A Grand Monday: Vauxhall Omega Elite Estate

The Vauxhall Omega was one of the best estate cars of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but it’s getting difficult to find a good one now. 

Often used as company cars before passing into the hands of those who needed a big estate car for work duties, the life of an Omega was often one of ritual abuse.

Nice survivors, then, are rare things - and hot MV6 aside, the cream of the crop is the Elite. Equipped with full leather, climate control and a whole host of other goodies, the Elite was a dish best served in V6 form, and that’s what we have here. It’d not the range-topping 3.2, but Vauxhall’s 2.6-litre six was still more than capable of giving you a kick up the bum if you floored it. 

Couple that to decent ride comfort and a chassis that is incredibly agile for such a big and bulky estate and you soon learn why the Omega has always had a bit of a cult following. 

So what of this example, discovered in this week’s small ads? It’s a fairly late one, of 2001 vintage, and aside from a wonky window switch it appears to be in terrific order for £900. 

• Read our Vauxhall Omega review and buyer's guide
• How many Vauxhall Omega survived? Find out
• Find a Vauxhall Omega for sale