Tweed Jacket Reviews: 1999 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 CDX Manual - Lloyd Vehicle Consulting

James Coleman, aka The Rubbish Mechanic's, Channel: / leadedstar
In this review, we go for a suitably attired day out in the Warwickshire Countryside in a wonderful 1999 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 CDX to see how practical it is, what it is like to drive and what it is like to own. Be prepared for more in-jokes for fans of a certain long-running spy film franchise (as usual), references to Peter Serafinowicz's seminal spoof science series Look Around You, multiple references to the police force, unseen illegal manoeuvres, Corsa B headlight switches, poor satellite navigation placement, a very clear speedometer, sensible consumer advice from James Coleman (aka The Rubbish Mechanic), a rather lovely manual gearbox, terrible weather, Roofrack Roy the automotive bear and generally little of any consequence at all... Nothing untoward, then!
As an independent vehicle consultant, I take potential buyers through the whole car buying process from choosing a make and model to a vehicle handover and road tax. In addition to information on this service, I also have a selection of written and video reviews of cars that I have owned, hired, borrowed or have somehow come into my possession. Please use the Contact Me page on my website to get in touch, visit my Facebook page for latest updates and share this video if you like it! Thank you for watching.
Website: www.lloydvehicleconsulting.co.uk
Facebook: / lloydvehicleconsulting
Cinematography and Editing by Nicholas Franks
Website: www.nicholasfranks.com
Facebook: / nicholasfranksdigital
Theme Music "Here" by Laurence Callaghan and The Tin Cans Copyright 2013 Bezalel Records
Download the EP at www.completing.bandcamp.com

[@kieranwhite6647]

Always a joy to see a nice Omega. They're sadly a very rare sight now, especially the pre-facelifts

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, the pre-facelift cars are not very common at all, this one is a rare survivor, particularly as a manual! Thanks ever so much indeed for watching the review.

[@PlanetautoUK]

Beast of a machine, that sound - superb

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Oh, it does sound rather nice! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@SuperFIFTHGEAR]

I say Mr. Lloyd, you certainly have delivered! I'll have to add an Omega to a list of cars that I'd like to own at some point... :D

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Well, we aim to please, sir! It certainly is a fantastic car, I would recommend a V6 manual if you can find one, although they are quite rare.

[@bodieofci5418]

Loved my Omega. Mine was a 3.0 V6 with manual :)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

They are surprisingly capable cars, very fast, spacious and a lot of fun, especially the manuals!

[@Mr_Chris__]

The Vauxhall Omega is such a lovely car. Definitely one of the best cars to ever be manufactured. An Uncle of mine used to have one until about 17 years ago. If I ever get one, I would like to have an LPG system installed on it. This will help prolong the life of the engine.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks Mr Chris! Yes, the Omega is an absolutely brilliant car. I have driven it a few times now and absolutely loved it on each occasion. Many of them did have an LPG system, I believe!

[@Mr_Chris__]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I wish Vauxhall had fitted LPG systems on all of their Petrol Omegas. I bet more would still be around today if they had. I particularly like the Estate version, the boot space is enormous compared to most other Estate cars. I would advise anybody that owns an Omega to take care of it as best you can. Vauxhall will never manufacture a car as good as that ever again, especially as they are no longer owned by General Motors. Vauxhall car adverts will tell you that Vauxhall is a British brand which is true, but they fail to tell you that they are now owned by a French company.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@Mr_Chris__, the 2.2 litre engine was the most common one for the LPG conversion, I believe... Mr Coleman used to own an LPG converted Volvo 960 for many years before the Omega (review on my channel). I could not believe how cheap the fuel was! Yes, GM were making a huge loss on the Vauxhall and Opel brands as well as Chevrolet in Europe (discontinued in 2015) after 2007, so I am not surprised they sold them off. Having driven the facelifted Astra K recently, it is a really good car, but in terms of similarities with the Omega, well, there aren't any!

[@Mr_Chris__]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting I suppose General Motors have been struggling with increased competition over the years. I personally like the wide variety of cars that are available, but it's a shame that it drove GM to sell off their European brands. They seem to be doing the same with their other brands throughout the world. They recently announced they are getting rid of Holden in Australia. It's a damn shame.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@Mr_Chris__, yes, my video about the demise of Holden in Australia has proven surprisingly popular for some reason! It is a shame that the brand is about to be discontinued. General Motors certainly did struggle for ages with their European division, although PSA has turned the fortunes of Vauxhall and Opel around remarkably quickly. You are right about the increased competition, though, both from premium German brands and those from Asia, which have become much more popular over here in recent years.

