Need advice on new car

[davidc2233]

I need advice on what car I should buy for $8000. There are three I have found.
- Holden VE international 09, 80000kms, $8000
- Holden VE SV6 07, 115000kms,$7500
- Ford Falcon FG XR6 09, 140000kms, $7500

If anyone has any general advice on the positives or negatives on each car or how many kms they can have before they start to have problems it would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[gossie]

I have a 2009 VE INTERNATIONAL and it's been faultless from new. But it has also been faultlessly serviced using the correct fluids from new.

 

[redvxr8clubby]

The 07 SV6 with 115,000Km could be heading for timing chain replacement soon. If you know it's already been done, then that's a bonus. Also with the 07 SV6 that would be 5 speed if it's an auto. I think the 5 speeds can be a problem, but that said I haven't seen much bad comment about 5 speed autos on this website. Any car that doesn't have service history is a negative. With the Ford, 140,000Km is more than I'd like, but bearing in mind your buy price I think 4.0 litre is pretty durable engine and you wouldn't expect problems with it. Personally I'd like to see a service history with any of them. Good Kms on the 09 International, I presume it would be an MY9.5 and would be 4 speed auto, I don't think there is any particular issue with the 4 speeds, but not as desirable a 6 speed auto that you would have in any MY10 model (except the LPG engine cars).

 

[adclawrence]

My Sep 06 MY07 Calais has the 3.6 Alloytec currently at 136,000km and so far no sign of chain stretch or failure. Though I hear there's a software update that "ignores" the chain stretching and will only alert the driver once it's way past due. Not sure how to check if the software has been applied - if anyone knows chuck us a message lol

The 5 speed is a buttery smooth transmission that seems to shift gears without the driver knowing. Good in day to day driving but I've noticed mine tends to stretch the 1-2 shift a bit long sometimes which can be frustrating - the 6 speed feels a bit more lively and it pops into each gear with eagerness.

The 5 speed also has a "feature" that will automatically start dropping you down a few gears when descending a hill. You're trying to maintain the cars speed with the brakes and suddenly it drops from 5th to 3rd and you start losing speed and other motorists get pissed off with you, if you whack it over into active select the transmission will get angry and drop ANOTHER gear so you're doing 4000rpm at 70km/h and it's a huge mess. The only methods I've found to stop this from happening is to preemptively go into active select before the descent and manually control it (but warning - it will go spastic and drop down to 2nd or 1st if you brake to below 60km/h in 4th and it will hurt your spine) or the other method is once the car begins to downshift on its own, stab your foot on the accelerator down fully for a split second and it will upshift again to the correct gear. You'll jolt your passengers and cargo backwards but this kind of **** is a standard affair in an early VE apparently

The 6 speed behaves normally. No weird hill downshift bullshit.

 

[Zehq]

Get the XR6, engine is waaaay better.

 

[adclawrence]

Update on that transmission problem - it was the throttle body. Holden replaced it and did calibration and the issues are all gone. Shifts perfectly!

 

[EYY]

Go the FG from that lot - the engines are rock solid and very cheap to look after and go very well. I’d try to find a g6 though. Don’t limit yourself to those 3.

 

[CoffeeMonster]

I have a 2009 VE INTERNATIONAL and it's been faultless from new. But it has also been faultlessly serviced using the correct fluids from new.

same with my parents' international.
if it were me though i'd prob go the FG but i'd be a liiiiiiiiiiiittle worried about the ZF gearboxsad