|
By EWAN KENNEDY
6 February 2006
For such a small, cute car, the Barina has led a very complicated
life! Until April 1994, it was a Japanese Suzuki Swift with a different
name. From April 1994, it was imported from German car maker Opel and
was a rebadged Corsa (a name never used in this country). Until December
2005, when Barina came in from Korean maker Daewoo. Other than their
name, the three cars share nothing in common.
The first two versions are popular on the Australian
used-car market, being generally trouble free and inexpensive to own.
The third model is too new to have established any history so will be
ignored for the rest of this feature.
These small Holdens are very easy to drive and park,
though models without power-assisted steering can be a handful at
parking speeds. Visibility is excellent and they are popular amongst
shorter drivers.
Holden Barina is sold as a three-door or five-door
hatchback, with the latter making a lot more sense if the rear seat is
to be used frequently. Rear seat legroom is restricted unless the front
occupants are prepared to give up some of their legroom. Not really a
criticism as this applies to most cars in the class. Occupant space in
the front seats is fine. Some drivers complain the pedals are too close
together in the German versions, others don’t have a problem.
Boot space is marginal in the ‘Suzuki’ Barina,
better in the ‘Opel’. The rear-seat backrest can be folded down to
increase luggage room when required.
In their Suzuki format, Barina is mainly aimed at
suburban running and is used as such by most owners. If you do come
across one that looks as though it has spent a fair bit of time in the
bush, be suspicious of it, particularly in the suspension and underbody
areas. The German Barina isn't out of place on country roads provided
they are not really harsh, corrugated roads can knock them around.
All Barinas have four-cylinder engines, unlike some
Suzuki variants that had three-cylinder units. The Suzuki engine as used
in the Barina is a 1.3-litre unit. Performance is reasonably good
because of the light construction of the car.
The Opel Barina comes with several different engine
sizes. The 1.2-litre engine was sluggish and a poor seller, it was
discontinued midway through 1997; the 1.4-litre is the most common
engine and provides decent grunt that’s fine for most people.
There's also a hot GSi motor in the Opel versions of
the Barina. It had 1.6 litres until the 2001 model, then 1.8 litres
(re-tagged as the SRi) to turn it into a real hot hatch.
Though Suzuki imported a sports version of the Swift,
in the popular little Swift GTi, it didn’t make it available to
Holden.
Five-speed manual gearboxes are probably the pick of
the bunch. The automatic in the pre-‘94 Barina is a three-speed unit,
that in the German models a four-speed. The automatic option isn’t
offered in all versions of the Euro Barina.
From November 1997 until late 2000 some three-door
hatches were converted into two-door cabriolets by HSV in Melbourne.
They are great fun when the weather’s right, but don't go particularly
well because of their extra weight. The cabriolet is even smaller in the
back seat than the others.
Spare parts prices are generally favourable and there
are Holden dealers in virtually all areas of Australia. Those in remote
country areas are unlikely to stock every Barina part, so you may be in
for a wait for bits to be trucked in from elsewhere.
These small Holdens are reasonably easy for the
amateur mechanic to service and repair, though the underbonnet area is
on the crowded side. Having a workshop manual on hand makes a lot of
sense.
Insurance charges are generally reasonable, some
companies will ask extra for the GSi and SRi so it pays to shop around.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Rust is not normally a problem in Suzuki-built Barinas, but if it does
get a hold it can run through the body quickly. Opel cars are
significantly better and the only problems we have seen are in cars
poorly repaired after a crash.
To be on the safe side, check all lower areas of the
body, doors and hatchback, as well as the surrounds of the front and
rear windows and the petrol filler flap.
The engine should start reasonably quickly and idle
without too much movement. Listen for a rattle when it first kicks over,
even if the rattle dies away after a couple of seconds it probably means
the engine is badly worn.
After the engine has been idling for a minute or so,
hit the accelerator pedal and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust.
This could indicate serious engine wear.
Make some fast gearchanges and listen and feel for a
manual gearbox that baulks or crashes. The problem usually shows up in
the critical third-to-second downchange before any others.
Automatics that are rough in their changes may be due
for an overhaul.
Check that the brakes don't pull to one side under
hard application. If ABS is fitted, feel for a pulsing through the pedal
when you push it very hard.
Look for front tyres that are worn unevenly. This
could be caused by something as simple as poor wheel alignment, but it
could also mean the body has been twisted in a prang.
CAR BUYING TIP
Try a private sale of a car advertised as a deceased estate and you may
get a brilliant one-owner car that hasn’t done a huge amount of work.
Remember to be as diplomatic as possible…
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
