Holden Barina XC IV 1.4 i 16V ECOTEC (90 Hp)


Holden Barina:

The Holden Barina is a subcompact automobile sold between 1985 and 2018 by Holden in Oceania. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo Kalos. Barina is an Australian aboriginal word meaning "summit".
The first generation MB Barina was launched on 12 February 1985 as a badge-engineered Suzuki Cultus as a five-door hatchback. In the first year of production a "Roadrunner Pack" special model was offered complete with decals showing the Warner Bros. cartoon character. A high-profile marketing campaign featured the slogan Beep beep Barina, a catchphrase that remains in the consciousness of many Australians in the present. The facelifted ML series was released in September 1986, this included a coil sprung rear end replacing the leaf springs of the MB, a revised dashboard, headlights, tailgate and lights, and front grille....(Read more on Wikipedia)

XC IV Overview:

Holden Barina (XC IV). A compact car with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to the cargo area. Seating for 5 makes it ideal for daily use.

reddit Community Verdict

This rating is based on comments found on Reddit, scanned using artificial intelligence, and may not accurately reflect reality.

Allowed: 39% Neutral: 17% Issues: 43%
rating
2.9 / 5

Based on AI analysis of 23 discussions

Read What Owners Say
👎 NEGATIVE
They have a lifespan. That lifespan has expired. Buy it and you'll be paying for life support. 2 people I know bought these and spent as much money on repairs in the first 5 years as they did buying them new.
👎 NEGATIVE
Kilometres are low, but $4200 for a 25 year old small Holden sounds expensive …
👎 NEGATIVE
Yes avoid buying it . Too many reliability issues with Astra . Look at Toyota, Mazda , Nissan, Much better build quality than the older European cars
😐 NEUTRAL
They need a timing belt change every 60k-90ks depending on the year released. We’ve had a few in the family, earlier was 60k kms a later one was 90k kms. Other than that usually a very solid car.
👎 NEGATIVE
That car is worth $1500 at best and that’s as a running driving vehicle. These things were the Holden Cruze of the early 2000s. Find her a younger Corolla for that money. This person is delusional to think that worth anywhere near that money
👎 NEGATIVE
These were crap cars when new, unreliable and extremely expensive to service / repair. That was 20 years ago. Would not recommend and non Aus built Holden.
😐 NEUTRAL
Remember a few of my friends had these back in the day, they were super solid almost luxurious for a small car, was always impressed with them and thats from someone who was in an E36 BMW at the time. Thing is u could get a newer car in decent condition for that price, this is 25yrs old, kinda kool for nostalgia value if thats your thing and yeah looks its been looked after super well. Note parts
👍 POSITIVE
Pretty hard to kill these I used to drive one like I stole it and only thing that went was clutch 
😐 NEUTRAL
Bought one of these for $850 back in 2019, pretty much as dull as it gets but gets you from point A to B fine. In 12 months I've had to replace the compressor and the water pump, but I manage to get them from a salvage yard that fortunately had these parts available, a mate of mine was a mechanic and he helped get it fixed for a small fee. Came up to the point where it was due its 200k service
👎 NEGATIVE
I had a manual one back in about 2010 and I ended up selling it quite quickly because of the issues I had with it. It was however, a solid, fun little car and European built, so it was better than the later models IMO. Granted mine wasn’t as bad as some of the horror stories I heard (timing belts were the main issue) I ended up much happier in a cheaper Corolla at the time. I’d be very wary, a


Pros and Cons:

Pros:

  • • Efficiency-focused engine (90 hp), ideal for city commuting.

Cons:

  • • Previous generation model; may lack the latest driver-assist technologies.


Specifications:

Specifications are compared to those of the previous generation(SB III (facelift 1997): 1997 - 2000).

General:
Brand:Holden
Model:Barina
Generation:XC IV
Modification (Engine):1.4 i 16V ECOTEC (90 Hp)
Start of production:2001
End of production:2003
Powertrain Architecture:Internal Combustion engine
Body type:Hatchback
Seats:5
Doors:3
Engine:
Power:90 Hp
Engine aspiration:Naturally aspirated engine
Performance:
Fuel Type:Petrol (Gasoline)

Real owners, real reviews. Tell us about your Holden Barina.