Are you happy with your VE?

[seldo]

I was just wondering if everyone is happy with their VEs. I'd like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly, and preferably as objectively as possible. I ask the question because one of my boys was all keen after driving my VY Senator last month and had his heart set on a Clubsport R8, but rang me this morning saying that he went and had a test drive and was disappointed. Funnily enough, I also drove one about 2 months ago (an SS) and was also disappointed.
He didn't like the finish, the hand-brake, the gear-box (M6) the pedal lay-out (almost impossible to heel'n'toe) and said it just didn't ring his bell...He thinks he might get a S/H BMW instead....
What's the general opinion?

[GRC888]

My VE Calais V 6.0L is the best car I have ever owned or driven outside of a Porsche or Ferrari.

As Wheels mag and others have recently stated, you need to spend $150K to get an equivalent BMW or Merc and even then the 6.0L Calais V gives them a good run for their money.

I have been very impressed with the high level of equipment, refinement and build quality with my Calais V and have had no real issues other than its ride height which I fixed by lowering.

Drives like a dream and cannot recommend highly enough.

Glenn Corey
Rowville, Victoria

[VESSWA]

Seldo I'd say that from your location you've probably got your tounge firmly planted in your cheek??
If you really are after feedback though then in summary I'd say there's few dissapointed punters here and the COTY points to you and your son being right back there in the minority.
We have almost all had some problems of varying degree and just comb through the numerous threads or do a search and you'll find them.
Me personally, my biggest dissapontment so far is a notchy M6 gearbox that I hope will settle down. Otherwise I'm really impressed with the car.
Maybe my driving skills are lacking or something as I don't rate the "heel and toe" action quality of a car too highly?

[EddieVE06]

Love my VE, best car I have had but its lacking 2 cylinders unfortunately to mix it with the big boys but even with the 6 its a great car to drive. Solid as a rock if you ask me, finish on the car is great, the black plastic along the centre console could be a littler nicer but in general its great.
The handbrake...who cares I dont drive with it up, and heel toe....not high on my priorities when driving around the suburbs.

Goes well on fuel, very comfy, great handling, balance and steering even with lowered springs.

I doubt anycar will ever be perfect for the general buying public unless we manufacture it ourselves.

My only gripe is the service from the service dept or lack of it when you mention something you want checked and from what i found on the forum every issue has the same response for the majority of us which is..." no fault found during testing"

[zorro]

having finally driven one I can say on a whole impressed. for aussie car standards to jump up a notch (more like 10) and give something to actually compete with the euros I am nothing short of impressed. saying that though I wouldn't buy any model under a calais.

pedals in a holden have never appealed to me, sitting so your body angled towards the right side feels gumby, pointed toward centre with accelerator attached to the floor is the go.

[Brockfan05]

I'm pretty happy with my SS. I have a few minor gripes, as can be read in the many other VE threads, but the dealership seem to be eager to keep my custom this time and are bending over backwards to be of assistance. In terms of the driving experience - I love it unequivocaly (spelling...). Grip is nothing short of awesome, and I really pushed it in the Adelaide Hills recently, nary a hint of understeer. ESP is excellent, only barely detectable, power down is also excellent. Steering is a revelation compared to VZ and older. Heel and toeing has never been a Holden high point but I believe with a bit of practice, (and some ankle flexing exercises!!) that it will be possible if not perfect. All in all, I would give the car a 7.5 out of 10.

Forgot to mention, the fuel economy has also impressed me greatly. For a 6L V8, 700km per 68 litres of combined hwy/city driving with the A/C on all the time is friggen awesome. On the hwy only (Albury to Adelaide), with a full car - cabin and boot - I was seeing 9.4L/100km sitting on 110 - 115kph and a calculated range in excess of 800km. Take that you tree huggers!! :D

[HSVQUE]

100% happy with mine its almost ready for its 3000k service and all that ill be getting checked is the hand brake(Needs abit of a tighten) and a very small leak from my power steering rack.

Other than that its a bloody good alround car.. Looks Great(Inside and out), attracts alot of attention, Handles and goes very well. What more could you ask for really? I to was in the market for a VY/VZ Senator before i purchased this car and im glad I decided on the VE.. All round its a better car at the end of the day.

Rob

[Mikey]

I too have driven a couple of VE's and I have too say that if you only go around the block in one you might not feel much difference between the VZ and the VE (the VE is much sharper as a six speed auto than the VZ 4 speed auto and instantly noticeable as you would expect though) but drive one for ten to fifteen minutes and you begin to notice and appreciate the difference in the chassis.

So far the VE chassis is in a class of its own when you compare it to any other previous Holden, and is still better than a BF too which is regarded highly by a lot of people.

If you have the chance, drive one for an extended period of time other than just a quick burst and you will see what I mean.

["V"]

I would have to say this is the best car that I have ever owned. Years ahead of the VZ we traded. Very happy with the car overall and have only had a few little issues which have been sorted out at when taken back for service. Its just a shame the some dealers service department lacked real customer service and dotn listen to the ones that own the car and not put it down to "dont being able to fault on drive".

[gmeup]

after driving a VE SS I wasnt that impressed with it to be honest.

Ive owned nothing but commodores V8's myself....

My old man just bought a 2002 merc s500 39000kms cost him $75,000 I know its more than a new calais v but i can assure you it drives a shit load better than any commodore.

In saying that though im sure the cost of repairs and maintainence would also cost a shit load more than a commodore

But point been I doubt a VE is on par with euro's best it is defiently below....

Not having a dig as i own a VY gen 3 my self and love the car to death but when u jump in a merc its just takes things to a new level somthing that commodores dont have yet.

[Curtis-R]

Cant see many people in the Market for an S500 Benz would be looking
at a commodore? Maybe maybe not.. Not to mention the price when new (RRP) $252,474 !! Hate to be taking the depreciation hit on that sucker!

I guess I find it hard to compare a $50k car to a $252K car ;)

BTW I love the VE. :driving:

[CalaisRider]

Yep my CalaisV is the best car I have ever driven - I know its a bit different to the M6 but....... I've had it for 6 months now and had time to let the novelty wear off - nup it's an awesome car and responds to modifications very well..

I still drive it just for the sake of driving, says it all IMHO

[Danv8]

Australia has a great product its the VE it might not have the complete fit n finish the likes of a BMW or Mercedes benz but for value for money and handling the VE is pretty much worth it. I even think that BMW and Mercedes has shit plastics inside. At least you can get close to a Calais spec beast with a manual gearbox called the SSV. :)

[My SS-V]

after driving a VE SS I wasnt that impressed with it to be honest.

Ive owned nothing but commodores V8's myself....

My old man just bought a 2002 merc s500 39000kms cost him $75,000 I know its more than a new calais v but i can assure you it drives a shit load better than any commodore.

In saying that though im sure the cost of repairs and maintainence would also cost a shit load more than a commodore

But point been I doubt a VE is on par with euro's best it is defiently below....

Not having a dig as i own a VY gen 3 my self and love the car to death but when u jump in a merc its just takes things to a new level somthing that commodores dont have yet.


GMEUP,
I own a SSV and i would have to say for the vehicle price it is one hell of a car,
You say your dad just brought a Merc, and in your opinion its a better car.
Now you say your dad payed $75,000 for a car that's 5 years old, chances are when new it would have been $220,000 +.
I myself believe its a little un fair to compare the 2 as one is almost double the price.
As Wheels have stated it one best car of the year award, and also the best bang for buck, cant go wrong there.

