Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: RWD4ever on 31 August 2014, 13:56:46
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It sold 800,000 which is hardly a failure. I presume GM was not willing to invest in an upgrade.
Yet Holden continued with the V-platform for a few years longer, and in a smaller market.
:'(
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Holden had more of a captive market, due to local restrictions.
Plus, the Vectra/Insignia had grown size, and used many of the same bits as the other GM ranges. The Mondeo did much the same for the Granada/Scorpio, although Ford's weird decision to only make a previously poor selling saloon the only choice can't have helped there.
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I think the market for large rear wheel drive cars without a snobby badge on the front simply disappeared in the UK.
As said, not just Vauxhall. Ford also killed off that line and Volvo went all wrong-wheel-drive on us. ;)
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I think they call it progress....but in this case I think they were wrong, ::) ::)
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Big engined, RWD cars are loved by people who get pleasure from driving a car the way it should be driven. But where, nowadays? Every road is congested for most of the day. You just sit in traffic while your big engine drinks fuel. If you happen to come across apiece of open road, a hidden camera will catch you 'driving for pleasure'.
I think cars/engines will become even smaller in the future, even if it's just to satisfy the legislation that is bound to become more draconian.
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Because fleet buyers no longer wanted such big, expensive, cars for their middle/senior managers, who were becoming only too away of how much tax they were having to pay for the privilege of having a company car. So it was a combination of the two, and the fact that those senior managers who still wanted "firms wheels" went increasingly towards BMW's and Merc's. These gave them, as they perceived it, better status in the company car park/ in company circles, and better value for the tax paid.
The humble Ford and Vauxhall "prestige" car, with all the "I'm doing better than you" badges of GLS, CDI, Ghia, Elite, etc., were suddenly out of date and too expensive for their prestige car position in life. A BMW or Merc on the drive said so much more!;)
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Quite true Lizzie, I bought my 3.2 from a Company Director who was told by his MD that he didn't want his directors driving around in 9 yr-old cars, so he - reluctantly - reverted to driving his company Jag, can't remember the model, but he much preferred driving the Omega. :y
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Quite true Lizzie, I bought my 3.2 from a Company Director who was told by his MD that he didn't want his directors driving around in 9 yr-old cars, so he - reluctantly - reverted to driving his company Jag, can't remember the model, but he much preferred driving the Omega. :y
Yes. I knew a company director that really wanted a Jag, but our company policy was that they HAD to have Mercedes. The reason being that they held their value so well over the two years they had them that they virtually got back what they paid originally (allowing for fleet discounts).
That is another reason why large Ford's and Vauxhall's became "unwanted" by fleet buyers; they lost far too much in depreciation as the market shrunk for that type of car. :'( :'(
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Quite true Lizzie, I bought my 3.2 from a Company Director who was told by his MD that he didn't want his directors driving around in 9 yr-old cars, so he - reluctantly - reverted to driving his company Jag, can't remember the model, but he much preferred driving the Omega. :y
There's another one! Lyons must be turning in his grave at the shocking front wheel drive diesel 4 pots bearing his, now Indian owned, companies name.
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It sold 800,000 which is hardly a failure. I presume GM was not willing to invest in an upgrade.
Yet Holden continued with the V-platform for a few years longer, and in a smaller market.
:'(
I had no idea the Omega was such a big seller. :y
My guess would have been closer to 200,000.
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Purely cost of manufacture I would say.
Wrong wheel drive does away with prop and dif, saves weight and materials, simplifies the floor pan ,making room for petrol tanks and exhaust runs, allows cheaper rear suspension such as torsion bars (spit) as all it has to do is keep the rear wheels off the floor.
The omega is a big car by modern standards, with a relatively big engine on the non gay models. Add in a diminishing market in a small country for large cars and the majority market will win every time, while those that appreciate a big comfy rear wheel drive get left in the cold.
Bean counters looking at profit margin per unit, in short. ...and that's before we even got into fuel at over £1 a litre.
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Purely cost of manufacture I would say.
Wrong wheel drive does away with prop and dif, saves weight and materials, simplifies the floor pan ,making room for petrol tanks and exhaust runs, allows cheaper rear suspension such as torsion bars (spit) as all it has to do is keep the rear wheels off the floor.
The omega is a big car by modern standards, with a relatively big engine on the non gay models. Add in a diminishing market in a small country for large cars and the majority market will win every time, while those that appreciate a big comfy rear wheel drive get left in the cold.
Bean counters looking at profit margin per unit, in short. ...and that's before we even got into fuel at over £1 a litre.
Worked well on my '59 Beetle that I ran for 13 years. ::)
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Purely cost of manufacture I would say.
Wrong wheel drive does away with prop and dif, saves weight and materials, simplifies the floor pan ,making room for petrol tanks and exhaust runs, allows cheaper rear suspension such as torsion bars (spit) as all it has to do is keep the rear wheels off the floor.
The omega is a big car by modern standards, with a relatively big engine on the non gay models. Add in a diminishing market in a small country for large cars and the majority market will win every time, while those that appreciate a big comfy rear wheel drive get left in the cold.
