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[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Driving style will be a huge factor though, along with type of journeys. As some here get through pads in a ridiculously short amount of time.

Kinda makes tyre threads here pointless 

Another telling off by Miss Daisy. However, some of us like fun in life with our digital throttles, heavy braking and high g cornering to match. Not getting Miss Daisy or a nervous nun in a Morris 1000 tyre mileage is well worth it.

Which then begs the question. Why in the name of all thats holy are you driving an Omega   

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Goodyear Eagle F1 Assym 2s here in 245/40/18... Happy enough with the performance under duress but only managed 8k miles with 2mm left.

Same here.

£75 a corner fitted in 225/45/17 form.

[05omegav6]

Because an MX5 can't tow a 2 ton caravan with three kids, a dog and a boot full of luggage simultaneously 

The Omega is a perfect all-rounder... Smooth and sedate or poised and responsive according to your mood...

Or you could spend ten times as much and buy summat a bit more BMW

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

An MX5 certainly cant do those things,although, like the Omega its certainly not a fast car either.
The Omega, imo, was an under rated car, in the sense it is quiet, smooth, sedate etc. and capable of making adequate progress if need be.
It wasn't and never could be a properly fast car. It was never designed to be one. Far too heavy and underpowered.
I have the impression that some people on OOF have spent a lot of time and money trying to prove otherwise, when they might as well try and push water uphill.
Its not a criticism of the car. It wasn't designed to be a fast car, it was designed to be a big comfy mile muncher.
Point being, rather than spend all the time / effort / money on trying to make it something it isn't. Why not keep it standard and pick up an MX5 , or any number of other cars(if that's what equates as fun) for sub £1k and have fun when the mood takes ?
Its all pretty irellevant these days anyway imo, as the days of being able to drive fast on public roads are long gone.

Also, there are similar cars for similar money which do the same job as the Omega only better. Examples which spring to mind are Lexus LS40, Jag XJ, various Mercs, and indeed a BMW (E38, 735 / 740). So in reality its probably about brand loyalty and enthusiasm for a particular model.
Theres no rhyme, reason or logic too it and theres nothing wrong with it I suppose. As long as we don't start kidding ourselves that its the best car ever made for any purpose we can think of.

[05omegav6]

Every single car you mention still costs significantly more to buy and were all produced as luxury rather than executive models...

Pound for pound, the Omega is a fantastic all-rounder, and I would recommend a crosscounty blast in a 3.2 manual with well set suspension and a clear road before you right it off. True in a.world where sports cars that can hit 60 in 2.5,seconds and top 180 are the norm, a two ton saloon capable of hitting 60 in 6-7 seconds and cruising at 140+ all day long might not be anthing to write home about. Until you remember that the newest Omegas are now over 12 years old yet still do what they were designed and built to do, and still do it well.

They are understated and underestimated end of an era cars that will keep supposedly better cars honest on any decent stretch of road.

Out and out sports car? Obviously not. Thoroughly competent car in every way? Absooppsinglutely.

That's why we love them

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Having owned 8 v6 Omegas I think I can be included in the "why we love them" group. 
I m a realist though, and disagree that the cars I mentioned are necessarily more expensive. True you may have to buy one 2 or 3 years older to get it the same price as an Omega, but does that really count at that age ?
Jag and BMW did sports versions of the XJ and e38 as well as luxury models.
I have driven well sorted manual Omegas,hard, and although it is quite a well balanced chassis for something designed decades ago, it has its limitations (even on public roads) and if I wanted something to test my limits (which I consider to be not particularily high) it wouldn't be something I would consider, because it isn't a car for fast driving. Its a decent car for making adequate progress in  reasonable comfort.
Ideally I suppose, I would have an Omega / LS/ e38/ XJ / S class type car and also a well sorted MR2 / M3 (an old one)/ Elise etc.
But then again, speed cameras, very overcrowded roads, speeding now extremely antisocial, and a mind boggling number of morons in charge of vehicles everywhere you go - is there any point in thinking about performance as a desirable characteristic anymore ?
I spend a lot of my driving time nowadays in a 25 year old diesel, and have fun in it, to the extent that its funny to go through a series of bends and leave Timothy Poncenby Smythe languishing far behind in his £40k Audi/ Beemer etc. as it seems hardly anyone has much of a clue how to drive these days.

[05omegav6]

Maybe my opinion is a clouded one... Six Omegas, seven Granadas, a Sierra XR4x4, a 106XSi, a 405, an E Class, two Vectra Cs, two Insignias, one Seat Altea and a Renault 25...

