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[Tick Tock]

Working estates are still properly useful cars, and will be in use for some time still. Owners know how hard they are to replace, so don't expect them to change hands. Which has been true of estates forever.


Very few car models break this cycle!

Especially if they are estates and have got 3 pedals! 

[Rangie]

Interesting subject .
I've had my '99 facelift for 17 years now .
Due to the fact that I have a van for day to day duties and my wife a new(ish) Yeti it covers very little annual miles. I enjoy maintaining it myself and find all parts reasonably priced .
Having recently retired Mrs Olympia suggested that I dispose of the van and treat myself to a new( ish ) car . After pondering it for a second I said that I'd rather stick with the Omega as it is still the most comfortable and versatile car that could ask for and would easily cost € 20K to replace in size /comfort and reliability .
Insurance and road tax has been crippling over here in Ireland but now it will be eligable for classic insurance and will be added to my other classic policy making it much more agreeable .
I've noticed that , over here , the value of them has been steadily rising again so it could be a win win ..
I still find them an attractive car that hasn't dated as much as others.

That's a very tidy looking estate car, and will deserve to go up in value as supply and demand dictates market price.

. 


That looks in superb condition , I can see why you don't want to get rid.👍

[Nick W]

Working estates are still properly useful cars, and will be in use for some time still. Owners know how hard they are to replace, so don't expect them to change hands. Which has been true of estates forever.


Very few car models break this cycle!

Especially if they are estates and have got 3 pedals! 

There's a reason why it's rare to find manual gearboxes in this sort of car

[dave the builder]

Working estates are still properly useful cars, and will be in use for some time still. Owners know how hard they are to replace, so don't expect them to change hands. Which has been true of estates forever.


Very few car models break this cycle!

Especially if they are estates and have got 3 pedals! 

There's a reason why it's rare to find manual gearboxes in this sort of car

they all got shipped to Ireland to be ragged as drift cars     

I still sometimes reach over to the gear knob when approaching a junction at speed 
fortunately i don't floor the clutch any more (which is NOT a clutch  but an oversize brake pedal) 

I drive the astras with manual gear change (as God intended) and enjoy the control
though i have got lazy use to the devil's gearbox auto contraption thing 

[ronnyd]

Working estates are still properly useful cars, and will be in use for some time still. Owners know how hard they are to replace, so don't expect them to change hands. Which has been true of estates forever.


Very few car models break this cycle!

Especially if they are estates and have got 3 pedals! 

There's a reason why it's rare to find manual gearboxes in this sort of car

they all got shipped to Ireland to be ragged as drift cars     

I still sometimes reach over to the gear knob when approaching a junction at speed 
fortunately i don't floor the clutch any more (which is NOT a clutch  but an oversize brake pedal) 

I drive the astras with manual gear change (as God intended) and enjoy the control
though i have got lazy use to the devil's gearbox auto contraption thing 

That's what seat belts are for Dave. Just in case you forget which car you've jumped into.

[dave the builder]

Working estates are still properly useful cars, and will be in use for some time still. Owners know how hard they are to replace, so don't expect them to change hands. Which has been true of estates forever.


Very few car models break this cycle!

Especially if they are estates and have got 3 pedals! 

There's a reason why it's rare to find manual gearboxes in this sort of car

they all got shipped to Ireland to be ragged as drift cars     

I still sometimes reach over to the gear knob when approaching a junction at speed 
fortunately i don't floor the clutch any more (which is NOT a clutch  but an oversize brake pedal) 

I drive the astras with manual gear change (as God intended) and enjoy the control
though i have got lazy use to the devil's gearbox auto contraption thing 

That's what seat belts are for Dave. Just in case you forget which car you've jumped into.

Indeed ,
 the excess on the windscreen insurances is £85 plus
far too much money to be head butting the screen on a regular basis 

[B52]

Out of interest, what's your view of the Insignia?

I've likewise had an MV6 for 17 years since it was a year old - I test drove an Insignia around 2008 and never saw it as a compelling next car.

I hired a 9 mile estate car some time back. Found it incredibly difficult to see rear and rear 3/4 view. The SR seats were incredibly hard and uncomfortable ,the electric handbrake a huge PITA . Getting back into the Omega at the airport was like putting on a nicely worn pair of Cheaney brogues..
All in all the experience made the model invisible to me from then on . Even now when I see them I look beyond...

Exactly this ^ I had zero confidence about what was behind and the dropaway front end had me peering over the dash in car parks. The only way I could reverse park was to open the drivers door and physically look at where the back was. Some of this I'd probably have got used to but it was way too much of a sea-change, whereas Senator to Carlton to Omega were changes I made easily. I'm quite liking the new one all the same. But I got the S60s V5 today so I guess it's official.

[Doctor Gollum]

Get one with parking sensors

The mirrors are a stupid shape too, but like any car, you soon get used to it

As an aside, the Insignia isn't significantly smaller than the Omega...

[STEMO]

Get one with parking sensors

The mirrors are a stupid shape too, but like any car, you soon get used to it

As an aside, the Insignia isn't significantly smaller than the Omega...

The original shape insignia is only mm bigger than astra j

[Doctor Gollum]

That tells you how fat the Astra is

The VXR8 is exactly the same length as the Insignia, but about 4" wider...

[Nick W]

Get one with parking sensors

The mirrors are a stupid shape too, but like any car, you soon get used to it

As an aside, the Insignia isn't significantly smaller than the Omega...

A quick Google suggests an Insignia hatch is about 55mm shorter than an Omega saloon.


Tellingly, it is 300mm wider

[Doctor Gollum]

Someone forgot to add the Omega mirrors into the equation.

The Insignia certainly doesn't feel that wide...