2011 Holden Commodore Reviews

The end is nigh for the Australian built Holden Commodore, with the factory closing down in October. The nameplate will continue, albeit on a slightly smaller imported model made by Opel in Europe. What does this mean for the Aussie Commodore, and should you rush in and buy one now? Our crystal ball is pretty murky

Ewan Kennedy reviews the VT, VX, VY, VZ, VE and VF Holden Commodore between 1997 and 2015 as a used buy.

Commodore was the best selling car in Australia for many years so there are hundreds of used family Holdens on sale at any one time, meaning that smart buyers can take their time and find exactly what they want.Australian designed and built Holden Commodore are very well suited to local driving conditions and have exactly the kind of feel that keen Aussie drivers demand. This is a genuine five-seater, though the person in the centre-rear seat may find foot space compromised by the bulky transmission tunnel. Boot space is good in the sedan and excellent in the wagon due to the latter's longer wheelbase. However, the wagons in the VE range, sold from September 2009, have the same wheelbase as the sedan, so they miss out on the huge load volume that was a feature of previous Commodore wagons with their stretched wheelbases.Aussie family cars are big easy going machines that can handle a lot of hard workThe introduction of the virtually all-new VE series Commodore sedans in August 2006 saw a touch of European class in the styling and real enhancements to the ride and handling qualities. VE Series II was introduced in September 2010 and had minor external changes. Inside it was a different story, the GM i-Q multimedia system saw an entirely new look for the centre stack with the new touch screen. The system controls full Bluetooth, USB, iPod and MP3 player integration.Powertrains didn't always coincide with the major body changes. Most Commodores prior to the VZ range have a pushrod V6 engine of 3.8 litres. There's also a supercharged variant of this 3.8-litre, but it was never a real success so was discontinued in 2004.The VZ saw the introduction of an all-new V6 engine. A forerunner to the unit fitted to the VE Commodore, it was a twin-cam unit of 3.6-litres. As fitted to the VZ it wasn't particularly smooth or quiet. There were some improvements in feel when the engine was installed in the VE, but the engine still disappoints in this area despite several attempts to improve it over the years.A smaller V6, this time of 3.0-litres and aimed at lower fuel consumption and emissions, was introduced in September 2009. It hasn't proven all that popular but is a sophisticated unit and worth considering.There were two V8s in the pre-VZ Commodores; one an old Australian design of 5.0-litres, the other a Chevrolet unit adapted to Holden specifications with 5.7-litres. This Generation III Chev V8 is much better than the old Holden engine. The 5.7-litre Gen III was replaced by a Gen IV with 6.0-litres in January 2006, again as a teaser to the upcoming VE Series.Prior to the VE series, almost all Commodores came with four-speed automatic transmissions. Five-speed manual gearboxes are on the crude side and very few were sold. Six-speed manuals were offered in the SS range and are relatively common.The VE transmission lineup was a big improvement; with six-speed automatic transmissions and six-speed manuals. On the sporting side are the Commodore S and SS with firmer suspension, tauter steering, revamped seats and body kits. The most expensive model in the range isn't called a Commodore, but the Holden Calais. Holden frequently introduced special editions, the best value of these are arguably the oft-recurring Equipe and Lumina series.Commodores are easy cars to work on with plenty of access to most mechanical components. The good amateur mechanic can do most of their own repairs although it's best to leave safety related items to professional mechanics. Spare parts prices are generally reasonably priced and Holden's widespread dealer network is as strong in the bush as the ‘burbs.Insurance is very reasonable for a car of this size and performance, though there can be a big increase for the sportier models, especially with supercharged or V8 engines.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust is seldom a problem in later model Commodores, but can be caused by poor quality panel repairs. Check for these by running your eye over the panels, looking for a slightly uneven finish. Paint that doesn't match exactly from one panel to another is another clue a car has spent time in a panel beater's. Squeaks and rattles, most easily found when driving on a rough road, may indicate a Commodore has spent a lot of its time in the bush on dirt roads.Severe wear in the cabin and boot may be an indication the Commodore is an ex-taxi; or could have been a hard-working commercial vehicle, perhaps driven by a hard charging sales rep or the like.Check for brake fade on models before the VE Commodore by doing a succession of hard stops.Look for oil leaks at the rear of the engine sump and check the dipstick level as some units had high oil consumption problems. Automatic transmissions are generally OK, but one that is slow to go into gear and/or noisy and harsh in its operation should be treated with caution.CAR BUYING TIPAussie family cars are big easy going machines that can handle a lot of hard work. But it's better still if you don't buy one that's been given a beating.