Not being nasty here just stating fact's

Greg

[Piffs]

I brought mine after owning an Alfa GTV. The SS-V has been brilliant! Handling is nothing like a large car! It feels smaller than what it is when driving. The manual started a little notchy but after 3000km its great. Traction control is awesome! Really keeps the car steady. And the power! WOW! I love it! Best use of $50'000 ever!

[xploit]

Coming from an old A4 clunk box, into the sequential A5 in my new sv6 is amazing,

the finish is great (its optioned quite well).. the accesories i love, the stripes just do it for me for some reason, its stance its look the whole lot, even the poke for a 6 is quite amazing, we are almost talking VX SS territory 195/225.

The olds have a 330i new straight 6 190kw bmw, its a great car, like nothing else to drive its just beautiful, but i must say comparing apples to apples, the sv6 leather and steering and go isnt too far off, i make no issue in saying the gearbox is no way near bmw standard and probably never will be but its not all that far off..

Oh and i have driven both.. often.. just to clear that up.

After all its still a commodore compared to a BMW or MERC.

I pick mine up on friday so ill let you know if i have any problems... grr hope not :D

Cheers.

Dave

[Vulture]

Maybe my driving skills are lacking or something as I don't rate the "heel and toe" action quality of a car too highly?

Any manual car sold as a sports version should enable this to be done with ease. Takes the fun out of it if it can't be done due to the setup of the pedals. How else do you match engine revs properly when also braking during a spirited drive?

[blackbettyhsv]

of the 3 hsv's Ive owned this R8 is by far the best car to grace my garage. fuel economy is 9.8 now with new exhaust, has plenty of grunt, stops from 100 kph to zero in 36 metres, hav'nt tried it though, heeps of interior space, gearbox was a bit tricky when new but over all is a great drivers car. a bloke I know here owned fords all his life, drove another guys VE SS was so impressed he traded his XR 6, another dude on this site traded his gtp for a R8. I would rather what I have got to a girly second hand bmw. sorry!!!!!!!!!!!

[seldo]

Thanks guys. I guess I expected the glowing endorsements, and I suppose if I did the same mods to a VE as I have to my Senator I'd probably end up with a better car again. Like I said though, to hop out of mine into a stock VE Clubbie just seemed very tame and a bit disappointing... I'll have to try again with an extended drive.

[NickS]

Thanks guys. I guess I expected the glowing endorsements, and I suppose if I did the same mods to a VE as I have to my Senator I'd probably end up with a better car again. Like I said though, to hop out of mine into a stock VE Clubbie just seemed very tame and a bit disappointing... I'll have to try again with an extended drive.

Next time you're down come and take the GTS for a run seldo ... it's not manual but it will have a bit more grunt by then.

It's interesting, I've had 3 previous series HSVs and the E Series is head and shoulders above all of them, I really can't see how you could be disappointed with them ?

[blackbettyhsv]

seldo Im a bit different I hopped out of a 6 year old VX clubby with lots of extra's & kws, huge amount of difference for me, just the drive feel alone is very noticable, but yeh drive 1 for a few hundred k's then you should feel the ride quality is a lot smoother, similer to a statesman. funny though this old fart at work buys mercs for there safety, not that he would buy 1 but was impressed with all the safety features in this model when I showed him the brochure, I stir him about his $80.000 price tag he paid for his 104 kw slug, but he is happy thats the main thing, would'nt this world be boring if we all drove the same thing

[Danv8]

seldo Im a bit different I hopped out of a 6 year old VX clubby with lots of extra's & kws, huge amount of difference for me, just the drive feel alone is very noticable, but yeh drive 1 for a few hundred k's then you should feel the ride quality is a lot smoother, similer to a statesman. funny though this old fart at work buys mercs for there safety, not that he would buy 1 but was impressed with all the safety features in this model when I showed him the brochure, I stir him about his $80.000 price tag he paid for his 104 kw slug, but he is happy thats the main thing, would'nt this world be boring if we all drove the same thing


I'd personally shoot myself if I spend 80 grand on a Merc with a massive 104 kw. ;)

[Aussie V8]

Cant see many people in the Market for an S500 Benz would be looking
at a commodore? Maybe maybe not.. Not to mention the price when new (RRP) $252,474 !! Hate to be taking the depreciation hit on that sucker!

I guess I find it hard to compare a $50k car to a $252K car ;)

BTW I love the VE. :driving:

That is a reasonable statement to make but it is what GMH are doing with their Ads, well comparing to a 150K beemer, so the comparison is fair game IMO.

[robmcg]

I drive Canterbury rural roads in a VX Calais LS1 here in EnZed and I see a lot of VEs now.

Drivers usually have a smile and in small towns people gather round...

[seldo]

Next time you're down come and take the GTS for a run seldo ... it's not manual but it will have a bit more grunt by then.

It's interesting, I've had 3 previous series HSVs and the E Series is head and shoulders above all of them, I really can't see how you could be disappointed with them ?
Thanks Nick - I'll certainly give you a yell when I'm down next. :)

[robmcg]

The olds have a 330i new straight 6 190kw bmw, its a great car, like nothing else to drive its just beautiful, but i must say comparing apples to apples, the sv6 leather and steering and go isnt too far off, i make no issue in saying the gearbox is no way near bmw standard and probably never will be but its not all that far off..

Oh and i have driven both.. often.. just to clear that up.


Cheers.

Dave

Have you driven outside the 'burbs?

Rob [Canterbury, NZ]

[carneb]

I'm very happy with my Calais V. Way better than my VY SV8

[Belzey]

I am not happy with it..


I am ecstatic with it :thumbsup:

[xploit]

Have you driven outside the 'burbs?

Rob [Canterbury, NZ]

Yeah quite often,

Down to lakes entrance, we have a house down that way, its about 3.5 4 hours out of melbourne...

and if you take the clydebank/bengworden backroad to bypass sale/stratford :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: :thumbsup: CSV will know what im on about... very fun.

Oh i forgot to mention, its country highway at its best.

:)

Cheers.

[vutess]

i dont know how many of the people on here are really drivers who push there cars hard without harming them to much (or their clutches and driveline), but the commodore pedal box is crap, i can however heel and toe fine but i also have rather fat feet and have learnt the easy way in nice pedal boxes in such cars as wrx's. If people slap there cars on a track and try change down fast with there new button clutch and dont match revs they may find themselves doing compression lockups ect, however due to me not hearing anything of the sort on this site i think that maybe there isnt alot of trackwork done by these people.

The commodore is a good bang for ya buck car, however if you go and drive something that actually handles you will realise that the new bling commodore is not that great, i have had 92 rs turbo's with 250,000 + kms on them which are in much nicer condition even though 15yrs old compared to my 5year old commodore, this refering to interior condition radio's still working ect, however if you buy a blinged up taxi such as a ss with the same build quality and just a few nicer bits of plastic this is what you can expect. basically real quality cars dont come out of australia, you need japan or european build if you want the quality minor details ect that the holden and ford dont have.

no offence to holdens, i do have one and the v8 grunt is great, cooks up the rears nicely, and if thats all your concerned about then great car but i personally do not think the build quality or driveability in them is that great compared 2 other cars when actually pushed.

go easy on me now fellas haha just my opinion.

[Senator05]

go easy on me now fellas haha just my opinion.

