I drive a dinosaur – the sub-$50K, naturally-aspirated V8, rear-wheel-drive, manual transmission Sport Sedan is officially extinct. By happy circumstance, I acquired one of the last living specimens exactly one year ago today – a lightly rebadged Holden Commodore SS-V Redline, of which a mere 12,856 were sold in the US as the captive import Chevrolet SS over four model years with zero (zilch, nada) marketing whatsoever. Many of these were purchased with an eye to future resale and see few miles and absolutely no inclement weather. I, on the other hand, bought mine to drive…
After a six-week wait for the car to be transported from the port in Benicia, CA, I took delivery April 19, 2017 with 9 miles on the odometer. Given the car’s 415hp/415tq ratings, I treated it with kid gloves until I got through the break-in period and really started to get a feel for the car.
One thing I quickly had to get used to was folks complimenting me on my ‘Impalibu’ SS.
That changed once I rebadged the car to its Holden source brand; “What is it?” is the question I now get most often, with guesses ranging from a Jaguar to a Peugeot.
Prior to the SS, we would typically take my wife’s ’12 Routan or its predecessors on road trips – she never liked the diesel smell of my ’00 New Beetle TDI and its successor ’13 Beetle TDi convertible simply lacked room for more than an overnight stay’s worth of luggage. We did do a couple trips in my next-in-line ’15 Honda Fit, but it rode every bit like the sub-compact that it is and made for pretty close traveling quarters.
The SS, on the other hand, is an excellent road trip car, and in “Tour” mode, it really soaks up the bumps. Put it in “Sport” mode, and the ride gets taut and the bimodal exhaust opens up with a nice growl and delicious pops and crackles on deceleration. It was high praise, indeed, when my wife said the car “was comfortable.” She was less thrilled after an afternoon’s jaunt through the North Georgia mountains – the car just begs to be pushed in the curves!
Mechanically, the car has been flawless, with zero issues at all during the first year. The only mechanical foible I could really rumble about is the notchy 2nd gear in the Tremec TR-6060 that gets worse in cold weather, something pretty much everyone rowing this unit complains about. The biggest complaint I have with the car is that the technology is quite outdated – essentially equivalent to what Chevrolet was using in 2012. Sure, it has advanced features like a lane departure and front/side/rear obstacle warning system, but I quickly got tired of all the bleeping and false alarms, so I turned those systems off.
The built-in 8″ display is great, but nav is linked to an active OnStar account, which I declined to renew after the trial period, so I use an iPad mini instead. I also activate the onboard wifi hot spot on longer trips, both to avoid having to tether to my phone as well as to take advantage of a more consistent signal in parts of the country where cell coverage is spotty. The head unit is underpowered for what it’s asked to do and occasionally crashes, but on a positive note, an owner on the SS forums has successfully hacked an aftermarket CarPlay-compatible HU to work in the SS, so there’s hope. The overall audio quality is “okay,” but my ’15 RAM 2500 actually sounds better to my ears. Visibility ahead and to the sides is good, but the high trunk and its ducktail spoiler make rear visibility a challenge – a backup camera is integrated, and is almost mandatory for safe reversing. I also find it necessary to angle the side mirrors down when backing into a space so I can see the striping.
As I said, I bought the car to drive, and in our first full year, we covered 34,284 miles in twenty States, averaging a hand-calculated 20.3 MPG. Our best tank was 25.7 MPG on a perfectly flat stretch through Kansas with no wind, not too shabby for a two-ton LS3-powered beast. The trip computer says we averaged 48.5 MPH during the first year, which translates to roughly 700 hours behind the wheel. I have yet to test the upper speed limit of the car (governed to 160 MPH), but did rename third gear “Reheat,” because, “Wow this car really accelerates when I need to pass someone!” If you don’t keep an eye on things, third will very quickly have you pushing triple digits.
The longest trip we made was to the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas, including a trip through four States in under two minutes! Lots of beautiful scenery out that way …
… including the Painted Desert,
… and the famous 1932 Studebaker on Route 66 in the Petrified Forest National Park (speaking of dinosaurs).
The SS makes for a very effective bug killer…
In addition to the long road trips, I also made some new friends (that’s a coworker’s G8 with a genuine HSV nose) …
… Including some really old ones!
And of course, I had to do Cars & Coffee Cars & Coffee Cars & Coffee a bunch of times, where I saw some more of my G8 cousins.
