As an Australian criminal ;), I felt the need to respond. The Commodore SS was never designed as a luxury car.... ever! They are just a muscled up version of an everyday car. Love the content Jason, cheers.
YESSS been waiting for this video to come back to youtube for years! It was the reason I test drove an SS and eventually bought one with that 20% off sale they had!
You too!! I bought a 2017 black with the 20% off discount, my only regret is I couldn't get the manual, no one had one. But I love this car. Chevy should have kept making it!!!
@@Belsarius26 I actually bought it after the Stop Sale in November. They kept continuing the 20% off deal every month because of that seatbelt recall, and the dealer I bought from had more manuals sitting around than any other dealer Boardwalk Chevy, they had 11!). When the stopsale ended, they called all of us up and they sold all 11 Manuals in one day LOL. Had to do a one way rental to drive down there and pick it up. Sadly the Jungle Green one I wanted was traded to another dealer during the stopsale so I would up with just white. Only kept it a year and sold it for what I paid for it though.
@@stevemartegani I hear ya, I bought mine at Auto Nation and they only had two at the time and only seemed to have two at a time. I never thought to ask if they had any manuals at any ot their other stores, I should have. The power on that beast scared my wife so bad when shebwas driving it, I agreed to trade it in for something a bit more benign. I traded it in for a Impala Premier. Every time I see one on the street I regret getting rid of it.
While the SS was a missed opportunity, GM still continued to perfect the Luxury manual sports sedan with the Blackwings today. Always had the magic in the back.
Look up.. HSV GTS R W1, the current Cadilac is an Exact Clone, off a 2017 Australian Car... They closed down Holden so they could copy their car... oh and ours is availble, in Sedan, Wagon and Ute... Sitting at the lights next to a AMG, Lights go Green, stomp the pedal, the AMG owners Trophy Girlfriend, looks across, and the "AMG" is getting Beaten by a Holden UTE.. puts a smile on my face everytime...
@@graemejohnson9025 depends what AMG your talking about though, and it would have been awesome to see what the W1 could have done with the 10 speed in a drag, my 2016 Camaro can actually keep up with them, not beat them but certainly keep within the body length.
So true, they done a great job! Once you bump it up over 400kw full throttle traction starts to become an issue. As a stock 306kw . . It's a perfect daily..
Can confirm, for a while my Dad had a VF Calais as a company car....I felt perfectly safe pushing that thing around much harder than I'd be game enough to most other cars.
Yes, I have experienced what Randy was saying during a track day in September of 2021. When the original Bridgestones RE050As get some heat in them, then STICK.
As an Ausssie who see's these cars every day, too bad you didn't have the Clubsport version as that would really made you smile like a game show host.😁 Great video
Same ..VF2 Sandman 2 door here.. It says quite a lot about American taste that if it doesn't come with fat tires , scoops and looks like a Charger... its a sleeper...
I agree with you I see these almost every day too. As always you do have some of them want to show you what’s under the hood by doing a nice launch at the lights. It never gets old hearing that ls3 V8 in person. Would have one if I could afford it. But I’ll just have to settle for my ls1 AWD wagon sleeper instead.
Dream car. Even the cops don't have these in Canada. I never even seen one Edit - Wait, I forgot, the Pontiac G8. Mostly v6 automatics were here and no long roof. (4 G8s for sale right now on Canada Auto Trader, all v6 automatics)
Same here! Got a manual Regal Green and love how this thing drives. 18,000 miles in 5 years and I plan to pass this along to a deserving member of the family. Just need the right bribe to determine who it will be.
Yeah, I was swayed as well. My Nightfall Gray Metallic is a nice gray, but I really should have ordered Royal Peacock Metallic. I stupidly thought that a unique color would hurt resale. I could have been about 1 of 12 as optioned instead of 1 of 142.
@@michaelericksen6340 I REALLY wanted one in Royal Peacock Metallic, but the only one I found was hundreds of miles away and $55K. All others were 20% off at the time (Nov 2017), and I couldn't justify the price....and I didn't have the extra $$.
GM: No one wanted to buy it Customer: THIS EXISTED WTF GM: Well ya we did zero promotion, hid the thing on the site, and called it the SS so you thought it was just a trim level. OOOO and also sold 99% of them to cops by calling it the Caprice
As an owner of a 2015 SS here in the states… this video is awesome! I absolutely love this car! Such a sleeper - and it can blow the doors off so many other cars while there are three giant car seat’s across the back.
This is so great. How did these get to youtube, weren't they behind the MT paywall? Either way, glad its here, and I hope you get to own your own content. It's all so great
Maybe he had an agreement that after X amount of years, he has copyright control. It's like musicians owning masters. Most artists don't own their masters, the label does. So they don't have control of their own music, and if they leave the label, they lose usage of their music.
I have often scoffed at the term "TH-cam influencer." But I must admit that when I was cross shopping the SS Sedan with the ATS-V 5 years ago, this video did play a role in sending me to the local Chevrolet dealer, where I ordered one of the last manual SS sedans produced. 5 years and 25,800 miles later, I still love this beast and am considering some bolt-on mods. Thanks, Jason (and Randy)!!
