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Opel Omega is an interesting buy, but check that radiator

Opel has been in Thai customers' minds since its compact car, the Corsa, hit local roads 10 years ago. It has been one of the leading auto brands in European countries, but its presence here has been hurt by poor after-sales service.

In fact, Opel's image here was so badly damaged that General Motors, which owns the German auto-maker, decided to replace the marque with the Chevrolet brand when it fully entered the Thai market in the late 1990s.

Nevertheless, the Omega mid-sized saloon, introduced in 1995, is another Opel model that gained popularity in the Kingdom.

The Omega comes equipped with a 2,000cc six-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive, and ABS brakes. Those with automatic transmission have depreciated greatly, coming down to a mere Bt150,000 to Bt180,000 at used-car dealerships today.

The car is interesting, but drivers will have to carry out maintenance on the radiator to ensure the engine does not overheat easily. European makes are usually not very good at handling Bangkok's heat and traffic conditions. However, the car offers a smooth ride worthy of its original price of about Bt1 million.

The cabin, decorated with genuine leather and wood trim, is luxurious. The Omega's powerful engine offers quick response in acceleration, but is a tad slow when starting off due mainly to the vehicle's heavy body weight.

The bodywork is strong, and it is unusual to see rust in used Omegas.

New spare parts are easy to find in outlets on Worachak Road in Bangkok, but used parts are difficult to locate and expensive. Those seeking used Omega parts should look to buy from garages specialising in Opels on Ratchadaphisek Road.

If you are a big Opel fan and willing to spend time searching for garages and sources of parts, then you may not care about these problems. But if you are not, then it is wiser to look for garages and sources ahead of purchase.