wheels-380vrx v bfxr6 v vzsv6, Falcon wins

**Falcon Coupe** · 25-10-2005, 05:56 PM

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=45935

Quote:

Originally Posted by LS1Forum

found this on another forum.

The latest issue of WHEELS arrived today and there’s a few reviews of interest. First is the first drive of the BF and the next is a comparo between the BF XR6, VZ SV6 and the 380 VRX. For those who can’t be bothered reading through everything I’m going to say, put simply, the BF thrashes both and the 380 appears to be a huge disappointment.
Author: Nathan Ponchard.
Styling:
"First impressions don’t bode well. Outwardly the 380 VRX resembles Mitsubishi’s take on a Camry… American-esque blandness and bulbous behind."
They give the SV6 the OK, nothing flash but it’s far from ugly, and they describe the BF as remaining "universally attractive and unisexually appealing"
Inside:
"Slide into the 380 driver’s seat and initial disappointment prevails again. The steering wheel is unattractive…" While they describe the dash top as "funky" the plastic is "hard and doesn’t match any of the other equally hard interior plastics." They go on to say that the speakers look cheap and there’s no "surprise-and-delight features." While they’re on bagging out the 380, they mention that the air-vents can’t be turned off, the steering wheel can’t be adjusted for reach, p/window buttons and stalks are from the Lancer.
"The Commodore’s controls are actually more tactile, clunky ventilation dials apart, while the Falcon interior is in another league again. The Ford’s classy ambience and impressive attention to detail make the Holden’s cabin look dated and flair free."
Steering and ride:
The 380’s steering "impresses for both its accuracy and well-weighted progressiveness when turning away from straight ahead." "For such a big front-driver, the 380 displays excellent poise and even feels noticeably more wieldy than the decent-handling Magna." They praise the refinement and ride quality along with the seats. It’s remains competitive with the "class leading" BF while being well ahead of the VZ. "The Falcon has a firmer ride than the 380, but it’s impressively damped, has better body control, and is far more polished than the stiff Commodore." The only negative with the Falcon is the steering which is "too sensitive in it’s off-centre response" Nothing new with the VZ, it’s acceptable but not class leading.
Engine and transmission:
The Commodores 3.6L and 5-speed auto are OK, although behind the BFs. "The BF six feels smoother, sounds sweeter and mates superbly with the virtually flawless (optional) transmission." The 380’s V6 wasn’t bad either, although nothing to get excited about.
They go on to say that the Falcon has the best rear seat and the most useable interior room. The Falcon is again praised for having the largest boot.
In closing, the Falcon wins easily and they even suggest that it warrants a genuine comparison with European sedans worth several times more.
Falcon XR6: 4.5/5 stars
380 VRX: 3.5/5
Commodore SV6: 2.5/5
Fuel:
XR6: 13.2L per 100km
380: 13.5L per 100km
SV6: 13.0L per 100km

Performance times
XR6: 7.2 seconds and 15.3 @ 151km/h
380: 8.5 seconds and 16.2 @142km/h
SV6: 7.7 seconds and 15.6 @ 149km/h

This 6 speed auto seems to have woken up the Falcon, it's faster than the Commy even with with the weight disadvantage.

GTP 320 · 25-10-2005, 06:00 PM

Good write up and a good result for Ford.
Cheers John

Dave_au · 25-10-2005, 06:03 PM

Motor didn't speak as foully about the 380 as wheels did - although that is not a compareo.

I'll read it for myself before I pass judgement on just how bad it is for the 380 - but that exert doesn't sound too good.

The Monty · 25-10-2005, 06:06 PM

Doesnt the sv6 have 190kw? Thats not all that much faster 0-100 than the AU. I Know its a bit but for a new car with that much power, it doesnt seem all that impressive.

**Falcon Coupe** · 25-10-2005, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monty

Doesnt the sv6 have 190kw? Thats not all that much faster 0-100 than the AU. I Know its a bit but for a new car with that much power, it doesnt seem all that impressive.

XR6 has a torque advantage, this is what would push it past the sv6 in acceleration, the extra gear would help too.