That's like saying "I can say whatever I like, but don't have a go back because it's only my opinion." Sorry, but you're out of luck...:p

I might as well say, my 02 STi handled better and had much better finish than the RS turbos I've driven. It's a pointless comment.

The point you've missed is that this thread is not a 'How is Commodore (of all varieties) vs other cars ?", it was a question of how is the VE. I don't know anyone with a 5 year old VE, so your comparison isn't particularly relevant, unless your assertion is that the VE is identical in ride and quality to previous models.

If that's your claim, I and no doubt numerous others in this forum would disagree whole-heartedly with you. The driving experience in my VE is streets ahead of the VZ Monaro I had, also a car less than five years old.

Add one more happy VE camper to the list.

[Brockfan05]

I've had an Evo 8 and a bug eyed rex, and I've driven late model STi's. The VE SS I now have stacks up better than the subies, and comparable to my Evo. The Evo is a dedicated race car set up for road use - the VE in my opinion is a good all rounder - not as sharp as an Evo - but the VE SS didnt win Motor mags BFYB for nothing. I will update when I take my SS to Winton a little later this year.........

[Danv8]

That's like saying "I can say whatever I like, but don't have a go back because it's only my opinion." Sorry, but you're out of luck...:p

I might as well say, my 02 STi handled better and had much better finish than the RS turbos I've driven. It's a pointless comment.

The point you've missed is that this thread is not a 'How is Commodore (of all varieties) vs other cars ?", it was a question of how is the VE. I don't know anyone with a 5 year old VE, so your comparison isn't particularly relevant, unless your assertion is that the VE is identical in ride and quality to previous models.

If that's your claim, I and no doubt numerous others in this forum would disagree whole-heartedly with you. The driving experience in my VE is streets ahead of the VZ Monaro I had, also a car less than five years old.

Add one more happy VE camper to the list.

The VE snots all over my VY2 Calais in a lot of ways in terms of handling, refinement and so forth. My VY2 feels really old compared to the VE.

[SV805]

Seldo,

Previously I had a VZ SV8 and now the VE SS. The difference is dramatic once you have spent some time in it. I have done nearly 20,000 k's in the new VE. I have had it on a track day at Willowbank and it handled this with easy. Seperate thread but held its own and better with all teh GT GTP & Typoons. Long trips to Rocky ect are just a dream but just hang out for a twisty road. Still walk to the garage and it puts a smile on my dial with the stance. Still draws heaps of attention and as an all round car there is nothing better for the money within a mile.
As a few have said, I had some very minor niggles which were fixed at the 3000 k service and this small inconvience to be driving this great car is worth it.
Plenty of other new cheaper & more expensive cars have more than a few minor problems.

By far the best value for money car I have owned. Had 15 different cars now.

PS. Heel toeing sounds great and would have some benefits, but if pedal box isn't perfect for this then no big deal. Willowbank track day brought no issues provided you didn't dump a gear before the car was ready. A liitle more break before changing and it resulted in a nice flow and good midcorner speed.

[ABG]

So far I'm pretty impressed with my VE SS. My last car was an MY03 WRX with a fair amount of work: improved brakes, Whiteline suspension, catback exhaust, Ecutek management, etc (it was used as a pace car for Formula Ford drive days). The Rex went pretty hard and handled like it was on rails. The trade off was that you needed to visit the dentist regularly to replace the fillings that were rattled out by an ultra firm suspension set up. Having now done almost 6500 kays in a still stock VE, I've made the following observations:

The suspension is too soft for my liking and the car has more body roll than I'd like. A suspension upgrade is almost a certainty.

While the car is quick, it doesn't have that ballistic urge that the Rexxy used to have when the boost was on hard. Mind you, the VE doesn't have that torque black hole the Rex had and is definitely much easier to launch. As a daily driver, the VE is much easier to live with.

The clutch took me ages to get used to for some reason. When I frist had the car, I'd embarrasingly stall it when first taking off (ie. just after starting the car up). After that, I'd drive it with no problems. Anybody else experience that, or is it just me? The clutch on the VE is much lighter than the Rex and doesn't seem to have as much feel.

The gearbox is notchy as hell compared with the Rex, especially going down through the cogs from 5th or 6th gear (mind you when you're pushing hard, you're not using 5th or 6th anyway). Try and find reverse quickly when you're doing a 3 point turn - it's a bloody nightmare!

It's not as easy to heel & toe in the VE, but it's definitely possible. Whoever said it can't be done was telling you porkies.

The exhaust note in the VE is way too quiet. Where's that lovely V8 soundtrack? Even under hard acceleration, the soundtrack is hardly inspiring. An exhaust upgrade will certainly be happening when I've got the money.
The finish of the car is amazingly good for an Australian built car - easily as good as the Rex. Maybe I've been lucky with mine, but it really is that good. Previous Commodores I've had (VP & VT) have been somewhere between ordinary and woeful.

Brakes are good for a Commodore, but still exhibit signs of fade with repeated heavy use. Not a real issue with general daily driving, but something you'd look at if you were going to use it on the track - then again, you'd say the same of nearly every other street car and the brakes on the VE are definitely better than most.

The steering wheel is just a little bigger in diameter than I'd like, but it's thick enough to feel pretty good. The steering overall is a bit light, but very communicative.

The quality of the stereo and controls in general on the VE is light years ahead of the Rex.

The VE is a heavier drinker than the Rex. Who woulda thunk it? Seriously though, I keep reading people on this forum saying they're getting fuel returns that are light years ahead of what I'm getting. On the highway it's great - I got 9.2L/100km on a recent drive to Brissie (sitting on 110'ish most of the way). In the city however, I'm rarely getting better than 18L/100km, and that's not pushing it real hard either. Buggered if I know how some of the guys here are getting 14L/100 and better around the city.

Overall, the VE doesn't have quite the same fun factor that the Rex had. It's not in the same league when being driven really hard through twisty stuff, but then again I'm comparing something off the shelf to something that was reasonably modified. Spend the same amount in mods on the VE and you'd have a stupid grin on your face that would take some wiping off. I bought the VE 'cos my kids were getting too big for another Rexxie and I really haven't regretted my decision for a minute. Kudos to Holden for putting out a car that is significantly better than anything that's been made on these shores before.

(copied with minor mods from an earlier post I made)

[blackbettyhsv]

bdzy88 be careful going the back way through bengworden, I have a van at eagle point & travel that way a lot, cops have 3 hiding places along that road

[rocks-crewman]

S*%t yeah! I waved goodbye to my VYSS Crewman nearly 3 weeks ago when my Berlina finally rocked up after a 4 month wait. That's what I get for ordering leather and a sunroof I suppose. Worth the wait though, it is a tremendous car. Looks great, handling is sublime, the difference in performance from the old LS1 to the L98 was the biggest surprise. This thing has soooo much grunt, it is a real struggle to keep it at legal speeds. The rate it can get from say 80 kmh to 140 kmh is simply amazing for a 'family' car. My girlfriend is a F*$d nut (I can't say the word), she doesn't say anything but you can tell she loves getting into the beasty. Have been averaging 12-12.5 litres per hundred around town so far (have done 1700 km), so it uses 1 litre per hundred on average more than the Crewman - worth every cent.
The only defect - the washer bottle filler neck was cracked so I could not fill it up - dealer fixed it, works great now.
By the way, check out www.g8gt.com, the yanks are screaming for feedback on the VE as they await the arrival of the Pontiac G8.

[alexcs]

after driving a VE SS I wasnt that impressed with it to be honest.

