HOLDEN’S Series II VY Commodore came surprisingly quickly after the launch of the extensively facelifted VY in late 2002. The cynics might suggest it was a spontaneous reaction to Ford’s getting its act together with the BA Falcon. Whatever the rationale, the Series II Executive offers a better deal than before, and now matches the Falcon in standard equipment (apart from air-conditioning, which brings the price to virtual parity with the Falcon XT) while also showing subtle evidence of an ongoing upward trend in quality. There are new paints, for example, that tend to resist chipping, scratching and airborne contaminates better than previously. If you’re ever in doubt that the Australian family sedan is a far better car than it was, just look back ten years. Today’s entry-level car would have almost rated as a premium model.