Holden Adventra Reviews

They are the new station wagons – mid-sized soft-roaders with city manners and Aussie buyers can't get enough of them.CarsGuide took three of the best away for a shakedown and put them through their paces on Sydney city roads, on highways, back roads and on the dirt.For the first time Ford's brand-new Territory was tested head-to-head with its only Aussie-made rival, Holden's Adventra, and the one-most-likely to wear an Aussie-made sticker before too long, Toyota's Kluger.With a huge disparity between aspects of the cars – the Adventra LX8 is V8 only, Territory Ghia sports a 4.0-litre straight six, while Kluger's CVX powerplant is a high-tech 3.3-litre V6 – raw figures were never going to provide a level playing field.Instead, we have attempted to rate the performance of the three models on real-world standards; their strengths and weaknesses in areas where a buyer would most likely be interested.Each of the testers was asked to rate various aspects of the vehicles out of a possible five points. Each vehicle was left with a score out of a possible 330.The dynamics of the vehicles – driveability in various conditions, ride, manoeuvreability, NVH – were scored out of a possible 105 points; the interior aspects – design, functionality, quality of materials, comfort, fit and finish – were worth 75 points; safety earned a possible 60 points; with drivetrain, wheels and tyre choices and exterior presence and design making up the balance.DYNAMICSTerritory 88 | Kluger 85 | Adventra 79Territory scored high marks for its city behaviour and manoeuvreability with sedan-like handling and turning circle. It also rated well on open roads but lost some ground with NVH, mainly through tyre roar.Kluger set benchmark NVH levels and also scored well for life around town with light steering and a comfortable and compliant ride without giving up on handling.For Adventra there were some big mark-downs with heavy steering and poor manoeuvreability in the city but the car came into its own on the open road and particularly on unmade and broken surfaces. The Adventra is very much a country lad.INTERIORTerritory 62 | Adventra 60 | Kluger 59Territory touched out the opposition here through consistency rather than any special feature – although the 32 storage nooks and crannies were hard to beat. Lots of clever ideas, mid-range quality not likely to offend.Holden's feel-at-home interior scored strongly for the Adventra as did the comfort of the big seats. Most controls were well placed and the general layout of the interior was good. Could lose the dash-mounted tilt gauges.The Kluger interior is very Toyota – inoffensive and generally well laid out. Some centre console controls are a little difficult to reach. Overall it is something you could live with and there are a few nice touches spread through the cabin.SAFETYTerritory 56 | Adventra 53 | Kluger 53The inclusion of curtain airbags, a full-functioning dynamic stability control and an adjustable pedal box gave Territory the leg up.Adventra and Kluger both rated well for general passive safety but Kluger lost a little ground with a less-than-convincing brake-pedal feel. The optional safety pack for Kluger – curtain airbags and stability control – was included to bring the mid-spec CVX up to par with the other pair.Overall an impressive performance.DRIVETRAINTerritory 36 | Kluger 36 | Adventra 36The three contenders scored well here but in some markedly different areas.Adventra's power and torque gave the Holden major credit points but it lost more than a few of them when the fuel figures, a tad over 20.0l/100km average, came in.Territory also scored well for the flexibility of its straight six while its 16.6l/100km average was better than Adventra but not brilliant.Kluger kicked a goal at the petrol bowser with a 13.4l/100km average. The V6 is a very nice unit and coupled to the five-speed automatic it provides a very useable drive.WHEELS/TYRESTerritory 29 | Adventra 29 | Kluger 29All three should be commended for including a full-size spare on an alloy rim. Tyre choices were middle-of-the-road with tread patterns leaning towards a life in the city but with enough versatility to make soft-roading a viable option. Kluger's drop-down storage of the spare wheel made getting to it a little easier when the boot was loaded.EXTERIORTerritory 13 | Adventra 13 | Kluger 12The Kluger suffers from being the oldest of the three, having been launched overseas in 2001.Adventra's familiar Commodore wagon lines cannot be hidden under the extra plastic bits and raised ride-height.Territory's edge is that the look, while generically a 4WD, is all new and works. On the road the car is eye-catching with a rear three-quarter profile to envy.Both Territory and Adventra won praise for the lift-up rear glass giving the option of dropping shopping or small items into the rear without having to open the tailgate fully.THE VERDICTSFord TerritoryPrice:TX RWD $38,990TX AWD $42,990TS RWD $44,790TS AWD $48,790Ghia RWD $49,290Ghia AWD (model tested) $53,290Engine: 4.0-litre in-line sixPower: 182 kW@5000 rpmTorque: 380 Nm@3250 rpmFuel consumption on test: 16.6 litres/100 kmTransmission: Four speed automaticGround clearance: 178mmDimensions: Length: 4856mm; Height: 1676mm; Width: 1898mmWheelbase: 2842mmCARSguide team verdictsKevin Hepworth: Go straight to the top of the class. Versatile, stylish and displays the benefits of taking