Ive owned nothing but commodores V8's myself....

My old man just bought a 2002 merc s500 39000kms cost him $75,000 I know its more than a new calais v but i can assure you it drives a shit load better than any commodore.

In saying that though im sure the cost of repairs and maintainence would also cost a shit load more than a commodore

But point been I doubt a VE is on par with euro's best it is defiently below....

Not having a dig as i own a VY gen 3 my self and love the car to death but when u jump in a merc its just takes things to a new level somthing that commodores dont have yet.


this is a point id like to dispute not as a VE owner, but someone who punted both VE's and AMGs/M5's/etc around a car transport yard. I was sceptical a Holden could vie with a European marque, let alone a top end one, until i began to move them around. the statesman/caprice has the same feel and close to the same build quality as 300k+ AMGs and i stand by that. For the money you pay, you are getting a genuinely well put together car in a mid to high end VE. The thought that kept occuring was was would i drop the money on an E55 or E63 when i could get so close by spending 60-70. Of course its not an AMG, but the price differential is ridiculous. For someone who doesnt care about brand, it is a fantastic option.


The VE snots all over my VY2 Calais in a lot of ways in terms of handling, refinement and so forth. My VY2 feels really old compared to the VE.


and my VZ feels old compared to it, and any VZ sedan incl HSV's ive moved around also feel like gokarts. the VE is a significant step forward, and by the by absolutely slays the BA/F, apart form the performance of the Typhoon.

[Danv8]

Cant see many people in the Market for an S500 Benz would be looking
at a commodore? Maybe maybe not.. Not to mention the price when new (RRP) $252,474 !! Hate to be taking the depreciation hit on that sucker!

I guess I find it hard to compare a $50k car to a $252K car ;)

BTW I love the VE. :driving:

My accountant and most likely my mrs would have a massive flying fit and probably out run the SR-71 Blackbird jet airplane if she found out I spent over $250,000 beans on a car. The latest mercedes benz are extreamly nice cars and the paint and exterior fit n finish is just plain awesome. But I have sat in the latest Benz's (S350) and was some what dissapointed in the interior. I just found the interior plastics to be a smidgen better than the plastics used in the VE. Although a lot of new cars are using the same type of hard and sometimes flimsy quality plastics. Although the Benz had all sorts of gadgets to amuse many people. I dunno I might be being a tad picky. They just don't seem to have a solid feel inside with the interior materials. like an older mercedes benz like a early 80's to late 90's Benzes. But with the VE in the SS upwards you are really getting great value for the money in terms of equipment, safety and performance levels over the much more expensive european rivals.

[KingClifton]

I've owned one Mazda and four Audis before stepping into a VE ClubSport.
My last car was an A4 1.8T which was a nicely balanced car and built to Audi's usual standards.

Stepping into the Clubbie...well, put it this way - even though I've only had it 2 days, there are times I still think I'm driving an Audi. That's a compliment, BTW. Build quality is good, even if some of the materials are a bit cheap and some of the styling touches a little naff.

Power is good, power deliver is awesome and the tranny is better than I remember in test drives. It could do with paddle-shift (last 2 Audis had it).

Even thought it comes across as marketing hype, you can tell that the VE was benchmarked against the E30 5-series BMW for handling and suspension, and the C5 A6 for interior design and quality. Assuming that durability will hold up, I think Holden have produced a pretty fine car by world standards.

So I'm more than satisfied so far, but the real test will be after 12 months of ownership, seeing how it fares for mileage, servicing etc.

[BadMac]

8000k's (2 months yesterday since I took delivery) up in my R8 now and last week I found out why I bought it. Had to do a trip across country. Was running about 40 mins late for a funeral and I was to give a reading and be a pall bearer. Put it in Sports mode and on the straights sat at 110. in the twisty stuff (lots of it for this trip) you can hammer it between corners and its like a go cart through the corners. You can pass people with 40-50 meters space and be comfortably back in line. I have owned other cars which I have driven hard on occasions and you feel like you are thrashing them. The R8 just kept saying "is that all you got". I now know what its like to have a hi performance family car. I have never driven anything like it (I have owned 4 Subbies and they are too highly strung, fun on short blasts but you feel shattered after a 400km thrash).

To really appreciate the VE you need some time to potter around town, thrash it through twisty stuff and cruise on the open road. Best car I have ever owned, 3rd best I have driven (after GT3 and 996 Turbo, note it easily beats a 2001 M5 I used for a month while a mate was overseas).

[Brockfan05]

Absolutely agree BadMac, the VE can do it all with minimum fuss. :)

[HOT VE SS]

got ss.

ok at first but very bored with it not at all happy with it at ALL.
And those dicks up at clarkson holden, well useless morons

[Frenchy VX SS]

got ss.

ok at first but very bored with it not at all happy with it at ALL.
And those dicks up at clarkson holden, well useless morons


The main reason i didnt buy mine from there! I went in there and they were just total knobs. ( i live in clarkson )

If your bored with your SS, you could always be the 1st in perth to have a turbo bolted to your ve ;)

[HOT VE SS]

The main reason i didnt buy mine from there! I went in there and they were just total knobs. ( i live in clarkson )

If your bored with your SS, you could always be the 1st in perth to have a turbo bolted to your ve ;)

Im in ridgewood mate ignition is the colour.
Funny how you've got a banks cheuqe and they treat u like ur sh%8.
Like your not good enough to be in their presence.
Going to phoenix holden 4 services.

[Danv8]

got ss.

ok at first but very bored with it not at all happy with it at ALL.
And those dicks up at clarkson holden, well useless morons

I know people would be very happy to swap their cars for your VE SS if you are bored with it already.

[gmeup]

GMEUP,
I own a SSV and i would have to say for the vehicle price it is one hell of a car,
You say your dad just brought a Merc, and in your opinion its a better car.
Now you say your dad payed $75,000 for a car that's 5 years old, chances are when new it would have been $220,000 +.
I myself believe its a little un fair to compare the 2 as one is almost double the price.
As Wheels have stated it one best car of the year award, and also the best bang for buck, cant go wrong there.

Not being nasty here just stating fact's

Greg

Hi Greg what I said is not alittle unfair as im making the point that a VE is not as good a europeans best as so many people claim it is.

Yes its a great car I think is Australia's best built car.
However, people were were using lines in this thread like"its up to par with europeans best" i was simply trying to say that its no were near it. Money aside of course.

And yes a 5yr sclass is way more advanced and better build than a VE.

Yes it cost $200k plus new but now you can pick it up for $75k not much more than a calais V true?

[EddieVE06]

Hi Greg what I said is not alittle unfair as im making the point that a VE is not as good a europeans best as so many people claim it is.

Yes its a great car I think is Australia's best built car.
However, people were were using lines in this thread like"its up to par with europeans best" i was simply trying to say that its no were near it. Money aside of course.

And yes a 5yr sclass is way more advanced and better build than a VE.

Yes it cost $200k plus new but now you can pick it up for $75k not much more than a calais V true?


Sorry no offence but I'd rather spend $65 on a brand spanking new car like a calais v or ssv or anything else for that matter that no one has farted in that $75K for a 5 year old car...how many km has this merc done by the way?
edit: 39,000 km..sorry....still would rather drive a new car than a 5 year old car. thats my opinion only

[csv rulz]

And yes a 5yr sclass is way more advanced and better build than a VE.

Yes it cost $200k plus new but now you can pick it up for $75k not much more than a calais V true?