Good choice! The ATS-V was a great car new but isn't aging nearly as well as your SS, the electronics have more issues as does the turbo V6. The head of GM's performance V8 division has said the LS3 is the best overall V8 they've ever built, and the most stout v8 they'll likely ever build in this era of economy/emissions and more complex finicky V8s. Dependable cars like this with no successor often shoot up in value, especially when they were underappreciated and sold poorly new. Got a late S2000 that's doubled in value since I bought it and expect the SS to do the same. If you don't like 4 cylinders don't worry, bought a Grand Sport Corvette with the LS3 as well. Ah that engine note. :)
I have the LSA HSV wagon Jason was talking about… no stripes but currently has 361rwkw and it rips hard! Chuck the kids in, fill up the back with shopping, and still chop most things I come across between 60-160km/h
I’m an Aussie and seeing these on the road every day is such a blessing especially when you hear the engine almost at redline off the lights. One sleeper I wish you Americans could experience is a older but still great AWD Holden Adventra or Avalanche wagon with the V8 LS1. Some of us here refer to it as the Australian Subaru Outback. This is what I settled for as my daily.
Early commodores and ford falcons were often beaten up in the Aussie motor press compared to euro cars. But the Aussie cars were made with family standards, tough country roads and a speed limit of 100 kmh for a country as wide as USA. Which meant comfy seats etc. Then over 40 years the two competed with each other for sales. In every category. Sedan, supercar, work Ute, family wagon, hoon cars, rental cars, taxis etc. incredibly sad that all that has passed now. Both Ford and Holden/GM gave up a good thing and a lot of knowledge when they started shutting Australian plants.
They competed in a closed market, as long as they were given massive subsidies and as soon as that ended, they went away. Don't get me wrong, I love my BA Falcon with the magnificent Barra, it's like driving around in my lounge...but I remember cars that were sold without heaters and no dimmer on the rear view mirror or rear window demist. Those SOBs made a killing in the Oz market and don't think they were doing us any favours...
Holden was exactly what Pontiac set out to be, driving excitement. Pontiac lost that long before the GTO and G8 came out. As a huge Pontiac fan, I would not have minded them giving Pontiac the axe, only to replace it with Holden. It sucks that GM killed both off and left boring Buick.
The economy of scale that saw the falcodore everywhere in business, fleets and taxis was their downfall for their brand perception And because they were such good value, lived so long, and fixes were plentiful and cheap, most of them looked so 'very well used' This meant people with enough cash and ego to buy something else (overpriced euro), did.
The other great Aussie rear wheel drive V8 and Turbo inline 6 was the Ford Falcon ..Ran until the end of 2016 ..The last two models were the FG and FGX .. They used the 5.0 V8 but supercharged from the factory and the Turbo and N/A four litre Barra in line 6 ...Unbelievable to drive . Many also had the 6 speed manual gearbox but most had the German designed 6 speed ZF auto with full auto and sequential function also ... Check them out sometime ...Still missing the mighty Falcon ..I have two of my own though ...
Back in February 2019, my Mazda6 was T boned and I started looking for a new car. I found a used SS for $35k and really wanted it. Even scheduled a test drive, before a polar vortex winter snap canceled it (-5 deg f HIGH). However, sensible me ended up with an $19k Mazda3. Looking at prices of SS's now make me cry. I missed my one chance to own one because I decided to save the money for a house (which we did end up buying). If only...
@@robpr315 they compare it, but it is not possible in value aspect, SS as new car is design wise nothing, zero, hole, while E39 was state of the art, so it is not comparable. Another point is value, for 20 years SS will be worth 500 bucks.
I just bought the last of the 2017 Wagons. A redline version - one of 872, with a OTR air cooler it's got even more grunt. Such a beautiful piece of driving history. I smile so much every drive, and then as I walk through the mall I smile remembering that drive.
Love this Jason. I remember watching this a few years ago, still a classic! I hope you can do another video cover of the e39 M5, seeing that its aging very well and becoming very highly sought after
I had the G8 GT and was one of the most wonderful cars I've ever had. Room, power, comfort, utility, and I really liked the looks - far better than the SS tbh. I was hoping desperately that they'd send the Ute - I'd have kept it till I die.
Great review! I own a manual red SS UTE..... It's my happy place ❤️. With rear wheel drive & all the weight in the front, you can't help but wag your tail on pull off 🏁
So happy to see the Chevy SS (Holden Commodore) get the recognition it deserves. Such a fantastic car and probably the best ever Australian designed vehicle.
The Commodores were great from the get go and just kept getting better. I have a '94 VR Calais. The motor is bored and stroked with a hotter cam, custom exhaust system and the latest ECU. Its a sleeper!
Well, I did sign a non disclosure when working as a contractor for GM design during the development of this platform but , as it’s some time ago, I think it’s OK to say that deep in the bowels of GM design in Melbourne, hidden under a large drop cloth, was a BMW M5 which was being referenced as the standard to be equalled. The design people, of course, thought it amusing when motoring journalists compared the first VEs to BMW, usually in a somewhat condescending manner, because they knew that it handled just as well- as it was designed to. BTW , when I spotted the BMW, one of the Holden guys said ‘ you didn’t see that’.