We also took time to shoot the breeze …
Disturb the peace …
And hang out with a movie star …
As well as TV commercial star …
Or just hang out at the theater itself …
I unfortunately missed out on the Great Pumpkin, again …
But did collect some other orange objects.
The SS did great during our snowier-than-average Middle West winter (Michelin X-Ices FTW!) – we were still getting snow showers as of last night, in fact …
And we enjoyed visiting our grandkids in Tennessee, even if it rained the whole trip.
The rest of the time, the SS simply shuttled me back and forth to work. “One of these things is not like the other…”
So my ‘Year One’ report has actually turned into a bit of a Postcard Picture Set, but at the end of the day, isn’t this why many of us drive? While I won’t argue with folks who buy a car as an investment, I’m more of the mind to collect a series of pleasant memories in a great vehicle (and as someone wisely said, “Every car has a story”). On that count, the SS has delivered, and in spades.
And now if you’ll excuse me, the road beckons …
*cough*
Wow. A badge engineered car ad!
hehehe
There is a South African version too
Okay..very nice car. That, and the wife likes it. Always a bonus.
“lightly rebadged” I take it you weren’t enthralled with the Bow Tie emblems ?? I get that. Your car, do what ever you wish with it. You also mentioned that resale wasn’t a huge concern. Just in case you do change your mind, I hope you can rebadge back to a Chev.
Anyway, it sounds like a blast to drive , fun car. Enjoy.
I don’t think it will really matter, an SS won’t be cross shopped by the careless masses deciding between this and an Accord at a used car lot. Anyone seeking out a used SS most likely knows the Holden origins and/or wouldn’t be put off by the rebadge regardless. The VIN ultimately proves what the car is, and there’s no law stating that badges need to be accurate or even present.
Modern gold bow tie emblems are hideous IMO
I would’ve thought the Holdenisation of the car might be quite appealing to the type of person in the market for a used EssEssOdore.
Edit: Or, what he said.
A great summary! And I can confirm that this is a great car to be in, I got shuttled around in it during the CC trip to Detroit.
Now, if only Ed could recreate that shot with Herbie and Commodore using his own 1963 Beetle…
Safe travels in the future!
Hmmm, I’ll have to offer you a ride in it again sometime soon, maybe all the way to my farm so you can help me on the ’63!
Thanks for the excellent picture tour of your travels with the car! I’m glad it’s shaping up to be everything you were hoping it to be (and more). What’s the tire life like, i.e. how many sets (of rears) have you gone through?
I still have the OEM Potenza summer tires, and throw them on for autox. They have around 10K on them and plenty of tread left – my hooning days are long past, except for track days (that’s why my avg. mpg is over 20). I can, however, confirm that one can get a really nice chirp going into third gear, should one be so inclined. (c:
The wide aftermarket wheels are shod with Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 performance all-seasons, which are wearing well so far, even with a track alignment.
Ed, seeing that you live in Illinois, have you ever driven through the Kansas City area? I saw a rebadged Chevy SS with the same colors and wheels, but I don’t remember which state tags the car had.]
Yes, we came through KC on our way back from the GC last year (June). Haven’t been back that way since, though.
I love your car. The pictures don’t really do justice to the beautiful color that just sparkles with a hint of deep green in the sun.
I still get a smile out of the way you went through all the charts and graphs and figures to buy the perfectly logical Honda Fit. But the other side of the brain will not be denied.
There are lots of gratifying things in life but one of them is getting to drive something that makes you happy. It looks like you have been able to do that, so congrats!
Very cool Ed, glad you are enjoying the car.
Can we have a round of applause for someone who bought their SS to DRIVE and not to bring to Barrett Jackson?
+1
I figure with Holden manufacturing being shuttered that parts availability will become an issue around 2027 (ten years from end of manufacturing), at least for everything but the LS3 bits.
Someone’s car will have to offer parts for the low-miles ones still left by then, right?
lol I just had to applaud that since I watched Gas Monkey buy a “ONE OF EIGHT” Galaxie convertible that was a complete and utter basket case for about $12K and resell (after doing nothing) for $20K
That was a big ole “eye roll” for me.
Maybe your local Napa won’t have parts, but I would imagine they will be available in Australia, so you could have them after some delay.
MG Rover parts don’t seem to be too hard to come by in the UK, and Falcodores are an Aussie national institution, whereas MGR products…
I wouldn’t count on the parts situation here to be too rosy, with many of the supply chain manufacturers having shut down too. At least there should be second hand sources, and the aftermarket to step up for consumables.
