Where are the VXR owners?

[benny66]

make sure you can find a good price for new Michelin Pilot SuperSports because you'll need to think about replacing them around the 15000km mark

So the original spec tyres wear fast do they?

Do you were not a fan of the seats then?

 

[StrayKiwi]

Do you were not a fan of the seats then?

What I wrote was an initial impression. I was coming from a 2005 Mazda 6 MPS which had pretty nice seats. What changed my mind was learning about how the seat controls work and figuring out what was the most comfortable setting for me. They're still not exactly lounge chair comfy but they're not like you are sitting on a bag of golf balls.

As for the tyres the jury is still out. It flew through it's recent dealer service with the comment that I should get a wheel alignment done. Easier said than done during COVID lockdown but it'll happen soon.

 

[Badgerdog]

16 months in and 15,000 km's and I am finding the option I took to fit RSV 18 inch wheels with 245/45/18 tyres to my Calais V to be a very good ride quality / handling compromise. An added benefit is those size tyres are one of the most common out there are tyre prices are more reasonable than 20 inch. Tyre wear has been better than I thought on the Continental Sport Contact 5 tyres and I had 4.5mm on the front and 6mm on the back before the tyres were rotated at my service in Feb 2020 at 13,000 km's. (Not much mileage since then due to the lockdown).

If ride quality is your primary concern I would recommend trying the solution I used with change of wheel and tyre size as otherwise paying retail for a VXR and taking wholesale for a Calais V is going to be a painfully expensive exercise. A simple way to do this would be to try and get hold of a RSV with 18 inch wheels and take it for a test drive. I find 39 psi on the front and 36 psi on the back tyres gives an ideal compromise between ride quality and handling in my Calais V.
For what its worth I find the seats in my Calais V good. They're not super comfortable like my Chrysler SRT8 which were like lounge chairs but they are quite supportive and don't give me any drama's with back ache.

 

[Alan H]

So now that the VXR has been around for a while, and it is the only model that seems to be holding up price wise second hand. ( I am keen to swap across to a VXR from a Calais V!). Can the VXR owners tell me if there is a difference in the smoothness of the suspension in running in Normal mode as opposed to Sport or VXR mode? The VXR is the only model to have the adaptable suspension so I am thinking it would iron out the road bumps better than a Calais V but maybe I am wrong. I love the Calais V but it does not handle the road patches and cracks and bumps well, you feel them all. Both models have the same size wheels but the VXR has amazingly nice seats! I am thinking the VXR might handle them better. Just some feedback please. No one who is trying to sell you one will tell you the true story and so I need to ask the owners for their real review.

Also can the 'arificial' noise of the engine be turned off? And does the VXR have the same Bose sound suppression that is available in the Calais V?

Also on a side note. Here in Adelaide where I live the main Holden dealer is now an LDV dealer and they seem very disinterested in providing any support or warranty claims for their past sales of Commodores. They tell me every thing I point out as being not right is just 'as per factory spec'. Where are we going to be in 5 years time with these vehicles?

So now that the VXR has been around for a while, and it is the only model that seems to be holding up price wise second hand. ( I am keen to swap across to a VXR from a Calais V!). Can the VXR owners tell me if there is a difference in the smoothness of the suspension in running in Normal mode as opposed to Sport or VXR mode? The VXR is the only model to have the adaptable suspension so I am thinking it would iron out the road bumps better than a Calais V but maybe I am wrong. I love the Calais V but it does not handle the road patches and cracks and bumps well, you feel them all. Both models have the same size wheels but the VXR has amazingly nice seats! I am thinking the VXR might handle them better. Just some feedback please. No one who is trying to sell you one will tell you the true story and so I need to ask the owners for their real review.

Also can the 'arificial' noise of the engine be turned off? And does the VXR have the same Bose sound suppression that is available in the Calais V?

Also on a side note. Here in Adelaide where I live the main Holden dealer is now an LDV dealer and they seem very disinterested in providing any support or warranty claims for their past sales of Commodores. They tell me every thing I point out as being not right is just 'as per factory spec'. Where are we going to be in 5 years time with these vehicles?

To me the ride seems more stiffer in VXR Mode. It wont smooth out rough patches on a road. More the other way around, you will feel the bumps more in VXR Mode. If you want to "throw" the car around corners etc it is ideal in VXR.

 

[StrayKiwi]

I got a bolt stuck in the groove of my rear tyre so I took it to the tyre shop to get it removed properly. They sternly told me I should replace both front tyres asap. The car has done 15500km. They recommended I go to the Michelin Pilot 4S over the Pilot Super Sports because: "the 4S is almost as grippy as the Super Sport but is way more durable. You should really only run the Pilot Super Sport if you want to track your car..."
Car is booked in on Thursday to get them fitted, balanced and the wheel alignment done.

 

[tjantilag]

I'd be keen on a set of VXR rims if I could find them second hand at a reasonable price.....

 

[StrayKiwi]

I'd be keen on a set of VXR rims if I could find them second hand at a reasonable price.....

Not sure I'd want to run 20's without the active dampers, but each to their own I guess.

 

[tjantilag]

Roads are decent for me 95 percent of the time. I'll be ok.

 

[Silver Streak]

So my VXR has just passed 11500km on the clock.

• Oil consumption: zero - still looks in good nick on the dipstick with no discolouration or particles.
• Average fuel consumption: 10.5L/100km on 91 octane fuel - trust me I don't miss having to hunt for gas stations with 98.
• The tyres are wearing out a little worse than I'd hoped but more or less what I've been told to expect. It will be due for a service in a couple of months so we'll see what they say because they'll probably do the WoF at the same time. It will also be interesting to see what courtesy car I'm offered if any.
• The paint has some scratches on it, entirely my fault from trying to remove bird droppings that had baked on from an afternoon in the sun. I'll talk to the Service Centre staff about fixes when I see them.
• My initial fears about the piano black console surfaces were indeed warranted, but I have a cleaning cloth set aside for removing finger prints so it's not too big a deal.

I'm still impressed with all the things I waxed lyrical about when I initially reviewed it, and it's few foibles that have been uncovered I've found I can live with.

Crippling depreciation and an uncertain future for parts availability aside, it still is a good car and we have not regretted our decision to buy it.

Hi I pick mine up this coming Thursday , the features are remarkable is there anything that you have found out is better than what is written in the book. Can you explain when do you us VXR mod and Sports and Touring , is there any difference of in the mods any of your expertise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[StrayKiwi]

Can you explain when do you us VXR mod and Sports and Touring , is there any difference of in the mods any of your expertise would be greatly appreciated.

Firstly, I only use Touring and VXR, I see no reason to use Sports mode because as far as I am concerned you either go hard or go home. You could turn on the Sports Sense mode where the car automatically chooses between Touring and Sports based on your driving but I turned it off when I got the car and have never turned it back on.

I really like the feel that VXR gives, the only thing I would like is that the steering firm up a little more than it does, it's still a bit light for my taste.