Summary:
Great value-for-money, offering the space of a large car with the running costs of a small car
Faults:
Nothing has gone wrong.
General Comments:
This car is roomy & comfortable to drive. The turbo diesel is gutsy & frugal. The car is excellent as a long-distance tourer or cruising, & I find it very relaxing to drive. The turbo lag at low revs takes a bit of getting used to, as does the light steering, but I soon adjusted, & they don't bother me.
Interior is well-laid out with all the buttons & switches in the right place. The steering wheel controls for cruise, radio etc are very easy to use. The seats are comfortable, & there is room for 5. The driver's seat has lumbar support & adjusts 8 ways. The steering wheel adjusts for both tilt & reach, so any driver should find a comfortable position. The boot is huge & practical.
Overall, I think it's a very under-rated car. The Epica (both diesel & petrol) is popular in fleets, so maybe the fleet managers know a lot more than we do! Sure, the technology in the Epica might be "old" in comparison to the latest whiz-bang techno-zip cars, but it works! I know it was rubbished when first released in 2007, but the 'EP' series, particularly with the diesel engine has been more favourably reviewed. The car seems to be screwed together properly & the doors give a reassuring 'thunk' when closing.
I can recommend this car to anyone looking for a spacious mid-size diesel car for under $26,000 drive-away. Same engine/transmission as the just-superseded Cruze, but offers much more space, & is cheaper to boot.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th May, 2011
9th May 2011, 23:55
Great to see 2 positive reviews on the Epica Series II and no negative!
I've only ever heard negative comments about Epica from people that have never driven or been in one, and people that have driven it and then say the Commodore is better. Well that's their opinion, and it's important to remember that the Epica, although it's very close to Omega and Berlina on equipment and size, they really are not meant to compete within the Holden range.
The Holden Epicas don't feature the very modern looking satnav that the Chevrolet Epica got in Europe, and instead got the cubby box. Which is actually very good, but looks 'old' to some.
The Epica featured a 6 speed automatic when its competition was still considering it, and that 6 speed is tuned to work so well with the silky smooth inline 6 2.5l engine designed by Porsche, and that 2.0 diesel designed in Italy!
It's important to note that the 2.0 petrol engine that Holden used to offer in the Series I Epica, was built by Holden, and gave the Epica the reputation for being a little snot box, bad value and underpowered. That engine is gone now, and the Epica truly does tick all the boxes.
The Epica features 6 airbags too.
This car, as both reviews say, is very under-rated, and is the best choice in a midsize sedan.