Opel Rekord 1982–1986 car dimensions: 4652 mm long, 1726 mm wide and 1420 mm high. Unladen weight is 1,115 kg. Braked towing is 1,000 kg.
The cabin features a redesigned dashboard with larger instruments, a radio-cassette player and ventilation controls as standard. Power windows are optional, available for front only or all doors. A sunroof is optional, manual or electric. Central locking is optional or standard on higher trims like Berlina, GLS and CD. Air conditioning is an optional extra. Cruise control is optional on selected petrol engines. Higher trims add velour upholstery, height-adjustable driver's seat, heated electric mirrors and a trip computer.
The boot offers 490 litres of space with the rear seats in place. The higher boot lid improves capacity slightly over the previous model.
Braked towing capacity is typically 1000 kg, rising to 1250 kg or more on some engines. Unbraked towing is 535 kg. Payload is around 540 kg depending on version. The car suits light work and family use with its solid build and available diesel engines for economy.
The cabin is spacious and quiet with full-foam reclining front seats that give good side support plus a deep well-padded rear bench offering ample knee room. Tasteful fabric upholstery, quality carpets and matching door panels set a solid level of finish. The heating and ventilation system works well with effective noise damping. A steel sliding roof with wind deflector is optional, as are power windows and height-adjustable driver seat on higher grades.
Fuel tank 65-70 L
Service every 15 000 km
Crash test not tested
Standard 3-point automatic seatbelts front and rear plus safety cell with crumple zones
Laminated windscreen and heated rear window standard
ABS optional from late 1984
Petrol engines range from 1.8 to 2.2 litres with diesel 2.3 options including turbo. Combined consumption sits in the mid single digits to low teens depending on the unit chosen. The car feels economical for its size on longer runs.
Servicing is straightforward thanks to accessible design and a dense European dealer network. Interval is set at 15 000 km. Parts remain available and the car is known for lasting many years with basic care.
Safety rests on a rigid passenger cell calculated with finite-element methods, programmed crumple zones, padded interior free of sharp edges and three-point belts all round. Seat design includes an anti-submarining ramp. ABS became optional later in the run.
Corrosion protection uses partial galvanising, epoxy dip, PVC underbody coating and cavity wax. High resale value and reliability make the car easy to keep long-term.
Length 4652 mm, Width 1726 mm, Height 1420 mm, Wheelbase 2668 mm (Rekord 1982–1986)
Sources: manufacturer data, auto-data.net and Wikipedia/autoevolution.