longer and getting it right.David Fitzsimons: Tough, solid vehicle that looks like a small 4WD. Performs well on the highway and on the dirt. Bold BA Falcon interior.Jaedene Hudson: Very tough off-roader, handles like a more sophisticated 4WD on the rougher terrain. More pockets and storage compartments than you'll probably ever use.TOTAL TEST POINTS: 284 (1st) Toyota KlugerPrice:CV $45,990CVX $48,990 (model tested)Grande $58,990Engine: 3.3 litre V6Power: 172kW@5600rpmTorque: 328Nm@3600rpmFuel consumption on test: 13.4 litres/100kmTransmission: 5 speed autoGround clearance: 184mm (Grande 187mm)Dimensions: Length: 4690mm; Width: 1825mm; Height: 1735mm (CV 1680mm)Wheelbase: 2715mmCARSguide team verdictsKevin Hepworth: Nice lightweight performer showing a little ageing around the edges. Hits the mark in the normal day-to-day driving that will dominate this style of car's use.David Fitzsimons: Lighter ride, softer, smaller and much quieter inside than its competitors. Nonetheless it handles all conditions well. Interior dashboard arrangement is looking a bit tired.Jaedene Hudson: The quietest of the bunch. Nice light ride and steering but still handles the terrain without any fuss.TOTAL TEST POINTS: 274 (2nd) Holden AdventraPrice:CX8 $52,990LX8 $60,990 (model tested)Engine: 5.7 litre V8Power: 235 kW@5200rpmTorque: 460Nm@4000rpmFuel consumption on test: 20.0 litres/100kmTransmission: 4 speed autoGround clearance: 200mmDimensions: Length: 5036mm, Width: 1934mm, Height: 1654mmWheelbase: 2948mmCarsGuide team verdictsKevin Hepworth: Launched in a flurry with tough, Outback images to the fore. Has some issues with city living but out in the big country it is hard to fault - pity that is not where the majority of these cars will operate.David Fitzsimons: Looks like a beefed-up Commodore wagon, has a great V8 sound and loves the open road and long dirt stretches. However the level of road noise is annoying and it is thirsty on fuel.Jaedene Hudson: Dirt roads are what the Adventra was made for and it shows. Nice comfortable ride. Noise interruption on the open road is intrusive. Overly heavy around town and to manoeuvre.TOTAL TEST POINTS: 270 (3rd)Which car would you buy? Let us know in the comments below.

BIG Red is an Aussie outback icon. It's a giant sand dune just outside Birdsville on the edge of the Simpson Desert, and anyone who is serious about an Australian four-wheel-drive adventure needs to tick the Big Red box before they can say they've done it all.Plenty of vehicles have been defeated by the Big Red challenge, which is why Holden's engineers decided they had to climb the sandy slope as part of the development program for their new all-wheel-drive hero car.Their Adventra tamed Big Red, got a tick in the box, and is out to conquer showrooms across the country.Based on early results, and the interest attracted by the Adventra, Holden has a winner. It drives well, will tackle big slopes and tough towing and is the start of a family of Cross Trac-equipped cars which will rumble out of the bush and into the high-performance world.The HSV Coupe 4 is already set for action in 2004.Holden will have a tougher time when Ford rolls its Territory into action, but that's a different style of vehicle and the red team is confident its Adventra and Cross 8 workhorse will still do the job.The Adventra is based on a Berlina wagon, with high-rider suspension, a V8 automatic power pack and the Cross Trac system that's the key to its extra abilities.Cross Trac cost Holden $125 million and four years to develop. It's a permanent all-wheel-drive system using three ¿open¿ differentials with high-tech electronics, and torque split 38:62 front-to-rear.That's technical chat for a system that is just about transparent in normal driving, but uses the Adventra's anti-skid braking system &$150; working in reverse &$150; to maintain driving in tricky conditions.It constantly measures the grip at each corner and applies the brakes to take torque away from any wheel which is starting to slip.Holden claims the Adventra is the successor to truck-based four-wheel-drives, but it's not the first manufacturer to get the message.Subaru was a long way down the road by the time Fishermens Bend got going, which explains why a lot of people think the Adventra looks like a big Subaru Outback.It's one solution for people who want a weekend off-roader and a weekday commuter car in the same package, but it's not the only one.Toyota has the new Camry-based Kluger and the Territory will be a threat.But the Adventra pack is a good one, using the strengths of Holden's regular station wagon and its 235kW V8 engine.It has a full 200mm of ground clearance, a front strut brace, sump guard and special Bridgestone Turanza tyres.The Adventra isn't cheap, but $52,990 for the CX8 is competitive and the LX8 looks good at $60,990 against higher-priced European rivals.WE wondered, at first, about the Adventra. Was it just a Holden rip-off from the Subaru Outback?Was it just a patch-up job to give Holden some sort of four-wheel-drive contender? Was it too big and too heavy for off-road work?Then we drove it. A lot. We spent most of our time in the CX8, but also lounged in the LX8 for a few days.We commuted and found it was still comfortable and quiet, tackled big slopes and realised it could cope easily with typical four-wheel-drive challenges. And we went a bit feral at a private four-wheel-drive park on the