Lex
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2012
- Messages
- 6,121
- Reaction score
- 5,553
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Geelong Victoria
- Members Ride
- VT Executive S1 V6 6 speed Auto Wagon
Everything evolves. Whether good or bad. If bad, becomes extinct.
Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.
8 days without any postings....and weeks without seeing a ZB on the road
- Thread starter wetwork65
- Start date
Badgerdog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2019
- Messages
- 382
- Reaction score
- 265
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Auckland
- Members Ride
- ZB Calais V
Thanks, new engine hasn't blown up yet lol
That's a shame and a bit strange because the new 9 speed auto seems like such a good bit of gear. Interesting you went for a replacement car like I did. Nothing else out there that's better for the same money eh, something the haters will never acknowledge !
I find engaging the sport mode makes a huge difference in the twisties as it really gets the torque vectoring and 4WD aspects of the car working and it goes around corners like its on rails. Easily the best handling car I have ever driven in 40 years + of driving and I for one couldn't care less that its not RWD as the AWD system is so much better !
tuckerbag
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 240
- Reaction score
- 129
- Points
- 43
- Members Ride
- vy2ss dual cab rodeo fjr1300
I reckon the dealers are partly to blame for holden being on the nose.
Badgerdog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2019
- Messages
- 382
- Reaction score
- 265
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Auckland
- Members Ride
- ZB Calais V
To be fair it was a complicated situation as I brought it through my business so it wasn't clear whether our consumer guarantee's act applied and I also went after them for an extended warranty which took quite a bit of time to be approved apparently.
New one seems to be going well. 750 km's now and oil looks like brand new and at exactly the right level as is the coolant. I think we might be cooking with gas with this one. Looking forward to getting the 850 km mark hoodoo off my back.
wetwork65
A wet business
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2006
- Messages
- 1,394
- Reaction score
- 2,113
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Sydney
- Members Ride
- VF SSV Wagon & VF SV6 Wagon
Aha - that makes more sense.
Looking forward to hearing about your adventures past the 850 barrier. Also appreciate that you have explained more features about the car than the Holden Marketing team have lowered themselves to do!
StrayKiwi
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2019
- Messages
- 330
- Reaction score
- 284
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Hamilton, NZ
- Members Ride
- MY18 ZB VXR
Hi all, I've just finished reading this entire thread and I wanted to share my 2c.
Some history and context:
I've never been into Holden's in the past. In the Ford v Holden war you could say I was option C - Mopar. My '74 Charger 770 is one of the more memorable cars I've owned over the years and I still have good memories of driving it. While I've had the opportunity to drive some Falcons over the years, (XC, XF, AU, BA) and I have been a passenger in a VF2 SV6 (and several HQ's way back last century) until last weekend I'd never actually driven a Holden. My current drive is a 2006 Mazda 6 MPS, a car I've owned (I'm the only private owner as it was an ex demo) since early 2007. It has faithfully given me 12 years of driving enjoyment but it's starting to show it's age.
Right now I am in the process of down selection of the shortlist of new car to buy, and I have two left. One is the ZB Holden Commodore VXR and the other is the Skoda Superb Sportline 206. To answer someone's earlier question about a large car with 2L turbo, the Skoda fits the description and while it's a bit more expensive you do get a lot more kit than you do in the base model ZB, it's more similar to the VXR which is roughly the same price.
I'm booked into drive the Skoda on Saturday so I can't comment on the experience yet.
But I have test driven several VXRs, both 2018 models.
This is my experience:
I am used to AWD and boosty turbo charging. I used to own a Ford Telstar V6 before the Mazda and I'd honestly forgotten how naturally aspirated cars build torque high in the rev range. The 3.6 litre V6 feels kind of thin down low, but once you get it on song around 5000rpm, the car really moves. You need to remind yourself that even the VXR is not meant to be a sports car, it's a GT cruiser. It's not intended to win traffic light drags, but carry you and your passengers over long distance in comfort and speed. When you keep that in mind and drive accordingly, the car delivers.
I don't need to say much about the auto box, pretty much what's been said here is true. It's smooth and capable, and I really enjoyed driving it at low speeds around town.
