My 3 Days With a Holden VE Calais V6
First place too start. I Want one bad!
Engine V6 3.6lt 195kw alloytech high output:
this being the high output 195 engine every bit of it you know it's better then the 180 just by ear. We rocked up in geelong friday afternoon, Looking for a pit stop in front was a itchy foot Omega that didnt like too be reminded he bought the base model and the Calais shit on it took off fast, About 5min later we found a pit stop and parked next too that very Omega. When he started the car it sounded ruff and loud, Everything the 195 doesn't do. He reversed out and pulled away hard leaving in a sound of noise and not a great deal of punch, I thought there and then all commodores should have this 195 engine and give the 180 too the engine god. The 195 sounds quite feels smooth revs easy and pulls pretty hard. From outside it's very quite and idles so quite it cant almost be herd.
It power is fantastic even though my brother drove my VP home and i had trouble keeping up as we couldn't work out the normal mode sports mode manual shift at first. But dam my VP goes good, Back on topic now...
Last night heading off too meet my brother and his friends so we could step out and play with the new toy, A VYII SS flew up next too me and stopped on a 5cent peace, Couldn't help myself at all so i gave it some and he responded, Now for the next 150-200 meters he was on my right and wasn't catching in a hurry at all the VE was really holding it's own, The a car in my lane stopped me and he flew past, Then a car stopped him and it was game on again, Reason i know he wasn't playing was by the time we got too a roundabout he had turned into a complete clown a dangerous one at that and went through this roundabout with cars coming at him so i backed off and stopped, He then also went through a red light and i was glad too see him go.
But the engine goes great sounds pretty smooth and refined and doesn't miss a beat kills the base alloytech engine by miles all round.
Tranny Auto 5 speed auto:
Select drive and you wouldn't know it went there very easy and smooth, Selects gears with ease changes with ease and responds fast and sharp and was easy the best auto i have driven, Flick off normal shifts and it livens up with more hold and bite too it drops gears faster before getting too corners for a fast and easy pull away. Go into Manual mode and it doesn't really respond too hard driving, It will select lower gears but if your flat out and just tapping the red line the dam thing will not select 2nd on manual shift. Same as if you manual shifting on loose road it will not allow you too shift too go faster it's like a safety device too avoid going flat out on shit roads or something. By the Sunday the tranny started too adapt too our driving style, Which was plenty of 50-60kp/h trips with 100kp/h roads and huge hills too climb, At first it climbed hills @ 100kp/h on cruise and when the hills got big and harder too climb it would drop back 1 gear and speed up back too the set point on the cruise, By the Sunday it hardly did this it adapted too the driving which is good.
Thats 2 things that need too be across the range the 195 engine and 5 speed auto.
Suspension Handling:
Love the sporty tune but it never felt harsh or over firm too me. I loved it too be honest it hit pot holes and didn't send massive feedback into the cabin it really was settled and smooth too drive with great grip it always felt in control and safe under foot. Tyre noise was loud at times on shit back roads, Actually i felt the suspension wasn't too hard it wasn't hard at all, And then thought WTF does the base model feel like it's soft as.
I was going down some mountain s bends thought the sign said 100kp/h actually I'm still sure it did but anyway by the time this corner came it was 35kp/h The car just brakes and zipped around the bend like it was nothing i was very happy with that. Even with ESP off it's very sharp and great, But too be honest such a great thing like ESP shouldn't be turned off it's fantastic.
Got a story about that but that's later.
Steering feel was great, On the freeway almost heavy but that gave it great feel and made it very stable at high speeds. At lower speeds lighter and easy too turn and very nimble for it's weight and size.
Brakes:
They pull up fast hard and easy no problem there no shudders or pulling.
Exterior:
Looks great shame they gave me white but WTF still looks good. Got some top lights too high beams are daylight bright right up with the territory there.
After some 600km we noticed there was this black crap building up on the rear behind the rear wheels like some tyre cleaner or something? You can see it in the picks.
Up in the town of Camperdown had the boys out looking over the VE, Giving it the once over, they seen us coming so they scattered fast and made like they were doing nothing, So gave them a show as we left keep the locals happy. Had many people looking and saying that's the new VE, Even in white it got plenty of attention but after 2 days i wasn't paying attention too them looking anymore i was in the driving zone like it was mine.
Interior:
Seats were great i was always comfy and typical holden commodore style having the steering always centre and very easy too adjust yourself in. Too many gadgets too play with, The trip system is fantastic a world of info there, Good thing is it cant be adjusted and setting cant be played with when driving very good safety idea there. Back seats got too my auntie after 1200km, She said her back was started too hurt she felt the rear seat needed too be more forward in the back, But then she said she's 54 years old and works 14 hours of the day?.
But my mum couldn't get the passenger front seat right also, It wasnt until i had a rest of driving that i was able too adjust that and she like it more.
Funny thing my mum started too drive it for the first time and hit the accelerator and she has never drove one of these modern electronic control accelerator peddles. She flinged us back into the seats.
The centre console is great big and easy too use and read, The dash dials are brilliant i love that part the most it all happens there, Too much info too read and too many setting too play with in one day. Set your security personalize your setup. I had the doors too auto lock at road speeds, And at first too only open drivers door in park. Passengers wining open door made me set it too when i remove key, Passengers winning open door toilet brake when i'm not going got too me, So i set it too open all doors when car goes into park. That shut them up. I could also open the lock them from the centre console.
Now the A pillar, At first it felt like it might be a problem, But you do get used too it and after some time you find your way around it too the point it doesn't bother you like it first does, Blind spots and around but rear park sensor is fantastic too have, It will beep you too stop with 1 foot too go so your never going too smash anything. Also one great thing the rear passengers sit low so they never get in the way of the mirror that's a first for me i like it.
Safety:
If all cars don't come standard with ESP DSC SC what ever everyone calls it, If they all aren't offered standard they are wanks, It's going too cut the lose of lives forsure it's great and it works a treat too. And all the other ones are good too, Must admit the car felt safe the doors sat up high around you you felt like impact wouldn't hurt as much with all the air bags too. Even passing trucks couldn't move the car off line.
My rating is 10 because i am inlove with it, I was hoping it was good but too my shock it was better and i was very nerves but was more then happy with it.
But my recommendation is skip base models and head too the V6's with the 195 engine and 5 speed auto. If you want too be very happy that is my suggestion, I haven't driven the 180 base model omega and too be honest i really don't want too i have seen and herd enough, Not even it's great looking body nice interior great handling steering suspension safety could sway me into one, Just because it's alloytech 180 engine with 4 speed. It's got too be a option the 5 speed and 195 or just make them standard, I know every range needs a cheap base and all, It might do the job but it wont do it nice and easy like the 195 5 speed combination, And it is the one thing that holds it down a bit.
But tell you know i'll have no-one bag the 195 engine for being gutless trust me it's got big balls it pulls that big monster around easy and can brake into hyper drive and sound almost supercharger like when going hard very nice sound. I don't think the twin system makes it sound sporty but it makes it sounds quieter then the base 180 omega.
Last edited by SlickHolden; 04-29-2009 at 10:25 PM.
"Just a matter of time i suppose"
"The elevator is broke, So why don't you test it out"
"I'm not trapped in here with all of you, Your all trapped in here with me"