2008 Holden Epica CDXi Diesel Review
December 16, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Although the turning circle is reasonable at 10.78m, driving it around town you’d be forgiven for thinking you were playing a computer game and someone had turned off the ‘vibrate’ feature on the steering wheel. There is just no response, you could be understeering sideways into an ditch and it would still feel like you’re going for a Sunday drive at 30km/h (but with everyone screaming).
In fact, I worked out that there almost seems to be a lag between you turning the steering wheel and the wheels themselves deciding to follow. To look at this positively, it keeps you an alert driver since you have to react before events occur, this led to a lot of unexpected swerving to avoid potentially merging vehicles.
Put your foot down and the (deep breath) 2.0-litre, transversely mounted, in-line, SOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder, turbo diesel engine will unleash a passable 110kW at 4000rpm and 320Nm of torque at 2000rpm.
Engine noise is surprisingly quite and the powerplant mated to GM’s six-speed automatic gearbox does a good job of delivering power smoothly without hunting for gears or dropping down unexpectedly.
Fuel economy is the diesel’s advantage and the reason, if you were going to buy an Epica, you should forget about the petrol variant. Official figures are 7.6L of diesel per 100km and the week long test managed to better the figures.
Servicing is another plus, the first service is due at 15,000km or 12 months (whichever occurs first) and then every 15,000km or 12 months (whichever occurs first) after.
Safety is better than expected with a four-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assesment Program (ANCAP). Safety features include front airbags for driver and front passenger, side impact airbags for driver and front passenger and side curtain airbags standard across the range.
Don’t get me wrong, if you want a car that gets you from A-B economically, the Epica will do the job, but in this day and age when choice and individuality is ever so important, the Korean made Holden is not the sort of car you can be proud to own. Not because it’s not Australian made (we all love Tatiana Grigorieva and she ain’t Australian made), but because against the competition the Epica just doesn’t cut it.
Although the package looks good on paper, overall the Epica lacks soul, character and feels underdone. You may at this point be half way through your hate mail about how not every car needs soul. That’s true (but don’t keep writing), however if you’re going to spend $33,490 on a medium sized diesel family car, save up the extra $4500 and buy the European made, award winning Ford Mondeo diesel. You’ll thank me later.
CarAdvice Overall Rating: 
How does it Drive:
How does it Look:
How does it Go:
Specifications:
- Engine: 1991cc SOHC four cylinder (16 valve)
- Power: 110kW @ 4000rpm
- Torque: 320Nm @ 2000rpm
- Induction: Common Rail & Turbo Charged
- Transmission: Six speed automatic
- Driven Wheels: Front
- CO2 Emissions: 210 grams/km
- Fuel Consumption: 7.6 litres / 100km
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres
- Fuel Type: Diesel
- ANCAP Rating: Four-Star
- Airbags: Front, Side & Curtain
- Brakes: Disc with ABS & EBD
- Safety: ESP (with Traction Control)
- Spare Wheel: 15″ Steel
- Tow Capacity: 1,200 (Braked)
- Turning Circle: 10.78 metres
- Warranty: 3 years/ 100,000km
- Weight: 1,499kg (Tare)
- Wheels: 17 x 7-inch Alloy
Road Test the Rivals:
Tags: Holden Epica, Holden Epica CDXi Diesel
Anybody want proof that Holden has no money? Here it is….. the feeling of cheapness and poor finish the tester got as soon as he sat in the car was the same feeling I got when i sat in a VE, same interior lack of quality with the crappy plastic and aweful seats and controls.
Agree wholeheartedly, the Epica is woeful, woeful, woeful. I had the misfortune to travel to Syd for week a couple of weeks ago and begrudgingly accpeted the keys from the Hertz Rental desk for a petrol one of these. OMG, what a horrid 2 days of driving this pig around. Couldn’t wait to hand it back. I cannot fathom how someone could go into a Holden delaership, take one of these for a drive and then say, “Sign me up”.
Its the John Howard of cars. You should have punched him in the face
No, not really a fan.
This car does have a purpose though – being jumped over or jumped on by motorbikes or by monster trucks!
I can’t wait for the HSV model to come out. This will improve with a whopping great v8 under the hood. Whack some 19inch rims on it and a rear spolier and this thing will look tops! Holdens always look better with a HSV body kit!
It sounds just like my grandmother’s 1998 Daewoo Nubira
So an LS3 fwd ya reckon? Biggest torque steering pig of all time! LoL
Ahh but you lot miss the target market for this car…….. It wants all those people who find a Camry to exciting and powerful.
no doubt the epica is not a good car when compared to its rivals, however i do wonder if car advice has started tailoring its reviews to their target market to maintain credibility because when they did the “first drive” on the epica diesel they said alot of positive things about it. So much so some where accusing them of being paid off by holden! So although i hope its not true, it does seem that SOMETHING has changed here…
Type of car you put in your garage and forget you ever bought it!
