Another Ford vs Holden Comparison!

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http://ninemsn.carpoint.com.au/revie...alcon-g6-18105

Holden Commodore Berlina v Ford Falcon G6

Comparison Test

Carsales Network verdict
Performance: Ford Falcon G6
Handling: Ford Falcon G6
Comfort: Ford Falcon G6
Value: Ford Falcon G6
Overall: Ford Falcon G6


The Contenders
There's no substitute for cubic inches... or so the old saying goes.

In the long-fought battle between the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon the fight has taken a twist in recent times. The launch of the latest generation Commodore with direct-injection technology (dubbed SIDI) has allowed the company to shrink its V6 engine to 3.0-litres in the Omega and Berlina models in search of greater fuel efficiency. The same fuel saving technology is also applied to the 3.6-litre V6 found in the SV6 and Calais models.

Meanwhile, cross-town rival Ford perseveres with an updated but aging 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder unit that doesn't have direct-injection to fall back on either. In theory the Holden holds all the aces and the Ford should struggle to stay close on economy. But that's just the theory...

Real world driving conditions are the only way to test these arch enemies to determine if size matters after all. In order to do that the Carsales Network has recently tested both Commodore engines against their Falcon counterparts in a two-part, two-state test. But the test is more than just a fuel economy comparison, because we know people don't buy cars purely based on fuel efficiency (no-one except Prius drivers that is!).

Add to that the fact sales of both cars are in decline, this comparison is also a test of the merits of Commodore and Falcon in the current automotive landscape of smaller, efficiency focussed vehicles.

To cut to the chase, we've already listed our 'winner' across a range of categories and overall. The time-poor among you may choose to move on now -- or hit the keyboard in adulation/disgust (delete whichever is inapplicable). But to get the full story of the battle between Australia's two favourite homegrown large cars read on...

More details on Holden Berlina here.

More details on Ford Falcon G6 here.


The Test
Given that so much has been made by Holden of the new 3.0 SIDI Commodore's ability to make it Sydney to Melbourne on a single tank, we decided that would be the ideal challenge for the Berlina and its counterpart.

Officially Holden claims an engineer got the Commodore as low as 7.5L/100km on a Sydney to Melbourne trip and although we'll be travelling a different route it will still be the benchmark.

That GM sanctioned trip was via the most direct route, down the Hume Highway, but we've decided to get off the Hume at Canberra and take the Monaro, Cann River and Princes Highway the rest of the way. That means a longer journey, but one that encompasses a wider variety of roads and conditions.

To keep the fight fair the Berlina will go up against its most direct rival, the Falcon G6. Both cars are the entry-level luxury models, both similarly equipped and priced, and both are fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The G6 does grab an early advantage on comfort and equipment, even if it misses out on leather upholstery. Advantages over the Berlina include a reversing camera, fully integrated iPod connectivity and a high-resolution, full-colour screen.

In comfort terms the two cars are on par, but the Holden has an edge on ergonomics with its more adjustable seats and steering. But the Berlina looks much plainer inside with harsher plastics and switchgear, a mono-colour low-resolution screen and the leather seats don't have a premium feel.

Our test officially began when we topped the tanks of both cars up in the Sydney suburb of Arncliffe (only minutes from the airport) and reset the trip computers. I take the first leg in the Berlina, with fellow Carsales Network staffer Feann Torr in the G6.

Heading down the M5 Motorway during the afternoon peak meant a slow crawl through the King George's Tunnel but before long the traffic cleared and the two cars could be set to a steady 110km/h on the Hume. Initially, the cruise control system in the Berlina impresses with its ability to maintain a steady speed, unlike other systems in more expensive vehicles that are both more complicated to set and have a habit of gaining speed down hills.

A weakness is detected with the Commodore during up-hill travel and overtaking, though. The smaller engine labours more than the Falcon on slopes. Indeed, whenever torque is called for at short notice.

That's not to suggest the 3.0-litre V6 isn't powerful enough, because it can pull the Commodore competently enough but it requires more revs, which largely defeats the purpose of cutting the capacity.

By the time we get to Canberra in the early evening the Falcon has taken first blood with the G6 sipping 7.3L/100km compared to the Berlina's 7.8L/100km. It's an ominous sign for the Holden because the rest of the trip is going to take us across more undulating territory.

Day two begins early in the nation's capital and with the new day comes a new car because for the next stage of the journey I'm in the G6 and Feann's taking the reins of the Berlina.

By the time we reach Cooma just after 9am the Falcon has continued to impress with more than just fuel economy. It's a more comfortable car and has a greater feeling of luxury to the Berlina.

Although the FG Falcon styling is more conservative than the VE Commodore we think it is already ageing better. Holden's decision to leave the MY10 Commodore aesthetically unchanged and let the SIDI engines carry the show has, in the opinion of this writer at least, backfired. The fact that Holden has decided to keep the 'Pontiac Commodore' in the line-up suggests customers want a makeover to the VE.

By 10:30am we've reached Bombala and it's time for another car swap, meaning I return to the Berlina. Before the hour is out we've crossed the border into Victoria and are greeted by a testing stretch of downhill, sweeping roads. Even though neither car has any serious sporty aspirations, the 20km leg is a good chance to test out both cars dynamically.

The Berlina feels soft, with a noticeable amount of body roll in the bends, which doesn't inspire confidence. And once again the engine labours when the time comes to overtake, lacking the midrange punch of the Ford.

Comparing the experience with Feann over lunch in Orbost, he confirms that the G6 was much flatter and stiffer in the turns. Interestingly though, despite this firmer suspension set up we both agree that the Falcon also has a more comfortable and compliant ride.

The final leg of our test takes us west across Victoria from Orbost and into Melbourne via Sale.

As we close in on Melbourne, and after almost 1000km of driving, the Holden takes its first major victory of the test. At Sale the Falcon was displaying a range of only another 160km while the Berlina was claiming it could go for at least 300km.

By the time we have reached Berwick on the edge of greater Melbourne the G6 already had its fuel light on for 30 minutes and was warning it would be out of petrol in 20km. So, not wishing to push the car the final few kays to home, it's time to refuel both cars and compare economy figures.

The Berlina takes the moral victory because its fuel light hadn't yet gone on and claimed it could still travel another 100km, but it's the G6 that takes the actual win. Based on the readings from each car's trip computer the Berlina used 8.1L/100km while the G6 used only 7.8L/100km.

Calculating the economy based on the fuel we actually poured into the car against distance travelled the result only changed slightly: Berlina 8.0L/100km versus G6 7.9L/100km. However, and this is where the battle gets a little confusing, there was a discrepancy of roughly 30km between the two cars' trip readings; the Commodore saying it had travelled further.

Ultimately though, the fuel economy debate is overshadowed by the inescapable fact that the Falcon is the better car; more comfortable, better equipped, better ride and a fresher look.

And proof that perhaps there really is no substitute for cubic inches. The larger engine gave the Falcon the advantage on the hills of the Monaro Highway. Perhaps taking the Hume would have closed the gap, but our test proves that smaller engines aren't always better in real world conditions.

What impresses about both cars is their comfort and ability to tackle such large distances with relative ease. Despite driving the whole distance without assistance both Feann and I felt fresh throughout the journey. It's a great testament to the design and engineering work by the local teams at Port Melbourne and Broadmeadows.

In the face of declining sales and perhaps even the slow death of the great Australian road trip, the Commodore and Falcon remain ideally suited to our wide brown land.

Look our for the second instalment in our Commodore v Falcon update -- the sports alternatives