1992 Holden Commodore from Australia and New Zealand - Comments

The temp gauge only worked when it felt like it. the odometer just stopped one day, and then a couple of months later it just started up again on its own. The car slowly deteriorated over the 9 months that I had it and it made a myriad of noises from the suspension to the steering the cassette stopped working and the remote central locking only worked sometimes. Not when you want it to work.

The car was fairly quick, but it was a rough ride for a modern car. You would expect more performance from such a big engine, but that's what you get with companies that use out of date technology. Up against Japanese cars of the same vintage and even older this dinosaur just does not cut it. in the hills it handdles like a car of twice its age and has way to much body roll for its own good. All the options in the car started to fall apart and I think that the whole car was built of poor quality all round and is not a car to desire and aspire to own as I found out after I had owned one!. My advice to any one looking at buying a VP, Take your money and buy a japanese car. You can get one for the same price if you shop around and you will get a better package all round. For get "are you a ford or a holden man" it is now "are you a Toyota or a Nissan man" as these cars are of such better quility and all the die Hard Ford and Holden fans would not even know as they are to one eyed to import cars that they would probably not even consider test driving one. Well if you are like that (as I used to be) you are the only one missing out as now that I have seen the other side I will never go back to "Australian" cars ever as they are to inferior for my liking.

Good to see a Holden/Ford fan has seen the light. I couldn't agree with you more. People who are fanatical about the big 6 or 8 cylinder model Holdens or Fords are just blind fools. Sure, the parts availability is very good in Australia, where these 'junk' cars are made, and they may deliver good performance (ie; hooning power) for the price, but that's pretty much all the virtue these cars have. They are such poor quality and they generally have poor reliability.

I had a Ford Cortina. Actually we had five of them. Four things they all had in common were; a) they all burned considerable amounts of oil, b) they lost coolant all the time and we couldn't find the leak, c) they were rust buckets and d) they were generally not very reliable after they turned 10 years old. All 'Aussie-made' cars seem to be like this.

These 'big engine' Holdens and Falcons are boorish, Aussie made, low-grade garden variety rubbish. All these cars are not worth a pinch of salt in the end, even if you look after them really well (unless you're lucky and get a rare sports model or something).

I bought my own first Jap car, an '85 Supra (that was in very good condition) and I have not looked back. Pardon my language, but I will not go back to the Aussie excrement. We also have two Daihatsu's, they are 15-20 years old and virtually not a drop of rust in them. They don't burn any oil and don't lose any water either. And we got these cars cheap!

I have now replaced the Supra with a smaller car, a 2.2 litre '93 Camry. Sure the suspension/handling is poorer than the Supra, but the point here is; reliability. It's just "turn the key and go" reliability. I don't have to keep opening the bonnet every day to see how much water/oil has been consumed. These Toyota's I've had hardly burn/drop oil, or at all, and don't lose water at all. And they have little to no rust on them...

If only more Ford/Holden fans could break through the veil and go for the quality, rather than quantity...

Miklos73@bigpond.com.

I couldn't agree more. Holden and Ford are both as bad as each other. Both these manufacturers are too badly influenced by big american companys. Most Japanese cars are of waaaaaay better quality and power/weight ratio, even if they are small 4's or 6's they would still kick and V8 commodore in terms of speed. The only thing holdens are good for is city slickers that think they're cool in a Holden because there mates said so or country bumpkins that think theyre ood because there folks had one. They are good for pulling horse floats provided there are no horses involved.

Hi guys,just reading the comments about the commodore

i disagree the vp is a great car, its fuel efficient quite and goes great, I'm strugling to think of a japanese car in that class that is on par with this model. name 1 and I might agree?

I disagree with the Japanese lovers society of pffft bang wheeze people hear. I respect your opinions and can understand your one sided arguments, but lately I've been looking for a good second car (my first car is a 98 vs ss holden ute, I can't seem to find many japanese utes in this category??) and without being biast have looked at all the competion for around the same price and I'm finding it very hard to match dollar for dollar power cars. My point is why spend 5 on a corrolla when you can pick up a shmick old school 5lt vp ss. With a vp I can get parts overnight fit them myself and do it all on the cheap. I'm not hear to try and convert anyone just to get some understanding. Any how next time I see you in your 5k toyota pfft Ill just give my friendly wave and leave you in my tracks.

Sincerly Jughead. (self proclaimed Bogan, redneck yokal).

I started my apprenticeship at a Holden dealership, and it taught me a lot of things. Most mechanics like them, they're real easy cars to work on, you don't usually have to go chasing little electrical demons around the place, and there's elbow space. I talk with other mechanics who whole heartily hate Japanese cars. Most Japanese cars are designed and built on a real tight budget. The engines are cramped and poorly put together with low tolerances, and the end product is a car that just don't last.

But they're not supposed to. Us kiwis and aussies like to get 20 years out of our cars. We see it as normal. Over there after three years they upgrade. So they don't have to design their cars to last. Most performance Japanese cars have high stressed engines, they go like rockets, but they just don't last long.

I've seen Toyota Tureno's and Levin's (the ones with VVTi) blow engines after 120,000kms! Sure they were thrashed, but so are Commodores and they go to 400,000kms.

The VN (1989) to VR (1995) Buick V6 engine is a low stress, long lasting, no frills motor. The Ecotec V6 has the same dimensions as the Buick V6 but is improved; slightly different metal used for the block, better balanced, better intake and exhaust, and still reasonably reliable.

Safety wise most Japanese cars are front wheel drive, and therefore less likely to crash, but when you do crash it's better being in a Commodore than a Camry or Japanese car. I had a Mazda Familia (323 in aus) T bone me at an intersection right in my drivers side door. In a VN Commie. The front of his car was crumpled back at least two foot; my Commo was fine. I opened the door and couldn't believe how little damage there was to my car.

({Comrade Marx}) Educated Bogan=>

I was just reading the review, I agree with what you're saying I have had to replace a lot of things on my car, and things like the temp needle only working sparingly... mine does the same; I just bang the dash and all is good. The central locking is bad, as the codes never match up and the car doesn't recognize your remote. But I got my remote changed for 110, and mine works fine.

It's not a hoons car, though many p platers would disagree. This car is a 4wd in a sedans body... in other words it rolls more than a ball down a hill.

My car has newer parts on it than an off the line car; everything has had to be replaced, but I persevere as I love this car.

Your comments are warranted none the less, but I am a VP supporter till the day I die. For a car of 16 years, it's an amazing old girl.