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buying a 2009 Calais v8 6 ltr

daddyracer56

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im maybe buying a 2009 V8 with 220,000 klms on her looks ok from what i can see in the pictures , as im only a older pensioner i need to take my wife to and from the hospital she has crook stomach and so do i , looking for a smoother ride than my 2005 xr6 , Ques 1 , are these cars reliable , and do they use a lot of fuel etc , cheers for any help here , i race motorcycles so i do have a mechanical feel thank you
 

VTS5

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VE OMEGA 3.6L Dual Fuel
Short answer is,yes,you will feel the pinch at the bowser....Get a written report from NRMA for to be sure...
 

krusing

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2002 VY L67 Calais Sedan, 2012 VE L77 Calais Wagon
Reliable - yes,
Use more fuel - yes, BUT not as much as people make out, they are much more efficient than people driving Big BMW's or V8 Land Cruisers in the that range of the big V's,

It won't burn a hole in your pocket, [only if you flog it, that's when you will know the difference]
If its been looked after, you will enjoy it,
I have a friend that has 2009 6L Calais, and he bought it new, and has L76 in it, and that is as smooth as silk to drive, NEVER been hammered, and is serviced regularly,
I have done a bit of work on it, and If I didn't have my 2002 L67 Calais,
I would definitely buy it off him when he goes to sell it, because its immaculate.
The good thing is that you can use E10 in it, which is a saving, but not sure about E85 for the 2009 model, where my L77 is E85 compatible, I did read that the Series 2 was the first to be E85 compatible,
where I use E85 when 91 or 95 ULP is up and down around $1.70 p/l, which it has been the past couple of weeks,
because E85 is approx. $1.45 p/l, but E85 doesn't last as long as std ULP, so its swings and roundabouts so to speak.
However, if it has AFM [Active Fuel management], you will save with that on the freeways and open roads,
Very smooth car to drive, when I purchased mine, and hasn't changed much since as I have looked after it,
It all boils down to, is it private sale, or a car yard, physical condition, does it have books from the previous owner/s, any history of it.
There is only one down side to the 2009 Series 1 model, the GPS [if it has that option], is not updateable, and if you can afford it, replace it with a Series 2 Radio/GPS IQ unit.
General Items to look for -
The Alternators usually fail at approx. 150,000 k's
Radiator fails at approx. 140,000 k's
Make sure 2 Belts [Alternator/Power Steering & Air Conditioning] are in good condition,
Good Battery
Front end not noisy
to mention a few, but they are normal items that you have on any car really,
But in a nut shell, they are a lovely car to drive.
Good luck. ;)
 
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timd29

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VE Calais V S1 International 6.0
Make sure the car is dead cold when you test drive. The 6 speed auto had some issues with harsh changes from P to D when cold then slipping 2-3 etc. Apparently a seal was slightly too small. Once it warms up these go away, I just live with it. I have a 2007 6l calais, came with sports suspension according to Redbook. It is a bit firm but I like that. Great on highways, just idles along. Im getting around 11/100 in fuel mostly highway, but I do mash the peddle now and then thanks to annoying qld drivers. Tyres will cost a bit too so factor that cost in if they are worn. Any worn trim on the inside can be replaced pretty easy and cheap so don't worry about that.
Only had mine a few weeks but so far aside from gearbox it's good
 

Fu Manchu

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VZ Crewman, VZ Cross 8, & ya mum.
My ‘07 V6 Crewman also came with a 6ltr option in the MY.
Fuel economy is about the same or slightly better in the 6ltr. Mine uses a lot of fuel because that little engine is working so hard to move the weight of a heavier car. The 6ltr does it easy, so isn’t working as hard to do the same work.

So it’s about the way the car gets driven. Take it easy and it may well be about the same as a V6.
 

redvxr8clubby

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My guess would be you could expect to use about 20% more fuel than an XR6 if you're driving around town, but get it out on the highway there wouldn't be much difference.
 
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