Holden’s Commodore was the bestselling car in Australia for many years, though it has slipped recently due to many buyers switching from large cars to compact SUVs. There are hundreds of used Commodores on sale at any one time, so smart buyers can find exactly the model / price / quality they want.Commodore is very well suited to Australian driving conditions, and also has the driving feel many keen Aussie drivers demand. This is a genuine five-seater, though the traveller in the centre-rear seat may find foot space compromised by the bulky transmission tunnel.Boot space is good in the sedan and excellent in the wagon due to the latter’s longer wheelbase. Note that the wagons in the VE range, sold from September 2009, have the same wheelbase as the VE sedan, meaning they miss out on the huge load volume that was a feature of previous Commodore wagons. The latter had a stretched wheelbase platform under the wagons.Ride comfort is excellent, even on rough bush roads. Commodores can be divided into two distinct areas in the models being examined here. In August 1997 the VT series was introduced to critical acclaim.Commodore VT received a minor facelift and mechanical changes to become the VT Series II in June 1999. Commodore VX of August 2000 saw another facelift of the VT. The VX Series II arrived just 12 months later.There weren’t a lot of appearance changes in the VX II, but there were big changes to the suspension, especially at the rear. These gave the Commodore a real sporting feel. Holden introduced the VY Commodore in October 2002.This time around there were substantial styling changes. The VY Commodore was facelifted, this time to become the VY II in August 2003. Finally, the last of this long line of Commodores, the VZ series arrived in September 2004.The introduction of the virtually all-new VE series Commodore sedans in August 2006 saw a touch of European class in the styling and real enhancements to the ride and handling qualities. VE Series II was introduced in September 2010 and had minor external changes.Inside it was a different story, the GM i-Q multimedia system saw an entirely new look for the centre stack with the new touch screen. The system controls full Bluetooth, USB, iPod and MP3 player integration.Powertrains didn’t always coincide with the major body changes. Most Commodores prior to the VZ range have a pushrod V6 engine of 3.8 litres. There's also a supercharged variant of this 3.8-litre, but it was never a real success as buyers of performance Holdens almost invariably preferred V8s. So the supercharged six was discontinued in 2004.The big news with the introduction of the VZ was an all-new six-cylinder engine. A forerunner to the unit fitted to the VE Commodore, it was a twin-cam V6 of 3.6 litres. This powerplant was sold in two formats, one with variable valve and intake timing for a greater spread of torque and improved power, the other a more basic unit.As fitted to the VZ, this new V6 is not as smooth or quiet as it should be. There were some improvements in feel when the engine was installed in the VE, but the engine still disappoints in this area despite several attempts to sort it out over the years.A smaller V6, this time of 3.0 litres and aimed at lower fuel consumption and emissions, was introduced in September 2009. It hasn’t proven all that popular but is a sophisticated unit and well worth considering. There were two V8s in the pre-VZ Commodores; one an old Australian design of 5.0 litres, the other a Chevrolet unit adapted to Holden specifications with 5.7 litres.This Generation III Chev V8 is much better than the old Holden, so much so that resale value of the Holden 5.0-litre suffers in comparison. The Gen III with ‘only’ 5.7 litres was replaced by a Gen IV with 6.0 litres in January 2006, again as a teaser to the upcoming VE Series.Some later Commodore engines are designed to run on a petrol/ethanol mix of up to 85 per cent ethanol. Check with your Holden dealer or get onto Holden’s website to see which engines can take this mix. Prior to the VE series, almost all Commodores came with four-speed automatic transmissions. Five-speed manual gearboxes from this era are on the crude side and not many were sold. Six-speed manuals were offered in the SS range and are understandably more common than the five-speed manual units used in the day-to-day Commodores of the time. The VE transmission lineup was a big improvement; with six-speed automatic transmissions and six-speed manuals. An exception was the dual-fuel petrol/LPG, later pure-LPG powered Commodores that stuck with the old four-speed auto until 2012 when they too got a six-speed.On the sporting side are the Commodore S and SS with firmer suspension, tauter steering, revamped seats and body kits. Not as hot as the HSV Commodores, these Holden models do provide more driving pleasure and come at a pretty moderate price.Strictly speaking the most expensive model in the range isn’t called a Commodore, but the Holden Calais. Calais were usually bought by private buyers, while many lower cost variants will have begun their lives as