Finally...my Xr6t Vs Ss-v Review

[RNGTR]

Great read. Eager to read the next installment!

[Falchoon]

The seat belt chime in the XR6T annoyed the hell out of me so I turned it off and it is nowhere near as intrusive as the Late model camira one!

[JBomb3000]

good write up so far

[Turbo6man]

Heheheh ... so you think the seat belt chime is annoying. Well just wait 'till you've been driving for a two hour non-stop period and the "you need a rest now" chime starts at you ... bad enough we have signs along the highway repeatedly telling us to stop revive survive now the friggin cars have it built into them as well !!!

[bigbluemav]

Hi All

Not many posts, but I feel qualified to answer with some competence, so here goes.

When it was time to replace my wife's VX II SS M6, we went looking. She was VERY biased toward the commodore, but as it was May 2006, when we started looking, VZ prices were still up there and BF fords (XR8 and XR6T) were looking good.

We drove a VZ II M6 with same 6L V8 that the VE's have. It had been fitted with a very cool exhaust (good headers, full 2.5" system, hi flo cats etc etc., I still haven't heard one as good). It was a weapon. At that stage, they wanted $52k + onroads.

We then went to the blue oval for a look. I'm open minded, but I did have an XA GT coupe 20 odd years ago. We took an XR8 for a whirl. Very disappointing, like the article says, sounds the deal, but does not deliver, in stock form anyway. Then we took an XR6T for a run and I loved it (hence my membership to this forum but no T.........yet!!). My wife liked it and agreed it just begged to be driven hard and was a HEAPS better package than the XR8.

We continued to look around, and then the VE's came out. After a few return visits to the dealer, we got the Late model camira for $41 100 on road. Its stock (at the moment except for the exhaust and 19" wheels) and came with leather, climate, great sound system (can't remember what brand and can't be bothered going out to the garage)

The 5.7L (in the VX SS) was like Mick said of the XR8, sounded good(ish), but NO poke down, but do develop ALOT of power up high and rev easily past 6000rpm to the rev limiter a little bit north of that. The 6L is a HEAPS better engine, heaps more down low and mid range with the normal terrifying upper range. Its funny to take it to the rev limit, cos' the rev limiter just cuts the fuel at 6200rpm. We plan on getting a tune (MAFless) and an OTRCAI to tickle it a bit.

I love the XR6T's, and the biggest reason that I'll get one is that they are cheaper than Z series VZ (6L engine). I love the power delivery of the T and look forward to one day owning one and either playing with it or buying it with stuff already done. But the scream of a primitive single cam, pushrod V8 with great heads, a brilliant induction system and tined properly is an almighty sound.

Don't be surpised if the outcome of the review is a big win to the SS-V. Mick, put a decent exhaust on it, you'll love it!!

My 2c worth

Dave the n00b.

[Adam]

Haven't read the review just yet but today I was at the footy when the local Police unmarked VE SS did a lap past and then must of got a call because he chucked a quick U-turn and took off out of the ground. Once on the main road he gave it a fair bit and even from 100m away it sounded horn to me! Being a cop car it would of had the stock exhaust aswell. I couldn't believe how good it sounded!

[Dagabond]

No mention of the A pillar yet....

[mickq]

No mention of the A pillar yet....

Hehe...I just finished typing that bit up!

Part 3 may go out tonight.

There is a part 4 too, which talks in detail about XR6T engine vs SS-V...which is good where etc.

Part 4 tomorrow some time in the arvo/evening.

[Buf-Phoon]

Mick , great review thus far, and from reading your posts over the past years I know the rest will be objective. You are however a total bastard making me tune in again to read of all things a Expensive Daewoo review well done , have you thought about a job in Motoring journalism ?? Well written, and as a bonus you can drive the farkers as well . I'm a bit tired and emotional after a very long lunch but , very good read.

That said I refuse to read 7 chapters of a teaser campaign. The women get the flick after one .... over to you

[dingah2]

Good write up and for the main part tallies with my impression of the GTS.

Looks nice and sounds nice as a first impression but usual Expensive Daewoo door clang when closing doors soon puts paid to that, the A pillar is an absolute shocker at roundabouts, engine pulls well from low revs but it seems to stop delivering much in the way of real grunt above 4500 and beyond that sounded like it shouldn't be there.

TRAC suspension ok, but the hard setting at low revs felt like someone had welded the dampers up.

Love the seats though - yes I definitely loved the seats.

THe instrumentation demonstrated absolute incompetence in design. Red lighting used in the manner it is is almost unreadable at a glance and I continually had to resort to the large digital numbers at speed as the lighting required far too much time with the eyes off the target to assimilate the information.

We toyed with red lighting years ago in aircraft and gave it away tens of years ago; in the GTS it's next to bloody useless and border son the dangerous.

Dingah