I’ve been driving these Commodores for years. Currently have an older model SS Ute and a Calais Wagon with the LS3. Ultimate Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. I’m glad you got these in the US for a few years also. Great review👍🏻
Jason you are my favorite motoring journalist! Of course there are other channels that does beautiful video and copy but to me good journalism is not driven by whatever the latest new car is out. Good journalism to me is somebody that can their put personal angle on the subject and move my understanding of the world and hey if you are funny at the same time that is just brilliant. Bringing out this older clips of older cars really proves this again. Keep up the good work even if its posting old content 🙂
I purchased my 2017 SS new - and it is the best car I have ever owned for all around performance. (My Z06 is way faster - but you expect it from a Corvette). I loved the comment about surprising the uninformed out on the highway - because I have done that to many a BMW that are probably still saying "WTF was THAT??". My '17 is in Red 2 Hot - and only one of 282 in the USA for that color - for the final year of production. RIP Holden.
Yep, this video helped me pull the trigger on getting the SS, like a lot of the folks posting here. I had been following the 2004 - 2006 GTO, then the G8 GXP, but when I heard that Holden was being shut down, I ordered a 2017 manual SS, and I love it every time I get into it. I had been looking for a sleeper, manual, rear wheel drive sedan, and the SS was exactly what I had been looking for. Regarding the Willow Springs comparison between the 2014 automatic SS and the the manual SS in this video, I wonder how much difference in the lap time is related to the transmissions rather than to the change in the shocks.
Hey Jason; one thing I was hoping you could add to the descriptions is the time/date of filming of these prior videos! Each one I see I'm always so interested in the context of your life during filming of these videos and comparing it to your reviews/work now- It's great to see the changes and growth over the years from a filming/cinematography perspective (and also as a fan of you!)
You still have to give credit to the BMW for being almost as fast as the SS around the track. Even more so without all the modern suspension upgrades. Even still the SS is a beast!
Conversely the SS is more limited by CAFE and federal safety standards than late '90s early '00s BMW ever was. And the budget to develop the SS was undoubtedly lower, inflation adjusted, than that of the E39.
Also keep in mind the BMW was on aftermarket shocks ( seemed lowered to me) And stickier super sports tires as well. (I wonder what other mods unseen as well, bmw has terrific tuning mods to increase HP, even in NA engines) E39 is a beast though.
@@kevinnorwood7355 not really, on a track, multi-matic and coilover setups are superior. Mag ride is great on uneven surfaces like roads and daily driving, the non mag ride 2014 SS was a bit faster on the track actually...
?? THey sold every one of them. They were never intended to sell in high numbers. GM had to import "X" number of them. It was never marketed heavily because they KNEW they would not be making them after closing the doors on Holden.
yep, I think the general consensus here in Australia is that GM had decided to close GM-Holden before they released the VE and simply pandered to our government to continue with bail-outs. In a way, I suspect most Aussies have a poor view of the demise of Holden, and Ford locally.
@@graenicholls4657 we do. Aussie fords and holdens where staple childhood cars owned by our parents, uncles and older brothers. I’ll never forget driving with my older brother in his V8 VK Commodore and my other brothers XE Falcon station wagon he would take us to school in.
You may have just talked me into buying one now! No car I’ve driven since my E39 M5 has replicated the Fun driving factor til now! Thank you from a gear head that’s been looking for that in a sedan for years
This video helped push me over the edge to get this car in 2016. This was an awesome car. Ironically i traded it in today. But someone new will be able to share the love.
I have always thought that the Pontiac G8 and Pontiac GTO were non luxury versions of BMW M3/5 fighters. They both even had kidney grills. So it is interesting to see the Holden Commodore/Chevorlet SS now stacked next to BMW’s in this video.
As an Australian I can promise you the commodore is nothing like any BMW vehicle. If you think this is at the level of the M5 then you should have a look at the FPV F6 and GT-F, those 2 vehicles make the commodore look like a kids toy.
I was at the Chicago Auto show when this was new actively looking for it and walked right past it thinking it was a Malibu. Had to ask one of the brand reps who pointed my friend and I over to it. We were dumbfounded that we'd walked right past it. Wish it was still around. Great review Jason!
Hello Jason, Nice review on the Zeta from Down under! I have wanted to own a G8 GXP from launch in 2009 with m/t. Problem is they are more expensive now than when new (had BIG discounts in 2009). Test drove an 09 used and should have purchased ON THE SPOT....grrrr. So smooth it did not feel fast....until you look at the speedometer. WOW! Settled for 2008 M5 with m/t and extra engine. Still want G8 or SS, but price is going crazy! P-Chi
The SS follows the last GTO (from down under). VERY understated and looks like a Sunfire...but it is WOLF, same for SS vs Malibu....WOLF....but very understated (sheep).
Great to finally see two guys drive the SS the way Aussies do on their way to work or the footy.... I would have loved to see what the next gen of this car would've been had they not stabbed it in the heart. Proud Aussie 2016 SS Series II Redline owner. RIP Commodore 🇦🇺 RIP Holden 🇦🇺
I will own a commodore one day, don't care if it is a VE or VF but it will have a manual 6. Kudos on another great Video Mr JC. Wish I would have found you sooner, but I guess I am right on time. Hope everyone's day goes/went well.