company cars - perhaps being driven by a careful person, perhaps not…Holden frequently does runs of special editions, the best value of these are arguably the oft-recurring Equipe and Lumina series. Commodores are easy cars to work on with plenty of access to most mechanical components.The good amateur mechanic can do most of their own repairs although it’s best to leave safety related items to professional mechanics. There are numerous electronic components that also require specialist knowledge and/or diagnostic equipment.Spare parts prices are generally reasonably priced and we hear very few complaints about availability from Holden’s widespread dealer network.A network that’s as prevalent in the bush as in the ‘burbs. Insurance is very reasonable for a car of this size and performance, though there can be a significant extra slug for the sportier models, especially if they have supercharged or V8 engines.WHAT TO LOOK FORCheck for brake fade on models before the VE Commodore by doing a succession of hard stops and feeling for a pedal that gradually has more and more travel – don’t forget to check that rear-vision mirror first…Look for oil leaks at the rear of the engine sump and check the dipstick level as some early units had high oil consumption problems.Automatic transmissions are generally OK, but one that is slow to go into gear and/or noisy and harsh in its operation should be treated with caution.Rust is seldom a problem in later model Commodores. But look at the lower areas of the body, doors, tailgate and rear windscreen surround to be sure. Rust is more likely to be caused by poor quality panel repairs than any other reason.Check for previous body repairs by running your eye over the panels, looking for a slightly uneven finish. Watch for paint that doesn't match exactly from one panel to another. Another sign is minute spots of paint on areas that are normally unpainted.Be wary of a Commodore that has been a taxi, though this isn’t nearly as common as in Falcons: look for an engine running on LPG and for spots where signs and meters have been removed.Severe wear in the cabin and boot is another indication of an ex-taxi; though it could also mean the car has been a hard-working commercial car, or even that it has been destroyed by bogan kids.CAR BUYING TIPChecking the condition of the boot can give valuable clues to how the car has been used.

SUVs march unrelentingly through the suburbs at a pace that has left rival vehicle types in the shade.Two questions: Do you need all that space? And aren't SUVs becoming a bit passe?The answer may be the humble wagon. Now freed of the additive "station'' -- implying expansive grazing lands and lazy windmills -- the wagon has matured to cleverly blend leisure with some family duties. Even better, thanks to their popularity in Europe, they are stylish and many share the enthusiastic engines of their sedan counterparts.Wagons are on an equal footing with their sedan sisters in equipment, safety and performance. The Skoda Octavia wagon here, for example, has the same high-output turbo-petrol engine as its sports-oriented RS sedan model -- itself a reskinned Volkswagen Golf GTI. Wagons also share the handling, agility and performance acumen of their sedan equivalents.But the wagon has a more flexible load area and the ability to haul a range of awkward-sized cargo thanks to split and fold-down rear seats. In comparison to an SUV, the wagon also retains the less cumbersome style of the sedan, in effect offering the best of both worlds.Find a good sedan and if there's a wagon equivalent, then generally it will share any of the sedan's advantages and disadvantages. These three examples are very different in origins and execution. All are current models -- though the Holden and Skoda are poised for replacement -- and will have relatively low mileage.The Skoda is the sports model and is more expensive than its rivals, though has more equipment and has a turbocharged petrol engine with a dual-clutch automatic transmission -- all quite expensive stuff.Resale values are strong for the Hyundai (50 per cent retained after three years) and Skoda (49 per cent) but weak for the Holden (41 per cent), indicating that seeking a near-new used model can be more advantageous for the Holden buyer. TOP TIPSWagons are made for work -- but check to see if it hasn't been abused. You may save big fuel money by choosing a smaller engine. A cargo net or barrier is a wise investment2012 Skoda Octavia RS 147TSI Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo petrolTransmission: 6-speed dual-clutch autoThirst: 7.9L/100CARSGUIDE SAYS"These wagons boast an incredible amount of storage space -- there's even an extra cubby hole beneath the boot floor. Skoda makes durable cars and though the Octavia is rather plain in appearance, it has a lot of features and is well built. The RS version adds sporty equipment and gets the upmarket 147kW engine and DSG transmission. There are paddle shifters for manual-mode gearchanges, 18-inch alloy wheels, satnav, sports seats and daylight running LEDs. The car has all the