NZ hasn't seen much rain recently, but over the years there have been several times in the past where I was most thankful that I had the reassurance of AWD when the going got slippery. I've driven a Ford Focus RS which has the same GKN Twinster AWD system, and while even in VXR mode the car is not as rear happy as the Focus, you do get a sense of the rear helping tuck the nose into faster sweepers. The rear end never feels like it's about to unsettle (not that I was going to try for some liftoff oversteer with my wife in the passenger seat) but you do feel it assisting the front. More so that previous AWD cars I've driven except the Focus RS. One of the things you learn quickly when you drive an AWD car is that usually if things start to go wrong in a corner the best thing to do is plant the gas pedal and hang on, as the AWD system will hook up one of the four tyres and slingshot you out of trouble. That may be an odd feeling for someone used to RWD but it does work believe me.
Brake wise the VXR comes with Brembos on the front and in house Holden calipers on the back. The braking performance was adequate, but this is not a light vehicle. I did an emergency brake test and the car tracked nicely to a standstill with no squeal, nose dive or wheel lock.
The list of features in the VXR is astonishing, this car has about as many bells and whistles as an Audi S4, but is 50% of the price and about 90% of the performance (I have driven an S4 - definitely a car I want to own one day, but not right now). Do you ever sit in your car and realize some small thing some engineer thought of makes a disproportionate impression on you? One of the things I really like about the VXR is that it has a setting on the tachometer for when the auto stop is working. So when you are at the lights and the engine dies, one quick glance reassures you that you haven't stalled it. I think that's awesome (I hope you are taking notes VW!). The other thing I like is the 360 degree camera (including a front camera - which Ford should install on the Mustang immediately so owners don't smash their spoiler lip - oh dear how sad never mind!). There are so many other things to like about the VXR I couldn't list them all so I'll leave it to two because there were several things I wasn't so keen on.
The two things I didn't like:
The seats in the VXR have electric bolsters that don't expand out far enough. I could just get comfortable in it but the VF2 seats are way way better. On the other hand the rear seats are excellent.
I wish the liftback had electronic open and close. My 5'2 wife can only just reach the lid when it's fully open.
Now the price. This is the month that Holden NZ are doing a demo clearance sale and I can pick up a 2018 ex demo VXR for ~NZ$50k. A steal when you think about what you get. Also it's 5k cheaper than the best deal I can get from Skoda for the Superb. Will report back how I get on with that.
Some history and context:
I've never been into Holden's in the past. In the Ford v Holden war you could say I was option C - Mopar. My '74 Charger 770 is one of the more memorable cars I've owned over the years and I still have good memories of driving it. While I've had the opportunity to drive some Falcons over the years, (XC, XF, AU, BA) and I have been a passenger in a VF2 SV6 (and several HQ's way back last century) until last weekend I'd never actually driven a Holden. My current drive is a 2006 Mazda 6 MPS, a car I've owned (I'm the only private owner as it was an ex demo) since early 2007. It has faithfully given me 12 years of driving enjoyment but it's starting to show it's age.
Right now I am in the process of down selection of the shortlist of new car to buy, and I have two left. One is the ZB Holden Commodore VXR and the other is the Skoda Superb Sportline 206. To answer someone's earlier question about a large car with 2L turbo, the Skoda fits the description and while it's a bit more expensive you do get a lot more kit than you do in the base model ZB, it's more similar to the VXR which is roughly the same price.
I'm booked into drive the Skoda on Saturday so I can't comment on the experience yet.
But I have test driven several VXRs, both 2018 models.
This is my experience:
I am used to AWD and boosty turbo charging. I used to own a Ford Telstar V6 before the Mazda and I'd honestly forgotten how naturally aspirated cars build torque high in the rev range. The 3.6 litre V6 feels kind of thin down low, but once you get it on song around 5000rpm, the car really moves. You need to remind yourself that even the VXR is not meant to be a sports car, it's a GT cruiser. It's not intended to win traffic light drags, but carry you and your passengers over long distance in comfort and speed. When you keep that in mind and drive accordingly, the car delivers.
I don't need to say much about the auto box, pretty much what's been said here is true. It's smooth and capable, and I really enjoyed driving it at low speeds around town.