These look so much better rebadged as a Holden. A guy in my town has a rebadge job like this, green with tinted windows, looks fantastic. And a manual transmission too.
I saw one of these “Holdens” in Modesto CA. Question, I’ve lived in a area where cell is spotty, but always found wifi even worse. Where do you go that is the opposite?
I believe the on-board WiFi gets its signal via satellite…
That makes sense. Guess it’s why I keep my Garmin.
Nice ride, and glad it’s serving you well. I’ve said this before, but you bullseyed it with your choice in aftermarket wheels—the dark centered split 5-spokes with the slight deep lip. The right wheels can totally transform a car’s whole presence and attitude…those are THE right choice for the lines and color of your car. The flat faced and bland stockers lack any mojo at all.
I know what you mean by that ‘crunchy’ second gear in cool weather…my Challenger uses the same TR-6060 and til it warms up that shift can be brutal.
I had to laugh at your title line. It’s totally true and a bit disturbing that the 2 most ‘American’ of car platforms used by the D3 (Mopar LX and your Holden) are rooted in something developed overseas. That GM undermarketed and underserved fans of old school rwd cars with a full line ready to go is beyond me. Especially as FCA is still selling a 14 y/o class leading similar setup as fast as they can build them. And Ford never even gave the Falcon a chance here. Impala? Taurus? Just more bland forgettable fwd appliances.
Especially as FCA is still selling a 14 y/o class leading similar setup as fast as they can build them.
Not according to this chart. The 300 is down 65% since its best year. Charger is also down considerably over the years. Challenger is up a bit in the last couple of years, but not nearly enough to make up the difference. Overall LX sales have been trending down.
They have been trending down, but the LX cars (300 & Charger) still have 37% market share in this segment, according to goodcarbadcar.net. No one else came close, but we need to look at that through the lens of declining sedan sales across the board.
He said as fast as they can build them I’m sure FCA would be quite happy to build more. That’s what I was responding to.
“He said as fast as they can build them I’m sure FCA would be quite happy to build more.”
You know what I mean. FCA is known to be capacity constrained. The reason the Magnum was discontinued was because the Charger had stolen most of its sales, and to bring on the much more popular Challenger, one of them had to go. FWIW, the exec who pulled the plug on the Magnum was shortly fired from the company according to Allpar insiders. And the Magnum’s sales fell off right before your chart shows the same for the 300, which may have to do with the economy crash and the introduction of the announcement of the Challenger. So FCA is selling all the LX’s they can build. Its a crazy profitable platform and since GM gave up on the Holdens, theres nothing to compete anywhere near that price point.
Point being, FCA owns this segment. ‘Cars’ in general are trending down, but LX cars are relatively flat in the grand scheme of things. Appliance grade midsizers are obsolete for the same reason that basic non sporty 2-doors are obsolete, leaving behind almost purely halo cars and performance models. GM could be having a piece of that pie, possibly an even bigger one if they had duplicated everything that’s on the Holden platform here. The wagon even has a very Outback/AMC Eagle like variant that would sell like hotcakes. Its suprising that with the Magnum being available with AWD, they didn’t offer some fender flares and a slight lift, but the Durango kinda has that covered.
I overheard a couple’s conversation about the 300 at the Denver auto show where the wife said “it really hasn’t changed much from your 2012, has it?” *Sigh* “nope…”.
That they’ve maintained steady sales for 5 years on an old platform and styling not much different than it had 13 years ago, even if those sales are less than stellar, does show there is a consistent demand for a unique product in this segment. The full size segment elsewhere in the industry is just selling slightly roomier and even safer styled versions of midsize sedans.
And the 300 is the weak one of the trio, Charger sales have been just as consistent since 2012, hovering consistently in the 80k-90k range. Compare those figures to the Toyota Avalon in the same time.
“I overheard a couple’s conversation about the 300 at the Denver auto show where the wife said “it really hasn’t changed much from your 2012, has it?” *Sigh* “nope…”.”
To my eye, the ’15 update looks FAR better than the ’11-’14. The main difference is under the skin. The TF-8 transmission is a godsend, having driven the old Mercedes 5spd…which was great in its time.
The Challenger has actually changed the least on the surface, but without a total redesign its hard to know where to take the styling with that one.
Yes but you are a Mopar guy, for the casual observer the current 300 is basically indistinguishable from the 2011, all that really changed were basic fussy details, unlike the Charger which had a full sheetmetal redo for ’15 and if that wasn’t obvious enough, the front end was changed completely.
