Drove a Commy SV6, pretty good!

EDManual · 31-08-2011, 09:50 PM

I had the 'pleasure' of renting an SV6 series 2, and must say it really was quite nice. I always try to believe they arent, but I did like it.

The only thing was, driving around adelaide and in the hills, my consumption was... 25 litres per hundred! Did 196km took 50 litres and cost $70! hmm!

18 inch tyres are pretty hard to unstick and traction control doesnt intrude when switched off which is good. Holds gears well in manual mode too and wont change up.

uranium_death · 31-08-2011, 09:52 PM

A mate of mine is a Holden man...
Drives a VT Calais. He likes his Ecotec...
BUT he refuses to touch the Alloytec. No low end torque to speak of...you have to rev it like hell to get anything out of it...

I'll take an XR6 anyday...BUT a V8 Calais-V is anothing story...

Brazen · 31-08-2011, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDManual

I had the 'pleasure' of renting an SV6 series 2, and must say it really was quite nice. I always try to believe they arent, but I did like it.

The only thing was, driving around adelaide and in the hills, my consumption was... 25 litres per hundred! Did 196km took 50 litres and cost $70! hmm!

18 inch tyres are pretty hard to unstick and traction control doesnt intrude when switched off which is good. Holds gears well in manual mode too and wont change up.

Probably wasnt full to the brim to begin with, annoying when you rent a car. Effectively you were paying for others petrol.

Our long term average I think is in the 8.XX L per 100km with ours. Lot of rural driving, some town, some towing of horses.

**SSD-85** · 31-08-2011, 09:54 PM

Ive had the "honour" of driving a VE series 1 omega a few times. Whether it actually would or not, it feels like my AU1 Forte would flog it at the lights...

pottery beige · 31-08-2011, 10:05 PM

Delete..

Franco Cozzo · 31-08-2011, 10:14 PM

I have the misfortune of driving one of these in and out of our workshop in the morning and evening.

Worst car to park, ever. I can't see crap out of the thing, poor visability. I find parking our Mercedes Sprinters easier.

The reverse camera is bloody handy and I do like the controls for everything, except they have an auto down drivers window, but no auto up? Whaaaaaat?

kinksta · 31-08-2011, 10:29 PM

Cool story bro...

MethodX · 31-08-2011, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

Delete..

Delete the Japanese car threads first.

Phyber · 01-09-2011, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

except they have an auto down drivers window, but no auto up? Whaaaaaat?

Same as my falcon! Stops me chopping my head off or something.

MexicanBatman · 01-09-2011, 12:52 AM

I drove a VE around Tasmania for a week

I came back to Melbourne and was relieved to be driving a clapped out 1991 Toyota soarer that was better in every way aside from lacking 2 extra doors

I'm glad you liked it, I hated the one I rented which was brand-new, and the rental company wouldn't swap it for an aurion like they did for me the last time I was there :(

Falc'man · 01-09-2011, 02:39 AM

A couple of months back I hired the Sidi SV6 for a week, driving from Mackay to Cairns.

From memory the average speed was over 75km/h and it returned just over 10l/km. The driving most mostly cruising at the limit but included some extended blasts when overtaking. There was a lot of time idling at the road works, as well as long periods at below speeds in the major towns between.

The cruise-control is ridiculous compared to the Falcon's. I didn't have much time to sit there and figure out how the trip computer worked - so it goes to show. The visibility is a let-down, courtesy of the A-pillar. Rearward visibility when I got used to it. The general feel of the dash and interior was nearly on par with the BF in some aspects, and better in others.

Power is very good, being 210kW. Heaps of poke from 3800rpm up. Being a 6sp the only way it knew how to respond to the right foot was by kicking down a gear or two instead of utilising the mid range, and I didn't experiment with manual shifting to see how flexible it was. Overtaking at the federal limit was never issue an issue though. The smoothness, being the largest HFV6, wasn't anything to write home about. "Course" comes to mind.

As expected, the box itself has a smoother shift than the 4sp in the XT, but I found that it hunts too often to accelerator inputs in mere drive mode, even without spirited driving. This is where I would have expected it most to use it's low rpm power. It's obviously masking something. It's not intuitive like a ZF, and a little jerky at times as well.

The off-centre feel of the steering wasn't all that great at high speed. The handling felt composed although I didn't get anywhere near it's limits. It has quite a firm ride but that's expected being the sports model.

In the end I found it underwhelming and was left scratching my head as to why this is the top seller.

And it is when I drove home from the airport in the tired BF2 XT Falcon that I realised how much I took this humble work hack for granted.

EDManual · 01-09-2011, 08:06 AM

Also the mirrors are near useless, and the side beam in between the doors is hard to see past!

I did actually get 25 l per hundred. The readout was saying so too.

Such a difference in fuel use depending on how you drive as to get some speed you have to rev it right out as theres no torque.

Smoke Pursuit · 01-09-2011, 08:13 AM

I had one in Sydney last time I was there, an SV6 SIDI wagon.

Mine returned around the 10 litres per hundred, that was traveling from Sydney out to Bathurst then back, I really did not mind it... It went okay but was lacking torque, and the gearbox is still a bit of a problem child, but other then that it was great.