Bean counters looking at profit margin per unit, in short. ...and that's before we even got into fuel at over £1 a litre.
Worked well on my '59 Beetle that I ran for 13 years. ::)
...and it didn't rust through? Mind you it's hardly stressed in a Beatle. Don't they skid off into the weeds before the body rolls? ;D (answer, yes they do :P )
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all it has to do is keep the rear wheels off the floor.
I think I'm starting to see why you have so much trouble with handling…
;D
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all it has to do is keep the rear wheels off the floor.
I think I'm starting to see why you have so much trouble with handling…
;D
Damn. ....rear of car off the floor. :-[ ;D
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after 2 months of everyday use I think I have the answer
parking space
fuel cost..
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
Ooooh no. It's the best candidate. ....ESP with LPG. :y
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
Ooooh no. It's the best candidate. ....ESP with LPG. :y
Chris, installing an LPG from a good brand on a V8 costs nearly a second hand car price here :-\
to compare, with that money you can buy 2 mint condition omega from your most expensive dealer..
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
Ooooh no. It's the best candidate. ....ESP with LPG. :y
Chris, installing an LPG from a good brand on a V8 costs nearly a second hand car price here :-\
to compare, with that money you can buy 2 mint condition omega from your most expensive dealer..
Good job we're not there then. Isn't it. :)
Much more straightforward to install on an lsx Gm v8 than the omega v6, due to plastic inlet and no plenum :)
Cost is easily recouped in fuel savings in the first 9 months or so at 15k a year. ....Here! :)
So, here, cost isn't the issue.
Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
There ARE options and solutions to these problems. ...and btw, uk fuel
Prices have come down recently. Believe it or not.
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
Ooooh no. It's the best candidate. ....ESP with LPG. :y
Chris, installing an LPG from a good brand on a V8 costs nearly a second hand car price here :-\
to compare, with that money you can buy 2 mint condition omega from your most expensive dealer..
Good job we're not there then. Isn't it. :)
Much more straightforward to install on an lsx Gm v8 than the omega v6, due to plastic inlet and no plenum :)
Cost is easily recouped in fuel savings in the first 9 months or so at 15k a year. ....Here! :)
So, here, cost isn't the issue.
Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
There ARE options and solutions to these problems. ...and btw, uk fuel
Prices have come down recently. Believe it or not.
Why not ? :-\
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Because we don't live there ;D
Should we add a foot night to each post such as.... Unless you live in Turkey. ;D
Actually that's an easy one hang on.
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There. That's sorted. :y
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There. That's sorted. :y
;D
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Yup , lpg V8 ... but i was considering LS400 as an option if needing to replace the Mig :y
Cheap to buy but a very solid car ...
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Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
As the best (IMHO) Omega-B internet site in existence, its to be expected that overseas visitors will want to join, and we welcome that :)
Obviously our UK members, which is the bulk, may not always know or understand the cost/supply/availability issues that our overseas members have to suffer, but we are a global site catering for all Omega-Bs and their derivatives :y. And slowly we learn the problems faced in other countries, and they learn ours :)
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And especially for cem, I'll start a new thread about LPG ;D
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Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
As the best (IMHO) Omega-B internet site in existence, its to be expected that overseas visitors will want to join, and we welcome that :)
Obviously our UK members, which is the bulk, may not always know or understand the cost/supply/availability issues that our overseas members have to suffer, but we are a global site catering for all Omega-Bs and their derivatives :y. And slowly we learn the problems faced in other countries, and they learn ours :)
And hence an element of frustration, as "we" clearly aren't learning. There had been no need for winter tyres in the uk for the last 5 years for the VAST majority here, despite claims to the contrary from foreign members that THEIR climate is fully applicable here. ;D :P
;)
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Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
As the best (IMHO) Omega-B internet site in existence, its to be expected that overseas visitors will want to join, and we welcome that :)
Obviously our UK members, which is the bulk, may not always know or understand the cost/supply/availability issues that our overseas members have to suffer, but we are a global site catering for all Omega-Bs and their derivatives :y. And slowly we learn the problems faced in other countries, and they learn ours :)
And hence an element of frustration, as "we" clearly aren't learning. There had been no need for winter tyres in the uk for the last 5 years for the VAST majority here, despite claims to the contrary from foreign members that THEIR climate is fully applicable here. ;D :P
;)
Unless you use SC3s, and it snows ;D
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Quite safe enough all things considered. ::) ;D
Btw, those RT's don't clear standing water anywhere near as well as sc3.
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Quite safe enough all things considered. ::) ;D
Btw, those RT's don't clear standing water anywhere near as well as sc3.
Nor do tired Eagle F1s, but boy its exciting :P.
Can't actually say I noticed the RTs ever misbehave in the rain though :-\. What is the wear like on them?
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Was planning to get another couple of weeks out of the Runway Performance 926s on the front of the Merc, but Mondays rain suggested that was a silly idea... :-X
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Quite safe enough all things considered. ::) ;D
Btw, those RT's don't clear standing water anywhere near as well as sc3.
