The 2.6 manual is plenty fast for normal driving... the "speed bumps at 50mph" put me off a plodwagon, else I'd have got a 3.2 - oddly, the insurance for 2.6 and 3.2 autos was exactly the same quote...
Depending on how mechanically minded you are you could buy a retail 3.2 and treat it to a proper gearbox, consigning the slushy to the skip where it belongs ;) One of the guys on here converted a 3.0 slushy to manual in a weekend, bought all the bits from a scrappy for £100 :O and being that the manual boxes very rarely break you don't have to worry about the age of it.
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My 3.0 manual gets just over 26 MPG average overall, with a mix of town and motorway, and I drive it quite hard. 30 MPG should be achievable driving like a pussycat ;)
My auto gets 25mpg. And I'm no pussycat. So how poor is a modern, well matched, auto?
;D
Very :P The fuel economy is the least of its disadvantages, in fact my fuel economy would probably get proportionately even worse with a slushy as I'd constantly have the gas pedal on the floor rather than just 80% of the time to make up for the power being wasted heating the transmission oil ;D
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BTW I almost done the unthinkable today..... buy a slushomatic :o
But before you all think I'd gone insane it was a BMW 850Ci I wanted to pilfer some bits off for my 840, I intended to resell it again ASAP before the thing actually did drive me insane (I'd probably drive on the right-hand side of the road thinking I'm back in the US with their lifeless cars). But alas the guy wouldn't drop to the price I wanted to pay so I guess fate saved me ;)
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My 3.0 manual gets just over 26 MPG average overall, with a mix of town and motorway, and I drive it quite hard. 30 MPG should be achievable driving like a pussycat ;)
My auto gets 25mpg. And I'm no pussycat. So how poor is a modern, well matched, auto?
;D
Very :P The fuel economy is the least of its disadvantages, in fact my fuel economy would probably get proportionately even worse with a slushy as I'd constantly have the gas pedal on the floor rather than just 80% of the time to make up for the power being wasted heating the transmission oil ;D
I suspect I drive mine every bit as hard as yours, possibly moreso.
The software update on petrol boxes is hugely beneficial, and the loss in the TC is much less.
As for the boring old manual v auto, when I was your age, I was exactly the same. Years being the only techie in the region have made me want an auto:
I used to support MS-Mail back in the mid nineties. I was the only the only mobile techie covering East Anglia, across to just south of Brum, down to Aldershot, and North and West London (plus a few oddities like Docklands, and Stone in Staffordshire). It was nothing to be out in Norwich, and my boss to call that Aldershot needed a vist. The only way to get round these sites (bearing in mind that the top speed of the 1.8 diesel Fiesta was about 100/105 with the kit I carried) was to lauch start every time, crash the box, and generally scream the nuts off it. It was frequently driving at 100% for extended periods. I was young, and was happy to do it.
The grief/'stress' of doing that, day in, day out, was pretty immense. The van took a hammering - brakes usually every 10k, clutch about 30k, gearbox about the same as clutch.
One day, due to a disagreement with my boss, I decided to work to rule. Stick to speed limit, take break after 2hrs. He went potty, but nought he could do ;D. Anyway, I got help after that from a guy in Colchester (95m from where I lived), so we used to meet up in morning somewhere, then take one van and share driving. Much easier.
Those early days in MS-Mail support was enough to finally finish off my driving 'desire' (I had a job as a service engr previous to that). And driving through London virtually daily has made manuals bloody annoying when in traffic. I rarely get 'enjoyment' through driving like I did when I was younger. Don't get me wrong, I do not drive like grandad, but it purely is a A to B think for me now. The 'enthusism' of my drive is directly related to how early/late I am.
I hope that explains why I prefer auto with a big effortless V6. It is predictable, and I never shout at the gearbox. The tractor/auto combo is bloody annoying, and I do end up shouting at it. If I was to get another 2.5TD, it would have to be a manual, but as the V6 is matched well to the autobox (with v9 auto firmware) I am happy to stick with that.
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Good Afternoon, Many thanks for all you views!!! :y
What did I choose between a V6 2.5 or 3.2?
Well as luck would have it I decided to look around again and found a OMEGA ELITE V6 3litre and it's a manual!!! on a W-reg with only 88,000miles & with a full service history (Which the last service was in July 2007).
Any guesses on how much? ;)
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Good Afternoon, Many thanks for all you views!!! :y
What did I choose between a V6 2.5 or 3.2?
Well as luck would have it I decided to look around again and found a OMEGA ELITE V6 3litre and it's a manual!!! on a W-reg with only 88,000miles & with a full service history (Which the last service was in July 2007).
Any guesses on how much? ;)
Sounds good. :y :y Depending on the condition, possibly between £2.5k - £3.5k but just guessing. :P
I've had a 2.5 and 3.2 Estate and they're both very good engines however, you always pay for extra power - the 3.2 was noticeably much more powerful but equally much more thirsty.
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hey whats a slushy gearbox then??? has my car got one of these?? ;D
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from the looks of things - yes it has ;)
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hey whats a slushy gearbox then??? has my car got one of these?? ;D
Gary .. some unfortunate, miss-guided individuals do not have the pleasure and experience of driving a well balanced, responsive, and sophisticated automatic... they, in their ignorance of the finer things of motoring, have a tendency to refer to such wonders of technology as "slush boxes" or "slushomatics".
It is to be hoped that no ill feelings are expressed against such individuals, as it is usually not their fault, I personally blame the government for failing to educate the lower masses correctly.
:)
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well said mate ;D my opinion is exactly the same! i have had lots of great newer manual cars in the past but for me the v6 auto omega is the best car ive driven! even though shes pretty old! :y
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I must admit untill a year ago I thought Autos were for the "Older" generation. ::)
That was untill I bought a Rover 820SLi 2.0l Auto, there was two reasons for buying such a vehicle
1. Eventhough it had been sitting on a driveway for 3 years, The leather interior was immaculate!
2. It cost £60 ;)
Now after nearly a year of comfortable driving I have grown to like it!
But I am happy to go back to a manual especially a 3.0litre 8-)
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I must admit untill a year ago I thought Autos were for the "Older" generation. ::)
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Now after nearly a year of comfortable driving I have grown to like it!
Shhhh! You'll start Paul M off again! ;D ;D ;D ;D :y