Fev · 01-09-2011, 08:34 AM

Thats terrible fuel economy for highway driving in a 3.6L V6 - last week I had to pick up a trade in from Byron Bay.

Drove the customers 5.0L GT-E up to Byron (10.3L/100km at the end) who was trading an FG XR8 on it. The XR8 had a full exhaust, pacemaker extractors and 9000km on the clock. On the drive back I took it through the mountains from Byron to Woodburn and then south which is by no means straight flat roads at all until you get past Coffs Harbor. They're awesome roads to have a bit of fun on.

At the end of the trip, back in Sydney it returned a rating of 10.2L/100km (avg speed of 92). I cruise controled most of the way just over the limit with overtaking bursts and the drive through the moutains, stopping by Port Maquarie for a photo and stopping to see a friend in Newcastle as well.

Smoke Pursuit · 01-09-2011, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

Thats terrible fuel economy for highway driving in a 3.6L V6 - last week I had to pick up a trade in from Byron Bay.

Drove the customers 5.0L GT-E up to Byron (10.3L/100km at the end) who was trading an FG XR8 on it. The XR8 had a full exhaust, pacemaker extractors and 9000km on the clock. On the drive back I took it through the mountains from Byron to Woodburn and then south which is by no means straight flat roads at all until you get past Coffs Harbor. They're awesome roads to have a bit of fun on.

At the end of the trip, back in Sydney it returned a rating of 10.2L/100km (abg speed of 92). I cruise controled most of the way just over the limit with overtaking bursts and the drive through the moutains, stopping by Port Maquarie for a photo and stopping to see a friend in Newcastle as well.

It wasnt all highway :P it got reved out alot!

FreddyDUZ747 · 01-09-2011, 08:54 AM

Yep,great cars.Very overwhelming.

The bonus of being a non bias brand supporter/hater.

Road Games · 01-09-2011, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uranium_death

I'll take an XR6 anyday...BUT a V8 Calais-V is anothing story...

Yep especially in dark grey with cream leather interior.. i need to throw some pics up ?

Fordman · 01-09-2011, 10:00 AM

Have also driven one, they are not so bad, infact there are simularities to the BA.

Although it would be easy for me to point out the area's i liked and was suprised out, i prefer to pick out the flaws. Worst one for me was the way it sort of dropped back a gear ALOT and revved really high on even the smallest inclines on a highway drive to NSW. Just wasnt as smooth as my falcon.

stevz · 01-09-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uranium_death

A mate of mine is a Holden man...
Drives a VT Calais. He likes his Ecotec...
BUT he refuses to touch the Alloytec. No low end torque to speak of...you have to rev it like hell to get anything out of it...

Well he obviously hasn't driven a 3.6 sidi because to suggest it is torqueless and inferior to the ecotec is simply ludicrous.

Smoke Pursuit · 01-09-2011, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevz

Well he obviously hasn't driven a 3.6 sidi because to suggest it is torqueless and inferior to the ecotec is simply ludicrous.

Those old 3.8 litre ecotecs do get up and boogy. especially under a VS!

Those early 3.6 Alloytecs fitted to the VZ Exes were junk but the High out put SIDI is another story..

Dont forget theres a 3.0 SIDI which is still ordinary at times too!

anto · 01-09-2011, 12:08 PM

the mrs brought home a sportwagon from work the other so I took it for a bit of a drive to compare to our FG.

short story, there is no comparison!

felt cheap, plastiky, gutless, hopeless tranny, poor vision...

laughable really.

Jimmyd · 01-09-2011, 12:08 PM

Driven renters often - put simply SV6 SIDI loves to rev and pulls up high but has little to no grunt down low. Average fuel on open road runs at 9.8l/100km with cruise set on GPS 107kph. Only thing it has over the XR6 (average 8.9l/100km) is I don't have to dislocate my left knee to get behind the steering wheel. That being said, I prefer the power delivery of the XR6 and certainly the driving ergonomics once behind the wheel.

In either case I am always happy to get home to my eleven year old Tickford optioned AU1.5 Fairmont Ghia VCT - while not as sophisticated mechanically it still is a much nicer drive than either of the current contenders - and at 8.4l/100km more economical on the open road too

Rodge · 01-09-2011, 12:26 PM

Torqueless wonders, with vague steering fitted with horrible gearbox's which sell well why, go figure ? Maybe punters reckon they look good ?

EB# · 01-09-2011, 04:55 PM

My brother has a 2011 VEII SIDI SV6 ute, 6sp manual, 210kw......
I've had a few good drives in it and it's actually very good, in my opinion !!
Comfy, quick and handles very well courtesy of the IRS.

drew`SEVNT5 · 01-09-2011, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EB92

My brother has a 2011 VEII SIDI SV6 ute, 6sp manual, 210kw......
I've had a few good drives in it and it's actually very good, in my opinion !!
Comfy, quick and handles very well courtesy of the IRS.

I had a VE1 Omega ute for 50,000kms, with the High Output 195kw and 6spd manual.

Wasn't a bad rig at all, had Calais V 18's on it... A mate of mine had a FG sedan with a 5 speed, and it was lineball.

At least it didn't feel as if I was sitting on the roof in the VE.