2001 Holden Rodeo LX Crewcab 3.2 DOHC V6 from Australia and New Zealand
Summary:
Great workhorse, but pretty thirsty with the V6
Faults:
The car is very reliable. It uses a little bit of oil on a long run, but that's supposed to be normal.
One tail light assembly failed, but was cheaply replaced.
General Comments:
This is really a very good car. It has very good performance for such a heavy machine (1.8 tonnes), although it drinks a fair bit of petrol. Generally on a highway run we get 11L/100 km and in town or towing 15-17L/100 km.
It feels very robust, but there are some issues with the build quality, more specifically with the front bumper being not uniformly attached (it droops a little on one side). There are also some rattles in the dashboard, but nothing as bad as our previous VW Golf.
All in all, a good tool, but if fuel consumption is high on your priorities, look at the more recent (since MY2002) 3.0 L TD, since the 2.8 is often regarded as gutless (especially as a 4WD).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 13th January, 2005
20th Jul 2011, 05:37
I have had a 2001 twin cab V6 manual since new, pulling a tandem with a ton or more, plus 3 passengers six days a week. I get 300km (almost exactly every time) around the suburbs on its 57 ltr tank, and around 350 without the trailer. On the highway I can get up to 500 km provided the speed is kept below 90 kph, after which the big mirrors, high cab etc create 'drag', causing about 400 km.
Having owned or regularly driven a wide range of vehicles, the Rodeo is indeed robust (over 270,000 on the original clutch) with plenty of torque at low revs. It handles well until the 80 plus mark, but it's not designed as a sports car. The rear legroom and the single headlights are poor.
Keith from Vic