2006 Holden Statesman International 3.6 petrol from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

A well thought out, good looking, value for money luxury sedan

Faults:

Buttons on the steering wheel have fallen out.

Car shuddered when reaching 100km/h.

Car shudders (occasionally quite violently) when braking.

Coolant tank cracked at 115000 km.

Front bumper partially detached itself (pushing it back into place held it until the next service).

General Comments:

This was my first car, and, well, as a first car it was quite impressive.

As a young person, I stereotypically have quite the appetite for acceleration, and I must say, even with only the 3.6L V6, it managed to adequately satisfy the hunger, and would beat almost anything except a performance car off the line.

The suspension gives massive comfort, much more than a normal Commodore. Having gone from one to the other straight away, you can feel the difference; the Statesman takes the bumps of the roads in its stride, and occasionally feels like it's just gliding over the road.

The interior is great, it feels like the kind of thing you should be paying a lot more for, and the leather seems to be very soak resistant, and hasn't stained, although it's starting to wear a little around the edges, but that's to be expected after 5 years or so.

The petrol can be very economical for a large car. Living in the outer suburbs, I have managed tanks with an efficiency of 9.5L/100km; much lower than advertised.

From the outside it's a very attractive car. The International badge also comes with the sunroof, rear bootlip spoiler, 17" alloy wheels, LED tail lights, and the blacked out Caprice grille and front headlights, which especially when kept clean, makes for a very attractive car.

While I have had some problems with the car, none of them have been too serious, and I have been able to wait til the next service for all of them, and some of them (like the missing bolt holding the bumper), the Holden dealer fixed for free, which I found to be great service.

Overall, I feel that Holden has created a very good car, which I highly recommend, and also which, due to depreciation, is pretty affordable for the standard of luxury received.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th June, 2011