Actually thats a pretty similar price to what you would pay for a new senator.

I know what i would rather have. A brand new senator or a 5 year old S class.
Senator all the way no doubts about it.

[gmeup]

thats what i use to think too untill i jumped in the s class and drove it

[EXCESSV]

thats what i use to think too untill i jumped in the s class and drove it

another intelligent comment by yourself...
well you can go and spend $75K on a 5 year old S class and most of the other ppl on this forum will take a NEW Senator or GTS for that price.....

enjoy that S class

[Danv8]

another intelligent comment by yourself...
well you can go and spend $75K on a 5 year old S class and most of the other ppl on this forum will take a NEW Senator or GTS for that price.....

enjoy that S class


Yup and atleast ya can get a manual gearbox in the new GTS too. :)

Plus no badge snobbery to be needed too. ;)

[Bazza76d]

Hi Greg what I said is not alittle unfair as im making the point that a VE is not as good a europeans best as so many people claim it is.

Yes its a great car I think is Australia's best built car.
However, people were were using lines in this thread like"its up to par with europeans best" i was simply trying to say that its no were near it. Money aside of course.

And yes a 5yr sclass is way more advanced and better build than a VE.

Yes it cost $200k plus new but now you can pick it up for $75k not much more than a calais V true?

Sometimes I need to pinch myself because I could have sworn this was a Holden fan site. Some of the posts I read, I honestly doubt that at times. I know this next comment will cause some anger but hey who cares. It appears to me the people who seem to be unimpressed or not happy with the VE don't actually own one! Does any other VE owners notice this? I bet not one VE owner regrets their purchase and I am positive all love the car! Nothing is ever perfect, there would be people not satisfied with top of the line ferrari's, mercs, bmws and the list continues so who gives a flying f^&k if you think a 5 year old merc is better than a VE. You drive your Merc and I guarantee no one will ever look your way, no one will come over and talk to you at the servo, you may as well ride a Vespa, oh but then again I look at them!!!

Regards

[xploit]

Im extatic with my new ve...

other ve owners back me on this though.

The vibrating locks give me the shits.

Theres a vibration right next to my head that drives me insane.

The drivers side mirror at 110kmh you cant see anything with because its vibrating so hard *really really annoying*

Holden knows stuff all about the DVD entertainment system.... hopeless.

I had a check engine light come up and its only done 1500 k's. gone now though :werd:

Oh well.. besides that its great.

Cheers.

[6l ute]

Iv only owned mine for the a lest a week now and carnt be more then happy with it. And for the price i paid for it even tho i know i got a good price i wouldnt buy anything else. I looked at marloos and 2nd hand clubbies but couldnt go past the new shape and for a stock car the ve ssv isnt that far of the mark in a straight line and mills in frount on a marloo around the tight stuff.

[The Lot]

I bought a new clubsport last Monday and picked it up on wednesday.

It is a magic car to drive and even the manual doesn't bother me (yet?) in city traffic.

I traded in my vz calais and reckon its the best thing I have done in a long time!

[FLANGE-SSV]

Im extatic with my new ve...

other ve owners back me on this though.

The vibrating locks give me the shits.

Theres a vibration right next to my head that drives me insane.

The drivers side mirror at 110kmh you cant see anything with because its vibrating so hard *really really annoying*

Holden knows stuff all about the DVD entertainment system.... hopeless.

I had a check engine light come up and its only done 1500 k's. gone now though :werd:

Oh well.. besides that its great.

Cheers.

HaHa! I'm not going crazy!
The rear door locks vibrate on mine as well.
I am hoping to get them fixed/replaced at the 3000km check as this is driving me nuts too!!!
Also, what's with the arse about shift on the auto?
Push forward to change down - I don't think so.
This is confusing and even after 2500km's, I still get it wrong....
Other than these two gripes, I am rapt with mine :driving:

[EXCESSV]

Also, what's with the arse about shift on the auto?
Push forward to change down - I don't think so.
This is confusing and even after 2500km's, I still get it wrong....

yeah it is confusing and its the same whether its holden or ford.
my brothers XR6 BA is the same...have found myself throwing it down a gear at times...so now i just dont bother with the tiptronic stuff...lol

[EddieVE06]

Im extatic with my new ve...

other ve owners back me on this though.


Theres a vibration right next to my head that drives me insane.

The drivers side mirror at 110kmh you cant see anything with because its vibrating so hard *really really annoying*



Cheers.

Speaking of vibrations/creaks my drivers door has over the last few weeks developed like a creak every time I go over bumps or turn into driveways etc.
It seems like the whole door creaks but if I open the window a little it goes away. Happens mostly when its hot or much cooler. Gives me the sh!ts in a big way, am tempted to book it in just for that.

Anyone else having the door creaking problem? Anyone know what it might be?

["V"]

My door had a rattle type noise in the drivers side door. It turned out to be the window regulator being loose or something... Might be something like that maybe??

[CarlFST60L]

Does any other VE owners notice this?

I have noticed it a little here and there, but lets not forget the VT/VZ are flipping great cars!

Having put the R8 well an truly through its paces for the last 7000km, towing a boat for 500km, running down the 400m >30times more than >40 laps of wakefeild park and > 100 laps of the skid pan which the VY was put through the same life for years, with all this in mind, imho, the VE is just a brilliantly engineered car on a new level... If i was to bag the VE, the main thing is the weight, but, you can see the weight has added massive saftey, i drove a VY the other day, the smaller pillars, lower doors make you feel a little more exposed, but its lighter (how much heavier is the R8/SSV/SS over VZ R8/SS/SV8, someone said 200Kg which is BS, i think its around 100Kg)...

Am i happy with the R8? Every single day i drive it i love it more and more, everything is just 'better'... Its easliy the best car i have owned, its a credit to the creators :bow:

http://www.oz8.org/gallery/albums/Carl/FST60LHIRES.thumb.jpg

[Nawdy]

Seldo - yes, I am.

Done 16500km's and counting.

If you compare your Senator pre-mods to a VE, you'll end up with a lot better idea. If you're heading to Melbourne, give me a yell so you can have a drive.

No sign of an accent mate??? ;)

[r8ls1]

All commodores are nice when new, I remember driving all forms of VS's from exec's to SS's and top level statemans when they were brand new and they were very nice cars and they handled too, saying this now people will just laugh, but every Holden seems to be made to feel better than the last and then deteriorate after 6 years so the new model feels light years ahead. No offence to VE owners intended, but thats my opinion. Whereas 10-15 year old BMW's ive driven are tight with 0 rattles and interior appearence etc aside, if maintained, they drive as well as the day they rolled of the showroom. WOuld i buy euro no im not going to pay 200k for a car that isnt meant to be a 200k car where it originated, so the holdens are the best cheaper option and the modification abiltuy of the ls1/2 is unmatched, but are they better in every department than the japs or euro's, no, theres many little differences you cant see, like they use cheaper metals. for example my last IRS bmw had chrome-moly axles in it, holdens use cheap cast metals. same for the wheel bearings, my R8 has had front hubs replaced twice cause the wheel bearings are a cheap 1 peice thing, hence why harrop makes a tougher replacement. those are the some of the small differences, do they matter much not really. $ for $ holden you cant get better for looks, handling and performance. but if the government was to change import rules tarrifs and taxes that are 'in place to support the local car industry(or so they say)', ford and holden wouldnt be around long.

