Wow, wow, wow. I cannot say that enough. The last Aussie-built V8 Holden Commodore certainly went out with a bang. The Holden Director is a member of an exclusive family of three limited-edition models, the Motorsport and Magnum are the other two members. The Director is based on the Calais V, so it gets all the bells and whistles plus the biggest damn brakes ever fitted to a standard Holden – no issues stopping this big girl...
When I bought the VZ Calais, I knew I was stepping into uncharted territory. Still, I pushed on and the end result is a happy owner with a happy car. It's been nearly three months since I posted my last review, and since I sold my beloved Nissan Pulsar to my parents in Adelaide. Now living interstate in our nation's capital, I decided that I was going to purchase one of my dream cars...
I bought the 2005 Holden Calais as it was advertised on Carsales for $6500 and it was perfect in every way: leather seats, cruise control, climate control and paddle-shift auto, and just looked awesome. But I talked the guy down to $4500..
I've owned my 2014 Calais V for 6 months now. I have to say I love it. I was debating with my wife about what car we should buy and we narrowed it down to a Honda Accord, VW Passat Highline, and a Mazda 6. A little about my experience with the Calais so far: It has a real road presence with its classy and sporty look sitting on 19" wheels...
Now 5 years old, the original VE Calais is extremely good value if not without some unexpected wear and tear. The high output 3.6 provides fair economy on the open road averaging 9.3L/100km with 12.3L/100km around town. The 5 speed auto is lightyears ahead of the old 4-speed with changes hardly noticeable on the upshift and manual control responsive and obedient during downshifts...
