1994 Holden Acclaim VR review from Australia and New Zealand

Wow, where do I begin...Don't get me too wrong, the car is roomy, great on the highway where it probably belongs as it thrives well, however, for a young person to buy this car it is not reccomended in my opinion.

I'm 22 and I've had 5 cars, this is just as frustrating as the old VL BT-1 ex-police car I bought in 2002.

I have:

- Replaced Every seal in the motor and the rear main seal.

- Had the brakes totally replaced including all disks, pads twice as the first set were crap and fix a consistent noise emmitted from the drivers rear wheel everytime a revolution of the wheel was complete.

- Had the valve stem seals replaced, as since buying her, a little bit of white smoke came out when the car was started,

- The heater tap replaced,

- Heater tap re-adjusted again

- All injectors cleaned twice,

- Heads shaved when the valve stem seals and engine seals were done.

- Vibration from the Air Con tightened, it's cactually coming back right now, but I am sick of going back to the mechanic (s) getting things repaired.

- A bulb like to blow on average every 2 to 3 months.

- all bulbs replaced at least once in the 3 years of ownership.

- Hoodlining sagged heavily until I had it replaced,

- Replaced Ignition Leads

- Removal of steering column to re-greave moving parts due to struggling steering.

- New fuel pressure regulator

- New Cruise Control Switch and indicator stalk due to faulty stalk,

- New Caprice Mud Flaps due to old ones sagging and breaking off.

- New fuel pump and strainer,

- Total re-adjustment of brake cable from not ever being adjusted properly.

- Replaced ciggarette lighter,

- Ciggarette lighter came unstuck so it was re-positioned,

- New idle adjustment valve,

- Throttle body cleaned out,

- 1 belt tensioner pully replaced, (Doing another pully very soon!)

- Alternator Recondition as it was overcharging the battery.

- New Headlight protectors from GMH.

- Plus all major servicing, including the oil being changed every 5,000Km's.

I have always looked after my Car (s). The Orig VL Calais Turbo I owned and the SC300 Lexus have been the best out of the 5 cars I have owned. The VR Acclaim is well equiped, it has space, good value for money, is fuel efficient on the highway, and great for Holidays.

Yet in the city the very best fuel efficiency no matter how slow I drive is always 15Ltr's/100Km's. Shocking in my opinion, I mean my Calais Turbo had more Kilowatts, rated at 150Kw's, and the Calais always did 12 Ltr's/100. The VR is a frustrating and every month dissapoints me, with either something needing to be replaced or an older problem getting worse.

If I wasn't to have a relatively well paid job I could not afford this car, I mean it's only a commodore, but the repair/replacement bill is getting crazy! Perhaps I am too perdantic, and I worry about the car and keeping it in good running order, but it is a car that has been owned by 60 odd year olds for its life until 2005 when I bought it and it has also been garaged its whole life since 1994 and very very well looked after with receipts, mind you the body is in really really good condition, and despite now in 2008 I am only up to 145,200km's, problems still occure all of the time, I just hope I can put up with these problems, as I bought it to be a car I could own for a good 10 years... Maby it is my Love of Holden and appreciation of my favourite car company, yet there is only so much I can put up with problems from an old leaky Buic motor. Body seems okay, but the motor is a consistent complaining tempremental buggar! My advice, spend a bit more and buy a VT to VE, depending on what you can afford of course. Thank-you. Nick.