New 2008 Holden Barina Review
01-May-2009
- Vital Stats
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$11,990 - $18,290
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Unleaded
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Average for a hatch
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2
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Review by Janina Geraghty
Three words to describe the new Holden Barina:
Sensible, simple, economical.
New features
The Barina three-door hatch has a spunky new look with stylish swept-back headlights, groovy new-look grill, sporty lights and rear spoiler on the back.
There’s an exterior colour for most moods: Arctic White, Mercury Silver, Urban Grey, Horizon Blue, Carbon Flash Black and eye-catching Chilli Red – which was the colour of my drive.
The inside has also been given a facelift with a modern, clean dashboard, with dark colours contrasting beautifully with subtle silver trimmings. There was also more driver and passenger legroom than I had expected.
Best-suited for:
The Holden Barina Hatch suits the younger driver for its simplicity in design, style and the fact that it’s so easy to drive. The economy of the 1.6-litre engine, low price and running costs also make it an affordable choice for this age group.
On the other hand, I see this as the perfect car for the woman whose children have left home. Both these groups of ladies are busy discovering (or re-discovering) their freedom and don’t have the time for high-maintenance transportation.
Ultimately, I see this as the perfect car for city driving – it’s easy to park in the tightest spaces and zips around town comfortably and cheaply.
Stand-out features
The stand-out feature of the Holden Barina is most definitely the price and value for money. The Holden Barina is unpretentious and has a no-nonsense attitude – confidently offering the necessities for a comfortable and safe drive without the need to impress with superfluous features.
The following features come standard in all models: air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, six-speaker stereo CD/MP3 sound system with steering-wheel-mounted controls.
Storage
Storage includes a 220-litre boot which expands to 980 with the rear seats folded down in the hatch.
How it drives
The Holden Barina is easy and comfortable to drive. It’s not intimidating, gear changes are smooth on the manual and it manoeuvres easily, especially in crowded shopping centre car parks.
The Barina is practically made for stop-and-start city driving but the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine handles with considerable power on the open road as well so weekend getaways are just as manageable as the day-to-day drives.
Costs to run
Average weekly operating costs for the three-door Holden Barina, five-speed manual including fuel, service and maintenance repairs, CTP and comprehensive insurance, NRMA membership, opportunity interest and depreciation is $132.91. (See NRMA operating costs for more information on how this figure is calculated.)
Safety
The all-new Holden Barina now scores a very safe four-star ANCAP rating – up significantly from the previous model which only scored two stars. This is due to the addition of safety features including driver, passenger and side-impact airbags as standard across the range as well as improvements in the design of the body to absorb more of the impact and protect passengers in event of an accident.
Overall...
With a price starting at $11,990 (plus delivery charges and on-road costs for the three-door, five-speed manual), the Holden Barina is the smart choice for city girls on the go. It offers reliability, economy and style.
As Goldilocks said when settling down into baby bear’s bed, “It’s not too big and it’s not too soft – it’s just right!”
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