Awesome! 😃👍 I love the E39 M5 and this is one of the best video featuring one 🥰 I love this video, still remember asking Jonny how I thought a H2H with these 2 would be awesome after reading a comparison test in automobile magazine. Little I knew that it was someone called Cammisa Jason that was the author of this article 😂 (except that the SS was an automatic). I haven’t contributed in anything in the making of this video but in my mind I have 😁 Too bad we never had the Chevrolet SS in Europe…
As an Australian criminal ;), I felt the need to respond. The Commodore SS was never designed as a luxury car.... ever! They are just a muscled up version of an everyday car. Love the content Jason, cheers.
Luxury is anything beyond the norm. A Porsche is a luxury car as is a Land Rover.
A taxi/family car with a loud V8 basically.
Try driving one of our HSVs mate, then do another video.
A kiwi concurs
I second this, Holden did bring out a luxury version of the commodore called the caprice.
YESSS been waiting for this video to come back to youtube for years! It was the reason I test drove an SS and eventually bought one with that 20% off sale they had!
You too!! I bought a 2017 black with the 20% off discount, my only regret is I couldn't get the manual, no one had one. But I love this car. Chevy should have kept making it!!!
@@Belsarius26 I actually bought it after the Stop Sale in November. They kept continuing the 20% off deal every month because of that seatbelt recall, and the dealer I bought from had more manuals sitting around than any other dealer Boardwalk Chevy, they had 11!).
When the stopsale ended, they called all of us up and they sold all 11 Manuals in one day LOL. Had to do a one way rental to drive down there and pick it up. Sadly the Jungle Green one I wanted was traded to another dealer during the stopsale so I would up with just white. Only kept it a year and sold it for what I paid for it though.
@@stevemartegani I hear ya, I bought mine at Auto Nation and they only had two at the time and only seemed to have two at a time. I never thought to ask if they had any manuals at any ot their other stores, I should have. The power on that beast scared my wife so bad when shebwas driving it, I agreed to trade it in for something a bit more benign. I traded it in for a Impala Premier. Every time I see one on the street I regret getting rid of it.
Cool car… too much of a sleeper for me. Looks to much like Chevy economy sedan
thats epic.
Every Aussie watching this video being like "You fool, this isn't even my final form!"
They're American. They don't get anything right, especially facts and truth.
Agreed
I wish they got to drive some of the HSV stuff. Some pretty amazing modded Holdens and Fords down here.
@@Thisonegoestoeleven666 What is some of the best years for those hsv models? What is the last year they had v8 commodores?
@@hansolo6827 the last ones. look up hsv gtsr. sedans and utes.
Anything fast from Australia, is a *GUARANTEED* good time. No matter the manufacturer, it's gonna be wild.
They haven't even seen the Barra yet either.
No such thing anymore, sadly. I was lucky to live through a golden time of Aussie muscle.
While the SS was a missed opportunity, GM still continued to perfect the Luxury manual sports sedan with the Blackwings today. Always had the magic in the back.
Look up.. HSV GTS R W1, the current Cadilac is an Exact Clone, off a 2017 Australian Car...
They closed down Holden so they could copy their car... oh and ours is availble, in Sedan, Wagon and Ute...
Sitting at the lights next to a AMG, Lights go Green, stomp the pedal, the AMG owners Trophy Girlfriend, looks across, and the "AMG" is getting Beaten by a Holden UTE.. puts a smile on my face everytime...
@@graemejohnson9025 wasn't that's exactly his point?.
@@graemejohnson9025 depends what AMG your talking about though, and it would have been awesome to see what the W1 could have done with the 10 speed in a drag, my 2016 Camaro can actually keep up with them, not beat them but certainly keep within the body length.
Americans never wanted the SS, it didn't sell well till after it was taken away. Great car tho.
@@tinto278 It was never advertised as they only ever wanted to sell 15K of them.
Randy said it best. "this car puts power down great" as an SS owner, i can confirm. This car never tries to kill you, it just works so well.
So true, they done a great job! Once you bump it up over 400kw full throttle traction starts to become an issue. As a stock 306kw . . It's a perfect daily..
Can confirm, for a while my Dad had a VF Calais as a company car....I felt perfectly safe pushing that thing around much harder than I'd be game enough to most other cars.
My 15 Camaro SS has 1LE suspension though. This is FE6 and much better by far than FE4 (standard on SS). So there's that.
Yes, I have experienced what Randy was saying during a track day in September of 2021. When the original Bridgestones RE050As get some heat in them, then STICK.
The zeta platform was based on the findings of Holden's engineers re-engineering of the E39. They heavily relied on the E39 for chassis engineering
This is one of my all time favorite sedans.
As an Ausssie who see's these cars every day, too bad you didn't have the Clubsport version as that would really made you smile like a game show host.😁
Great video
Same ..VF2 Sandman 2 door here..
It says quite a lot about American taste that if it doesn't come with fat tires , scoops and looks like a Charger...
its a sleeper...
@@Luke-PlanesTrainsDogsnCars Mustangs are some of the most common cars we see and corvettes so we may be biased.
I agree with you I see these almost every day too. As always you do have some of them want to show you what’s under the hood by doing a nice launch at the lights. It never gets old hearing that ls3 V8 in person. Would have one if I could afford it. But I’ll just have to settle for my ls1 AWD wagon sleeper instead.
Only wish Peter Brock was here to see Americans waxing lyrical over a car whose spiritual roots trace back to the Bathurst 1000.
