Buying a used Holden VE Commodore Calais V6 (2009-2011)

According to the famous 1970s advertising jingle, Australians had an enduring love for “football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars”. Times and attitudes change however and by 2009 the offspring of those Kingswood owners were more likely to choose a fully-imported 4WD.

As petrol prices rose, both Holden and Ford suffered serious down-turns in sales of their large rear-wheel drive models. Holden’s response during 2009-10 was to introduce revamped engines and improved equipment to revitalise its appeal in local and export markets.

December 2009 dawned with Holden a month away from recording one of its most disappointing sales years. Since 2006 the market for large cars had shrunk by 35,000 units and more than 12,000 of those lost sales had come from the Holden column.

With six-cylinder and V8 cars perceived as fuel guzzlers and the move to diesels on in earnest, Holden’s response centred on SiDi (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) technology. More accurate metering and improved combustion reduced the amount of fuel supplied to each cylinder and also cut the engine speed required to maintain a smooth idle.

When applied to Holden’s traditional 3.6-litre V6, SiDI helped cut average fuel consumption to around 10L/100km while still delivering 210kW.

Chasing fleet sales that had been moving to smaller-engined cars, Holden added a 3.0-litre version of the V6.  Despite a 20 per cent cut in capacity it produced 190kW and used the same six-speed automatic transmission used by 3.6-litre cars.

The engines of the VE were now compatible with E85 ethanol blend fuels -- however the fuel consumption figures were still taken from cars using unleaded. The dual-fuel Omegas that had been available since 2006 remained available but as a four-speed automatic only. Basic cost was almost $43,000.

Prices across the MY10 Commodore range rose by around $600, with the increase principally due to the cost of the new auto. Manual transmission remained available but only in the sporty SV6 models.

Mid-2010 brought the VE II range. Holden could perhaps have held its SiDi upgrades for the extra few months but perhaps some of the technical improvements weren’t ready in time.

Visual changes were pretty mild when compared with the earth-shattering reshape that marked the transition from VZ to VE, but park a VE II beside the MY10 and the later car’s alterations aren’t difficult to pick. All models got a deeper bonnet, new headlights and a reshaped grille -- embellished in chrome if you bought a Calais.

New interior materials and bold new dash treatment brightened the mood inside but it was Holden’s sensory overload of gadgetry that really sent BBQ chats and web forums into overdrive.

All models now came with an ‘infotainment ’ touchscreen with i-Pod and Sat-Nav compatibility, the ability to electronically store and shuffle 15 CDs, Bluetooth phone connection plus information delivery.

Cheapest of the passenger-carrying VE IIs were automatic Omegas at a whisker below $40,000. Manual SV6 versions began at $42,990 and the six-cylinder Calais Sportwagon topped out just below $60,000.

For the money Holden included leather seats with electric adjustment, a DVD entertainment system, 18 or 19-inch alloy wheels and park sensors. Pricing for the ‘basic’ Calais 3.6 sedan began at $48,290.

On the road

Despite improved fuel efficiency and upgraded design, SiDi-engined cars haven’t managed to resuscitate Commodore sales. Unless something dramatic occurs, the forthcoming VF will likely be the last large, rear-wheel drive car supplied to the world from Australia. So enjoy it.

Media tests of cars with the SiDi engines seemed determined to disprove Holden’s claims that its new fuel delivery and combustion system would drop average consumption from 10.6L/100km to 9.3. Some test-drivers, including those who resorted to legal but dopey driving techniques, cut 3.0-litre figures to less than 7.0L/100km but cars driven at sensible speeds for the conditions will average 10.5-12L/100km.

Other by-products of SiDi efficiency included near-silent idling and more rapid throttle response. The down-side for those who picked the 3.0-litre engine was a noticeable torque deficit at low engine speeds compared to the 3.6-litre. If you tow, a 3.6 is pretty much essential.

Tests of early SiDi cars revealed a tendency for the transmission to drop two or three ratios in response to only moderate increases in throttle pressure. However, cars in used-vehicle land that had recorded 15-20,000 kilometres (and perhaps been through some tranny tweaking during a dealer visit) didn’t seem especially touchy.

The vast majority of VE owners will never discover their Holdens’ limits of adhesion or that they don’t quite match the handling proficiency of equivalent Falcon models. Softened suspension and basic rubber took the edge off the Omega’s cornering prowess so if that’s important an SV6 with stiffer springs and better tyres is preferable.

Inside, the VE II brought change so dramatic that Holden hung a decent chunk of advertising money on a ‘very clever’ Commodore campaign that highlighted the multitude of adjustments, warnings and information provided by the ‘i-Q’ system.

Buttons on the steering wheel will trigger various functions, as will a trip to the touch-sensitive display screen. However, deciphering and analysing all of that information while on the move seems almost as dangerous as checking texts on your phone.

Seats in cars with cloth trim feel a little too flat but the leather in the Calais was inviting and came with better bolstering. Holden seems to have no answer for the challenge of providing pillar-mounted airbags without generating a dangerous blind-spot. Entering intersections and roundabouts, the cautious driver needs to first lunge forward and then back to check through the side window to ensure nothing is being masked by the huge pillar.

Otherwise though, the VEs score high marks for dynamic and passive safety. Up front they surround the occupants with air-bags and a very tough structure. Underneath sit ABS brakes (of course) electronic stability and switchable traction control.  In ANCAP crash tests a 2010 Calais scored an excellent 33/37, including 16/16 for side-impacts.

If you spend any kind of time on isolated roads, make sure you check that the car you’re considering has the optional full-sized spare wheel.

Used Commodore check points

>> A small number of MY10 cars were recalled to fix a brake booster problem and around 2000 VE II Sportswagons were returned to dealerships to replace rear-seat locking mechanisms which could allow the seat back to unlatch during a crash or emergency braking.
>> Reports are emerging of 3.0-litre engines in particular using a litre or more of oil in 5000 kilometres. Failure to check the oil level at least every 5000km -- given that service intervals are now out to 15,000 -- could produce serious engine wear and perhaps failure.
>> Manual gearboxes are notchy and noisy but generally reliable. Make sure that the car doesn’t jump out of gear under hard acceleration
>> Cars that have travelled 80,000 kilometres or more (and numbers are increasing) may suffer stretched and noisy timing chains. Ticking or rattling from the front of the engine, especially when cold, is the sound of money needing to be spent.
>> Suspension misalignment will chop out the inner edges of rear tyres and the damage might not be noticed until the car fails a roadworthy inspection. When inspecting a potential purchase, feel inner tread edges for rounding or inconsistent wear.

This article was first published March 26, 2013.