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[Ecobwg]

Hi,

I'm looking to join the world of Omega ownership. What I haven't done is decided which engine. It will need to be an estate and I prefer manual gears.

The first thing I'd like to know is people's opinions on the 2.2 diesel powerplant. I know it is fairly slow in the big car, but is it generally reliable or does it have any reputation for failing?

My parents used to have a 2.2i petrol vectra and I didn't think it was a bad engine, not too bad on consumption or restricted in power and they never had any problems with it.

I know neither will be breaking any speed records and I'm not expecting that of them. I suppose I'd lean towards a petrol unless there is going to be a massive difference in running costs over say 3 years and 40k miles.

What do people think?

Thanks,
Barry.

[Entwood]

Hi,

I'm looking to join the world of Omega ownership. What I haven't done is decided which engine. It will need to be an estate and I prefer manual gears.

The first thing I'd like to know is people's opinions on the 2.2 diesel powerplant. I know it is fairly slow in the big car, but is it generally reliable or does it have any reputation for failing?

My parents used to have a 2.2i petrol vectra and I didn't think it was a bad engine, not too bad on consumption or restricted in power and they never had any problems with it.

I know neither will be breaking any speed records and I'm not expecting that of them. I suppose I'd lean towards a petrol unless there is going to be a massive difference in running costs over say 3 years and 40k miles.

What do people think?

Thanks,
Barry.

3.2 V6 petrol but converted to run on LPG ...    (but I'm a tad biased!!)

All the fun and power of running a big V6 without the massive cost

[joshwyatt]

I have very limited experiences with the 2.2 DTI. It has 122bhp from memory, but is generally reliable if oil changes are frequent, I have seen some with over 350,000 miles.
I had a 2002 2.2 manual saloon, and only did 9,000 miles in it. It was supremely reliable in the time I had it.
When considering any petrol Omega, you must ensure there is a record of a cambelt, idlers and tensioners having been replaced every 40k miles or 4 years. This must be observed no matter what.
Regular oil chages on the 2.2 keep it runnig nice and quietly. Nothing ever went wrong on mine, the best person for advice on the 2.2 is RobG and Tunnie...I'm sure they'll be able to give some good information.
If it were my choice, I have the 2.2, but MPG isn't that good, if you got over 32mpg combined I'd be suprised.

[Ecobwg]

Hi,
While I'd love a 3.2, I think that at group 18 insurance and including it with business mileage, it may get a bit costly. Even though I'm not paying that much currently for my group 17 car, I do want something thats a little easier on insurance.
Cheers, B.

[Vamps]

I have been looking for some months for the 'right' car I could not find it in diesel auto so bought a 2.2 petrol and intend to lpg it, overall it will cost less than an equivalent diesel. I wanted auto which meant a 2.5 diesel and they do not do much better mpg than the 2.2  petrol.
I was looking for the best condition I could find, but need reasonable economy.....

[mathewst]

General opinion is that diesel is worth getting if it is BMW lump (2.5 td) and only if it had frequent oil changes.
2.2 petrol is a modification of earlier 2.0 engine and probably was one of the best in Vauxhall/Opel range. Not many things go wrong with it (camshamft sensor only after 100 000 miles usually and cam cover gaskets if the breathers are dirty). Economy on open road is quite good if you don't imitate Schumaher but in heavy town traffic is is a heavy drinker.

[vic]

I,ve had my 2.2 estate auto for five or six years, Full service book and IIRC 60 odd k on the clock. Overall my views and experiences are;
Positives
* It's like driving an armchair, steers well since WIM sorted it out, very quiet comfortable motoring, looks good too.
* Load carrying capacity of the estate is second to none.
Negatives
* 2.2 (4 pot) is 'gutless' compared to the V6.
* Fuel economy is 'crap' ( a technical motoring term)
Overall 22 MPG and I've got a very light right foot, and much more into "whoooosh than "Whiiiz" these days.
Overall, An excellent car if you can afford the cost of fuel. Could well be worth conversion to LPG if you intend to keep for a long time, or even buy one already converted.
HTH
VC

[Iain]

I have a 2.2 Petrol,although fuel economy round town is not great,it is a pretty worry free engine,just the usual stuff...
MAF sensor can be an issue, but as with any car,regular servicing and maintenance it it will do you well
It doesn't have the oomph that the V6's have but for me it is plenty quick enough, and if everything is serviced as working properly it can be pretty quick off the mark (Que the ribbing from the V6 guys!)

Working on the car is far easier than the other engines,plenty room to get your hands in and all pretty basic simple mechanics to suit, if you maintain it yourself

The 4 pot gets a slagging on here (in fun) but all in all i would say, if your not looking for high performance... 2.2 petrol is more than ample
Comes in Auto and Manual to suit
I prefer Auto as it just cruises with no effort at all,and if you 'use' the gearbox properly you can get close to a manual change without the hassle of the clutch... a lot of people hate Autos because you can't 'drive' them,in my opinion that is because the driver 'can't' drive IT, not the other way round

Dont know much about any of the tractors,for me the Omega is a luxury, quiet, refined and comfort mobile, and with fuel economy NOT greatly better....what's the point?

