Commodore comfort

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 26

Commodore comfort

For anyone 1 like me,- not used to driving a big car, the Holden Commodore six-cylin-der 3.3 litre SL provides an insight into the world of luxury motoring. Recently I was able to take a break from wrestling with the gearbox and steering wheel of my ageing Corolla, to relax in the comfort an 518,000 car can provide, courtesy of Blackwell Motors.

Had I decided to buy the Commodore sedan I drove it would have cost me nearer $18,700 by the time $2OO was added for a radio, $67 for mudflaps, and $BB for registration. And I would probably have paid a few extra dollars for a locking petrol cap, to protect the 63 litres ($3B worth) of fuel in the tank.

At the rate the Commodore used petrol (9.01 km/ litre, or 21.2 m.p.g.) the 63 litres would have given a range of 570 km.

I found the fuel consumption surprising, because much of my motoring was done on the open road, and I was careful at all times to drive with the needle on the vacuum gauge in the "economy” zone. But the Commodore SL is a heavy car (1365 kg and it does have a big engine. Features you would expect a luxury car to have the Commodore had, — • power, comfort, and room. Even with a full load of five adults the car accelerated effortlessly (power output 82kW). The engine noise was never obtrusive, even at 80 km/h.

The four-speed gearbox would have benefited from a fifth gear for economy on long runs, but Holden plans to provide such a gear on its 1982 1.9 litre four and 2.8 litre six models, as an option. Rack and pinion steering and big Firestone steelbelted 1755 R 14 radials con-

tributed to the Holden’s ease of handling. The standard of interior comfort was high, with full velour trim, tinted windows all round, and arm rests for rear-seat passengers. The driver’s seat could be raised or lowered by pulling a lever — a useful alternative to having an adjustable steering column. Other features which I liked included the locking glove-box with interior light

and mirror, the storage areas on either side of the gear stick, the easy to understand heater controls, and the quartz clock. Prices for the Commodore range start at $13,095 for the four-cylinder L sedan manual, and rise to $22,495 for the six-cylinder SLE sedan with power steering. In between are 13 variations (station waggon or sedan, auto or manual power steering or non power steering). —By Theo van Dongen.