Buying a used Holden Barina (2005-2009)

Soaring fuel prices have emphasised the importance of economy to Australian buyers. Between 1999 and 2005, the size of the light car market segment doubled to more than 90,000 units yet Holden’s share slumped from 16.4 per cent to just 9.7 per cent. With price crucial to success, a new low-cost Barina with plenty of standard features seemed the answer.

The Opel-based XC Barinas were among the most admired cars in their category but rising costs and exchange rates made the Spanish-built cars too expensive to compete in the growing market and Holden looked to low-cost Korea for a replacement.

The Daewoo-made TK Barina arrived in late 2005 with three-door and five-door hatchback bodies and only one engine. This contrasted with the Euro-Barina’s extended range that had included a well-appointed CD version and high-performance STi hatch.

Price was the prime attraction for Barina buyers. In 2005, the Barina TK three-door manual was listed at $12,990 including air-conditioning, a CD/stereo with six speakers, dual air-bags, remote central locking, power windows and steering. In 1995 a Barina City hatch with little more than air-bags and a radio-cassette player had cost $1000 more.

The TK engine was a twin-cam 1.6-litre with fuel injection and 76kW. Automatic transmission was a popular inclusion and cost $2000 extra. ABS, when packaged with alloy wheels, added $1195.

Five-door Barinas were by far the favoured choice for families with young children but they were $2000 more expensive than the base model.
The first-ever Barina sedan which arrived in April 2006 was promoted as a ‘transitional’ car that combined the hatch’s 2480mm wheelbase with a widened body and rear track. The boot was huge and able to hold way more than hatch versions could without their seats being folded.

Along with the wider, longer body and considerable noise suppression work, the altered rear axle design gave the car greater handling balance and resistance to bouncing on imperfect roads.

The base cost of a four-door Barina was $14,490, but adding the ABS and wheels pack as well as automatic transmission took the four-door Holden close to $18,000.

Prices increased slightly with the MY07 Barina’s arrival but equipment levels didn’t change. The TK’s first major facelift came in August 2008 when a restyled and reportedly more robust version made its Australian debut.

In addition to new front sheet metal, bigger lights and a brightened grille, the interior was given a makeover that improved the trim and seat design and smartened the dash layout. Most significant, though, was the inclusion of side air-bags as a strategy to improve the Barina’s poor crash-test results.

The immediate impression when slipping behind the Barina’s thick-rimmed wheel is that this is a cheap car trying to mask its deficiencies with glam and gadgets.

Hatchback and sedan dash layouts are noticeably different, with the sedan offering a neater look. Both rely on lots of grey plastic punctuated by brushed-alloy embellishment. However, there’s a decent sound system with steering-wheel controls to play with and air-conditioning which rarely came standard in sub-$15,000 cars.

When new and in automatic form, the Barina worked well as a city runabout with excellent all-round vision, decent comfort and a good driving position. Lack of a fold-flat rear seat made the load area less usable than in rival cars like Hyundai’s Getz.

The front seats look reasonable and are fine for commuting, however owners who have taken these cars on longer runs report numbness in the legs and lack of lateral support.

On paper, the 1.6-litre engine seems capable enough but exploiting what performance it does deliver means revving to 6000rpm between gearchanges.

Road tests found that even the lightweight three-door took around 11 seconds for 0-100km/h and auto sedans were three seconds slower.

Fuel consumption with the manual transmission is claimed to average 7.0L/100km but achieving that figure involves keeping the throttle pedal well away from the carpet. This engine requires plenty of revs to deliver half-decent performance, so anyone who wants to hustle their Barina along will have to cop 8.5-9.0L/100km consumption from a manual and above 10.0L/100km in automatics.

Handling perceptions are very dependent on where and how hard the car is driven, the type of tyre fitted and even pressure. Fiddling slightly with the recommended inflation numbers reduced the tyre squeal in tight bends without wrecking the ride.

That was with the brick-hard original rubber. Subsequent owners who lash out on some decent tyres may find steering feel and overall stability – especially on wet roads – considerably improved.

Road noise when running on anything bar smooth bitumen may annoy some owners, so if the car is going to do a lot of outer-urban running, be prepared for the racket or to keep the stereo turned up. The air-conditioning worked well when these cars were new but several years of summers may see the A/C losing its ability to chill.

Safety is an issue that can’t be ignored when considering a Barina. These cars, even with dual air-bags, scored a very marginal two from a possible five stars in frontal-impact testing and video of the tests shows significant cabin deformation in a 64km/h test.

Some critics believed that these cars needed rear disc brakes in place of the drums supplied. Tests found that soft springs and weight transfer caused the rears to lock and send the car sideway. Barinas fitted with the optional ABS system avoid this issue and have plenty of stopping power for a car of their size and weight.

>> Check the service books are up-to-date and for notes regarding warranty repairs, especially repeat visits for the same problem. If the service book is missing don’t buy the car.

>> Camshaft drive belts and tensioners must be replaced at least every 60,000 kilometres to avoid failure and engine damage. Changing the water pump at the same time will save on labour charges later, so allow at least $1000 for this work.

>> Ensure that the power steering responds consistently and with equal resistance on left and right lock without squealing or knocking.

>> Brake rotors can last less than 20,000 before warping and sending shudders through the steering wheel. Those that gave trouble early were replaced under warranty but if they were replaced with  the same type of rotor the problem will likely recur. A good pair of after-market discs should cure the problem.

>> A transmission solenoid problem caused some cars to become jammed in Park or Reverse. These should have by now been fixed under new car warranty but if the selector in a used one is difficult to move, find another car.

>> Buyers with small children need to check that they can easily reach the hatchback’s oddly-positioned anchor points.

>> Electrical system problems can knock out lights, indicators, wipers and the cooling fan. Check that everything electrical is working and that warning lights haven’t been disabled to mask faults. Alternator failures have occurred in cars showing fewer than 50,000 kilometres.

>> Check all wheels for scuffing and tyres for unusual wear patterns. Even light contact with a kerb can damage suspension components, causing vibration, tyre wear and poor steering response.

ALSO CONSIDER?: Toyota Yaris, Ford Festiva, Hyundai Getz

This article was first published June 28, 2012.