I had a HSV VE GTS 2008 manual in black for 5 years, it was a great car!
I have a manual V8 SS wagon with roof racks. I can confirm that it is the perfect sleeper!
You lucky, lucky person.
@@AnnatarTheMaia Thankyou, I worked for General Motors / Holden when it was built. Dream car for sure!
There is no way that car is a sleeper with that exhaust note.
Maybe a 4 popper turbo Buick Verano with a tune making 300hp is one.
@@PianoBlackTrimRep. The exhaust has a valve in the muffler. It is quiet at idle unless it is in "Sports Mode".
Dream car. Even the cops don't have these in Canada. I never even seen one
Edit - Wait, I forgot, the Pontiac G8. Mostly v6 automatics were here and no long roof. (4 G8s for sale right now on Canada Auto Trader, all v6 automatics)
I LOVED this video. It was what pushed me over the edge to buy an SS. I still have it; firing it up never gets old!
Same here! Got a manual Regal Green and love how this thing drives. 18,000 miles in 5 years and I plan to pass this along to a deserving member of the family. Just need the right bribe to determine who it will be.
Same....
@@limadelta2 Hi dad, I won't tell mom you cheated if we can work out a deal.
Yeah, I was swayed as well. My Nightfall Gray Metallic is a nice gray, but I really should have ordered Royal Peacock Metallic. I stupidly thought that a unique color would hurt resale. I could have been about 1 of 12 as optioned instead of 1 of 142.
@@michaelericksen6340 I REALLY wanted one in Royal Peacock Metallic, but the only one I found was hundreds of miles away and $55K. All others were 20% off at the time (Nov 2017), and I couldn't justify the price....and I didn't have the extra $$.
An Australian watching this and loved it every minute of it!
This video is the main reason I bought my SS. Never letting it go. Thanks Jason!
GM: No one wanted to buy it
Customer: THIS EXISTED WTF
GM: Well ya we did zero promotion, hid the thing on the site, and called it the SS so you thought it was just a trim level. OOOO and also sold 99% of them to cops by calling it the Caprice
Aaand gave it a very bland design, because design never sells a car, right? Right?!
@@Blandat the design wasn’t a sleeper but it put people to sleep looking at it
The Caprice was the long wheel base version of the SS. Similar but not the same.
Caprice was 7 Series sized and a luxury car in Australia, not stripped out like the PPVs. The SS is 5 series sized.
The Chevy Caprice PPV is similar to the Holden Caprice. The Chevy SS is similar to the Holden VF Commodore.
As an owner of a 2015 SS here in the states… this video is awesome! I absolutely love this car! Such a sleeper - and it can blow the doors off so many other cars while there are three giant car seat’s across the back.
Hands down the best #ChevySS review on the internet!!!
Amazing opening sequence. Ace of Base on a tape deck, and an E39 doing a burnout. ❤
Cammisa >>> Motortrend. Thanks for putting videos on youtube instead of taking them off.
This is so great. How did these get to youtube, weren't they behind the MT paywall? Either way, glad its here, and I hope you get to own your own content. It's all so great
Maybe he had an agreement that after X amount of years, he has copyright control. It's like musicians owning masters. Most artists don't own their masters, the label does. So they don't have control of their own music, and if they leave the label, they lose usage of their music.
whatever jason pulled, we all gain
I have often scoffed at the term "TH-cam influencer." But I must admit that when I was cross shopping the SS Sedan with the ATS-V 5 years ago, this video did play a role in sending me to the local Chevrolet dealer, where I ordered one of the last manual SS sedans produced. 5 years and 25,800 miles later, I still love this beast and am considering some bolt-on mods. Thanks, Jason (and Randy)!!
Good choice! The ATS-V was a great car new but isn't aging nearly as well as your SS, the electronics have more issues as does the turbo V6. The head of GM's performance V8 division has said the LS3 is the best overall V8 they've ever built, and the most stout v8 they'll likely ever build in this era of economy/emissions and more complex finicky V8s. Dependable cars like this with no successor often shoot up in value, especially when they were underappreciated and sold poorly new. Got a late S2000 that's doubled in value since I bought it and expect the SS to do the same. If you don't like 4 cylinders don't worry, bought a Grand Sport Corvette with the LS3 as well. Ah that engine note. :)
I have the LSA HSV wagon Jason was talking about… no stripes but currently has 361rwkw and it rips hard! Chuck the kids in, fill up the back with shopping, and still chop most things I come across between 60-160km/h
I have a SS-V. Manual, factory bright green and with a tray. I am keeping it for life.
Keep dropping these reviews have been waiting to see these for a while. Thank you Jason.
Can't get enough of this video! I'm on my second SS (both in Mystic Green). Love my G8 GXP too😉 Too bad GM screwed the pooch and shut Holden down.
THANK YOU for bringing that video back!
I still have my ‘17 manual I got Dec 2017. Drove it home 1000 miles from Birchwood Chevrolet, Cavalier, ND
These re-posted videos are the best content on TH-cam right now 😍
Except the sound quality being recorded in the toilet
@@janeblogs324 probably your device ‘cause it sounds fine on an iPhone 13 pro.
