Drivel - What are the worst Fords?

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by MethodX

Drive should just change its name to have a latte' and rubbish GM and Ford.
Thats all people seem to do on there.

Lets have worst French car, ugliest citroen or renault.

Ugliest Citroen and Renault??? Gees ...... I just cant think of any?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Paxton

Everyone who complains about an AU has never owned one. These are the most reliable Falcons ever. You can not kill them.

Same could be said for the Festiva.... People who have owned them for several years and correctly maintained them have nothing but praise for the humble little Festiva. They were super reliable, simple to maintain and very efficient. The 1.5L manual was no slouch as well due to its light body.

Sure it wasn't the safest car, but for the price bracket it was sold in, the competition was probably at the same level or 1/2 to 1 star higher at the most.

[xm289]

My wife has a '93 capri and its a great little car, it looks alot better than the series 1 versions and was a great buy for $3000.

[RASER]

Originally Posted by sd1800

What are the worst Fords?.

Cortina

DAYLIGHT 2nd.

Most of the rubbish out of England, Anglia, Prefect, etc etc

[BFZ Wagon]

Wow. That article is a load of crap. Would be nice if they actually got their fact correct before printing them. They have the Corsair as a rebadged 1986 Pintara. It may have been based on the Pintara, but it was the 2nd generation front wheel drive model (1989-1992) and not the RWD R31 model.

I don't see anything wrong with any of those cars listed there. The Landau was an awesome car. I'd love to have one of those.

The best car I ever owned was a KHII Laser. It never let me down and had amazing fuel economy. It's a shame I had to let it go.

The TC Cortina, the Capri convertible and the EA/AU Falcons were also very good cars. Every model has a bad one in the batch, but it's not fair to say that they're all bad. If the Festiva was such a bad car, then why were they such a big seller?

These supposed 'car people' who write these stories remind me of arts/food critics. People who just love to have a whinge.

Anyway. That's my thoughts on the subject.

[RAPID_BA]

The au is unquestionable as the ugliest falcon but it had a robust drivetrain and fair family transport.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Slow news day

The 25th anniversary GT Falcon.....please I would love to add one to my garage..the Festiva was OK for the price (I did own one years ago), love cortina's.........some journo having is 2 seconds of fame.

Not even worthy of a thread

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

The au is unquestionable as the ugliest falcon but it had a robust drivetrain and fair family transport.

Yeah, this car is sooo ugly

[TheInterceptor]

I didnt think much of the Festiva till i drove one (a 1.3 3spA trio!), lots of fun to drive, sips fuel and wasn't all that bad to drive, apart from the 3 speed auto blerghh.....Cant fault it otherwise.

There was some mysterious smoke that came out from under the bonnet once for a couple of seconds then dissapeared...no idea what that was....random happening while parking...hmm

[mik]

the journo`s must having trouble finding something to put on the paper, surely they can find something better than this drivel !

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by eb2monty

Yeah, this car is sooo ugly

Sorry, but these always remind me of a cockroach....

[MethodX]

Originally Posted by eb2monty

Yeah, this car is sooo ugly

These and the T series look good.
Its the Forte and futura that have been hit with the ugly stick.
AU 1 especially.

[P6LTD351]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Sorry, but these always remind me of a cockroach....

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. The AU XR front actually reminds me of the XB. It has something to do with how the positioning of the front indicators sit in relation to the headlights. Very XB to me. I mean I would give up all my cars to get an XB Coupe, but many think they look like pregnant pasties - I don't however.

[FalconXR6]

AU with grotesque build quality ?

Wasn't there a discussion on these forums regarding the most reliable Falcon of all time to which, based an a shedload of responses, the AU came out on top ?

Perception vs reality - it's an interesting thing...

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by eb2monty

Yeah, this car is sooo ugly

Now, if they'd have made that the "standard" front end of the entire Falcon range instead of the angular and odd headlights on the normal Falcon and keeping this for the XR's, they might not be facing "ugly" claims.

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Paxton

Everyone who complains about an AU has never owned one. These are the most reliable Falcons ever. You can not kill them.

Seems as though the holden employees (check the carpark at unfairfax) who rubbish the AU forget the fact that an AUXR8 was used to make the engine revving noises of the Monaro in a Holden ad.

What you have to remember though is that all Holden fanbois hated the AU simply for the fact that it was the first Australian car with IRS that didn't need new rear tyres every 10,000klm like all commodores at the time. Think of it as AU envy (sort of like penile envy in a way for less endowed men).

