Holden Barina Reviews

In a world where light cars are increasingly excellent, there is little room for vehicles that struggle to offer something unique. And that means that, unfortunately, in 2018, the Holden Barina is nbf

The Holden Barina is a small car that's generally tough in its build and put together to a good standard. It has a good reputation for being simple to drive and park and long lasting if driven and serviced correctly.It was the smallest car sold in Australia by Holden for many years, an even smaller model, called Barina Spark and later just plain Spark was sold from 2010, but isn't the model being surveyed here.The first Barinas were made by Japanese Suzuki and introduced here in 1989, then from 1994 they came from German car maker Opel. These are at or past their use-by date so won't be covered here.From December 2005, Barinas have been produced by the South Korean company Daewoo, now called GM-Korea, it has quite a few Australian engineers and designers on site so there's Aussie tuning in them. The car used some of the underpinnings developed by Opel and was very much a global machine.A virtually all-new model, tagged the TK series Barina was introduced in October 2011. Considerably more sophisticated than its predecessors it had electronically stability program, as well as infotainment technology that included GM’s MyLink system.Holden Barina is sold as a three-door or five-door hatch, or a four-door sedan, the latter not offered at all times.Occupant space in the front seats is fine for a car of its size. Rear seat legroom is restricted unless those in the front are prepared to give up some of their space. Most Aussie Barinas are used by single or couples, but we have seen some working as small family cars.Boot space is marginal, but the rear-seat backrests can be folded down to increase luggage room when required.All Barinas have four-cylinder engines. Though the engine is small, performance is reasonably good because of the light weight of the car. Try for yourself if you are likely to be carrying largish loads or driving in hilly conditions.Five-speed manual gearboxes are probably the best bet unless you are going to be doing a lot of heavy-duty commuting. Automatic transmissions are not too bad, particularly in six-speed format installed in the TK series. Again, test drive it yourself.Spare parts prices are generally favourable and there are Holden dealers in virtually all areas of Australia. Those in remote country areas are unlikely to stock every Barina part, so you may have to wait for parts to be shipped from a major city.Barinas are reasonably easy for the amateur mechanic to service and repair, though the underbonnet area is on the crowded side and work can be frustrating at times. Having a workshop manual on hand before you lift the bonnet makes a lot of sense.Insurance charges are generally reasonable and there doesn't seem to be a major difference in prices from company to company. As always, it's smart to shop around, making sure you're comparing apples with apples.The engine should start reasonably quickly and idle without too much movement.After the engine has been idling for a minute or so, hit the accelerator pedal and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust. This could indicate serious engine wear.Make some fast gearchanges and listen and feel for a manual gearbox that baulks or crashes. The problem usually shows up in the critical third-to-second downchange before any others.Automatics that are rough in their changes or which change too frequently, may be due for an overhaul.Look for front tyres that are worn unevenly. This could be caused by something as simple as poor wheel alignment, but it could also mean the body has been twisted in a prang.Expect to spend from $1000 to $2500 for a 2005 Holden Barina; $2000 to $4000 for a 2005 SRi; $3000 to $6000 for a 2009 Barina; $5500 to $9000 for a 2012 Classic; $7000 to $11,000 for  a 2013 CDX; $8500 to $13,000 for a 2014 CDX; $10,000 to $15,000 for a 2014 RS or a 2016 CDX; and $12,500 to $19,000 for a 2016 RS.Look first at that left front wheel for signs of damage, it's generally the one to suffer if a driver stuffs up while parking.

Holden did much to improve the fitness of the Barina but some horror stories persist. New Holden had a lot of ground to make up when it launched the TM Barina in 2011 — the previous model had been widely panned for its poor quality, reliability and safety. About the only positive thing you could say about the TK

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering would you buy one?This is Holden's 'hot-rod' Barina with a turbo petrol engine and a host of other goodies for not very much money.It's a five door hatch with seats for five, front wheel drive and six speed manual or optional six speed auto transmissions. Some local dynamic set-up has been carried out.Goes for $21,390 with few options apart from the auto.Not many, possibly no direct competitors for the dosh. The Fiesta ST is five grand more and no other light car comes close for the money and what you get.Power comes from a 1.4-litre, Austrian built, turbo petrol engine with a cast iron block, variable valve timing and, get this, chain drive to the twin cams - meaning no expensive timing belt change down the track. The engine has been modified for low internal friction and the oil pump is variable to help efficiency.It goes OK, apart from a slight throttle calibration hiccup which holds high revs too long when gear changing. It could do with a bit more go, but the available torque is adequate for all normal driving situations. The gear change is a bit rubbery but actual gearing is good, fully tapping into available power.Not too bad on this score either rated at 6.5L/100km on 95RON.Scores a 4.5 star rating from the Green Vehicle Guide.Five stars.Not too bad actually with sporty leather front seats, cruise, multi-function leather sports wheel with rake and reach adjust, MyLink infotainment and connectivity (you have to reconnect every time you get in the car), auto headlights, cool motorcycle style instrument pod, metal pedals, trip computer, large info screen, six speaker audio rear park sensors.OK, not the most engaging thing we've had in the car park lately, bit soft, bit underpowered, not much wow factor but comfortable and safe. Very practical when you need it. Don't mind the looks either apart from the cheap plastics inside - and the acrid smell from same. And it gets disc brakes all round.Yes, as already mentioned, there isn't anything competing directly with the RS for the money, features or performance.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2014 Holden Barina RS, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Practical, economical, affordable and with a sporty bent - Holden and Ford match up their baby hatches.

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Holden Barina RS, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

NEW The Korea-built TK Barina got off to a rather rocky start when the Euro NCAP people could only give it a miserable 2-star rating. At a time when carmakers were making great strides in the area of safety the littlest Holden stood out for all the wrong reasons. But by 2008 things were looking up when it was given it

VW Polo 77TSI and Holden Barina RS go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Holden has added some spice to its bargain Barina range with the addition of a turbocharged RS performance model.