I honestly don’t think the Challenger should ever change its core aesthetic, even with a platform change. It is a more pure and enduring retro than the edgy 5-6g Camaros and flared S197 Mustangs. It doesn’t look compromised or mutilated by the need to be Aero and aggressive most modern styling trends dictate the way the Camaro in particular looks
You could say the same about a lot of BMW’s, even Mercedes until recently. I think Chrysler had a winner and maintaining the brand identity through minor refreshes is not a bad thing. And while the numbers Paul published show a more than trivial decline, as he said, sedans are fading away overall. I found the G8 and SS hugely appealing but I guess GM didn’t care, as they got no advertising, no product placement or promotion, nothing.
Excellent write-up and lovely car! I briefly priced used G8s a few years ago but they were still more than I wanted to pay. I still lust after all variants of this chassis, though!
I get the re-badge, especially in a state where all the cop cars are Chevy Caprices.
So glad to see that you are driving it and racking up the miles. That’s my thoughts whenever I purchase any car… I wanna drive it and rack up the miles.
Great story Ed, thanks. My son had a G8 a few years ago, slightly modded(exhaust, intake stuff etc). Lots of fun, we had!
I guess GM’s heart just wasn’t in it anymore.
Happy motoring, Ed!
The IPad mini over the head unit is genius! I’m now so used to the faux iPad on the dash look sported by so many modern interiors, I never would have noticed 🙂
The notchy second gear seems to be a Tremec quirk, my 2004 TR3650 5-speed I put in my Cougar has the same issue when cold. I think it’s the blocker clutch material they use.
I love the car, but what I really love is the huge pole barn. I need to get one of those (for my car buying but never selling addiction).
As an Aussie, most of us were proud that our nation produced such cars. Yes, some called them agricultural, but no one ever doubted the massive fun factor cars of this ilk can provide. The replacement model for the Commodore, a reengineered and rebadged Opel, is not selling well at all. I think many are resentful that local production has stopped. On the other hand, Ford are selling Mustangs here, and they are going gangbusters. Speaking of Ford, we have just purchased a used Territory that is fitted with the ancient but tried and tested LandRover V6 diesel. We will be towing our new caravan with it, so a diesel was the only way to go. The car presents beautifully, and did not have a towbar on it. We consider this a real bonus, as it has never been asked to propel Dad and Mum and kids and a dog and a massive van all over the countryside.
I’ve said it before and Ill say it again. This car, in Holden Pontiac, Chevy, Vauxhall forms, is one of the best looking saloons of the century, and I don’t blame you at all for going for it.
Adding the Holden badges is a great touch, making it yours, telling us you know what you’re doing and that you’re driving this car.
34000 in a year – not a bad total!
Enjoy!
Great selection of words and pics Ed! I’m not Australian (I’m across the ditch in New Zealand) and I’m definitely on the Falcon side of the Falcon vs Commodore preferences (not that that matters any more) but as I read through, I felt a strange sense of pride to see an Australian designed and built car in America. And a sense of joy that it’s being used fully as intended! I look forward to next year’s review and pics!
I feel full of pride knowing the Commodore has such a devoted enthusiast following in another country! If only the Falcon had found its way back over to North America, and if only Chevy had actually marketed the SS (or if the G8 had been re-introduced as a Chevy in 2009)… Then even more people would know Australia made kickass sport sedans!
I think they really would have done better had the original one sold here was a Pontiac/Chevy Monaro,, instead of sticking it with the “GTO” moniker and baggage that went with it. I’m sure the “economic downturn” didn’t help any, either. I didn’t buy a GTO (and I came very close to doing so) because it was only a 2-door, and by the time 4-door G8’s were around, I had gotten laid off and couldn’t afford one anymore. These really are great cars, they make stupid power, but are comfortable and easily used daily, unlike the “big power” cars of yore. I totally wanted an SS, but now anything I get has to swallow 4 car seats, so I missed out again, on a great Aussie car. Maybe in 20 years I can pick up one from a “boomer”’s estate sale… 🙂
Ed, I love your car, but you already knew that!
I drive a Falcon but I’ve traditionally oscillated between liking the Falcon and the Commodore (e.g. I was a Falcon man from 2002 until 2008). By the time of the VF II, the Falcon was looking pretty old so I was back to being a Commodore man.
I’ve driven the WN Caprice with the same engine but I’ve never driven a Commodore variant with Magnetic Ride Control or a bi-modal exhaust:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-australian-brands/rental-car-review-2017-holden-wn-ii-caprice-v-bittersweet/
I agree with you on the infotainment system, it’s not great.
