Commodores suck - petrol

[Vectracious]

Dad picked up his new VE Calais last night - and went for a quick drive. All I can say is for about 45K - its a brilliant car. I was actually surprised how quick it actually was for a 6 - and when I got home I looked at the Wheels showroom guide, and they have it clocked at 7.4 for 0-100! That's definately quick enough for Dad (not for me- but still quite respectable)

Trip computer was showing average fuel of 11.3 L/100km and Dad hadn't even been on a Freeway yet - just city driving. My WRX averages that.

It feels a lot more solid than the VZ, and from what I could tell, would handle a lot better as well (took one corner a little too quick for the old man's liking - I guess you'd be protective when your car only has 67km on the Odo, and you hoon son is driving it like a WRX )

Had a look at other prices in teh showroom guide, the Calais is listed at $45490.
Only Beemer at that price: 120i Steptronic
Mercedes: A200 and B200

Yes, they are new prices, and I havent taken into account resale values (Dad leases his cars so couldn't give a toss if its only worth half in 3 years - makes it cheaper to buy) and buying it second hand etc etc - because that many variables could make us argue until the cows came home, but if I had 45K to spend on a new car, I know what I'd be buying.

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[digifish]

...but if I had 45K to spend on a new car, I know what I'd be buying.

Yeah, a Golf GTI

[sooty]

ahahahah...this reminds me of a quote
"Don't you ever give up...."

[Vectracious]

Yeah, a Golf GTI

LOL - well yes (or the new WRX - they are growing on me) or (and a big or at that) - a Skoda Octavia RS (and thats only 37K list price) !

[USC]

Dad picked up his new VE Calais last night - and went for a quick drive. All I can say is for about 45K - its a brilliant car. I was actually surprised how quick it actually was for a 6 - and when I got home I looked at the Wheels showroom guide, and they have it clocked at 7.4 for 0-100! That's definately quick enough for Dad (not for me- but still quite respectable)

Trip computer was showing average fuel of 11.3 L/100km and Dad hadn't even been on a Freeway yet - just city driving. My WRX averages that.

It feels a lot more solid than the VZ, and from what I could tell, would handle a lot better as well (took one corner a little too quick for the old man's liking - I guess you'd be protective when your car only has 67km on the Odo, and you hoon son is driving it like a WRX )


Had a look at other prices in teh showroom guide, the Calais is listed at $45490.
Only Beemer at that price: 120i Steptronic
Mercedes: A200 and B200

Yes, they are new prices, and I havent taken into account resale values (Dad leases his cars so couldn't give a toss if its only worth half in 3 years - makes it cheaper to buy) and buying it second hand etc etc - because that many variables could make us argue until the cows came home, but if I had 45K to spend on a new car, I know what I'd be buying.

nice..what colour did he get? first mod could be to get the GTS rear lights

[MatsHolden]

nice..what colour did he get? first mod could be to get the GTS rear lights

Can't do the GTS lights mate... Well you could but you'd have to try and get your hands on an HSV rear bar.

[Vectracious]

nice..what colour did he get? first mod could be to get the GTS rear lights

silver - stays cleanest for longest especially with the water restrictions. The VZ was black so he wanted something with less maintenance (read Lazy)

I would have thought GTS lights would need new rear sheet metal as the lights are completely different?

[USC]

silver - stays cleanest for longest especially with the water restrictions. The VZ was black so he wanted something with less maintenance (read Lazy)

I would have thought GTS lights would need new rear sheet metal as the lights are completely different?

actually, I think you are right regarding rear lights. hsv is more clever now.. .. The SS-V rear lights look amazing..better than the HSV I think... and they would fit the calais no probs.

yeh, silver looks good! I also like dark grey but not sure if they come in that colour.

[Vectracious]

actually, I think you are right regarding rear lights. hsv is more clever now.. .. The SS-V rear lights look amazing..better than the HSV I think... and they would fit the calais no probs.

yeh, silver looks good! I also like dark grey but not sure if they come in that colour.

just looking at the website, theres a colour called Evoke (which looks like a charcoal (but on my monitor it almost looks brown!) - Dad got the "nickel"

only saw it at night, so dunno what it is like in the day - silver's a classic colour anyway so can't really go too wrong.

[cbrmale]

Commodore resale values - well enough said. I never understood why they named their upper model 'Calais'. Calais is probably the dirtiest, seediest most crime-ridden city in France. Maybe GM is trying to tell us something.

My experience of Commodores in the late '90's is that you can't make an almost two tonne car handle as well as a smaller lighter car, and it takes more than one fast corner to show up the problem of making all that weight change direction. And when you drive it quickly - you feel it! My God they're heavy. And stopping all that weight, you feel that too!

The other problem I found with Commodores is that they are very wide (too wide?) for many of our rural roads, which means you only have one line through a curve, and this is very restrictive to quick motoring.

While the VE may be better in some ways than the VT I was familiar with, the basic problems of the physics of weight and the impracticality of excessive width won't go away - in fact it is probably worse given the new car is heavier (progress?).