Vauxhall Carlton GSi 3000 (1986 - 1994)

Last updated 7 November 2013

Buying Guide

Good

• Solid, German-built saloons and estates capable of mileages of 300,000 or more with little trouble.
• 15' 4" long, 5' 10" wide, weighed between 1,166kg (1.8GL saloon) and 1,471kg (3.0iCDX estate).
• Big, comfortable, well-liked by many owners, particularly 'Strasbourg' box automatics.
• Strong loyalty factor.
• Good handling and ride.
• Pre-August 1992 may be pre-cat (check for fuel filler restrictor).
• Estate car has a huge capacity.
• Line-up included 2.3 litre diesels with 74bhp and 100bhp. 201bhp 3.0GSi 24v is quick. 
• 377bhp twin-turbo Lotus Carlton is seriously quick. Dubbed by Jasper Carrott "the family car for the Fittipaldis." Lanched in 1989 it went fro 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and on to 177mph before anyone started chipping it for more power.

Bad

• Power steering a bit vague.
• Can suffer from electrical glitches.
• Diesels are lacklustre. 
• Obstructive manual gearboxes.

Watch

• Clocking, obviously, because these cars take the miles so well. Watch out for clocked ex-taxis.
• Some engines require timing belt replacement every 35,000-40,000 miles. Others have chains. 
• Vital to check special rear shock absorbers in estates as these are expensive.
• Want to see evidence of regular maintenance, including biannual autobox ATF and filter change.
• Beware of clonky or noisy manual boxes - they're expensive to rebuild.
• Oil breathers of four-cylinder engines sometimes get blocked. Noisy valve gear often denotes missed oil changes.
• If it has a tow hook or signs of one having been fitted, be extra careful.
• ECU connector block prone to hairline cracks which allow moisture in and lead to intermittent faults which could hot spot a 'cat'.