My favourites? In ascending order:
Sierra XR4x4
106XSi
2.8i manual Mk2 Granada
2.9 Cosworth Granada
Insignia St 4x4
3.2 Auto Omega
3.2 Manual Omega

If the Granada Cosworth had been manual and 4x4, that might have been the top of the list, but basically the Omega has it licked. For me at least

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Ah, now, see if you hadn't taken Ford as your religion before seeing the light and converting to GM then you might not be a complete devotee.
I was reared in the GM religion ( deviated to Ford briefly with a Crapi and a Sierra and hated both of them), and have only really turned my eyes away from GM to other marques, late in life.
I think the reason people like us ( wanting a nice big luxobarge on  tightish budget) ignored more "upmarket" cars, may have been the exhorbitant cost of parts ec. but that doesn't really apply anymore.
Parts for XJ,s e38,s, LS 400, older Mercs etc. can be bought as cheaply as parts for Omegas from similar sources as we would use to source parts from.
I think if we ignore badges, and take a drive in these cars, with an open mind, it might be more difficult to keep justifying the Omega love.
I think the BMW badge is losing its stigma now, more so with older models,as that mantle is being passed to Audi drivers, and the bigger engined e38,s are a stonking car in every respect in my opinion. Would any of us really be embarrassed to drive an old 635 Csi, or old 2002tii ? I would love to have an old e38 750 5.4, V12, but even now, the running costs are eye watering.
Likewise the LS400, its a cracking car, although definitely more luxury than sporting drive, but still very capable for what it is. And the engine is a real peach.
Im planning on finally moving away from Omegas in about a years time and will be trying to decide between an e38, LS400 and an XJ.
The car will likely be around 15 years old, so MB wont be considered as Mercs of that vintage can rust quicker than an old Alfasud.

But having said all this, if the right 3.2 Elite with all the toys came along at the right price / right time, I might just have a few more years of Omega love. 

[Rods2]

Only ever owned big estate cars for their load carrying capacity and there is very little choice that matches the Omega, once  the old Granada / Volvo 7/9 series were no longer available. My next car will probably be an E series Merc estate. Never owned a car that was not an estate as load capacity is important to me. My 'sports car' blasts were large capacity fast motorbikes. For me that covered all be bases.

I have to agree that the Omega is a good all rounder, which as a load lugging, mile eating, barge, it does what it says on the tin.

[dbug]

Every single car you mention still costs significantly more to buy and were all produced as luxury rather than executive models...

Pound for pound, the Omega is a fantastic all-rounder, and I would recommend a crosscounty blast in a 3.2 manual with well set suspension and a clear road before you right it off. True in a.world where sports cars that can hit 60 in 2.5,seconds and top 180 are the norm, a two ton saloon capable of hitting 60 in 6-7 seconds and cruising at 140+ all day long might not be anthing to write home about. Until you remember that the newest Omegas are now over 12 years old yet still do what they were designed and built to do, and still do it well.

They are understated and underestimated end of an era cars that will keep supposedly better cars honest on any decent stretch of road.

Out and out sports car? Obviously not. Thoroughly competent car in every way? Absooppsinglutely.

That's why we love them

A tad optimistic - nearer 8-9 secs I think. 

Only ever owned big estate cars for their load carrying capacity and there is very little choice that matches the Omega, once  the old Granada / Volvo 7/9 series were no longer available. My next car will probably be an E series Merc estate. Never owned a car that was not an estate as load capacity is important to me. My 'sports car' blasts were large capacity fast motorbikes. For me that covered all be bases.

I have to agree that the Omega is a good all rounder, which as a load lugging, mile eating, barge, it does what it says on the tin.

Couldn't agree more - difficult to find a modern estate with similar "usable" space.  We will be looking to replace SWMBOs estate soon, but what with thats both petrol driven and no more than 4 years old! 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Can't add to this, only agree completely the Omegas all-round abilities. And also great to read your passion about the cars/brand, Migv6. I'm the same

[biggriffin]

Every single car you mention still costs significantly more to buy and were all produced as luxury rather than executive models...

Pound for pound, the Omega is a fantastic all-rounder, and I would recommend a crosscounty blast in a 3.2 manual with well set suspension and a clear road before you right it off. True in a.world where sports cars that can hit 60 in 2.5,seconds and top 180 are the norm, a two ton saloon capable of hitting 60 in 6-7 seconds and cruising at 140+ all day long might not be anthing to write home about. Until you remember that the newest Omegas are now over 12 years old yet still do what they were designed and built to do, and still do it well.

They are understated and underestimated end of an era cars that will keep supposedly better cars honest on any decent stretch of road.

Out and out sports car? Obviously not. Thoroughly competent car in every way? Absooppsinglutely.

That's why we love them

That's young bears dream

[05omegav6]

Lol Plod manual 3.2 is sub 7 seconds

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Lol Plod manual 3.2 is sub 7 seconds

That is as quick as my Signum.

[STEMO]

Can you actually see the fuel gauge move if you drive them like that?