I buy holdens cause of the price, but im not going to help their sales and say they are the best car in the world just because i bought one, thats free advertising, they make enough profit as it is :deal: you need to keep them honest so we get better vehicles.

[robmcg]

All commodores are nice when new, I remember driving all forms of VS's from exec's to SS's and top level statemans when they were brand new and they were very nice cars and they handled too, saying this now people will just laugh, but every Holden seems to be made to feel better than the last and then deteriorate after 6 years so the new model feels light years ahead. No offence to VE owners intended, but thats my opinion. Whereas 10-15 year old BMW's ive driven are tight with 0 rattles and interior appearence etc aside, if maintained, they drive as well as the day they rolled of the showroom. WOuld i buy euro no im not going to pay 200k for a car that isnt meant to be a 200k car where it originated, so the holdens are the best cheaper option and the modification abiltuy of the ls1/2 is unmatched, but are they better in every department than the japs or euro's, no, theres many little differences you cant see, like they use cheaper metals. for example my last IRS bmw had chrome-moly axles in it, holdens use cheap cast metals. same for the wheel bearings, my R8 has had front hubs replaced twice cause th wheel bearings are a cheap 1 peice thing, hence why harrop makes a tougher replacement. those are the some of the small differences, do they matter much not really. $ for $ holden you cant get better for looks, handling and performance. but if the government was to change import rules tarrifs and taxes that are 'in place to support the local car industry(or so they say)', ford and holden wouldnt be around long.

I buy holdens cause of the price, but im not going to help their sales and say they are the best car in the world just because i bought one, thats free advertising, they make enough profit as it is :deal: you need to keep them honest so we get better vehicles.

This was what I thought when I buy, but for my reasons am thinking in the price range 3-6yrs-old, which is hi-end VT to good VY here in Canterbury NZ.

Forgive me if I am silly but I thought a VX Calais International 5.7 would be quieter than my VR Calais 5.0 with FE2 .

It is not.

Call me fussy, but while it's just one car, I have to think about the lovely performance rather than the drumming, general road, tyre, and general noise outside the city on coarse seal.

I doubt I'm the only person who has a 3-6yr-old Holden in similar circumstances. VT+ might be stronger, but why didn't you tell use it's like travelling inside a 40-gallon drum?

Done checked everything to new tyresx3 hubs visual...

[DJSean]

Im extatic with my new ve...

other ve owners back me on this though.

The vibrating locks give me the shits.

Theres a vibration right next to my head that drives me insane.


Cheers.

Yeah mine has 800km's on the clock and it has it. Seems everyone has this I wonder how they fix it? or if there is a fix?

[Holden Man]

If you like driving in total quiet then buy some ear muffs.

(you are all soft :stick: )

[DJSean]

to much to ask to drive a new car without anything Vibrating?

[Danv8]

to much to ask to drive a new car without anything Vibrating?

Ask the same thing to a female. :p

[NRD80Y]

Just spoke with one of my mates from Sydney who bought a VE SV6 and he went crazy at the dealer (and a Holden rep who at the dealership at the time). He went so off his head that nearly the every staff member at the dealship was watching.

He loves the car and it drives great and looks great, but it just little things and the crapy service deaprtment that set him off. Being the typical lebanese bloke he is, he's not taking this lying down.

1. The recall regards the airconditioning which was suposed to be done, wasn't. And he ended up with a flooded passanger footwell carpet. To fix it they had to take the whole dash out and ended up badly scratching the dash and the side lower doors. The Holden rep said he'd replace the whole dash and sides. My mate demanded the red dash (from the SS-V) and rep's going to do it.

2. He optioned up leather seats but where the leather meets the head rest supports, its not joined and when sat in, look dodgy. The Holden rep said it will be fixed

3. Paint is peeling off all the wheels. The Holden rep said they would repalce all wheels (my mate is trying to get them to up to 19" or 20")

4. The paint on the boot is bubbling. The Holden rep will get the whole boot resprayed

5. Plus other things that were fixed by the dealship at his 3000km service. Fuel cap noise, missing ESP on/off button.

He's also chasing up for me the replacement gear knob and rear speaker the dealer had ordered but hasn't contacted me about for over a month.

My mate's one crazy little lebanse fella, but he gets the job done.

[DJSean]

Jesssusss NRD80Y,

Never heard of so much going wrong with an SV6.. Mine is going fine with the only problem being the Vibrating locks but I'll live with that!

[AussieTone]

I bought and took delivery of my VE SS Auto in October 2006. My previous car was a VY Series 1 SS Manual and Leather with Pacemaker Tri Y’s, 2 ½” Redback Cat Back with X pipe, 3.9 diff, OTRCAI, PBR Performance Brake Kit and a Power Torque Mafless Tune. This gave me a nice package of 241 RWKW which was a great package.

I was placed in a position of having to sell the VY as after I had an implant placed in my back I was physically unable to keep pushing the clutch in and out without suffering excruciating pain. I loved the VY so if I was going to get myself into the new VE it had big shoes to fill.

There was still a couple of run out VZ SS Autos and Calais floating around Brisbane all with the 6 liter engine in them and priced very keenly indeed. I tossed and turned over buying one of these but then made the fatal mistake of taking a VE SSV, both Manual and Active Select for a test drive. From that point on the VZ range was no longer a serious choice for me so it was a matter of getting into the VE at the best price. Although the Manual was a lot lighter than the VY I could not take the chance of having the same problem with my back in stop start City driving so the Active Select was the choice.

Next it was time to justify to myself as stretching the budget and getting into the SSV which ultimately I could not do so I settled on the SS. To date I have done just under 7000 km’s and have loved every one of them. I have had a couple of niggling little electrical problems which have all only ever happened once and could not be replicated at the dealer’s service department. The Active Select did ‘play up’ and felt like it was struggling to change up into 2nd and when changing down to 1st it was very aggressive. This was fixed by some sort of ‘flash’ done by the dealer and since being done has performed smoothly and precisely.

I have recently had a set of Genie Try Y’s fitted along with a twin 2 ½” cat back by Mr. Muffler in Brisbane. On the horizon is a CAI and Edit which will be done by Power Torque. As for future mods, I don’t have any planned after that. My aim is to have a nice and capable daily driver which is a pleasure to drive and still brings a smile to the dial when I want to do some spirited country trips.

In summary, the VE has filled the big shoes left vacant by the VY and I still love it as much as day 1.

[ballbreaker]

Guys most cars have sum sort of problem sonner or later.I owned 3 fords all 3 had sum sort of problem.But then again u cant make everyone HAPPY thats life.Just my 2 cents worth.CHEERS BB

[VESSWA]

I'm tired of trips back to the dealer. Have over 10,000km on the clock since 08/06. About a week ago it was in with an engine warning light. Told it was an O2 sensor out of range. Replaced? No, they reset it and drove the car without it coming back on so of course it must be fixed right? Wrong!. Funnily enough we have an engine warning light on again. I saw one guy going off at them when I was in for one of the other many trips to the service dpt about his second or third engine warning light. Turned out they had reset first time, replaced only one side the second time without even checking the other side. Took three trips for probably some lousy $10 part!?

[AussieTone]

Turned out they had reset first time, replaced only one side the second time without even checking the other side. Took three trips for probably some lousy $10 part!?