I’d love to take a drive in one of these though. The SS, from memory, was a cross between our Commodore SS and SS-V and the HSV models… Magnetic Ride Control, for example, was only offered in the Commodore line in the very last special editions of 2017. And I don’t recall if any HSVs even got ventilated seats like the Chevy SS — I know the Commodore never did!
You have an amazing car and I’m glad you’re enjoying the hell out of it. Love the pics. Look forward to hearing more about it down the line!
The SS is a SS-V Redline fitted with a LS3.
From memory, the Senators had heated seats, a feature shared with the Calais.
Ventilated seats, cannot remember seeing them in series I cars.
MRC was baked in from the get go for the US market. And the bimodal exhaust sounds fantastic.
Shame on gm for not restyling these to look like an American car. It looks like a Japanese car. Not sporty and not attractive at all. Bet if it looked like an American car it would have done far better sales wise. They should have learned their lesson with the bland grand am looking gto.
But that was part of the appeal, every cop on the highway is gonna be watching that hot sports car with the loud exhaust go by, and you WILL get pulled over if you aren’t following the law. Meanwhile I can fly by under the radar and not worry about driving a “cop magnet”. To say nothing about worrying about parking a “hot” car and hoping it’ll still be there when I get off work..,
To each, their own, though…
Great selection of photos! Glad to see you’re getting your money’s worth out of that beautiful car.
Yeah…Agreed ..A very cool car. Let me go on record . I don’t like the whole idea of “re badging”
I’m from the Walt Kowalski (Gran Torino) school of thought. Modifications are not something I’m comfortable with. I do, however respect that not all car enthusiasts adhere to my expectations .
I keep my Mustangs exactly the way they were built. Just my way.
My 05 GT rag is not quite “Barret Jackson material , but its close. My wiper blades, and oil filters are FOMOCO. I’m anal when it comes to originality. As mentioned earlier, just the way I think. YMMV
Walt Kowalski had a wide selection of options to individually choose from when he ordered his Gran Torino, a far cry from the limited colors and two or three trim levels you get to pick on anything today. My method of modification is to equip a car how I would order it if I could, and I even like using OEM parts to create it.
Plus in this case, who rebadged what? The owner or Chevrolet?
Nice! Have a guy who owns one in our neighborhood. Between it and a neighbor’s ‘17 Corvette, we have no shortage of pleasing exhaust sounds.
Ed, you’ve got a great car and I’m happy to have had the chance to ride in it (multiple times, even) when in Detroit.
Keep it between the ditches!
Very nice car, very nice write-up.
I think mom would have gone with a G8 to replace her ’05 Bonneville GXP had they been available at the time. Since they were not she opted for a Camaro RS convertible. What might have been.
34,000 miles in a year. Well, patience, Mr S, you’ll probably start liking it when you really get to put some miles on it, I suppose.
The manifold reasons for The End have been much re-hashed (in short, combined circumstances of inevitability) but it is impossible not to feel pride when a local outpost, minor to the corporation, bested head office even as they closed it. Perhaps it should have been called the FU Commodore. It was the best of the lot. It is nice to hear that confirmed far away from the country where Holden’s very name is embedded in the culture. And nice that you honour that origin by fitting the badge.
Gloomily, Holden has just mismanaged its way to its worst sales period ever, and is likely to drop out of the top ten in the next. In just 6 months since closure, sales have collapsed. A misleading but symbolic statistic is that tenth is their lowest place since 1948, the year of the first Holden. Another is that they sold one in twenty new cars in the last month; it was once one in two. It is strongly rumoured, and I personally think inevitable, that GM will ultimately just walk away. There is no economic sense in losing money for a tiny market share of a tiny market using a brand emptied of the equity it so recently had.
What a very shabby ending that will be. And then any promise then given about parts backup would have to be treated with the same trust as all the promises the company PR goons gave to workers and dealers over many years whilst taking billions in public assistance.
Enough of that. On the brighter side, they made 123,000 of them here, so there’ll be years of them piling up in wreckers. So when something falls off the SS or otherwise expires, the internet will deliver it to Illinois if you but ask.
Worry not then, sir. You can put some real miles on it next year.
Lovely photography, and a post that really conveys your enjoyment.
Cheers – and long may your personal dinosaur roam.
And there are ~500K+ VEs out there. And some of the bits of the VF are shared with the Camaro.
Parts availability should not be an issue.
Other than US-market-specific bits (mostly electronics…).