Richo..
I cant be bothered dredging up the archives but I’m guessing the Reviewer changed? I don’t think CA needs to have a uniformed opinion on everything.That would be boring. Individuals will have different views on different cars..
I can see Alborz’ point…It is a thoroughly under done car in light of its competition..particularly when you can buy a Mondeo/Six for the same price that doesn’t disappear into a sea of conformity. Actually, I physically shudder when I see Epica’s on the road; owners are missing out on what other makes have to offer. In regards to Captivas, Why not a Territory??…Read the back story to the development of the Territory…its a fantastic tale of great R&D, innovative Aussie ingenuity and Polites taking it to Dearborn where he received a standing applause from his American counterparts.
The lack of support for the Aussie car industry underwhelms me to no end. A fantastic product that is sabotaged by poor marketing and uneducated judgment.
You get the point.
Edit: I could be bothered…Reviewer was Paul Maric…it was the I6 he reviewed and he only rated it marginally more.
Not enough to create a conspiracy theory out of it though ;)
Just for the record, I dont love Tatiana Grigorieva.
Oh, and the Epica is a poo-stain on the automotive landscape…someone pass me the hospital strength domestos and a scrubbing brush…
Bottom Line – Anyone who test drives this abomination back to back with an Accord Euro at $32990 or a Mondeo around $35k or a Mazda 6, and still picks the Epica, should be immediately euthenased in the interests of continual improvement of our species.
JJ
Its a BIG car and a lot of metal for the money.
But alas its like 2 generations behind say the Mazda6 and Mondeo etc.
Be about the same quaility or a bit better than a Accord.
None the less GMH should import a quality euro engineered product like the WCOTY the mighty Insignia.
Now that is a brilliant car [as is the Agila]
Cheers
F-0
looks like a pig. drives like a pig. and has a holden badge nothing new here.
Are you on crack frugal_one? Same quality or a bit better than the Accord?!
Thankfully Holdens current CEO Mark Reuss is looking more towards bringing several Opels to Oz including the Corsa as well as the new Insignia.
Which would mean that the Daewoo Barina becomes the entry level Holden [to rival the Yaris] and the Corsa takes on the Corolla whilst the [AWD] Insignia; which is likely to be called the Torana sits between the Epica and the Commodore.
Plus HSV is looking at the Corsa and Insignia to expand their range…. I’d like to see the Opel GT here too
Having said that I think now that Daewoo has substantial support etc from GM-H; overtime the quality of their cars will gradually improve in the same way Hyundais have
I couldn’t stop pissing myself reading these comments, This has to be one of the cheapest looking pieces of s&%! i have ever ever seen, the interiors looks like my grandfathers 94 camry, the only thing missing are the wool seat covers. The funniest thing is the two pictures of the dash, were you think it’s going to reveal a Sat nav but its just another cheap compartment. Jimmy James your comments are spot on..
now that is funny – my anti-spam word for this article was Carrera. Ha! This car couldn’t be any less Carrera if it tried.
Tom, spot on. Sorry Frugal, you need to get to re-hab quick smart. Same class as Accord, ho, ho, still wiping the tears from my eyes. Mate, please drive one, and I think you’ll be revisiting that comment. It is a horrendous thing to drive, people saying it reminds them of something from the nineties are being very generous.
Is this the Datsun 200B of this decade?
I hereby christen thee Holden Epic-Crap
Richo…go drive or even just sit in one and you will see how accurat the review was.
I drove one a few weeks back and it reminded me of a Camira. I shudder every time i remember that awful, awful car. Apox on thee, Holden!
Actually i reckon this car has a perfect market out here, seeing as all our pollies want be seen to be green, then this is the NEW GOVCO company car…..Holden need to bring it out in non mettalic coffe tan with a light brown interior.
Oh and the renter comapnies should snap em up to. With dynamics like these, they are sure to get less damage because the people renting them would be too scared to drive hard.
As they say try hard as you like you cannot polish a turd……!
laurie
Wheelnut,
Where do you get all your Holden info?
I reckon you’re right on the money, & we need to get the Insignia here, along with the Corsa.
I bought a small car to run around in for work (in Brisbane), & I bought an 08 Mazda 2.
I’m a life-long Holden Guy, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get a current Barina, even though it was thousands cheaper.
Especially since I had an XC Barina, the last of the Euro ones.
It was a great car, & in many respects, better than the Mazda 2.