Would you put this down to a negative for the car or just lousy customer service from a particular dealer

[Uncle Tone]

I've noticed that the gear ratios in the manual are very widely spaced 1st to 4th....then 5th is very close to 4th, and 6th is the usual land speed record gearing. Not sure I like 1st to 4th as much as the VY box. Seems a bit "3 on the tree" as far as ratio spacing is concerned.

Stereo is not really an improvement in sound over the VY.....and has less bass.

Clutch pedal felt like it had excess play last night....but all OK this morning. (???)

BRAKE DUST!!!! The brakes are heaps quieter though....

Rear suspension is a bit....err.....grumbly?...over slow bumps like speed humps in car parks.

Other than these things its a great car.

[emg]

All commodores are nice when new, I remember driving all forms of VS's from exec's to SS's and top level statemans when they were brand new and they were very nice cars and they handled too, saying this now people will just laugh, but every Holden seems to be made to feel better than the last and then deteriorate after 6 years so the new model feels light years ahead. No offence to VE owners intended, but thats my opinion. Whereas 10-15 year old BMW's ive driven are tight with 0 rattles and interior appearence etc aside, if maintained, they drive as well as the day they rolled of the showroom. WOuld i buy euro no im not going to pay 200k for a car that isnt meant to be a 200k car where it originated, so the holdens are the best cheaper option and the modification abiltuy of the ls1/2 is unmatched, but are they better in every department than the japs or euro's, no, theres many little differences you cant see, like they use cheaper metals. for example my last IRS bmw had chrome-moly axles in it, holdens use cheap cast metals. same for the wheel bearings, my R8 has had front hubs replaced twice cause the wheel bearings are a cheap 1 peice thing, hence why harrop makes a tougher replacement. those are the some of the small differences, do they matter much not really. $ for $ holden you cant get better for looks, handling and performance. but if the government was to change import rules tarrifs and taxes that are 'in place to support the local car industry(or so they say)', ford and holden wouldnt be around long.

I buy holdens cause of the price, but im not going to help their sales and say they are the best car in the world just because i bought one, thats free advertising, they make enough profit as it is :deal: you need to keep them honest so we get better vehicles.

Its all about ageing, wait 4-5 years and we'll see how the VE holds up compared to all previous models.

[jasjul]

I don't own a VE but drive a SS A6 on occasion at work. I don't think much of the red gauges and the handbrake, but apart from that mmmmm.

The ride/handling compromise and its stability through high speed sweepers is awesome.

Now I need to talk the better half into upgrading.

[Snapper]

I would like to have an opinion. Been waiting over 9 weeks for mine and still don't have an accurate ETA. Was promised a call yesterday. Glad I am not holding my breath as not heard a sound yet.:soap:

[Dr.Gas]

I would like to have an opinion. Been waiting over 9 weeks for mine and still don't have an accurate ETA. Was promised a call yesterday. Glad I am not holding my breath as not heard a sound yet.:soap:
Geez, I got my SS in less than two weeks, only hold up was getting HSV out to the dealer to put the 20' wheels and the HSV plate on the car. And yep I love the thing! So much different to the VYSS II i got out of. If there was one thing to bitch about...it took about two days to get over the thick "A" pillars. Not a worry now.

[Brandonsdad]

Hell yes. I am very happy with my VE SS. My previous car was a VX 5.7 M, and although I loved going through the gears, I wanted to change back to a manual with the tiptronic thingy. I've got a 1 year old who I didnt want to get permanent brain damage from the constant jerking of going from 1st to 2nd etc etc. And my wife was getting sick :spew: of having to adjust the seatbelt between her tits (can I say that) from getting jolted around. hehe. I must say that it took a bit of getting used to the hard armrest on the door, seeing through the rear spoiler and the various blind spots. Eventhough my new car has already had 4 things already replaced or fixed under warranty, I am still over the moon. (1) clicking in steering column (2) centre console thingy that clicks when opened fully, stopped clicking as it was broken (3) front centre speaker vibrating (4) washer fluid bottle empty coz some pipe or something was defective. All got fixed without any problems from Hamilton Holden in Adelaide who I must say are absolutely professional in handling my problems or queries. Ve all the way, until the VF?

[Mr Moosh]

I'm not going to help their sales and say they are the best car in the world just because i bought one, thats free advertising, they make enough profit as it is :deal:

Two consecutive 140million anual loses hardly suggests that Holden are "(making) enough pofit as it is"... ;)

[CarlFST60L]

Two consecutive 140million anual loses hardly suggests that Holden are "(making) enough pofit as it is"... ;)

Investment in a new platform has allowed a huge tax right off, we will see what happens next year ;)

PS Loving my E R8 :smilesandbanana:

[darrenblake]

Mmmm,

Am i happy with my VE??
Well, I took delivery of my awesome new Calais V in evoke with sunroof, SATNAV etc etc on the 7th June. Only 3 weeks after the delivery date i was promised due to issues with the SATNAV system.
As of today, the local Holden dealer has had my car more days than i have.

The SATNAV does not work correctly, the bluetooth phone system works - SOMETIMES, the DVD player wont cough up the first DVD i put into it, and the headlight alignment is perfect for koala hunting.
And then there is the sunroof!!! The internal slid panel will not open on its own, and will only open when i slide the glass open. When i close the glass, the shade closes with it. Thought it would be pretty straight forward to fix - OH NO!!!
Th whole sunroof assembly had to come out, to achieve this, out came the DVD player (with disk still inside), all the internal roof lining, curtain airbags and on and on and on.

Am i happy with the car that cost me over 60K, and in the last 15 days, I :vpo:have had possession of it for 7 days??

The simple answer is NO!!

My last car was a 03 BA XR6

Yes it is a Ford, but over 4 years it gave me mountains of driving pleasure, and cost me a little over half as much as the lemon i now own!!!

[jaykay]

And my wife was getting sick :spew: of having to adjust the seatbelt between her tits (can I say that) from getting jolted around. hehe.

I'm trying to understand the concept you are explaining so...:worthless:

[superSV6]

I will soon (hopefully) be driving a new SV6. I was very impressed with it on the rest drive. hopefully the good impression lasts for the lifetime of the car as i do intend to keep it for 5 years+.

the quality of the plastics in the cabin though, leaves a lot to be desired. i hoped for better quality finish in the cabin, that i must admit! i do expect though, to be hearing rattles in the SV6 after a while!

the way i see it is that with every car, there are numerous 'good's and 'bad's'. however with the last generation of Australian made cars i think i've seen more 'good's' and 'bad's' and that has lead me to believe that the new VE's are on par or if not, better than cars that are designed and produced elsewhere.

[Titanium]

Cruise control - Controls leave a LOT to be desired, not a patch on Nissan, Ford, Toyota and Mitsi. Holdens are just down right a disaster.

[VESSWA]

Cruise control, I have no problems there? I thought they were all pretty much the same and straight forward? What's the difference with nissan, toyota....etc??

[Titanium]

Cruise control, I have no problems there? I thought they were all pretty much the same and straight forward? What's the difference with nissan, toyota....etc??


Holden ... the twist action, mounted on a stalk. - Bad, I find I have to take my hand of the wheel alto.

Ford (XR6)- push buttons mounted on steering wheel, good ergo's
Nissan (Maxima)- push buttons on sterring wheel and a little paddle thing, nice to use.
Mitsi (380)- little stalk mount low on back of wheel, good push, pull, up and down action.
Toyota (Aurion)- same as mitsi.

Get to drive alot of rentals and had a Maxima TI-L as my last company car.

