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Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
23 Jan 2009
6 min read
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The Holden ute was a favourite work wagon for farmers, tradesmen and small business owners from the day of its introduction in 1951 it was a sad day when it disappeared from Holden showrooms with the demise of the WB in 1984. While Holden launched a new Commodore-based VG ute in 1990 it was not the worker of old.

Where the traditional Holden ute was a real workhorse with a tough full chassis and useable payload the Commodore ute was a bit of a lightweight softie by comparison. It was based on the long wheelbase Commodore, so there was no chassis, and it had coil springs in the rear instead of leaf springs. The payload of 710 kg was well down on the payload of the old utes, particularly the hugely popular one-tonne chassis-cab.

The Commodore-based ute had plenty to live up to given that the series of utes that kicked off with the HQ in 1971 and ran through to the WB in 1984 were tough old trucks that stood up to the abuse of daily life on the work site for years and years.

Tradesmen, farmers, small business people were quickly attracted to them for their combination of performance, comfort and ability to carry a real workload, while in recent years they have become a favourite of a new generation looking for a cool escape vehicle for weekend getaways.

Those who held the old Holden utes in such high regard thumbed their nose at the Commodore-based ute when it first arrived on the scene and it wasn’t immediately accepted as a real workhorse. It was the ute driven to the work site by the boss, not the workers. It was more likely to carry the lunches than the tools of trade.

The VS ute introduced in 1995 was the final evolution of the original Commodore-based ute before the all-new VU model came in 2000. It remained something of a softie in work terms but had gained greater popularity as a sports ute that was a cool daily driver that could carry the sports gear at the weekend.

MODEL WATCH

The VS was a facelift, but much refined version of the VR ute which first saw the light of day in 1993.

Like its passenger car cousins the VS utes were little different on the outside from their predecessors, most of the changes took place under the skin.

The big news was the ECOTEC V6 engine which, while seemingly almost identical to the 3.8-litre V6 it replaced, was almost entirely new being smaller, lighter, smoother and more fuel efficient than its predecessor.

Capacity remained at 3.8 litres, but it had a new block, heads, manifolds, and an all-alloy cast sump. The electronics were upgraded with a new computer, as well as a hot-wire air-mass sensor and sequential fuel-injection. It all added up to 17 kW more power, which was now 147 kW at 5200 revs with peak torque of 304 Nm at 3600 revs, but there was also a six per cent improvement in fuel consumption while meeting exhaust emission rules.

Transmission choices were a five-speed manual ’box and four-speed electronic auto.

A Series II upgrade came in 1996, which can be identified by Series II badges and oval shaped side blinker repeater lights. It also brought a number of small improvements, among which was a new five-speed German Getrag manual gearbox for the V6.

Mid-1998 saw a Series III upgrade, identified by Series III badges and clear side blinker repeater lights. There were also a number of interior upgrades, and for the first time there was a 5.0-litre Holden V8 SS model to complement the previous range which was limited to the standard Commodore and S models.

A neatly integrated body kit, made up of front bumper and side skirts, distinguished the SS. There was also a polished alloy rear sports bar, 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps and SS decals.

The SS V8 gave the hottie ute plenty of tail-wagging performance with 168 kW driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual and a limited-slip diff. ABS and sports suspension helped keep it in line, which was nice when the rear inevitably stepped out under enthusiastic acceleration.

Inside there was a leather wrapped sports steering wheel, hand brake and gearshift knob. The seats had SS identification on the seats, and power windows and air-conditioning was standard.

The arrival of the SS was a clear indication that the Holden ute had become as much a lifestyle vehicle as it was a hard worker.

IN THE SHOP

The Holden ute’s body and chassis are robust and reliable and little trouble is reported from the field.

Likewise the V6 engines are generally robust with a number of owners reporting untroubled motoring well above 200,000 km. Look for oil leaks from the rear main crankshaft seal and around the oil pan, and also from the power steering pump.

Fuel pumps tend to fail around the 200,000 km mark.

One owner was less than happy when his engine had to be replaced because of a worn camshaft at quite low mileage, and he says the telltale noise is back again.

Overheating in autos in VS II utes can lead to transmission problems at around 100,000 km. It can’t be fixed simply by changing the oil, and Holden rebuilt or replaced a number of transmissions in problem vehicles. Holden fixed the problem by releasing an oil cooler kit, which can be retro fitted to prevent the problem.

Noisy diffs are also a widespread problem. It’s important to use the Holden recommended oil in diffs to prevent a howling rear-end. Diff seals can also be a problem.

OWNER’S SAY

Alan McKenzie runs a cleaning business in Sale and uses his VS II Commodore S ute as his daily driver, usually with a trailer in tow.

He bought it new and has done some 110,000 km in it. He admits he makes it work hard and doesn’t spare it at all, and says he’s happy with it overall despite having the V6 engine replaced due to a worn camshaft after 67,000 km.

He’s had no trouble with the manual transmission or diff, and praises its comfort, drivability and handling.

Would he buy another one? He says he’d happily have another, but says when he comes to buy his next ute price will be the crucial decider that will determine whether it’s a new Falcon or Commodore ute.

LOOK FOR:

• cool styling

• tail wagging performance

• overheating auto trans

• howling diff

• worn camshafts

Holden Commodore 1995:

Engine Type V6, 3.8L
Fuel Type Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency 11.5L/100km (combined)
Seating 3
Price From $2,750 - $4,290

Pricing Guides

$6,419
Based on 14 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.
LOWEST PRICE
$2,200
HIGHEST PRICE
$22,500
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
With a passion for cars dating back to his childhood and having a qualification in mechanical engineering, Graham couldn’t believe his good fortune when he was offered a job in the Engineering Department at General Motors-Holden’s in the late-1960s when the Kingswood was king and Toyota was an upstart newcomer. It was a dream come true. Over the next 20 years Graham worked in a range of test and development roles within GMH’s Experimental Engineering Department, at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, and the Engine Development Group where he predominantly worked on the six-cylinder and V8 engines. If working for Holden wasn’t exciting enough he also spent two years studying General Motors Institute in America, with work stints with the Chassis Engineering section at Pontiac, and later took up the post of Holden’s liaison engineer at Opel in Germany. But the lure of working in the media saw him become a fulltime motorsport reporter and photographer in the late-1980s following the Grand Prix trail around the world and covering major world motor racing events from bases first in Germany and then London. After returning home to Australia in the late-1980s Graham worked on numerous motoring magazines and newspapers writing about new and used cars, and issues concerning car owners. These days, Graham is CarsGuide's longest standing contributor.
About Author
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Pricing Guide
$2,200
Lowest price, based on third party pricing data.
For more information on
2000 Holden Commodore
See Pricing & Specs

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