safety equipment including six airbags and electronic stability and traction2011 Hyundai i40 PREMIUMEngine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrolTransmission: 6-speed automaticThirst: 7.7L/100kmCARSGUIDE SAYS"Hyundai has confirmed the i40 range will continue after it drops the similar i45 models, ensuring the i40 has a strong future. This is a 2.0-litre petrol-engined model -- there is also a 1.7-litre turbo diesel which is better suited to shorter duties such as in the city and suburbs. The Premium model gets a big list of standard equipment including 18-inch alloy wheels, satnav and Bluetooth, cruise control, sunroof and leather seats. There are split-fold rear seats though the available cargo space isn't as generous as the Skoda. Hyundai has a capped-price service schedule and a five-year warranty, which is reassuring for used-car buyers.2012 Holden Commodore SV6Engine: 3.6-litre V6 petrolTransmission: 6-speed automaticThirst: 9.8L/100kmCARSGUIDE SAYS"The Australian is a strong workhorse with plenty of style and ability. It's also a reliable and easy-to-fix wagon. The SV6 version is a more upmarket model that retains the 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission but adds 18-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and a sports body kit. Standard equipment includes six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, a reverse camera, airconditioning and cruise control. It also has a capped-price service schedule and buyers have a portion of the three-year warranty still intact. 

Car companies are all doing their best to make cars more fuel efficient, at the same time listening to drivers’ insistence that they don’t want to compromise on performance. One way of doing so is to provide cars that run on LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). We have just spent a week in Holden's 3.6-litre LPG Sportwagon.Ford Australia has been very strong in the LPG market for years, chiefly due to Falcon’s popularity with taxi fleets, and totally updated its LPG system last year. Holden has now introduced an all-new system for the Commodore in an attempt to catch up with its arch rival.At the time of writing the cost of LPG at our base on the Gold Coast was 65.6 cents a litre, compared to 91 octane unleaded petrol at $1.359 and diesel at $1.429. In our week of mainly highway travel we chalked up 543 kilometres using 67.8 litres of LPG. On the above pricing the cost of refuelling the big Holden wagon was $44.73.Although Holden has measured a combined fuel consumption of 11.8 litres/100 km from the LPG dedicated Sportwagon with all our highway running we used around 9.0 litres/100 km. However, around town the consumption leapt and we were often in the 12 to 14 litre range.Basing calculations on Holden’s combined fuel consumption figure of 11.8 litres/100 km and travelling 20,000 km a year the LPG Sportwagon would cost $1118 a year to refuel. By comparison the 3.0-litre ULP Sportwagon would set you back about $3000.There's an added cost of $2500 to buy the LPG dedicated wagon. The LPG wagon costs $44,490 while the petrol Omega has a recommended retail price of $41,990. The good news for private buyers is that the federal government offers a $2000 rebate as part of its clean energy policy. If you’re entitled to that the LPG Sportwagon starts to make a lot of financial sense.Previously Holden offered a dual-fuel LPG/petrol model. This new Commodore runs only on LPG so there are far fewer compromises than were necessary in the engine designed to run on two different fuels.The 3.6-litre Holden LPG V6 uses fuel injectors, fuel rail and LPG fuel filter. It has different spark advance and hardened valves and valve seats. The cylinder heads and manifold are different to those on the petrol V6. The LPG runs a very high compression ratio of 12.2:1. The bottom line is 180 kW of power and 320 Nm of torque, both figures are slightly better than those of the dual-fuel model.The new system uses vapour rather than liquid injection with the liquid gas vaporised before induction into the engine. This is quite different to the Ford Falcon LPG, which uses an injection system that sprays liquid gas into the engine.The engine is now linked to a six-speed automatic, replacing the old four-speed. This helps reduce fuel consumption.A cylinder of LPG will not get you as far as a tank of petrol so Holden fitted an 84-litre cylinder that gives a theoretical range of up to 700 kilometres in easy paced country driving. The LPG cylinder is made of high strength, multi-celled, aircraft grade extruded aluminium with additional protection plates strategically placed for extra safety.A big downside of using a pressure gas cylinder is its awkward size and shape that takes up boot space. The Sportwagon we borrowed had a full size spare that ate somewhat into the boot space. It was placed upright against the driver’s side of the car. There are other options including a tyre inflation kit that takes up no boot space, and a space saver wheel. Cargo space is 895 litres with seats up and 2000 litres with seats folded.