Cheers

[Tommo1982]

Not happy with mine

2007 HSV Senator

- Transmission issues - sticking in 1st gear when in automatic mode
- ABS warning light comes on
- Battery has been completely dead twice this week.

Going back to the dealer Monday. Pretty poor in my opinion

Prior to this I had two Ford XR8's (one BA and one BF). Both were equally as this as this VE.

Think next time I'll give aussie cars a miss.

[Wonky]

- Battery has been completely dead twice this week.
As a matter of interest how was it recharged after it went flat the first time?

[Tommo1982]

I just drove 10km to work and somehow it started 8 hours later at the end of the day.

Then I left it on a charger overnight.

[Senator05]

I just drove 10km to work and somehow it started 8 hours later at the end of the day.

Then I left it on a charger overnight.

I've had a couple of callouts to Roadside Assistance for flat battery as well. I don't know how valid the comment was but the Roadside Assist guy said that the VE only charges the battery when it is being heavily drained...i.e. it's not being charged all the time. I had my battery replaced after the two incidents and no issues since, but if you're the type of person to leave the key in the ignition while the car is in the garage, take the key out. I've heard of a whole workshop of VE's having flat batteries in the morning after the mechanics left keys in the ignition overnight. I think this contributed to my two incidents, as one of them I left my mobile phone charging from the accessories plug for a few hours. The ignition was not on, just accessories, and it went flat. Since the new battery, I make a habit of taking the key out.

I've also had a few occasions when the trans didn't want to shift up to second. Two of them I forgot I was in manual shift doh !!, but the other times have been early on and it hasn't happened for the last 6 or 7000 kms.

Hope your experience gets better. I still love my GTS !!

Mike

[CarlFST60L]

There is a bug in their software that will allow the head lights to stay on without the key in the ignition... Lucky my alarm sent me a message after a couple of hours to say the battery was getting drained, otherwise i would have had a flat battery :)

Come to think of it, the same bug happend a couple of times in my VY

[BadMac]

There is a bug in their software that will allow the head lights to stay on without the key in the ignition... Lucky my alarm sent me a message after a couple of hours to say the battery was getting drained, otherwise i would have had a flat battery :)

Come to think of it, the same bug happend a couple of times in my VY

What alarm do you have?

Oh and on the battery thing. I leave my keys in, have a three way splitter from the ciggy lighter to run the Radar detector, NavMan and mobile phone charger, which always stays plugged in. I have my lights on auto and never touch them, often sit in the car and listen to the stereo cranked up. Never had a flat battery or any sign of one. I think there was a batch of bad batteries as well as the other bugs.

[ITROCS]

I'm very happy with my VESS V, now done 6000kms and just drive every chance I get, once I even drove it to Coles:confused:
I'm putting heaps of km's on it as I drive it all the time wife's new Astra is now a low milage car. 700km's to a tank I find hard to believe as I get around 550kms and thats CTY/City driving on 98 octane.
Power is so smooth it's awesome....

[black vxss]

Until today I've been very happy :) with my SSV with the exception of the clutch having issues which have been covered elsewhere.
Today the Check Oil light came on. As its only done 6700km i thought this was a problem. Checked oil level and it was half way between full and add. Bought oil today and added less than a litre and its now full however, the check oil keeps flashing and making "binging" noises. back to holden tomorrow as i guess the sensor is screwed.

[CarlFST60L]

What alarm do you have?

Oh and on the battery thing. I leave my keys in, have a three way splitter from the ciggy lighter to run the Radar detector, NavMan and mobile phone charger, which always stays plugged in. I have my lights on auto and never touch them, often sit in the car and listen to the stereo cranked up. Never had a flat battery or any sign of one. I think there was a batch of bad batteries as well as the other bugs.

The alarm is a SMS based alarm from Rhino, PM if you want more details... Was about $800 or so. does Tilt, microwave, window lifters, shock, all points of entry, can remotely immoblise the car if i get high jacked, and track it down to a few hundred meters

[MclarenF1]

I hate my VE SS, it the worst car i have ever owned. A piece of junk.

[EXCESSV]

I hate my VE SS, it the worst car i have ever owned. A piece of junk.care to explain why?

[Danv8]

care to explain why?

Yup I am intrestested too unless its a troll.


Yup I am intrestested too unless its a troll.

Sorry I was a tad harsh on the troll part.

:-)

[SV8er]

care to explain why?

Dean looking at MclarenF1 3,000klm Sevice which he posted on the 30th june 2007 i would say because of these points :



1. A rattling noise under the drivers side part of the chassis when travelling over 100kph, it's blood annoying
2. The seatbelt tensioner rattling going over bumps.
3. The washer fluid bottle cracking.
4. The cluch is bloody noisy and clunky when it gets warm.

Non of these problem could be rectified at the service apart from the washer bottle, i'm not to impressed...

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Well for Me i love my VE SS , cant stop driving it :) now 6,500 klms on the clock and no real problems at all..

Would have to say at the moment , the only thing i can fault is the Audio Scroll button locks up every now and then and will not change radio stations ..

New Car = New Problems

But for me i think they have done a great job on the VE :bow:

[Danv8]

Dean looking at MclarenF1 3,000klm Sevice which he posted on the 30th june 2007 i would say because of these points :



1. A rattling noise under the drivers side part of the chassis when travelling over 100kph, it's blood annoying
2. The seatbelt tensioner rattling going over bumps.
3. The washer fluid bottle cracking.
4. The cluch is bloody noisy and clunky when it gets warm.

Non of these problem could be rectified at the service apart from the washer bottle, i'm not to impressed...

__________________________________________________ ______________




Well for Me i love my VE SS , cant stop driving it :) now 6,500 klms on the clock and no real problems at all..

Would have to say at the moment , the only thing i can fault is the Audio Scroll button locks up every now and then and will not change radio stations ..

New Car = New Problems

But for me i think they have done a great job on the VE :bow:

Indeed you can expect some problems with a totally new (designed) car although I think some of the problems i read here are rather piddly compared to the problems that my mrs had with her Mazda SP23. I was going to order a new VE this year but I might still hold off til next year.

[Rogue_aus]

I loved my V right up until my wife called to say she'd had an accident (not her fault). Now I'll reserve judgement until I get it back from the panel shop.

Good news is that the V managed to wipe the front end off the Corolla that hit her. Bad news is that it wasn't enough damage to write off my car so I now get to live with a repaired new car (less than 1300kms on it!).

I am getting the front bar changed from the regular Omega to an SV6 unit for no extra charge (but I have to buy the fog lights and fit them). So at least it comes back looking a little more sporty.

Oh - and the wife was fine (apart from some niggling neck pain that CTP-covered physio is addressing).

[VE Turbo]

Holden ... the twist action, mounted on a stalk. - Bad, I find I have to take my hand of the wheel alto.

Ford (XR6)- push buttons mounted on steering wheel, good ergo's
Nissan (Maxima)- push buttons on sterring wheel and a little paddle thing, nice to use.
Mitsi (380)- little stalk mount low on back of wheel, good push, pull, up and down action.
Toyota (Aurion)- same as mitsi.

Get to drive alot of rentals and had a Maxima TI-L as my last company car.

Cheers

I must admit that I liked the cruise stalk on my just traded VT, better than the twisty crap on my VZ SS that I have now :-(
I can never remember which way to twist the bloody thing.
Good point about having to take your hand off the wheel, in the VT you just had to use your middle finger to set and adjust.
I'm assuming they carried the VZ set up into the VE?