2013 Holden VF Commodore Review

 

The boys and girls at Holden are touting the new VF Commodore as “The most advanced car ever created in this country”…

That’s a fairly big claim, but given the limited number of cars actually created in Australia, it’s probably fairly accurate.

So, what do you get for your money so far as “advanced” goes?

If you take a wander over to the Holden site and read the details on the new Commodore, here’s a quick list of all the new tech goodies included:

• MyLink Apps
• Automatic park assist
• Reverse traffic alert
• Trailer sway control
• Rear view camera
• Blind spot alert
• Head up display (HUD)
• Forward collision alert
• Lane departure warning
• Electric park brake
• Passive entry
• Push button start
• Remote vehicle start
• Isofix child seat points

Plus there’s all the other usual kit you would expect from the Commodore (4 wheels, 1 engine, 4 doors, etc 😉 ), bundled into a new-look body.

On top of the above shopping list of electronic gadgets, the new VF Commodore is now available in 4 different models: the Evoke, SV6, SS & the Calais range. Plus, for the real rev heads with deep pockets out there, there is also a HSV version.

Whether you actually like the new look is – of course – open to personal taste, but it’s not unattractive as such. Personally, I still think some of the previous models looked nicer, but there’s no real ugly stick action going on here either.

Holden have also gone out of their way to bring the new VF Commodore to market at a sharp price.

Obviously, with the slowing economy, vehicle sales have been impacted across the market, so Holden don’t want to leave too many excuses out there that might stop the punters buying a shiny new VF, and they’ve come in at some pretty sharp prices. Josh Dowling from News Limited reported that Holden had cut Commodore prices by [up to] $10,000:

“The new pricing is in fact close to what customers have been paying for a new Commodore over the past few years. But rather than offering big discounts to those prepared to haggle, the new RRPs level the playing field and give all buyers a fairer go, regardless of their negotiating skills.

The new pricing structure is also a dramatic response to increased competition from imported cars, which now represent 90 per cent of all new vehicles sold. Twenty years ago imports represented about half the new-car market.”

Reviews Roundup

First up is Anthony Crawford from CarAdvice, who reviewed the SV6 back in late May 2013.

Anthony mentions that the new VF range is now $6800 cheaper than before, which is great news if you want to save some coin while picking up the last Commodore made in Australia.

“With top-notch engineering, excellent ride and handling gains, innovative technology and features and superb value for money, the SV6 represents a compelling proposition for those shopping for something sporty (okay, sporting) in the large car segment.”

Read Anthony’s review here: Car Advice VF Commodore SV6 review.

Next cab off the rank is Alistair Kennedy from CarsGuide.

He made an interesting observation about annual sales of the Commodore – that they have been declining steadily since 1998 (their peak – nearly 95000 units sold) down to about 30500 sold in 2012 – the worst year ever. You can blame the trend away from big 6 & 8 cylinder cars to cheaper, more economical imports of smaller cars and SUVs. Plus, the Commodore is a pretty old brand – it’s been on the market since 1978 (!). Sadly, once the VF series has run its course in 2016, Holden will be moving to a smaller more fuel-efficient 4 cylinder front-wheel-drive sedan.

“Quite simply, there has never been a better value package than this new Aussie family car.”

Read Alistair’s review here: Cars Guide VF Commodore review.

 

Over to Drive next, where Peter McKay reviews the VF Commodore Evoke.

The Evoke is now the new entry level of the range, having replaced both the Omega & Berlina. Peter felt that the new Evoke was a good replacement, being better equipped and more refined, as well as a “safer and more pleasing drive” than the previous 2 models.

Interestingly, there will be no manual gear option on the Evoke, just the familiar 6-speed Auto.

“The good-value, more polished Evoke is an earnest and brave attempt to punch its way back into the tough fleet and family sedan volume game.”

You can read Peter’s full review here: Drive’s Holden VF Commodore Evoke review.

 

Our next review is from Karl Peskett at The Motoring Report.

Karl obviously likes the new VF, with statements like “Holden has done it: the VF Commodore is the best car ever made in Australia – No ifs, no buts!” and “If you’ve been thinking that this is merely VE Series III, hop into the driver’s seat. Just a few minutes behind the wheel will confirm the VF is a vastly improved car over the VE.”

Karl was also impressed with the fuel economy (8.3L/100km) of the Evoke sedan. It appears even Holden has been spruiking this fact, saying that it’s better than “the Honda Accord Euro, Subaru Liberty 3.6X and Mazda6 petrol auto – all medium-sized cars.”

Karl then continues on to review the rest of the range (SV6, SS, Evoke ute and Calais).

What’s hot: Massive leap in quality and refinement, great auto gearbox, good handling, huge list of included features

You can read Karl’s full review here: TMR’s 2013 VF Commodore Review

Finally, let’s check out a couple of videos to round out the review.

Buying a VF Commodore?

If you’re thinking of buying a Holden VF Commodore, why not get pre-approved finance from Best Loans BEFORE you head out to the dealers to test drive. We’ll give you confidence in knowing you can afford to purchase the vehicle within your budget AND also have bargaining power when negotiating with the dealer for the best price on the car.

Click here to get a car loan quote and we’ll get you into a new VF Commodore at a great rate and easy-to-manage repayments.