I thought I'd put this thread in the VY forum as it concerns my dear ol' Calaber. She has left us, traded on a Captiva, because she no longer suited our needs. We found that a sedan just didn't cut the mustard when carrying two grandkids five years and five months of age, no room for the mutt and only the boot to carry building materials and rubbish in since we moved into an old period home in need of serious restoration. Four and a half years of absolute trouble free reliability, right up to the last day of service. Three minor faults in that time, each fixed cheaply and with minimum fuss. (Aerial mast, air-con modulator and hand-brake handle). Over 140,000 kms since being purchased in November '07. If every member of this forum who owns or owned a VY that was as utterly reliable as ol' Calaber, they'd never have a bad word to say about them. If anybody comes up with "Cool story, bro", look out.
No mate, 3.2 petrol. Have to admit I've never even contemplated an SUV before, but the old girl has been worked to death recently carting kids, dogs and crap and she was really starting to show a few battle scars. We needed space and I absolutely loathe Toyotas and Nissans. Subaru Foresters were too dear, (had to be a second hand car, nothing exxy) and a few others we looked at were just not "right". Early days yet, obviously, but the Captiva seems a nice ride, roomy, comfortable, adequate performance. Economy is something I haven't been able to assess yet, obviously, but as I'm a pretty gentle driver, I don't expect it will break the bank.
Dont worry calaber, dad was reminiscing last week how much hell he's put the Adventra through ... While waiting for Bunnings to check out our order of 32 planks of timber sitting in the back of the wagon at the trade area I don't get what's actually wrong with the Captiva and why people are negative about them?
Funny how it is when you trade in a car thats been faithful throughout its life you sort of feel bad ...did you feel like you've betrayed it? The feeling doesn't last long though. Usually about 10minutes. HA HA. Good luck with the new Captiva!
The V6's are ok. I drove a 4cyl petrol one a couple of weeks ago and the great wall work hack we've got is nicer to drive and quieter than that captiva was.
Good luck with the Captiva, ya cranky ol' bugger!!! Will be sad to see you go Calaber, I've enjoyed reading your posts over the years. I suppose this means you'll no longer be a JC member?
Oh, just because I don't have a Commie anymore doesn't mean I'm moving on. There's too much of interest to me in this forum to want to leave and I still love my Holdens, so why not stay? Besides, notice I haven't changed my avatar? Earlier in this thread, SavVyute asked whether you feel like you have betrayed your old faithful car when you dispose of it, and the answer is a definite "yes". I don't know how many cars I've owned since 1970 when I started driving, but Calaber was by far the best. The only typical VY complaint I experienced was the steering shudder at low speed, as my car never had the modification kit fitted. The stereo controls on the steering wheel played up once about three years ago. The central locking never failed. The engine never leaked oil. The auto never missed a shift. The engine was quiet and smooth, though not particularly responsive compared to other Ecotecs. There were no diff noises. All of these issues seem common to VY's but my old girl just didn't have them. We moved into our current home in February and, being about eighty years old, it has needed an enormous amount of work. The yards were overgrown with trees which had to be cut down and carted to the tip and the old girl had to work hard towing endless trailer loads. Putting a stroller into the boot was scarring the paintwork badly and small kids don't worry about grinding dirt into the leather upholstery as they enter the car. Some inconsiderate prawn who couldn't drive caused the only accident damage to her early this year when they buffed the paint off the rear quarter bumper and I never got round to fixing it, and the front spoiler was looking really battle scarred. For only about the third time in her life with me, I polished the old girl last week and she still looked like a new car. Yeah, I feel guilty, and it didn't wash off after only ten minutes. This Captiva really has a hard act to follow.
It's a crap feeling getting rid of cars like that. My VT is destined to depart as I need a car everyday and have nowhere to store it to rebuild, hence my VE. So after 468,000km, 14 years and more experiences and adventures in that car, it carries memories of my entire life. Unlike your car mate, it had every fault known to the VT, and some a lot of you don't know about yet! It never mattered, it was our car, despite it's falling apartness I poured my heart and soul into that car keeping it going as long as I could. Despite all that, I would have to have it off the road for at least a month to re-build, due to my employment, simply not an option. Plus I am still living at home, and should really be saving my money before investing in multiple cars. Now, the only thing to do, is start driving my VE and filling it with memories. Can't say I love it yet, and it's been a bit of wrestling to get it to listen to me, but it's slowly feeling like my car and a good car. Still feel guilty I couldn't give the VT back what she gave us, but I think I would feel worse tearing her apart, stripping her down and replacing her heart and soul to keep her going - wouldn't be my car anymore.
I know the feeling Mike, my Acclaim cracked the shits with me when I sold her earlier this year We'd been through countless kays of cruises where she was driven hard. We'd done a skid pan day, 2 track days (one in 40 degree heat) and countless days of peak hour, yet she kept going without any real dramas. Then when I put her up for sale she cracked it. Started with a 4 wheel alignment that set off ESP failure on a straight road (ie highway). Then a headlight globe blew (Narva blue vision or something expensive). then the battery started to go flat. Then the steering wheel started creaking. then on the day the eventual new owner come to look, an LED parker globe blew that had been in her for 3 years and she started to run funny like she had bad fuel. I felt so bad, after the floggings she copped throighout my ownership she stayed faithful. What did hurt was one gerk that looked at it trying to fault find, then telling me shes got a problem thus why I'm selling her. That hurts when you've got a well looked after car that you loved, and he wasn't doing it to lower the price, he was doing it to talk his mate out of buying it (for some reason) Glad it didn't go to him though.