That was a very witty road-test and I really enjoyed it . Will just have to wait and see what Hyundai does with their new diesels I guess.
this EPICa travesty GM Holden has thrown up on the aussie auto landscape is a disgrace to the once strong brand integrity and recognition Holden once held in Oz.
i know its been said before but ill say it again:
why can GM not build QUALITY designs in LOW COST regions?
eg. build Opel Insignia, Corsa, Astra, Agila ect in GM-DAT factories in South Korea?
Honda builds vehicles like Jazz and CRV in THAILAND, in a similar stratergy as just mentioned, and that has been successful, mostly, there have a been a few issues with a few cars but the overall plan was successful.
And why can Renault build Euro designs in its RENAULT-SAMSAUNG plants in Korea, but GM cant? hmmm….
i can see why holden isnt to concerned from a sales poitn of view in the medium segment, the absolute gem Mondeo isnt exactly setting sales records… but the critical acclaim is there. Strengthening there position in the Oz market as a provider of quality small and medium cars, and NOT just the Falcon.
But i guess there sales show its not exactly working…
this is a tough one…
anyone else got an opinion?
The final Camira with the 2 litre multi point engine was quite a good car for it’s day.
The first model with the 1.6 carb engine was a heap of shit.
Had the latter as a company car for 150,000klms over two and a half years and never let me down. Also drove and went very well for the standard of the day. Most people at the depot preferred the Camira 2 litre injected wagons over the sv21 Camry wagons at the time.
What? preferred a JE Camira over a SV21 wagon? What were they inhaling at smoko? I remember both vehicles very well. The camira was a dog compared to all its rivals.
The je was a good car. Earlier models especially the first model that won COTY with the 1.6 carb engine was a dog. We had both at my place of work at one stage in wagon guise.
Chalk and cheese.
In the JE all the driveability issues to do with the carb motor and four speed manual had been removed. Build quality was also improved substantially.
The original Camira was plagued with quality and driveability issues with engine run on, massive torque steer,piston ring issues,hard to engage manual gearbox etc etc.Most disappeared from the depot I worked at at the time after less than 40,000klms.
JE handled and went very well.Company kept the JE wagons for years and we all loved driving them. new 2 litre multi point injected and 5 speed manual and better build and new interior and suspension calibration made it like a totally different car.
I won’t have anybody dis the JE.lol.
Wholeheartedly agree with Daniel. W, hurry up and make those great euro’s in either korea or bloody retool Holden production lines immediately!
A Camira good ? That was a dog of a car and I can tell you it kept my tow truck business going when things were quiet!! I was often on first name terms with the owners i saw them so much !! Back windows popped out, ….timing belts jumped off……rear main oil seals gushed out oil…..various electrical problems…….what a piece of Holden crap! At least i made money out of them!!
Why would anybody even bother going into holden shop to look at this crap.The most stupid car ive ever seem.Go to mazda or ford honda or any thing for a farrrrrrr better car
Besides how good or bad they are, how anyone could pay 32k for an Epica when you can get a Commodore for that or less is very strange to me.
Zahmad – even though Holden have almost recovered the money spent on the R&D as well as installing rhe robots to build the VE; I don’t think they’ll be re-tooling their main line just yet.
However; Holden have plans to build a small-medium sized car at the other end of the factory on the line where the Vectra Hatch and Wagons used to be built.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens as a result of GMs restructuring process.. although GM recently released a Statement saying that the will be Holden on to Holden and Opel so its likely that GM will give Holden the go ahead.. just as they did with the VE.
Gents,
This is certainly not the car to be picking up the belle for the first date!
Let’s give GMH a couple more shots to get it right!
Probably was designed by John Howard. It will be interesting to see the spin Kevin Rudd provides to market the damn thing.
Holden, what were they thinking?
Cheers,
Stephen
Epica Fail.
Bucket – different review mate, car advice did a “first drive” story on the updated epica diesel, quite a seperate review to the I6 one you are referencing.
People have missunderstood me, my point was not that i dissagree with THIS review, rather pointing out the large difference between this review on the epica diesel, and the first drive review on the epica diesel. What has changed? Thats all i’m saying…
I agree with Sam.
Go for a 60th anniv. Commodore for $30K driveaway.
Can’t imagine anyone the full $33,500 + on roads for one of these.
Diesel is still 25 – 30c a litre more expensive than ULP, so it just doesn’t add up.
The complete Holden line is crap, Commodore included.
Richo u are right first steer and review are light years apart.
Despite Flatbed the company I worked for at the time had hundreds of JE Camiras and kept them for the full cycle.
Probs u mention relate to the original model first released in 1982 1.6 lite carb model.
Remember a relo at the time disrespecting the Camira at the time until he had a drive of the JE I had at the time.
Shame that the original version tarnished what would become a competent small car for the time.
I am sure u would have also made a lot of money out of Camrys sv21s with blown head gaskets at the time as well.LOL.