[@johnbradshaw5900]

These were wonderful cars hobbled by having the wrong badge in a segment where badge status counts for a lot. They were lovely looking cars, very luxurious and drove well, they were better cars than a few rivals that sold better because they had the right badge. My brother had a couple he bought as returned lease cars at auction, high mileage but immaculate. I remember being amazed at some of the toys they came with and how luxurious they were. Full leather, dual zone climate, electric seats, heated seats. All of that may be commonplace now but were truly special at the time.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks John! Yes, an absolutely fantastic car, really enjoyable to drive, spacious and extremely comfortable too. The Elite came with with even more specification than this CDX, really very well equipped! Indeed, they lost a lot of money in depreciation within a couple of years, so they disappeared relatively quickly.

[@trabali5168]

one of my all time favourite cars, had two (2ltr gls 95M + 2.5 cd 98s). Mr colemans is the pre-facelift, which were the best. Although the wheels on his are not from the CDX, but hey, its a beautiful car never the less. Btw the motorway police didnt use these straight away after its launch, the took about 3 years to catch on. as the forces were happy with the senator 3ltr 24v and rover 827/825.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Absolutely loved driving this, sir! Sounds as if you know a lot about them. Yes, I suppose like the SD1, the Senators and R17 800s lasted for quite a while in the police force after production had ended. That is right, these are not the car's original wheels from what I remember, and it is not the original interior, but it looks brilliant and I love the colour. He would definitely agree with you that the pre-facelift models are better!

[@trabali5168]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting oh....i've just realised this is an old video, it came up on my suggestions i thought it was a new one, opps never mind!!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@trabali5168, not to worry, sir! It gives me more views and watch time, so I am extremely happy either way.

[@seancooke4127]

It was smooth, supremely comfortable, it handled, the estate was huge, great engines, driving position. Everything was good, the best built Vauxhall /Opel. Easily a mass market BMW but scarily close to the contemporary BMW in a far more practical package. Indeed, the Senator that the Omega replaced was a very special executive express, as I have recently been reminded by Dougie Rankine on Once Driven Forever Smitten. A Class of Flagship car that we allowed to die. RIP : Granada, Rover 800, Omega, Super Snipe, Peugeot 605, CX, Safrane, Vel Satis, Alfa 164/166, Lancia Thema, Fiat Croma, Magentis, Sonata, Maxima, QX, Crown, Xedos 9, Sigma, Legend etc

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, a surprisingly good car available for not much money these days, even if they are getting rarer and rarer. Very nice to drive, spacious and well equipped, I certainly loved this car very much indeed. As you say, the mass market saloons like this are now virtually extinct.

[@kingofohio5689]

Proud opel omega b2 caravan owner here 🙌

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Wonderful, I do hope that you enjoyed the review. This was a fantastic car to drive!

[@trabali5168]

I'm not even gonna comment on how much i love this car as i have done that many times on your channel, but i will say that i have never seen a manual version of the 2.5CDX V6. Infact i can see cowley from the professionals choosing this over the frog eyed scorpio!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Ah, I am glad to see you approve, sir! The police loved manual engined V6 Omegas and it is not difficult to see why. Glad you enjoyed the video, more from Tweed Jacket Reviews to come this week.

[@jamiegale8315]

I’ve just bought this back from James. I owned this car originally from October ‘18 to March ‘19 and bought it from the 2nd owner that had owned it for 15yrs but had to sell it. James then bought it from the bloke I sold it to. He decided to part ways with the car last month & I bit his hand off as soon as he asked if I wanted it back.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks Jamie! Just as well we filmed the review when we did, I think. She is an excellent car, I do hope that you enjoyed the video! I am sure that she is now in safe hands.

[@jamiegale8315]

Lloyd Vehicle Consulting I did enjoy the video, I’ve just shared it to my Facebook so others can see it. I’ll be finishing the black interior swap that I started before I sold it the last time then upgrading it a bit before putting a 3.2 in it. The manual box deserves a bit more power. Take care!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, a few more bits to do to complete the manual interior and then a bit more power should really finish it off nicely! Thanks ever so much indeed for sharing the video, I really appreciate it.

