2004 Holden Commodore VZ SV6 190kw 3.6 alloytec 190 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Certainly a good looking car with grunt, that's safe and value for money

Faults:

Computer system is not top notch. Service engine on dash appears when not expected. And "check drive train" has appeared too.

Nothing major.

General Comments:

This car looks sporty yet sensible; looks amazing in the red colour.

You can barely hear the engine on long trips, due to its 5 speed auto that includes paddle shifts in auto, having all the grunt you need to overtake with its high output 6,500 rev line.

The car feels sporty when driven on windy roads, without the loss of traction with its wide grippy 17 inch alloys and its FE2 sports suspension that's comfortable and stiff.

The interior is fantastic looking in the red/black mesh colour, which is occupying the very comfortable seats that are very spacious indeed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd June, 2013

2004 Holden Commodore SV8 5.7 petrol V8 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Cheap, reliable performance

Faults:

Automatic headlights not turning off.

Interior lights slow to come on.

Water leak in back passenger foot well.

Clutch starting to die. Holden clutches are weak - get an aftermarket one when it does inevitably die.

General Comments:

This review is for a Holden Commodore SV8. This vehicle was purchased at a low price and in good condition for its age.

Its performance is pretty good standard - 250KW and about 470NM in a 1590kg sedan goes alright. I installed a high flow exhaust, extractors, OTR cold air intake and computer tune, and now it gets about 320-330KW at the flywheel.

Pros - cheap performance, good suspension package, spacious interior, reasonable standard equipment for the money.

Cons - TERRIBLE manual gearbox, clunky, hard to shift, loud, slow and jerky. If you like manuals, you won't like this manual. At least get a rip shifter to quicken it up a bit.

It has developed a water leak somewhere in the rear door seal, leaking onto the passenger footwell. Typical poor Holden build quality. Panel gaps are uneven, and there are a few creaks and groans in the interior.

Fuel economy is pretty bad, even if you drive it gently. Highway economy is excellent, however a short stint in the city, or any performance driving will see your fuel consumption skyrocket. I drive pretty sedately, 30/70 city/highway, and am getting 13L/100KM fuel consumption.

Overall, if you want cut price performance, this car cannot be beaten, however, check the build quality when buying, and be prepared to stump up for regular visits to the service station.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th June, 2010

2004 Holden Commodore VZ 3.6 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Great

Faults:

Light on the gearbox.

Left door check strap came loose.

Glove box rubber grommet.

Power steering hose came loose.

General Comments:

The car handles well, though the Bridgestone RE92 205 65 r15 are a poor performer. A lot better compared to our old 1996 VS Holden Commodore.

The seats are are very comfortable and supportive for an executive.

There is a lot of leg room at the front and the rear.

The performance of the engine is pretty good, but the 4 speed gearbox lets it down, but we do get according to the trip computer an average of 9.9 liters per 100 km.

The suspension is a little harder than previous models, but works well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st November, 2008

2004 Holden Commodore VZ Exec 3.6 alloy tech 175 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Good car if you need speed and power

Faults:

Cruise control failed at 20k fixed with new switch gear by dealer (3 visits)

General Comments:

Great car for travelling / towing.

Fast enough to over-take safely

The Alloy Tech is a good work horse - even with the four speed.

Good cheap fast car!

Better than a Falcon BA or BF (I have driven both as rentals)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2006

2004 Holden Commodore VY 5.7 from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Wonderful, the first v8 I have owned and it won't be the last

Faults:

Hand brake failed.

General Comments:

Great car good looking and fun to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th May, 2006

2004 Holden Commodore VZ Wagon 3.6 V6 Alloytec from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

We should not tolerate poor quality control and complacent dealer servicing.

Faults:

Rear end noise from new. Noise is a cyclic knock varying with the speed of the vehicle, when backing off on the accelerator. More noticeable when traveling down hill.

Have tried to have above problem repaired three times. Changed dealer, new one is investigating it shortly. One previous dealer gave the lame excuse of tyre flat spots due to parking. This vehicle had 100 km on the clock.

Driver side speaker was polling (distorting). Speaker replaced by dealer.

Air vents not functioning correctly – large volume of air entering cabin from outside when recirculate position is selected. Tried twice to have it resolved. Second fix worked for three days, but again is letting in air from outside when recirculate position selected, even without the fan switched on.

Power steering fluid leak – detected by me due to power steering becoming noisy when the reservoir became empty. Found loose clamp and tightened.

Rear seat-belt not releasing. dealer repaired this.

Electric antenna was not functioning, i.e. not lowering-raising. Repaired by dealer.

General Comments:

This car and my previous holden are lease vehicles. I also own a smaller car (2000 Lancer wagon) which has only had one repair after 80000 km to the electric window opener.

Up until now I have always liked the commodores, but after some faults with my previous one (VX wagon), and now this one (VZ wagon), I will never lease or purchase a commodore again given their lack of quality control.

This car should have been painted yellow to clearly identify its attributes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th February, 2006

4th Mar 2006, 10:35

No such car as a 04 VZ Commodore.

VZ came in 05.

7th Mar 2006, 20:51

There is also no such VZ with a 3.8, the VZ has the 3.6 alloytech engine.

8th Mar 2006, 18:37

I am the originator of the write-up.

Sorry for my ignorance, I didn't check the manual for the engine size, performance was never an issue. I wrongly assumed the engine size was unchanged from previous models.

With regards to the comment about VZ not being built in 2004 I have this to add:

This vehicle has the following information on the compliance plate:

Model : VZ8VK35-114

Build Date: Oct 04

VIN is 6G1ZK82B75L34...

The manual is for a VZ V6 Alloytec model

It has a “ V6 Alloytec” emblem on the side of the vehicle.

I received the car end of October 2004.

The registration says it's a VZ so with the above information I'd say it's a 2004 VZ model.

Also, I have some happy news re dealers; I have taken the vehicle to a different smaller dealer as mentioned in the writeup and have been very happy with their service. They have had the car three times and repaired all the faults. They didn't give weak smiles like the previous large dealer and say things like “ we tightened the recirculating flap” when doing nothing at all. They repaired it. The rear-end noise was fixed by replacing the axles.