Nor do tired Eagle F1s, but boy its exciting :P.
Can't actually say I noticed the RTs ever misbehave in the rain though :-\. What is the wear like on them?
deeper than the wider rears that coped no problem. (Dunno I haven't measured them but they look ok)
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
We haven't had the Omega C yet!
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
We haven't had the Omega C yet! No we haven't but it would've been long gone by now and on a D. Vec c has been through two faces and so has insignia.
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
The Insignia is bigger than an Omega, too. Current Mondeos are larger than Scorpios.
Try parking a classic Range Rover next to an ordinary family hatchback if you want a graphic example of just how bloated modern cars are.
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
The Insignia is bigger than an Omega, too. Current Mondeos are larger than Scorpios.
Try parking a classic Range Rover next to an ordinary family hatchback if you want a graphic example of just how bloated modern cars are.
Not in the cabin or boot. Quite cramped are those Insignias, esp in back.
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I see folk mention they'res no market for large
large cars, so how come they keep making each model bigger than previous one. Wonder how large the "Omega D" would be now? :-X The insignia is huge compared to a mk 1 Cav,,
The Insignia is bigger than an Omega, too. Current Mondeos are larger than Scorpios.
Try parking a classic Range Rover next to an ordinary family hatchback if you want a graphic example of just how bloated modern cars are.
Not in the cabin or boot. Quite cramped are those Insignias, esp in back.
And you can't get a pram or a wheelchair or even luggage in the back. Ask A..........no....don't. ;D
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The Insignia is bigger than an Omega, too. Current Mondeos are larger than Scorpios.
Try parking a classic Range Rover next to an ordinary family hatchback if you want a graphic example of just how bloated modern cars are.
Not in the cabin or boot. Quite cramped are those Insignias, esp in back.
And that was going to be my next point; not only does the shape of the car waste a lot of space, but the lazy packaging of all the stuff inside makes matters worse. It's as if the occupants are the last thing to be considered.
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The Insignia is bigger than an Omega, too. Current Mondeos are larger than Scorpios.
Try parking a classic Range Rover next to an ordinary family hatchback if you want a graphic example of just how bloated modern cars are.
Not in the cabin or boot. Quite cramped are those Insignias, esp in back.
And that was going to be my next point; not only does the shape of the car waste a lot of space, but the lazy packaging of all the stuff inside makes matters worse. It's as if the occupants are the last thing to be considered.
And all the wank around protecting those retarded pedestrians too stupid to look before stepping out. Personally, I'm all in favour of natural selection - fight 2 tones of metal, you're out of the gene pool.
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I see TB is off report at last ;D
Back to usual self :D
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The Insignia is wider inside than the Skoda
Oxymoron Superb. That's the most positive point I can think of for that. Dimensionally, the Insignia is the same size as the VXR8, the only difference being that the VXR8 is four inches wider. Just shows that you can design a car or you style one, and very occasionally you can manage both, the Jag Xf estate being a case in point...
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Sportbrake is very expensive from what I've seen. Lovely looking car though.
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Not enormously expensive compared to cars in the same range - 520D, E class etc..
Cramped cockpit, though, if you're at all girthy! Enormous boot (not quite E class size).. and I hope they drive better than the demo car I drove, because it tramlined worse than my Omega to the point that it was honestly hard to keep pointing in the right direction :(
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We haven't had the Omega C yet!
2 years ago, there was gossip of an "Omega C" which is a rebadged Cadillac XTS (Epsilon 2 platform).
Was it an April Fool's joke? It is the same platform as an Insignia already in Opel showrooms for years.
Why revive the name with something so contrary?
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One thing for sure is vauxhall dont make cars as good and solid as the Omega any more , only car thats going to beat it is a Monaro or something from Oz with a big V8 :y
with the current fuel prices (1.40 £/litre here - as the £ has gone up) , a v8 is the worst candidate for a daily drive.. may be only for weekend :(
Ooooh no. It's the best candidate. ....ESP with LPG. :y
Chris, installing an LPG from a good brand on a V8 costs nearly a second hand car price here :-\
to compare, with that money you can buy 2 mint condition omega from your most expensive dealer..
Good job we're not there then. Isn't it. :)
Much more straightforward to install on an lsx Gm v8 than the omega v6, due to plastic inlet and no plenum :)
Cost is easily recouped in fuel savings in the first 9 months or so at 15k a year. ....Here! :)
So, here, cost isn't the issue.
Generally though cem, while we know there is an international element to this forum, we can't really taiyor our answers to that of local conditions to any member in another country. Such as Turkey in this instance. Can we?
This is primarily a uk based forum, and while a v8 could well be argued to be uneconomical, your basing your reply on Turhish economics to a uk member.
There ARE options and solutions to these problems. ...and btw, uk fuel
Prices have come down recently. Believe it or not.
in my posts when I mention costs I always underline that its not for UK.. its for my country .. which I live in..
and here there are million subjects discussed other than cost.. so your signature is invalid..
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What ever they do .. they must keep the large bus type steering wheel in
the Omega ;D