outskirts of Melbourne and learned the Adventra could cope easily.Then we watched the Holden highlights tape, which includes pulling a two-tonne boat out of a dam and up a loose gravel slope, and we were converted.We still think the Adventra is too heavy, and far too thirsty, but most people who shop the car will find plenty to like. It will definitely become a tow-car icon.Our only other disappointment is the car's transmission. It is the old four-speed auto that is still soldiering on across the Commodore family, but it shows its age with slow changes and no sign of the touch-change shift systems that are common in all of its rivals, including the Ford Falcon and Mitsubishi Magna.The Adventra is a tough looking beast, but it is still a Commodore wagon at heart and that means a comfortable driving position, plenty of space for five adults, and a huge luggage area.It has also picked up the classy luggage lock-down system used by Saab, which makes the tail end more versatile.The Adventra weighs a little under two tonnes and you feel it, although Holden has changed the differential ratio to keep the car sprightly from stop lights.It rocks and rolls more in corners, without the front-end precision of a basic Commodore sedan, but it is never a problem.It is a little tougher to park, because vision out the back is restricted, but the decision to fit parking radar will compensate.We enjoyed our four-wheel-drive time in the Adventra.It will climb tough slopes, as well as descending without giving you a fright, and does it without the scrabbling feel or suspension thump that comes with a lot of old-fashioned off-roaders.If you compare it with the Audi Allroad and Volvo XC70 wagon it has more grunt and impressive grip, and is far better value. And you'd be far more likely to risk a few scratches in the bush.The Adventra isn't perfect, but it's an impressive first effort and we cannot wait to see where the Cross Trac system is headed. The Coupe 4 sounds as if it is going to be a star.

On paper, it looks the goods.5.7L V8 with 235kW and truckloads of torque, 200mm ground clearance, wheel arch flares, bash plate underneath, roof racks, heavy duty suspension, clever 4WD system with 38/62 torque split between front and rear axles. A real tough customer.Everyone who sees the Adventra immediately refers to it as the Holden 4WD. It sure looks like one.It is being (carefully) promoted as a "crossover" dirt/road vehicle in the same vein as a Subaru Outback, for example, so it was with some confidence that we took it off road. Nothing too serious mind you, just a semi-rough dirt road, mud, puddles, some small rocks and sand.You could probably drive the family car over most of it.To be kind, the Adventra was constrained in this environment.Apart from being too wide for tight tracks and lacking ground clearance we were marooned 100m into the sand with the tyre pressure down to 1.0 bar (about 14 psi). It was simply going to China fast.Those sexy looking 17inch low profile tyres don't belly out at low pressure like 4WD tyres so the Adventra's sand potential is severely limited.Luckily, a bloke with a one tonne 4WD ute happened along with a snatch-strap and pulled us out. So, the point about Adventra was quickly driven home made up gravel roads, perhaps snow/ice, great in the wet but mostly sealed roads.That many potential buyers may see Adventra as a 4WD competitor for the likes of Toyota Prado and Landcruiser, Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero and their ilk is something Holden will have to address soon.It is a road car with tough looks and the added safety and traction of all wheel drive, full stop.Having sorted that out, I recalibrated my thinking and began to assess Adventra as a road car.In this environment it's pretty good, roomy, possessed of strong performance, pretty good handling, comfortable ride and once again, stunning appearance.Whoever does the styling of Holden Commodore variants is a genius. They look great. Adventra looks heaps better than the long, long Commodore wagon and much more sporty.Various devices are used to make it look shorter and higher extended rocker panels underneath, extra plastic panels on the roof and roof bars.Adventra is upgraded in certain areas to make it more suitable for tough driving conditions. The cooling system and brakes are upgraded to cope with the heat and there are also chassis and other reinforcements to cope with heavy duty driving.Transmission is four speed automatic only once again, reinforced for heavy duty conditions.Equipment levels are high but they'd need to be to justify the starting price of $52,990 for the CX8 and $60,990 for the higher grade LX8.Both models have CD audio, rear park assist (excellent), cruise control, climate control, airconditioning, power everything, trip computer and multiple airbags.The LX gains leather upholstery, a sunroof, premium audio, different alloys, electric seats in front level ride suspension among its comprehensive inventory.On the road the CX8 test vehicle was good to drive despite weighing in at two tonnes.It has heavier steering than the rear drive Commodore wagon and uses more fuel but feels taut and terrific in corners and is impressive when driven fast on gravel roads. The V8 makes things happen and the auto doesn't dilly-dally when changing up or down.Adventra is big, bold and brash and certainly looks the goods. That's what counts most, isn't it?