I’m an Aussie and seeing these on the road every day is such a blessing especially when you hear the engine almost at redline off the lights. One sleeper I wish you Americans could experience is a older but still great AWD Holden Adventra or Avalanche wagon with the V8 LS1. Some of us here refer to it as the Australian Subaru Outback. This is what I settled for as my daily.
Early commodores and ford falcons were often beaten up in the Aussie motor press compared to euro cars. But the Aussie cars were made with family standards, tough country roads and a speed limit of 100 kmh for a country as wide as USA. Which meant comfy seats etc. Then over 40 years the two competed with each other for sales. In every category. Sedan, supercar, work Ute, family wagon, hoon cars, rental cars, taxis etc.
incredibly sad that all that has passed now. Both Ford and Holden/GM gave up a good thing and a lot of knowledge when they started shutting Australian plants.
They competed in a closed market, as long as they were given massive subsidies and as soon as that ended, they went away. Don't get me wrong, I love my BA Falcon with the magnificent Barra, it's like driving around in my lounge...but I remember cars that were sold without heaters and no dimmer on the rear view mirror or rear window demist. Those SOBs made a killing in the Oz market and don't think they were doing us any favours...
Holden was exactly what Pontiac set out to be, driving excitement. Pontiac lost that long before the GTO and G8 came out. As a huge Pontiac fan, I would not have minded them giving Pontiac the axe, only to replace it with Holden. It sucks that GM killed both off and left boring Buick.
When I was a kid I dreamt about moving to Australia because of the Commodores and the Falcons I was seeing when watching V8 Supercars on TV
And Toyota and Mitsubishi😅
The economy of scale that saw the falcodore everywhere in business, fleets and taxis was their downfall for their brand perception
And because they were such good value, lived so long, and fixes were plentiful and cheap, most of them looked so 'very well used'
This meant people with enough cash and ego to buy something else (overpriced euro), did.
Awesome video! I ordered my SS right before this came out originally in 2016. Ordered mine with a manual transmission of course.
You are one lucky SOB.
I’m so happy you got the rights to this back. This is THE FAVORITE review of my car ever Jason!
The other great Aussie rear wheel drive V8 and Turbo inline 6 was the Ford Falcon ..Ran until the end of 2016 ..The last two models were the FG and FGX .. They used the 5.0 V8 but supercharged from the factory and the Turbo and N/A four litre Barra in line 6 ...Unbelievable to drive . Many also had the 6 speed manual gearbox but most had the German designed 6 speed ZF auto with full auto and sequential function also ... Check them out sometime ...Still missing the mighty Falcon ..I have two of my own though ...
Back in February 2019, my Mazda6 was T boned and I started looking for a new car. I found a used SS for $35k and really wanted it. Even scheduled a test drive, before a polar vortex winter snap canceled it (-5 deg f HIGH). However, sensible me ended up with an $19k Mazda3. Looking at prices of SS's now make me cry. I missed my one chance to own one because I decided to save the money for a house (which we did end up buying). If only...
Adulting sucks 🤢
@@RichRotorhead haha totally agree!
Are you trolling? You Bought a fricking house, considering the market, was a good move
House trumps car, every time, all of the time.
You made the right choice, buddy. Believe me, if you really want it, eventually it will come, be patient.
The M5 intro here is a 100 proof hit of nostalgia
Here in Australia Men have forgotten about those expensive ladies, and got themselves the SS. In my opinion the best move ever!
So glad to see this video back here - it's the reason I bought my SS.
I had my m5 e39 for 8 years and I love 💕 it. Gm ss is nice but the e39 is always and will be special in my heart ❤️
Well done. Very well done.
Another great video, thanks for the upload!
As a new Jason Cammisa fan, it's great to find out you and Randy are old buds.
The M5 is a 20 year old car, chassis, technology etc...yet it still hold it's own against a much bigger v8 with modern tech. Well done M5
Best car I ever had 🥲
Which one of the vehicles is more reliable, lower maintenance, cheaper to maintain & repair? Just wondering.
@@vetteluvnh you can't compare SS with E39 M5, look at the value, M5 E39 is one of the best sport sedans ever.
@@mrki412 Umm, did you look at the video? I believe that's exactly what they did.
@@robpr315 they compare it, but it is not possible in value aspect, SS as new car is design wise nothing, zero, hole, while E39 was state of the art, so it is not comparable. Another point is value, for 20 years SS will be worth 500 bucks.
I just bought the last of the 2017 Wagons. A redline version - one of 872, with a OTR air cooler it's got even more grunt.
Such a beautiful piece of driving history.
I smile so much every drive, and then as I walk through the mall I smile remembering that drive.
Amazing video, we appreciate it Mr Cammisa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!
Love this Jason. I remember watching this a few years ago, still a classic! I hope you can do another video cover of the e39 M5, seeing that its aging very well and becoming very highly sought after
Torch, Fenske, Camissa! The top Gear remake we didn't know we needed: Jason Drives
so THAT'S where that one Carmudgeon thumbnail came from...oh and also
MAKE MORE CARMUDGEON JAAASON AAAAAAAAAAA
Every time these two are in one video - its just pure gold.
We built great cars down here.
It sad it had to end
I had the G8 GT and was one of the most wonderful cars I've ever had. Room, power, comfort, utility, and I really liked the looks - far better than the SS tbh. I was hoping desperately that they'd send the Ute - I'd have kept it till I die.
