Mum's Corner
Holden Adventra CX8
Back to review
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"...from the outside [it]
is stylish -
I think the car looked great."
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Welcome to the first edition of Mum's Corner. I have two
young children, a girl 4, and a boy who is 2. I would consider
myself a practical, no nonsense type of purchaser and consumer
who doesn't normally get caught up with brand names and the
like, but enjoys affordable comfort and function.
Mum's Corner will be a place where I can provide my personal
perspective on a number of cars and how they are suited to
my week of activities. I hope you enjoy the read and the perspective
provided.
I recently had the pleasure of driving Holden's new AWD Adventra
which certainly gave me a different perspective on the road.
The higher ride gave me better visibility on the road and
a feeling of being in more control. The AWD drive system seemed
to make the car feel far more "stickier" on the
road.
I enjoyed all the standard features seen in the new range
of Commodores. The dash was very clean looking and the electric
windows, 6 stack CD player and climate control a standard
on this level of car.
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New tailgate system "...a
great idea"
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The V8 engine ensured that getting about was easy and purposeful.
I must say that the steering was heavier than I expected,
but I think that is a function of the AWD drive system.
The first comment from my daughter when we got into the car
was "Let's get a pet - there is room for a pet in the
back".
Well there's been a quiet debate on the pet front at home
and there'd certainly be room in the back of the Adventra
for a large family dog.
The interior of the car is quite roomy and I love the drink
cup holders on the dashboard - they fold out like some complex
gyroscopic show.
The general stance and look of the car from the outside is
stylish - I think the car looked great. It was great on long
trips in the country providing comfort, greater visibility
and smoother riding. It was also great for loading the weekly
list of renovator bits and pieces.
I did find that it was difficult for the kids to climb in
and out (being higher off the ground than our VT Calais with
FE2 suspension), but perhaps it wouldn't be much of an issue
for older kids.
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"...heavier steering"
didn't sit well with Mum
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I definitely felt vulnerable without the constraining cargo
mesh between the rear and where the kids sat (that is found
on the LX8 version and perhaps needs to be included standard
on the CX8).
The new rear window is a great idea for accessing items more
quickly and easily than having to open the back door entirely,
but at 5'3" I found it a bit high to reach in and out.
Similarly, the rear door was quite heavy needing 2 hands
to lift it up - not practical when needing to hold onto the
kids or the shopping.
Overall I thought the Adventra looked good and I enjoyed
the higher ride it provided, but on the downside I felt the
heavier steering and the need to lift most things with two
hands higher (including kids) was a downside to the type of
car - perhaps because I am not tall and I need to get the
kids in and out many times during the day.
The height would not be as much of an issue for someone who
is taller and had older kids that could get themselves in
and out.
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Reader Comments:
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Dear Mums Corner,
I liked your article on the Holden Adventra.
I have bought an LX8 and love it.
I'm a Mum of three boys, two thirteen year olds and
one nearly eleven. I still own my 1999 VT Wagon, as
the twins will be driving in 2-3 years, but I love my
new Adventra.
Yes, the steering is heavier than the VT but remember
it is an All Wheel Drive vehicle. The front driving
wheels provide 35% percent power to the driving wheels
and 65% to the rear, so of course the steering will
be a bit heavier [than one with 0% drive to front wheels].
The fuel economy is what you would expect from a Chev
V8, but then again, for the room and comfort the vehicle
gives you to seat five normal sized aussies -- two parents
and three teenage children, compared to the other AWD
vehicles that are made for two tiny adults and two young
children -- I'll fill it up every 500 kms for $50 dollars
anyday.
Regards,
Sandra.
(Sydney, NSW)
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My wife test drove the Adventra last week and found
similar problems and benefits. The only downside is
the price and as it is so new, the lack of second-hand
models.
It's fuel consumption would be our next concern because
we would do a lot of short trips.
Brendan.
(Melbourne, VIC)
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Thoughts? Questions?
I'd love to get some feedback, so email me here.
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