1990 Holden Commodore VN review from Australia and New Zealand

Front brakes overhauled.

Front suspension sags.

Leaking coolant somewhere.

Big, comfortable, fast, but very poorly made. Every bit of this car feels flimsy. Pieces of interior and exterior trim are always falling off. The chassis moves and bends through corners. The stitching of the seats is coming undone. One of the doors sticks when you try to open it. I can't believe that as recently as 1990 Holden were getting away with such cheap, shoddy build quality.

On the other side of the coin, the V8 engine absolutely rocks. The acceleration is mind boggling - in fact I think the figures quoted in most literature about this car must be conservative. Also it sounds great.

The 4 speed auto is excellent as well - a bit rough shifting but it feels solid, and the ratios match the engine well I think.

It is a bit of a gas guzzler around town (14-15 l/100kms), but efficient enough in the country to get from Adelaide to Melbourne on a single 85 litre tank.

While these cars are not renown for their handling as a result of the narrow front track, they are a huge improvement over the narrow bodied commodores they replaced. They turn into low speed corners much better, and their rear end is better composed (although still a problem). Unfortunately, their high speed stability does suck when they are loaded with passengers and luggage.