Great review! I own a manual red SS UTE..... It's my happy place ❤️. With rear wheel drive & all the weight in the front, you can't help but wag your tail on pull off 🏁
There is a company in the states that specializes in converting g8's & SS's into utes.
So happy to see the Chevy SS (Holden Commodore) get the recognition it deserves. Such a fantastic car and probably the best ever Australian designed vehicle.
Bummer Chevy didn't advertise this car more. It's an amazing platform and I wish there was more of these out there. :(
The number they were allowed to import is the number they sold. Import restrictions.
The Commodores were great from the get go and just kept getting better. I have a '94 VR Calais. The motor is bored and stroked with a hotter cam, custom exhaust system and the latest ECU. Its a sleeper!
Well, I did sign a non disclosure when working as a contractor for GM design during the development of this platform but , as it’s some time ago, I think it’s OK to say that deep in the bowels of GM design in Melbourne, hidden under a large drop cloth, was a BMW M5 which was being referenced as the standard to be equalled. The design people, of course, thought it amusing when motoring journalists compared the first VEs to BMW, usually in a somewhat condescending manner, because they knew that it handled just as well- as it was designed to. BTW , when I spotted the BMW, one of the Holden guys said ‘ you didn’t see that’.
I’ve been driving these Commodores for years. Currently have an older model SS Ute and a Calais Wagon with the LS3. Ultimate Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. I’m glad you got these in the US for a few years also. Great review👍🏻
Jason, I am glad you are back on Ignition and will be watching again now that you are leading the charge.
Sorry but he is not back. Just reposting videos. He is part of another project now.
Australian engineers know their stuff.
This car always have a special place in my heart.
Jason you are my favorite motoring journalist! Of course there are other channels that does beautiful video and copy but to me good journalism is not driven by whatever the latest new car is out. Good journalism to me is somebody that can their put personal angle on the subject and move my understanding of the world and hey if you are funny at the same time that is just brilliant. Bringing out this older clips of older cars really proves this again. Keep up the good work even if its posting old content 🙂
As a GM fan an Chevy owner I was pissed they cut this ride this should have been the new Impala SS It would have sold thanks GM for cutting the fun
Yes, they should have used a name like "Impala" or something instead of using a trim as a name.
I purchased my 2017 SS new - and it is the best car I have ever owned for all around performance. (My Z06 is way faster - but you expect it from a Corvette). I loved the comment about surprising the uninformed out on the highway - because I have done that to many a BMW that are probably still saying "WTF was THAT??". My '17 is in Red 2 Hot - and only one of 282 in the USA for that color - for the final year of production. RIP Holden.
I bought this car because of this video. No regrets
Yep, this video helped me pull the trigger on getting the SS, like a lot of the folks posting here. I had been following the 2004 - 2006 GTO, then the G8 GXP, but when I heard that Holden was being shut down, I ordered a 2017 manual SS, and I love it every time I get into it. I had been looking for a sleeper, manual, rear wheel drive sedan, and the SS was exactly what I had been looking for. Regarding the Willow Springs comparison between the 2014 automatic SS and the the manual SS in this video, I wonder how much difference in the lap time is related to the transmissions rather than to the change in the shocks.
This VIDEO is back!!! Thanks, Jason... wish I could say the same for the Chevy SS
Thanks, S.U.V's
I dream of the day when automotive journalists no longer complain about hard plastic surfaces that nobody ever touches
Keep it coming, Jason! I value the insight and comedic touch. Always a pleasure. Keep your foot on the gas!
I still have my Pontiac G8 and it’s probably one of the most unique vehicles on the road today.
Hey Jason; one thing I was hoping you could add to the descriptions is the time/date of filming of these prior videos! Each one I see I'm always so interested in the context of your life during filming of these videos and comparing it to your reviews/work now- It's great to see the changes and growth over the years from a filming/cinematography perspective (and also as a fan of you!)
Ive the VF2 SS Redline Wagon. Love it. Gives me a smile every time it crackles to life at startup. No electric car will ever do that
That intro was god damn perfect. Wow.
You still have to give credit to the BMW for being almost as fast as the SS around the track. Even more so without all the modern suspension upgrades. Even still the SS is a beast!
Conversely the SS is more limited by CAFE and federal safety standards than late '90s early '00s BMW ever was. And the budget to develop the SS was undoubtedly lower, inflation adjusted, than that of the E39.
Also keep in mind the BMW was on aftermarket shocks ( seemed lowered to me) And stickier super sports tires as well. (I wonder what other mods unseen as well, bmw has terrific tuning mods to increase HP, even in NA engines) E39 is a beast though.
@@geerstyresoil3136 none of that can really compare to shocks that adjust a thousand times a second.
@@m1l3s27 $1 Billion Dollars Australian originally to develop the VE/VF commodore platform.
@@kevinnorwood7355 not really, on a track, multi-matic and coilover setups are superior. Mag ride is great on uneven surfaces like roads and daily driving, the non mag ride 2014 SS was a bit faster on the track actually...
I don't know how you got the rights to upload your Ignition videos but THANK YOU! ❤️
The Chevrolet SS: The best car that nobody bought.