A car that could resurrect large family sedan sales and help safeguard Australian automotive jobs is being built in a tin shed in Melbourne.

This is the one. If you're thinking of buying a Commodore then you need look no further than the SV6. It looks the goods, offers sporty ride and handling and won't chew through the juice the way a V8 will. The SV6 is priced from $42,790 plus on-road costs. Rated at 9.8 litres/100km, we were getting 10.1 from the SV6 with the six-speed auto in a mix of city and freeway driving. That's a three per cent improvement we're told over the Series One's 10.1 litres/100km. The auto is just $1000 more and definitely the way to go if your day involves plenty of city driving.With 210kW of power and 350Nm of torque, the 3.6-litre V6 responds sharply to the throttle, markedly more so than the entry level Omega's 3.0-litre six. By the same token it would be nice if Holden threw the 3.0-litre six into the mix for those who want the SV6's sporty good looks, but the best econonmy possible. The 3.0-litre six certainly delivers on that front, after we got 750km a single tank of fuel recently.For the VE Series II, designers executed a series of subtle but minor changes, including new front fascia, grille and headlamp treatments across the range. This model gets a new, larger front grille with a bolder, more muscular look accentuated by aggressive lower air intake The lights are shaped differently with new black bezel detail. There's also new 18inch twin spoke alloys and an integrated aero decklid lip detailing designed to complement the sports rear spoiler. Interior design work focused on high standards of perceived quality, and creating a more `pilot oriented' cabin integrating new features and accessories. Readily apparent is a higher-mounted, more prominent placement of the Holden-iQ system display screen, controls and air vents. Inside, SV6 also gets new SS-style sports front seats with deep bolsters and body-hugging contours. The dash features new white on grey instrement to make them easier to read along wth gloss black instrument cluster surround. Slipping into the car for the first time, we were immediatelty impressed with comfortable form fitting seats. It feels right and not too narrow like many sports seats, designed to accommodate the bums of the mostly larger Aussies who are going to occupy them. Bluetooth is now standard across the range and it took no time to pair our moible phone, but call quality is not as good as some. Placing the 12 volt outlet inside the centre console box also has its drawbacks - good for hiding iPods but not so good for powering phones. A highlights of the Series II is the introduction of the new iQ info and entertainment system which brings music, telephone and satellite navigation features in one clear, user-friendly arrangement. The focus of the system is a fully integrated, 6.5-inch full colour multifunction LCD touch screen. Music can be played via an iPod, memory stick, CD or wirelessly transferred from a paired mobile phone. USB devices and iPods plug into dedicated sockets located inside the centre console, and all music file playback from compatible devices is controlled via the touch screen. The new system also introduces virtual changer CD storage which replaces the mechanical stacker system from previous models with the capacity to rip and store up to 15 CDs on an internal flash drive. The system supports CDDA, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 and WMA playback. DVD systems, where fitted, also display on the Holden-iQ touch screen.

One of the reasons that utes are so popular is that they are the cheapest entry point to a V8 for many young blokes.

