Buying used RSV

[jcn000]

Hi

New to forum. I am looking at getting a used car and had a look at zb RSV and can't think of any other used car having this value for money with its safety features, technology, and importantly it's v6 engine and AWD.

Is it advisable to get a 2019 with 30k to 40k km? Price seem to be $30k+

What potential issues do you foreseen in ownership? I had a read thrift the posts and there seem to be major (engine seizure and transmission replacement in a new car) to minor issues (random warning lights, fuel gauge, fuel pump trigger shut off at petrol station due to fuel tank design, footwell rattle, easy to break windscreen etc.) with this vehicle.

I had initially planned to spend low $20k for a used car.

 

[stooge]

Hi

New to forum. I am looking at getting a used car and had a look at zb RSV and can't think of any other used car having this value for money with its safety features, technology, and importantly it's v6 engine and AWD.

Is it advisable to get a 2019 with 30k to 40k km? Price seem to be $30k+

What potential issues do you foreseen in ownership? I had a read thrift the posts and there seem to be major (engine seizure and transmission replacement in a new car) to minor issues (random warning lights, fuel gauge, fuel pump trigger shut off at petrol station due to fuel tank design, footwell rattle, easy to break windscreen etc.) with this vehicle.

I had initially planned to spend low $20k for a used car.

is it "advisable"
probably not because parts in the future may get hard to find and most will need to come from the usa or europe.
the best advice would be to buy a vehicle that still has an active dealer network in australia.

apart from that you do get a lot of vehicle for a low price and they are very nice to drive.
every vehicle has problems and searching for problems will yield results that may make you concerned but like any vehicle it is kind of "luck of the draw"
on the flip side you could also search for the best vehicle in its class for dependability and find the buick regal(zb commodore) is the one with the least issues but that does not mean you will not have issues.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/02/buick-regal-best-midsize-car-in-2020-j-d-power-u-s-vehicle-dependability-study/

my zb is a rs v6 and i just did the 72,000km service on it, the vehicle does 550 to 600km per week as a daily and i have had no mechanical issues.
if you look past the fanboy stuff about it not being a holden and just look at it as a vehicle then it is pretty good value, i paid 20k for mine and i am very happy with it.

the only parts i really disliked were the start/stop system when you stop at the lights and the lane assist can be annoying sometimes but having disabled those 2 functions permanently they are no longer a problem for me.

another thing that is annoying af is the chrome trim around the shifter on a sunny day, that crap needed to be wrapped, i did this to mine.

Spoiler: Pic

another forum to have a look at is the buick forums for our friends in the usa, look for the "regal gs" which is the closest match to the zb v6

2018+ Buick Regal Sportback and TourX Forum

Topics discussing the new sixth generation Buick Regal

buickforums.com

 

[jcn000]

if you look past the fanboy stuff about it not being a holden and just look at it as a vehicle then it is pretty good value, i paid 20k for mine and i am very happy with it.

I am not concerned with whether it should be or not to be a Commodore. I am simply looking for value for money.

I am planning to keep the car a a good number of years so am also concerned about servicing and parts with future repairs.

When did you get your RSV for $20k? How many km was on it when you bought it? Covid has pushed up all used car prices but pushing it up to a tune of $10k is ridiculous!

Any suggestions for the next best thing if I decide not to get a Holden?

 

[stooge]

When did you get your RSV for $20k? How many km was on it when you bought it?

you will still be able to get parts for a fair amount of time but it will just be harder and take longer for them to ship from us/europe.

mine is a RS v6 variant it is one step down from rsv so it does not have the 8 inch infotainment and a few other interior touches but the engine/driveline is all the same.
mine had 43,000km on it and it was before the world went stupid, i had a quick look and the rs v6 is around 27k here thanks to covid tax.

as for what to suggest, i dont know as i have not made the transition from holden yet, i have the zb and a colorado and they are both issue free and low km so it will be a while until i have to look at another brand.
it all depends on what you want out of the vehicle and what style of interior you will like etc, the best way is to decide on the class of vehicle and then test drive a few and see what you like.

right now is probably the worst time to buy a vehicle because of covid but if you do buy one make sure you negotiate hard because the dealers want to sell before the prices all drop.
if they want 30 then offer 22 and then let them push up to around 24 ~ 25 and if they dont play ball just walk away.


i have posted the brochure for the zb in this thread and it shows the differences between the zb variants.

Service Manual

this is a manual based on the 2018-2019 buick regal(ZB commodore). it is 9000+ pages of mess but can be very useful ;) Zipped PDF Manual EDIT: i will add these here too... MY18 Commodore Brochure PDF MY18 Commodore Owner Manual PDF Service and Warranty Booklet PDF

forums.justcommodores.com.au

 

[StrayKiwi]

mine is a RS v6 variant it is one step down from rsv so it does not have the 8 inch infotainment and a few other interior touches but the engine/driveline is all the same.

The V6 option was never offered in NZ for the RS model, I guess Holden NZ figured they'd just sell RSVs. Interesting...

 

[stooge]

The V6 option was never offered in NZ for the RS model, I guess Holden NZ figured they'd just sell RSVs. Interesting...

most of the zb police cars that i have seen here are the rs variant with v6 awd optioned, maybe that had something to do with them offering it as an option here to normal customers.

 

[StrayKiwi]

Pretty certain the NZ Police are all driving 2.0L cars in their ZB fleet.

 

[87VLCALAIS]

The only parts I think which are a possible concern are the wiper and indicator stalks. As far as I can tell Australia and New Zealand were the only markets with them on the left and right of the steering wheel respectively. The UK which is also RHD has them the same way round as the LHD models.

Otherwise there are plenty of RHD Insignias sold in the UK for RHD specific things like headlights etc for such parts to be readily available even if there's a need to be sourced from Britain/Europe. Mechanically speaking, the V6 is fitted to a lot of other vehicles and the gearbox likewise.

I'm still happy I bought my RSV and if I were unfortunate enough to need to replace it in the near future a second hand one would be at the top of my list.

 

[87VLCALAIS]

Pretty certain the NZ Police are all driving 2.0L cars in their ZB fleet.

Correct. I would have thought the RSV would have been a better Highway Patrol vehicle with the AWD to replace the SV6. The RS has more get up and go than the old 3.0 litre V6 fitted to the run of the mill police VE/VF. (I'm pretty sure the police cars except for the Highway patrol ones were all Omegas which as far as I know were 3.0 litre)

 

[StrayKiwi]

The only parts I think which are a possible concern are the wiper and indicator stalks. As far as I can tell Australia and New Zealand were the only markets with them on the left and right of the steering wheel respectively. The UK which is also RHD has them the same way round as the LHD models.

The reason the indicator is on the right in RHD cars is so you can indicate and change gears on a manual gearbox at the same time which makes total sense. For some reason the Poms don't seem to mind it being reversed but I found it f**king annoying when I was over there (or driving Euro cars down under), it's just lazy car manufacturers way of saving a buck during production/assembly by enforcing conformity.

Apologies for the thread drift.