[@jbenekeorr]

Traffic master! I bought a 2004 Mini which had it fitted - I had no idea what it was. Pressed the button and to my surprise it started ringing. There obviously was no licence for it but I had to have a slightly awkward conversation with the lady who answered while I sat there completely bemused! I located the various gubbins and ripped them out! That Omega makes a lovely noise. I don’t like the way they look but I’ve always fancied one for some reason! Top quality review sir!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Ah, Trafficmaster stories! I did enjoy playing with it in Mr Coleman's car. Can't believe yours actually rang and put you through! The one in my Rover didn't work in the same way, it was just a display which showed if there was a jam on the motorway within a couple of motorway junctions, but it was highly unreliable...

[@AndrewKNI]

Great video of the old Omega, which still looks good today. Fantastic opening sequences and superb soundtrack :-)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks very much indeed, Andrew! Yes, it looks great, doesn't it? Glad you enjoyed the title sequence and the music, they have been there in one form or the other since right at the start.

[@AndrewKNI]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Yes, the Omega looks grand. Was just thinking I don't recollect many cars available today that would really have the style of the Omega. Perhaps a Mercedes C-class!?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@AndrewKNI, it's more a Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5-Series rival. Probably closer in size to the Insignia these days as well, although that is really a Vectra and Cavalier descendant.

[@AndrewKNI]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Fantastic, very impressive :-)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@AndrewKNI, thanks ever so much indeed!

[@alaricbragg7843]

Thanks for this older video! I am very happy to say that a 1995 episode of the Ruth Rendell Mysteries,where a similar vehicle was driven by the antagonist, brought me here. Have you heard of the Cadillac Cantera (Sic.)? I understand that it had a similar design and floorpan.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The Omega was launched over here in early 1994, so that would have been quite an early one. I know the Cadillac Catera, sir...

[@M6GOF]

Love the Vauxhall Omega. Friend of a friend used a 2.5D CDX for a car to taxi with, and he had a rare police spec Elite with a 3.2 litre manual 'box. They look so ministerial and make a good noise. I miss things like this and the Granada.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks very much indeed for watching! Yes, an Omega with a V6 engine and a manual gearbox is a rare thing indeed... I did feel like I was an undercover traffic officer when I was driving, and you see them all the time in those Police Stop videos. I did a review of Mark II facelift Granada Estate last year if you haven't already seen it. I loved that too!

[@M6GOF]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Aye, I seen that video, an estate model if I recall correctly. Favourite "normal" car of all time; various family members and friends of family had them. Eldest sister's ex had a 'T' reg 2.8 Ghia in that 'Dr Pepper Red' colour as seen driven my Cowley in The Professionals. Dad's mate had a 'B' reg 2.8 Ghia in gold with a manual 'box like the "Ford Tippex" in The Young Ones. Just a seriously nice car, and the Cologne V6 engine is very distinctive, I'd know that sound anywhere.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@M6GOF, excellent, it's one of my most popular videos! Hope to drive the Granada again at some point this year. They really were onto something with the Mk2 Granada, weren't they? The red colour that you saw in the second and third series of The Professionals is called Jupiter Red. Ghia X manuals were quite rare, so it is amazing that I was able to drive one! Yes, I recall the Ford "Tippex"... The Cologne V6 is very agreeable, isn't it?

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

I had the Facelift of this car. I had a black 2001 Opel omega Caravan/stationwagon. 2.5 v6. Leather seats. Heated seats . electric seats. Electric sunroof .. color navigation system. Climate controle with different zones. Cruisecontrol. Board computer. 19 inc star rims. Parking sensors. Xenon headlights. And i’m sure i forget some things. The car was ahead of his time.

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

My dashboard and inside doors looked very different

[@jdnrotterdam2150]

I think the skoda superb. Is the new Omega.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, the interior and exterior of the facelifted Omega B was quite different. Amazing to drive and very spacious, though. You must have had the absolute top of the range, which was either the Elite or the MV6 in this country.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

The Skoda Superb probably would be a good replacement for one of these, especially that 3.6 V6 Mk2.

[@zugbug1986]

As I think you know I am a Ford fan really but I have always liked the look of these big Vauxhalls. What a lucky find for Mr. Coleman it does seem quite a tidy car. Excellent review Sir!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks Mr G! Yes, it was done in rather difficult circumstances during the stormy weather last Thursday, but we did make it to the end... I would happily have one of these cars myself, actually! It certainly is a tidy car, and Mr Coleman has done pretty well to find this one, you are right about that. I am pleased that you enjoyed it!