Realcars you are on the money with the Camira. I have the JE 2ltr model (since new) and I have just done 532500 klms still with the original engine. The car has been brilliant, it actually goes quite hard still. We have been looking for a mid sized car (must be Holden) and I don’t like what they are offering in the EPICA. You can’t even get a manual. I am going to stick with the trusty old Camira untill they bring out something better. Insignia anyone….
Dlr1 Says:
December 16th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Actually I started in the industry just on the change over from Camira to Apollo. Rest assured we all prefered the JE to a Carbied Apollo. More room, more comfort, lighter interior.
The comment was right, if it hadn’t been for the 1.6 P.O.S., if they had bought out JE upfront history would have been a whole lot different and Toyota may well have not gotten the foot hold here.
Not sure how much better a 4 speed auto Commodore with a raspy v6 that chews more juice than its competitors would be. But if you must own a Holden, then I guess that would be a fair compromise.
****
Thinking of punching out the Prime Minister of your country, regardless of your views of him or his government, is always a good way to show your true worth and character.
It is also an excellent way to see how highly you value the privilege of living in a country that practices democracy and allows the people to elect a government that the majority wish, even if you don’t agree with the choice.
I hope the wife/girlfriend never disagrees with you.
“I can’t wait for the HSV model to come out” HSV have already said they won’t touch any of the GM-Daewoo crap!
At last a car that ticks all the right boxes, Shite looking, shite build, shite economy, shite review. Be kind, get your self a Golf TDi for almost the same price!
“Anybody want proof that Holden has no money? Here it is” LOL :)
The red applique across the rear looks like it has come from a 1990 Subaru.
Hey, whats going on. Why are there pictures of 2 different cars in this review Alborz?? Did the first one break down?
All Fords are rusty gutless shiit boxes, even the average Joe Blow on the street will tell you this.
Ford sales are tanking, even the Holden Epica outsold the Mondea last month by about 100 cars.
Seems Ford couldn’t even sell beer on a hot day if they tried…hahahahahaha
Daniel, obviously humour is completely lost on you.
I can’t wait to buy a Craptiva, Crapica or a Bombrina. LOL
Jord, you are hilarious!
Whats up with the cheap plastic interiors with the new Holden line up? Now its parent GM is getting a bailout in the US too?
I think my VZ commodore was heaps better in terms of interior trim quality than the new one!
Kind daypart to the Australian continent (izvenite for bad English). I from East Evropy and for us dizil’nye Epiki does not sell but khochetsa poprobuvat’ as it rides. Those Epiki which prodayuca for us a bit innoy acquisitions, for us it is not on the cantilever of durackoggo box there side kompyuter stands funkcional’niy ekran insert with little nishoy or vladel’ci.
Shto touches comparing to Kia or HYUNDAI that Epika kakraz golden mean. 1. A hard plastic is used in Kia + noisy back pendant. 2. HYUNDAI at speed higher 130 km/h. vylyat’ begins on the road and very not informing management. In Epike good dirigibility and fine holds a road at speed 200 km/h., otdelochnye material not super but lochshe what in Kia, but placed better what in HYUNDAI, and also absence of extraneous noises of engine, transmisii and absence what or vibrations inbenzinovikh versions. Content with a typewriter, before Epikoy rode and on Kia Magentis and on HYUNDAI Sonata.
Diesel cars consume 10% less fuel than the equivalent petrol cars.
Diesel is 25% more expensive than petrol at the pump.
Diesel cars cost $2000 more than the equivalent petrol cars.
Go and do the maths :[
Holdens Lineup is a Joke.I do remember going into a Holden Dealership a long time ago when everything below the Commodore and Deriatives that wasn’t a Commercial Vehicle was Opel Sourced.I long wish for those days.I wouldn’t be surprised if the would be Barina Buyers are now at the Volkswagen or Peugeot Dealership looking at their possible replacement or now looking at Mazda or Suzuki.
Holden Epica is alright. Diesel/Petrol are great choices. Exterior better than when it 1st came out. Better looking than a Toyota Camry. Interior only slightly better than it was but screams KOREAN!!! Prices undercut many by $$$$. Despite all this, sales are still hovering below 200 sales a month. Import Insignia FAST! Go Holden!
Who is the tool that wrote the Epica review above. The claim is they tested a CDXI, yet the pictures and the comments are about the CDX. Truth is this person clearly doesent know their cars and yet they think they can write about them. Go figure?
Very disappointed in the Epica. Like most Holdens – never get the first run, they just can’t clip in or glue the trims properly. Most unfortunate is the auto-gear change when needed to make a quick overtake, there’s literally almost a second delay while it sorts out what the hell to do, and on our aussie freeways that’s a second closer for a semi to give it a nice kiss.