Overview of the Holden Calais
Six years after the debut of the Holden Commodore, an upmarket variant called the Calais was added to the range. It brought along leather trim and extra standard features. From the 2006 VE model onwards, the Calais presented as a relatively affordable luxury sedan or wagon with impressive refinement and ride comfort. The Calais was available with a choice of V6 or V8 power, with the majority of buyers opting for the superior V8 engine. The Calais name was retained for the new-generation Commodore introduced in early 2018 and now imported rather than built locally.
HOLDEN CALAIS GENERATIONS
2006-2013
2013-2017
2018-onwards
RUNNING COSTS
Fuel Consumption (2006 to 2017)
3.6L V6: 9.0 to 9.8 litres per 100km
6.0L V8: 12.3 to 12.4 litres per 100km
6.2L V8 (2013 on): 12.9 litres per 100km
= Highly economical.
= Good economy.
= Average fuel use.
= Heavy consumption.
Servicing
Lifetime capped price servicing program. Every 15,000km or 9 months, whichever is sooner. Each service currently costs between $239 and $1580 depending on age and kilometres of vehicle. Holden Calais parts and equipment can be found on Gumtree.
SIMILAR MODELS TOHOLDEN CALAIS
Ford Falcon G6E
Honda Accord V6
Mercedes-Benz C200
Volkswagen Passat
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: HOLDEN CALAIS (2013 ONWARDS)
A high percentage of VF Calais were V8s, so that's where to start the checks.
Make sure there's no oil dropping from under the car, particularly around where the engine meets the gearbox.
The V8 also had a problem with noisy lifters that needed replacement, often under warranty.
The V6 engine is reliable apart from stretched timing chains that occurred in enough examples for it to be a problem.
But a car with a full service history is a lot less likely to have this problem, so check the books carefully.
Automatic transmissions should be smooth and quiet with no clunks or bangs as it selects a gear. It should also pick up Drive or Reverse from Park quickly, without any noticeable delay.
Make sure all the electronic gear that makes up a Calais works properly, too.