XR6 : Max. Power: 190kW @ 5250rpm 6 speed auto
Max. Torque: 383Nm @ 2500rpm

SV6 190kw @ 6500 rpm 5 speed auto
340 @ 3200Nm rpm

RavenLS1 · 27-10-2005, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monty

Doesnt the sv6 have 190kw? Thats not all that much faster 0-100 than the AU. I Know its a bit but for a new car with that much power, it doesnt seem all that impressive.

yeah 190kw with less torque than its predesesor.

EFFalcon · 25-10-2005, 06:10 PM

yeah SV6 has 190kw and a 5 speed auto.
those times are damn good from auto 6's!

ED Classic · 27-10-2005, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFFalcon

yeah SV6 has 190kw and a 5 speed auto.
those times are damn good from auto 6's!

Dont be suprised if the Manuals cannot match them.

MADDER · 27-10-2005, 02:58 PM

SSbaby,

I'm not sure why you're insisting on the "fleet" market issue. It would seem to me that while fleet buyers will be looking at base models, I don't think they will be relying on Wheels reviews as a basis for choice. I can't see any bean-counter saying (correct me if I'm wrong). "Gee, I don't know which to buy, car X, Y or Z but Wheels says my company's staff are going to get so much more driving pleasure out of X so that's what we'll buy".

Those who have a salary packaging option on the other hand can make a personal choice and are also more likely to be reading Wheels. If we could look into sales of BA XR6s and SV6s we would likely find a high proportion of salary packaged cars. The XR6 itself counts for a very sizeable portion of Falcon sales. Resale is a concern in anybodies book and if I was buying an XR6 auto this year knowing that 5-speeds and 6-speeds are likely to be standard in all pov-packs next year then I would say the ZF would be a must-get.

I'm sure Wheels will get round to a pov-pack comparo but car mags are for car enthusiasts and so the cars in this test are cars for budget conscious enthusiasts. If Mitsu has a car with sporting pretensions it must be compared with others of it's ilk. Mitsu have had no qualms with comparing the 380 with Falcon and Commodore so they have picked the fight. Wheels have tested the best specced model from each manufacturer and I wouldn't have it any other way.

M14A-Mclaren · 25-10-2005, 06:12 PM

I wouldn't have thought they'd give the Commodore such a low rating after reading the above.

Steffo · 25-10-2005, 06:13 PM

I must say, the 380 looks dissapointing. If I owned say, a TJ Magna Sport VR-X with the 163kW 3.5litre V6 and five-speed auto, there's nothing about the new 380 (or TL for that matter) that would prompt me to stay with Mitsu.

I liked the TJ/TJII alot, TL was ugly, 380 is bland but not ugly, interior is ok except for that ghastly wheel... but basing it on an American car is asking to fail. Look at the Toyota Avalon.

Wasn't the Magna based more on a Japanese design?

vztrt · 25-10-2005, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

This 6 speed auto seems to have woken up the Falcon, it's faster than the Commy even with with the weight disadvantage.

That would be why the Falcon is the better car. From articles I've read, the BF has been refined and it's meant to be a great drive.

Funny reading some of the responses of the Holden boys. One guy hated that his SV6 isn't better than the XR. He could have realised that, when he saw the back of the VZ.

XAGSV8 · 25-10-2005, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

That would be why the Falcon is the better car. From articles I've read, the BF has been refined and it's meant to be a great drive.

Funny reading some of the responses of the Holden boys. One guy hated that his SV6 isn't better than the XR. He could have realised that, when he saw the back of the VZ.

Don't worry about him, nothing in his mind will beat his SV6. Have a look at his previous post and 80% of them are completely Ford bashing like a 14 year old would. He's been threatened with a Holiday by the mod's over there for previous posts.

vztrt · 25-10-2005, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSWXA

Don't worry about him, nothing in his mind will beat his SV6. Have a look at his previous post and 80% of them are completely Ford bashing like a 14 year old would. He's been threatened with a Holiday by the mod's over there for previous posts.

It's just funny, instead of going on about the bias of the writer. He could have made a comment saying that when both cars have six speed, it would show which car is "better". When people make claims like that (the bias claim), they havent got a clue and it's just sour grapes.