NZ hasn't seen much rain recently, but over the years there have been several times in the past where I was most thankful that I had the reassurance of AWD when the going got slippery. I've driven a Ford Focus RS which has the same GKN Twinster AWD system, and while even in VXR mode the car is not as rear happy as the Focus, you do get a sense of the rear helping tuck the nose into faster sweepers. The rear end never feels like it's about to unsettle (not that I was going to try for some liftoff oversteer with my wife in the passenger seat) but you do feel it assisting the front. More so that previous AWD cars I've driven except the Focus RS. One of the things you learn quickly when you drive an AWD car is that usually if things start to go wrong in a corner the best thing to do is plant the gas pedal and hang on, as the AWD system will hook up one of the four tyres and slingshot you out of trouble. That may be an odd feeling for someone used to RWD but it does work believe me.
Brake wise the VXR comes with Brembos on the front and in house Holden calipers on the back. The braking performance was adequate, but this is not a light vehicle. I did an emergency brake test and the car tracked nicely to a standstill with no squeal, nose dive or wheel lock.
The list of features in the VXR is astonishing, this car has about as many bells and whistles as an Audi S4, but is 50% of the price and about 90% of the performance (I have driven an S4 - definitely a car I want to own one day, but not right now). Do you ever sit in your car and realize some small thing some engineer thought of makes a disproportionate impression on you? One of the things I really like about the VXR is that it has a setting on the tachometer for when the auto stop is working. So when you are at the lights and the engine dies, one quick glance reassures you that you haven't stalled it. I think that's awesome (I hope you are taking notes VW!). The other thing I like is the 360 degree camera (including a front camera - which Ford should install on the Mustang immediately so owners don't smash their spoiler lip - oh dear how sad never mind!). There are so many other things to like about the VXR I couldn't list them all so I'll leave it to two because there were several things I wasn't so keen on.
The two things I didn't like:
The seats in the VXR have electric bolsters that don't expand out far enough. I could just get comfortable in it but the VF2 seats are way way better. On the other hand the rear seats are excellent.
I wish the liftback had electronic open and close. My 5'2 wife can only just reach the lid when it's fully open.
Now the price. This is the month that Holden NZ are doing a demo clearance sale and I can pick up a 2018 ex demo VXR for ~NZ$50k. A steal when you think about what you get. Also it's 5k cheaper than the best deal I can get from Skoda for the Superb. Will report back how I get on with that.
figjam
Donating Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2013
- Messages
- 3,265
- Reaction score
- 8,710
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Far Kurnell
- Members Ride
- FJ
G'day, StrayKiwi. You are joining the rest of your flock in being somewhat more enthusiastic about an Opeldore than us on The Big Island.
I am sure that the ZB is a damn good car if you ignore the Holden Lion on its grille, but most of us here just can't get our head around it, after hearing from the past GM gurus that Holden RWD is far better for our 'sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of droughts and flooding rains,' than any imported bum dragger. And as for FWD SUVs, why do they exist ?
Forgive me, for I am old and cynical, but, now that Holden is spying on negative media comments, (and ASIO does not operate outside 'Straya,) who is the forum 'Holden mole'.
I am sure that the ZB is a damn good car if you ignore the Holden Lion on its grille, but most of us here just can't get our head around it, after hearing from the past GM gurus that Holden RWD is far better for our 'sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of droughts and flooding rains,' than any imported bum dragger. And as for FWD SUVs, why do they exist ?
Forgive me, for I am old and cynical, but, now that Holden is spying on negative media comments, (and ASIO does not operate outside 'Straya,) who is the forum 'Holden mole'.
wetwork65
A wet business
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2006
- Messages
- 1,394
- Reaction score
- 2,113
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Sydney
- Members Ride
- VF SSV Wagon & VF SV6 Wagon
I made a suggestion for the Holden stooge (not username Stooge), but it seems I was wrong.G'day, StrayKiwi. You are joining the rest of your flock in being somewhat more enthusiastic about an Opeldore than us on The Big Island.
I am sure that the ZB is a damn good car if you ignore the Holden Lion on its grille, but most of us here just can't get our head around it, after hearing from the past GM gurus that Holden RWD is far better for our 'sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of droughts and flooding rains,' than any imported bum dragger. And as for FWD SUVs, why do they exist ?
Forgive me, for I am old and cynical, but, now that Holden is spying on negative media comments, (and ASIO does not operate outside 'Straya,) who is the forum 'Holden mole'.