The best car chevy never marketed
?? THey sold every one of them. They were never intended to sell in high numbers. GM had to import "X" number of them. It was never marketed heavily because they KNEW they would not be making them after closing the doors on Holden.
GM wanted Holden dead because they're always embarrassing Detroit. All there is to it.
yep, I think the general consensus here in Australia is that GM had decided to close GM-Holden before they released the VE and simply pandered to our government to continue with bail-outs.
In a way, I suspect most Aussies have a poor view of the demise of Holden, and Ford locally.
@@graenicholls4657 we do. Aussie fords and holdens where staple childhood cars owned by our parents, uncles and older brothers.
I’ll never forget driving with my older brother in his V8 VK Commodore and my other brothers XE Falcon station wagon he would take us to school in.
E39 M5? I press like
For a brief moment I wondered if they were still making!! (“new” video n all). I saw one the other day with Holden badges and was very jealous.
Great report
Had a 17 SS and put 45k miles on it. Probably the best value performance sedan for the $$$. Traded it though for a 19 CTS-V. Great video!!
Bought a 2016 manual in Slip Stream Blue in January. I love it!
Love that side by side !
I had a lumina ss and a caprice ss. The 1st an LS1 and second an LS2. Both holdens under the chevy badge for the middle east. BEST CARS I EVER OWNED.
What year Lumina?
AND PS!! IM PROUD OF YOU FOR YOUR SUCCESSFUL TH-cam CHANNEL AND BUISSNESS!
You may have just talked me into buying one now! No car I’ve driven since my E39 M5 has replicated the Fun driving factor til now! Thank you from a gear head that’s been looking for that in a sedan for years
The SS is still a dream car of mine. I aspire to get one, eventually. It is, unfortunately, well outside my price range, still.
This video helped push me over the edge to get this car in 2016. This was an awesome car. Ironically i traded it in today. But someone new will be able to share the love.
I love my 2016. And it has the best modern anti-theft device that I could ask for.... a manual transmission
Been looking for this for a long time now, thanks for uploading it again!
High on my list of achievable dream cars!
I have always thought that the Pontiac G8 and Pontiac GTO were non luxury versions of BMW M3/5 fighters. They both even had kidney grills. So it is interesting to see the Holden Commodore/Chevorlet SS now stacked next to BMW’s in this video.
In fact, when Holden's engineers who were designing the zeta platform in the early 2000s, they purchased an E39 and deconstructed it for influence.
Aw man I KNEW I had seen this before!! I was half way through then saw the title! I also miss you and Liberman going at it HAHA!!
As an Australian I can promise you the commodore is nothing like any BMW vehicle. If you think this is at the level of the M5 then you should have a look at the FPV F6 and GT-F, those 2 vehicles make the commodore look like a kids toy.
I was at the Chicago Auto show when this was new actively looking for it and walked right past it thinking it was a Malibu. Had to ask one of the brand reps who pointed my friend and I over to it. We were dumbfounded that we'd walked right past it. Wish it was still around. Great review Jason!
something is wrong with the sound, is one of the channels inverted?
or is the audio track repeated with like a very short delay between the two?
I agree, audio is odd.
Last of the conventional cars i like the pro driver randy impressed by the balance in the corners his face shows it
The best intro ever!!!
Hello Jason,
Nice review on the Zeta from Down under!
I have wanted to own a G8 GXP from launch in 2009 with m/t. Problem is they are more expensive now than when new (had BIG discounts in 2009). Test drove an 09 used and should have purchased ON THE SPOT....grrrr. So smooth it did not feel fast....until you look at the speedometer. WOW!
Settled for 2008 M5 with m/t and extra engine.
Still want G8 or SS, but price is going crazy!
P-Chi
The SS follows the last GTO (from down under). VERY understated and looks like a Sunfire...but it is WOLF, same for SS vs Malibu....WOLF....but very understated (sheep).
I’ve got the Sportswagon version, a 2016 Holden Commodore VF2 SS Sportswagon. Every time I get behind the wheel it’s bittersweet.
THANK YOU for this content
Great to finally see two guys drive the SS the way Aussies do on their way to work or the footy....
I would have loved to see what the next gen of this car would've been had they not stabbed it in the heart.
Proud Aussie 2016 SS Series II Redline owner.
RIP Commodore 🇦🇺
RIP Holden 🇦🇺
I will own a commodore one day, don't care if it is a VE or VF but it will have a manual 6.
Kudos on another great Video Mr JC. Wish I would have found you sooner, but I guess I am right on time.
Hope everyone's day goes/went well.
Awesome! 😃👍
I love the E39 M5 and this is one of the best video featuring one 🥰
I love this video, still remember asking Jonny how I thought a H2H with these 2 would be awesome after reading a comparison test in automobile magazine.
Little I knew that it was someone called Cammisa Jason that was the author of this article 😂 (except that the SS was an automatic).
I haven’t contributed in anything in the making of this video but in my mind I have 😁
Too bad we never had the Chevrolet SS in Europe…
You guys didn't get holdens? Thought you got the monaro?
@@RCXDerp The Monaro made its way in England, but sadly not in the rest of Europe 😫
What a video! The best video i’ve ever seen absolutely.
Congrats Mr.Sandler btw
I bought the damn car because of this commercial and was pissed that it got locked up… Now I can send to my friends