XAGSV8 · 26-10-2005, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSWXA

Don't worry about him, nothing in his mind will beat his SV6. Have a look at his previous post and 80% of them are completely Ford bashing like a 14 year old would. He's been threatened with a Holiday by the mod's over there for previous posts.

Off topic but does anybody want to see the PM I got from the person I was talking about on the LS1 forum. In defense of LS1.com 99% of them are a logical sensible bunch who don't take things to far.

**Falcon Coupe** · 26-10-2005, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GSWXA

Off topic but does anybody want to see the PM I got from the person I was talking about on the LS1 forum. In defense of LS1.com 99% of them are a logical sensible bunch who don't take things to far.

Post it up, be good for a laugh, was it something to do with buying an SV6 then needing a box of tissues to deal with the Ford bias of Wheels magazine ?

XAGSV8 · 26-10-2005, 07:22 PM

PM I got of LS1 forums from user vzsv6.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vzsv6

Yeah I saw the comments you made about me on the ford forum, you must think you look so good now in front of your buddies.

The bottom line is, you drive an xa, a severely outdated pile of sh1t which should have been scrapped decades ago. A pure bogan's car.
Maybe, just maybe one day when you might be able to afford a new car such as an sv6, you can stand up and make comments about me. Otherwise get back in your centrelink queue and shut up....you bogan.

A few points to make on this.

1. I can afford a new car but I would rather drive a Pulsar I don't care about. My money goes into a mini getting a full ground up resto not to mention my XA.

2. My XA would turn more heads then an SV6 and has been in many car shows.

3. I have never set foot in Centrelink so I don't even know what it looks like in there.

4Vman · 25-10-2005, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=45935

This 6 speed auto seems to have woken up the Falcon, it's faster than the Commy even with with the weight disadvantage.

Good news!
But then again you'd expect the XR6 to beat the SV6 let alone spank the new magna 380... :hihi:

max^power · 25-10-2005, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Good news!
But then again you'd expect the XR6 to beat the SV6 let alone spank the new magna 380... :hihi:

spank em both next time

:

MX837M-GE · 25-10-2005, 09:04 PM

Sorry to interrup the XR vs SV6 thing, but what the hell happened to that VRX?

Last month Wheels got the VRX to do 0-100 in 7.5sec. What happened? Did someone replace the rocket fuel with diesel?

Good work by the Ford though!

I thought the 380's interior was alright when I had poke around one the other day.

347_XR8 · 25-10-2005, 06:28 PM

Nuff Said! Falcon wins once again!

Blue Oval Mopar Man · 25-10-2005, 06:44 PM

Was there any doubt of this outcome !

merlin · 25-10-2005, 06:56 PM

great outcome - that 6 speed auto has wacked a big chunk off the falcons acceleration times.

clampy · 25-10-2005, 06:43 PM

most interesting is the fuel economy.. falcon does well there considering its weight..

rag top · 25-10-2005, 06:49 PM

During a discussion with some motoring enthusiasts, the topic came up that holden and ford measure the power output of their engines differently. If the ford engine was measured how holden measure their engines, it would be a higher reading... Anyone else heard something similar???

vztrt · 25-10-2005, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '67

During a discussion with some motoring enthusiasts, the topic came up that holden and ford measure the power output of their engines differently. If the ford engine was measured how holden measure their engines, it would be a higher reading... Anyone else heard something similar???

It's the other way around. The ford motor would give a lower reading as they measure the power of the motor without the alt etc..

Bossxr8 · 25-10-2005, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

It's the other way around. The ford motor would give a lower reading as they measure the power of the motor without the alt etc..

It has nothing to do with how they are run, they are both tested with full accesories, they are just measured in different standards.

vztrt · 25-10-2005, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It has nothing to do with how they are run, they are both tested with full accesories, they are just measured in different standards.

Yeah and the different standards are one is measured with what the maximum power the engine can output, while the other is more of a conservative output. Holden give more of a conservative output than Ford.

Bossxr8 · 25-10-2005, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

Yeah and the different standards are one is measured with what the maximum power the engine can output, while the other is more of a conservative output. Holden give more of a conservative output than Ford.

Yet they make less power at the wheels than the Fords do, so go figure.

The Monty · 25-10-2005, 06:54 PM

Yeah I heard that to.