Obviously all of the above is my own opinion and preference.....
Everyone is different

[Ecobwg]

Thanks for the replies, certainly given me some things to think on.

The Carlton we had was a 2.0i CD saloon and was heavy on fuel around town but I could get 40mpg out of it on a run and the same with my parents' 2.2i Vectra. I know the Omega is a fair bit heavier though.

Brochure performance figures put the 2.2i manual as being not far behind the 2.6 auto acceleration wise, I guess the 2.6 is alot more relaxed making prgress though.

Most of my running is going to be open road and outer urban, there won't be much busy city centre stuff. Although I need it for work use, mostly I cycle the 2 miles to work or take the bus.

I might still get some insurance quotes on the 3.2, never know, as a more mature car it might be cheaper than the Impreza despite being a group higher. Everything comes down to money in the end

[Iain]

If it is only a leisure car ,you might get a limited mileage policy a bit cheaper 

My 2.2 gets about 22mpg round town and the best i got from it was 36mpg on a run

[PhilRich]

I've owned my 2.2 petrol auto for 16 months & it turned 52,000 miles today! (had 42,122 on it when I bought it). The best advice I can give you if you decide on a 2.2 petrol is to make sure it has a known good history with bills to support the service stamps & previous MOT tickets to prove the mileage (plus the VOSA website to check previous couple of years against the paperwork available). Most important will be proof that the cambelt, tensioners & waterpump have been changed at the recommended intervals (40k miles or 4 years) plus evidence that the cooling system is healthy (visual inspection, service/repair records etc.) & frequent oil changes have been done. Despite changing the cambelt, tensioners & waterpump, 2 quick succession oil changes & a cooling system flush, my head gasket went within 2 months of buying it because it had been badly neglected but 'tarted up' by the 'Dealer' I bought it from!   It has also needed a new cam sensor & crank sensor.
On the plus side (yes there is one! ) it is the most comfortable car , with the smoothest auto box I have ever owned to date! I find it very refined & quite responsive for such a heavy car. It is easy to work on with plenty of room all round the engine bay & most components are easily accessible. I wish you Luck in your choice 

[fergy]

Well there appear to be a lot of supporters for the petrol versions and not much comment from 2.2Dti estate owners!

So here is one example of my DTi ownership

I have  a 2001 cdx  estate that I use daily in my business
(Mostly 5-8 mile trips on  congested roads)  car has done 157k and I have owned it for 7 years.

Engine problems to date:

a couple of sets of glowplugs
crankshaft pully- replaced
egr valve cleaned
Vac pipe leaks - connectors replaced
Air  hose to turbo  - replaced
2 parts of the exhaust  - replaced
Serpentine belt broke - replaced

Car is serviced annually with oil, fuel and air filters

This represents about 120k of motoring, all the above problems  were corrected by  myself. Only the crank  shaft pully proved challenging.

As for consumption. I have been getting 42.5 to the gallon, but following a 300 mile blast up and down the motorway it was doing 45.6/ gall.

I should add that as the vehicle is a work horse (normally has a couple of cwt of tools in the back)  and I drive it very carefuly. For me,there is nothing else on the market (that I can afford) that can do what this car does.

Not quick, but bags of torque

Fantastic car !

[Marks DTM Calib]

2.2Dti is a good lump, no serious issues if cared for....I prefer it to the BMW unit (although as its 2 pots short its not as smooth)

[Jimbob]

On the petrol front - Omega and Vectra use different 2.2 engines, Veccy is chain, omega belt.

We had a 2.2 auto omega
father in law had a 2.2 auto vectra, so I have driven both quite a bit

the omega is ok for round town and motorway, but does take its time getting to speed, and as such found it to be the same as the big v6's on economy!

the 2.2 vectra is a nice nippy car, good speed and acceleration, much lighter car, and thats before we get into front wheel drive etc.

I wouldnt buy a 4 pot petrol omega, the only benefits I can see are easier to service.

not had much diesel experience though sorry.

[mathewst]

JimBob, 2.2 petrol mig can be very economical if you watch how you drive (except town driving).
On open road I can get very good figures.
Consumption varies from 6.6 litres on 100km run (this is over 40 mpg if I'm not mistaken) to 7.7. litres on 100km run (but when it is like this schumaher would have trouble with me  )
Town is the problem cause its a heavy car and biggest energy is spent when trying to get the car moving from standstill. In town consumption rarely drops under 13 litres on 100km
6.6 litres is really careful driving but I havent seen a car of this size, age and petrol engine consume less