1983 Oldsmobile Omega (base) review from North America
"A well built automobile with some design flaws"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The water pump went bad when suddenly it started leaking. It was easy to repair. Otherwise no other trouble spots.
General comments?
This car is comfortable to drive. The ride is soft and handles well. There is plenty of space in the trunk to haul almost everything that I haul. It's turquoise in exterior color, and gray in interior. The seats are 40-20-40 bench style, but I'd prefer bucket seats with a center console. The body has some rust, but I can live with that.
The only real complaint that I have is the engine/transmission combination. This engine design makes it hard to service some components. The oil filter is behind the engine in a tight area making it difficult to service it. The distributor also is behind the engine so if that needed to be replaced, the whole engine has to be moved out of the engine bay. The 90 Horsepower engine struggles to move the 2,700 pound Omega under some circumstances. Especially with an automatic tran saxle with a 2.83 final drive ratio. Also this 2.5L engine has a history of running hot so be careful not to overheat it.
Recommended reviews
| A fine little car |
|
| POS, thankfully I haven't seen one in years |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1983 |
| Year of manufacture | 1983 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5L TBI Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 177500 miles |
| Most recent distance | 201000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Cavalier |
| Date of Entry | 3rd November, 2004 |