1999 Holden Calais review from Australia and New Zealand

Dropped a cylinder, turned out to be an stuffed spark plug.

Bits of interior and exterior trim have fallen off. Easily replaced.

Not much else.

I bought this car off the old man about 2 years ago. (He now drives a 5.7 VY Calais) In a nutshell, it's done exactly what's been asked of it, no problems at all.

Not too bad on petrol when on the highway, uses about 8-9 litres per 100km's. In town though it's a different story, it absolutely gulps it down using about 15 litres per 100km's.

Performance is pretty good. Ample power to overtake when required. It's not really going to set the world on fire in a drag race, however it's definitely enough for everyday driving.

As far as handling is concerned, it's not too bad for a big thing. The steering's a bit lifeless, but you can truck it pretty quickly if so desired. It's more of cruiser in reality.

Inside it's got all the fruit. Sunroof, power everything, climate control, etc. Everything still functions as it should. The only thing I wasn't too happy about was the factory stereo. I've now upgraded this with a Pioneer head unit, and it's give the factory speakers a whole new sound. Well worth the investment.

In summary it gets the job done. It cruises along with a minimum of fuss, cheap to run and has been perfectly reliable. Just don't expect to admire it from your lounge room when you park it out the front. Recommended.