[@Tracks777]

nice content

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks very much indeed, glad you enjoyed it!

[@mattsbeamer]

I really wish Vauxhall omega still made the omega. A wonderful example owned by mr Coleman.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes sir, a lot of people miss the Omega! Mr Coleman is indeed a very, very blessed man to have such a lovely example.

[@mattsbeamer]

Lloyd Vehicle Consulting the omega is also blessed having a owner like him :)

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Why indeed, sir!

[@CaiSpidox]

My dad had an omega as his business one, unfortunately it was before I really got into cars to know how special it was. But it was his favourite car I believe he had the 2.5 v6 elite but he said how fast it was so maybe it was even the 3.2. He loved to bring it up when I had my jaguar s-type as the v6 sounded like his old omega. I know he got a diesel vectra after that.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Yes, the 2.5 is brilliant and it is fast. Obviously, the 3.2 was faster still! They really are enthusiasts' cars as they don't look like much to the average person, but they are completely brilliant. Must have been a bit of a comedown getting a diesel Vectra afterwards!

[@CaiSpidox]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting yes, I believe even Richard Hammond loves the Omega. Yes it was a bit of a downgrade but he did many miles travelling down south so it was necessary really. Though i liked the Saab 9-3 he had after.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

@@CaiSpidox, I think that you are right about Richard Hammond's opinion of the Omega. He certainly did like it. The Vectra C isn't a particularly bad car at all, but I probably prefer the Saab. Same platform, of course!

[@kenharding8437]

@@lloydvehicleconsulting Hammond did like the Omega,but at the time he was comparing it to the five series BMW and the Omega came second. I have three Omegas, an ex police 3.0,an ex police 3.2 and a retail 3.2 Elite.And with a little upgrading i.e suspension,brakes and a mild engine remap,these cars take on a better identity, and having owned them for sixteen years,I can confirm that they can 'kick ass' when called upon....especially with our local boy racers who have learnt a bit of respect. Also I have a 640+HP supercharged 6.2 VXR8 which gets the odd airing...but I still prefer my Omegas, probably just for the scarcity factor and the fact that they were so underrated in the first place.

[@AshrafonCars]

Great video Joseph. Was that a cheeky bit of wheel spin in the car park? Perhaps I'm a bad influence...!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Perhaps, sir, although Mr Coleman has been know to do more than just do a bit of cheeky wheel spin in his V6 Omega, so I don't think you were a bad influence on this occasion at all...

[@seancooke7332]

A true driver's Executive Car from a time when Vauxhall were building cars that were easily the equal of Volkswagen which would probably have been the build quality benchmark. Much more accommodation and standard equipment than a BMW 5 Series and a similar driving experience. The MV6 leather that Mr Coleman fitted looks very inviting. My Brother used to drive a 1998 2.5 TD Model on Motorway mostly work and he found it to be absolutely perfect for the job. Sadly some of the engines on the facelift models spoiled the reliability standards of the Omega but should you find the correct model and trim an Omega is a fine family, commuter or Weekend Show car to keep and look after. How many people are Vauxhall Senator Fanatics 30 years on so Omega Classic Status should be assured. Especially as it was never replaced.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Sir, sadly, we cannot discuss that 2.5 BMW forbidden fuel engine, I am afraid. The Omega was sort of replaced by the Signum, but many would agree that it wasn't a proper substitute. A lovely car to drive, and also very spacious. This review was done rather more quickly than anticipated, but we got it done.

[@stephenmiller3698]

Great Cars.

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Thanks Stephen! I very much enjoyed driving the Omega and wouldn't mind having one myself...

[@terrificspokesman7416]

It has a slightly blowing exhaust

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

It was replaced soon after the review.

[@lordstiffupperlip3095]

Hello Sir , I'm glad you don't do the acting any more better off left in the passed, Other wise a good review . Has Mr Coleman still got his Omega ?

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

I started this channel to do only Tweed Jacket Reviews. If we had the money, all the reviews would be Tweed Jacket Reviews, and would be in this style. It is only for financial reasons that we had to stop production of them.

[@alaricbragg7843]

Oh you have heard of the Cadillac! Sorry! This is way better than the Commodore!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Glad you liked it, sir!