OK, so by pulling the auto stick backwards you can generate some engine braking, but is there a sensible limit to max revs and time you should do this for before something breaks?

Andy B wrote on 10. Aug 2006 at 17:04:

Spot on Andy the gearbox will only allow change when the maximum speed in the particular gear is achieved, stops the driver fubaring anything by overevving

My last 3 cars have been autos, a Carlton and 2 Omegas. Before that always had manuals. I would never go back to a manual, living in town it's just much less stressful with an auto. We have a particularly nasty roundabout here called the 'Haudagain'. It requires eyes in the back of your head when approaching and a fast getaway when the way is clear. My wife wouldn't go anywhere near it when we had a manual Cavalier as she was scared of stalling and getting caught on the roundabout. When she'd tried it with the auto it was so easy for her - no road was a no-go area now because she was so much more confident with the auto. I think many people have failed their tests because they are forced to use a manual gearbox. If they started with an auto, they'd have a lot less to think about and probably get on a lot faster. There seems to be a mind block in this country about passing your test on a manual. I usually suggest to people who are having difficulty learning to try an auto car. After all, if they pass their test in an auto it's far more likely that they will only drive Omega, BMW, Volvo or Merc cars in future. Most hire companies here and abroad will hire you an auto at very little extra cost.

omega22 wrote on 10. Aug 2006 at 21:02:

There's a mind block over manuals. I can't say specifically about manula MV6'/Elites cos I've not driven one but, surely Omegas can't be described a race cars anyway - they're a bit on the big side for slinging around corners. A bloke came into work the other week complaining about having had to queue all the way in. 'Never got out of 3rd, & my leg aches due to the clutch' he says. I suggested he got an auto. 'No bl00dy chance' he said 'I want to be in the gear I want ... not the car'  Go figure that out!!

Salty wrote on 10. Aug 2006 at 21:16:



LOL... and I guess sports mode activates the hidden camera behind the grille that reads the road ahead and selects the most appropriate gear before you get to bends/roundabouts etc, while simultaneously disabling the torque converter so the wheels are actually connected to the engine with a fixed ratio in every gear (for throttle control)?

This stuff about the Omega not being a sports car that can be thrown around bends... well true it's not a sports car but the more enthusiastic drivers among us (that'll be the guys driving manuals then ) have probably already realised it's a very competent car round the twisty bits, certainly in my experience with an MV6 and a manual box. I guess the CDX/Elite will be a lot softer therefore have more body roll but I haven't driven one so can't say what the differences are. It's never going to come close to a Lotus Elise or similar, but for the size it's a very well mannered car that can be plenty of fun being thrown around. That's one of the reasons I went for an Omega as a runaround and not, for example, a Vectra which handles like a bag of spuds; well maybe GSi spec is OK but I haven't driven one and I still think the chassis is seriously flawed and of course it's front wheel drive.

It seems Opel put a fair bit of development into the chassis and weight distribution, if you can see past the image (and dump the sludgebox!) it just might surprise you