There are plenty of brands launching new "green" cars - although many use Blue terminology - but Holden has gone red and green. The new Commodore line-up now has a dark-ish green called Chlorophyll and it is draped over this Redline SS V ute, for now the only sub-$50,000 option for a V8 ute - if you want anything with a Blue Oval you're off to an FPV showroom and looking at an extra $3000..The standard SS V is priced from $47,490, plus the $2500 on top of that for the Redline package. That extra cash buys Brembo four-piston front brakes with bigger discs, 19in forged alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile rubber, controlled by FE3 "Super Sports Performance" suspension with new dampers and stiffer stabiliser bars. The ute suffers for all that by only coming with a tyre inflator kit instead of a normal spare wheel. Other standard fare includes the Holden iQ touchscreen infotainment system that has satnav, hard drive, Bluetooth phone and audio link, as well as a USB jack. There's also dual-zone climate control, cruise control, comfortable and reasonably supportive leather-trimmed sports seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel, reach'n'rake adjustment for the steering, automatic headlights, power windows and mirrors, trip computer.Much of what would be considered technology can be found further down in the Safety section, but the Holden iQ system certainly qualifies - the touchscreen controls the audio system, which can take tunes from the radio, CD, a built-in memory that can store as many as 15 standard CDs or external devices that connect via Bluetooth or USB cable. There's also full-colour satnav via the same touchscreen, with real-time SUNA traffic information as well as alerts for school zones, fixed traffic cameras and a speed zone display, although the latter doesn't always agree with the ever-changing roadside signs. The system also integrates phone function as well via Bluetooth, meaning the phone book and dialling can be done without touching a phone, which we all understand is a no-no. The system can also be tailored to lock out certain functions while the car is moving.From dead front-on you're not going to see any difference from the rest of the range - full of stance and presence, the flared guards and the fog lights, sitting above a deeper front splitter, all shout menace. Look aft and there's a really big boot thankfully covered by a traditional soft tonneau, albeit clamped down with the sandwich bag sealing system which isn't always easy to lock in. That said, at least you can use the tray for taller stuff without being stymied by the hard-tonneau set-ups that are becoming more common and make security less of an issue. But any pretence to the vehicle actually being used for carting gear above the tray topline means the old-school tonneau. The cabin has plenty of space - even storage behind the two pews is half-decent now - but sadly the centre-mounted switchgear and cupholders remain a pain, particularly for those in a manual model.This no bare-bones widowmaker workhorse - airbags front and side (seat and curtain), load-limiting and pre-tensioned seatbelts, stability and traction control and anti-lock brakes mean a 5-star ANCAP safety rating has been applied to the ute. There's also a limited slip differential, sports-tuned "F3" suspension and the aforementioned big brakes. This sportscar with a very big boot also requires some muscle to get the best from it - and I don't mean in terms of loading it up. It's not a light and easy thing to drive day to day, it's muscly V8 after all, but if you have no need to hurry you can loll along in a high gear and it will rarely complain. Getting it fired up is amusing, but don't expect a raucous soundtrack to go with it - it's almost refined by comparison to some of the same breed that have obviously consulted aftermarket assistance to clear the V8's throat. The price will be paid at the pump if you get busy with it regularly - the six-litre V8 doesn't get the active fuel management (that's only teamed with the automatic) so unless you resist all temptation to stretch the ute's legs and visit the top half of the tacho, the fuel use will be high. Official figures suggest that even with the cylinder drop-out system, the manual is a little better at the bowser. Our time in the car yielded 17 litres per 100km (close to the official urban figure) but with more time on the open road that number would drop. The tall sixth gear and considerable bottom-end urge would translate into a more civilised thirst, but if that's high on your list of priorities then maybe one of the new LPG models might better suit . It's more sharp chainsaw than scalpel when it comes to corners, ripping through bends at anything from a brisk clip to maniacal, but stability control helps keep the rump from leading the charge, although the rear does require provocation - on a dry, sealed surface at least - to break away. Sitting only 100mm off the tarmac means any farmyard excursions will need to be carefully planned - the low clearance, low-slung nose and "workhorse" appearance don't always translate - a rough farm track could remove plenty.