Holden Berlina 2004 Review

I've had this feeling before – it was the time I put a Ford GT Falcon through its paces against a Holden SS (and won) on the Clipsal 500 track. That day, I had a glimpse of what a V8 could do and it was wild.

This time, I'm in a Holden VZ Berlina V8.

Turning on the ignition, I am excited to again feel the trembling of the engine that exhilarated me at the Clipsal.

Aside from the trembling, or maybe that is just me quivering with joy, this is an incredibly smooth and quiet car.

I didn't expect that from a V8, and this doesn't sound anything like the V8s that revheads thrash at 3am to wake you from a romantic dream with Orlando Bloom.

This car is effortless to drive and this is what driving pleasure is all about. The temptation is there to plant my foot, but I find gentle pressure on the accelerator is all I need to feel the power. Those eight cylinders can't help themselves, you see.

Unfortunately, the power means that driving at 60km/h, or so the digital speed readout tells me, feels like I'm crawling at 25km/h. I'm craving to go faster ...

I start playing with the trip computer and there are so many functions here that I can't work them all out. But, what's this? A stopwatch option? You mean I can time how long it takes to get to an Alannah Hill sale?

The triple-window dash is giving me all the info I needed, distance to/from my destination, fuel consumption, distance until empty (I shudder to think how much it will cost to fill up this baby) and my average speed.

Better be safe and set the cruise control, but then I discover the power shift...oh, now I'm obliged to test it. Hmmm, power...

Of course, when you have a powerful car like this, the overspeed warning – preset to 110km in this test car – is a must, although speedaholics will probably find it annoying and have to disengage it.

Speaking of beeps, the "rear park assist" is always appreciated, but the seat-belt warning has me jumping out of my seat it is so loud.

The Berlina is a big car, so safety is a given, considering its solid exterior and dual airbags. Other safety inclusions such as interior lights coming on when the car is turned off and the remote double locking system also earn my approval.

And I like it when the headlights automatically turn off. This is the hi-spec Berlina which means it comes with luxurious extras such as leather trim, power windows and side mirrors, and dual climate controls, all of which make you feel no expense has been spared.

I am alarmed at how fast the Berlina guzzles fuel but, after all, if you want an eight-cylinder, power-hungry engine, you've got to expect it's going to cost. And since the power does it for me from the start, what can I say other than I've got an old Holden at home I've been thinking about getting rid of? Maybe I should get a new one.