By EWAN KENNEDY
8 March 2004

Holden Commodore really came of age with the launch of the VN series in 1988. Prior to then it was noticeably smaller than today’s car and struggled to find acceptance with traditional family-car buyers.

Commodore is a big, Australian-built car which relies on a German Opel design as its basis - at least as far as the body is concerned. Mechanically however, Holden has gone down its own path and Commodore engines are either Australian or American in design, though even the American engines are considerably modified for local use.

These cars are strong, powerful and ideally suited to Australian country driving. Relatively easy to drive in the suburbs, though their size can cause parking hassles at times, they are long lasting and generally reliable.

Commodore VN hasn’t stood up to the test of time as well as expected, mainly because of quality problems in its early days, so if you can find the extra cash to buy your way upwards to the VP, VR or VS models it’s wise to do so.

The fact that the VN Commodore is frequently the first choice of Australian car thieves may also help settle your purchase decision. Having said that, many will now have been retro-fitted with theft-deterrent devices. And later models were significantly improved in this regard.

All V6s have capacities of 3.8 litres, but a supercharged version, offered from October 1996, but only in the upmarket Calais, has considerably more power and torque than the standard V6. The V8s run to 5.0 litres.

Those engine sizes remained constant throughout the period of this week’s Used Car Checkout, but major changes to the six in April 1995 make it the one to aspire to.

Frankly, unless you really need a V8 for towing (or simply because you like them!) the six is a much better bet, though the supercharged variant is possibly best left to the enthusiast.

The great majority of cars will have four-speed automatic transmission but a five-speed manual was offered in most of the range, even, at one stage, in the luxury Calais.

Manuals are useful in the country where these Commodores are excellent long-legged cruisers, but could make the car difficult to resell as they are becoming increasingly rare.

Commodores come as four-door sedans, five-door station wagons and, from August 1990, as a utility, but there hasn’t been a revival of the once popular Holden panel van.

The top-of-the-line model is called Calais, not Commodore, and is only sold as a sedan. Despite its different title, it really is just a Commodore with a lot of extras.

Though the VN and subsequent models are more complex in their mechanical makeup than older Holdens a good home mechanic can do a lot of their own work. Always leave safety related work to the experts unless you really know your stuff. And have a workshop manual standing by at all times.

Spare parts for Commodore are available just about anywhere and are almost invariably reasonably priced.

Insurance costs are very low for the six-cylinder versions and not a lot more expensive in the big power supercharged V6s and the V8s.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Look at interior fittings, particularly in early models, for loose installation and listen for rattles and squeaks. The worst areas are generally the dashboard and glovebox.

A brake pedal that feels on the spongy side may indicate problems. If there's the slightest doubt, call in a professional.

Engines are long lasting, but obviously will wear out one day. Severe wear makes the reluctant to start, especially when cold, and causes rough idling. There is also likely to be a big puff of smoke from the exhaust pipe under hard acceleration, check it out by letting the engine idle for a minute or so, then hit the pedal hard and accelerate away.

Manual gearboxes are a bit heavy and not particularly precise even when nearly new. If it seems too bad either call for an expert opinion, or find another car.

Automatics are reliable and long lasting, the first sign they are starting to wear is slow engagement of Drive or Reverse from Neutral.

Rust is far less of a problem in late-model Holdens than in the old days. Generally the only way it gets a hold is through poor quality crash repairs. Check all the lower areas of the body to be on the safe side.

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