GLS - Goes Lovely Sir! (Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.0i 16v 4-door Saloon)

Member Name: firemanspam

Product:	Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.0i 16v 4-door Saloon
Date:	04/12/08 (281 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A very cheap car to buy and run.

Disadvantages: Weight, slightly underpowered.

Omega GLS 2.0 16 valve. Saloon, pre-facelift. Dooyoo have a picture of a facelift estate, which is not a GLS either, no matter.

I have done a review on my present car, a W Reg Omega Turbo Diesel, now I will tell you how I decided to buy an Omega in the first place. I fancied the Omega, had done for a while, but there is only one way you are going to be sure you like a car, and that is by owning one. These cars were built at Russelsheim in the Opel factory, and have a very good name for build quality.

I saw a bit of a shed on ebay, it was showing it's age, it was an M Reg. Probably an ex Taxi, it had more miles under it's belt than the space shuttle.

Nobody would buy such a car surely? Errr . . . When I went to collect it, I was under no illusions, I just hoped it would limp back home without me being let down. It did this, and I even enjoyed the trip. It ran well, was a little sluggish, but it was an old banger. I could expect no more.

I paid the princely sum of £150 for it, and I must say it was worth every penny. I ran it for a while, did a bit of cleaning up, polished it, touched up the paintwork here and there, and sold it a few months later, doubling my money.

OK I now knew I liked owning this car, the parts were readily available from the main dealers, or even cheaper from the scrapyards, Repairs were a doddle, it was an easy car to work on etc. I wanted another, but better.

Being the lowly GLS, this was not fitted with much by way of spec. The wheels were steel, there was no climate control, no rear blind, no luxury at all. However, it did have electric front windows, stated first time every time, was smooth, and flew through the MOT. The boot was cavernous, and it had a ski hatch so you could carry lengths of wood etc. The back seat folded down, with it up, it carried five people in comfort.

I think two litres is a little small for this car, but it did the job. The manual gearbox was a bit sloppy, The power steering still worked, and I was pleased.

These cars depreciate like mad for the first couple of years, so someone else loses all the money, usually a company. When the car was first launched, companies asked for them by the fleet, but specified Hatchbacks - "OOOPS" said Vauxhall, "We don't do those" and the car was in danger of being a non starter. The fleet buyers loved them though, and the rest is history. They were announced as the "Best second hand buy" one year, and "Best fleet car" another.

In my opinion, the car has stood up to lots of abuse, it has carried large heavy objects, many passengers, and was used to tow very big trailers. This particular car has performed all these tasks admirably.

The GLS the bottom of the range apart from the Select, it doesn't have leather seats, or sat nav, or self levelling suspension, but this is a list of toys it does have, It is very impressive. - Metallic paint, heated seats, one-touch electric front windows, sun roof, kerb lights, Locking glove box, leather steering wheel, illuminated sun visors, and much more besides.

The economy is not good, but the performance for a car weighing one & a half tonnes is brilliant.

This car has fifteen inch wheels, but I think sixteen inch ones are about right. These really fill the arches. I also think the car should have had alloys.

Performance figures are as follows:-
0 - 60 10.5 seconds, told you it was sluggish!
Insurance group 13.
Launch date 1sr April 1994 (Yes April fool's day!)
Power output 134 BHP.
Valves 16.
Turning circle 10 Meters.
Value - no book price, just whatever the buy will pay.

All in all, a very practical car, eats up the miles in comfort, carries loads, Easy to maintain, cheap spares. I recommend these, but would advise going for a little more spec and less miles.

Summary: A good comfortable load lugger.

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