[ltd]

Originally Posted by millenium_falcon

My wife has a '93 capri and its a great little car, it looks alot better than the series 1 versions and was a great buy for $3000.

I agree. The 93 capri was great. A mate had a cobalt blue XR2 and it was an awesome car in its day. We'd go for drives through the city at night and when polished up with the top down, it got more looks than most other cars. Black interior too which was fantastic, and you sit low in it/it has a high hem line. The MX5 at the time was too small and too "cutesy" - a real hairdressers car. Julia's Tim had one.

[FreddyDUZ747]

Originally Posted by ltd

Seems as though the holden employees (check the carpark at unfairfax) who rubbish the AU forget the fact that an AUXR8 was used to make the engine revving noises of the Monaro in a Holden ad.

What you have to remember though is that all Holden fanbois hated the AU simply for the fact that it was the first Australian car with IRS that didn't need new rear tyres every 10,000klm like all commodores at the time. Think of it as AU envy (sort of like penile envy in a way for less endowed men).

Youre a classic,whatever makes you feel warm and cuddly inside I guess.

Soon as their is a chance hey..........

[FreddyDUZ747]

[QUOTE=ltd]I agree. The 93 capri was great. A mate had a cobalt blue XR2 and it was an awesome car in its day. We'd go for drives through the city at night and when polished up with the top down, it got more looks than most other cars.QUOTE]

Maybe they were looking at yous because they thought yous were gay,rather be caught in a hairdressers car myself

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

The au is unquestionable as the ugliest falcon but it had a robust drivetrain and fair family transport.

Honestly do you think before you post? I knew it wouldnt be long before the AU bashing started.

[Bud Bud]

People settle, it is a parody and is just a bit of fun! (lifes too short to be serious all of the time). So is the article a bit naughty? Yes, but is it nasty? No.

We all know that there have been some shockers in the past and that no car company is immune either. It is just an opinion, no different to what you read by other AFF members on this forum everyday.

I read the Holden one just to see what all the fuss was about and they equally tipped the bucket on them as well.

They picked on the EK for being an old design but really the FB came first, the EK was really the face lifted version. Today the EK still looks proportionally good even though the curved glass was a feature of the 50's and not the 60's. They also picked on the HD because of the pedestrian stabbers but apart from his obvious styling handy cap, the overall car looks fine and is right at home in the mid 60's imho. The HD reflects the more classic HK-HG series much closer than the HR did in terms of styling ever could but yet the HR was much more popular. But they missed the obvious!!! Right in the middle of these two models sits the EJ, with its aging grey motor and awkward looks, I put it well ahead of the EK and the HD in terms of a miserable car (if only because of its looks), so how can you take that list seriously? Maybe the EJ was saved by the EH by the author.

There is even a good argument for the Walky as well. You could say that with the value of the blue VL bat mobile going through the roof in recent times that they got this wrong as well but really they were right because at the time they could not give them away. As good as its on road performance was for that time, it was still ugly. So in terms of sales, this car was a failure. It doesn't mean it is a bad car (actually far from it), it just means that they could not sell them.

That is why the AU gets picked on so much. We all know that they make great taxi cabs because they are so reliable but the car is still ugly. It seems to only appeal to a select few as Australia as a whole voted with its wallet and a one stage even back then, Holden was selling 2 Commodores to every Falcon. This car failed not as a car, but as a sales success because of its styling.

I have heard that the last generation Capri's are actually quite good but they never could shake off the gremlins of the first series Capri though. When you consider that it was actually built around an export program, then the build quality was nowhere near good enough. This car reminds me of the Camira. It was lucky that the JB was so gutless because the car suffered from equally shocking brakes! It really was a bucket of bolts. But how many here have driven the JE 2.0 E.F.I.? They actually went really well. They were surprisingly very revvy but the Camira program was well and truly dead by then.

They actually could have made mince meat out of any model if they wished and they could even find some good in most models (AU is a case in point) if they wanted to because it is based solely on one mans opinion, but it sure is funny watching people come into bat for their cars even if they are arguing against the obvious though!

Bud Bud

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

The au is unquestionable as the ugliest falcon but it had a robust drivetrain and fair family transport.

Absolutely, I mean who would want to own one of these?

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Blue Beast II

Absolutely, I mean who would want to own one of these?

Nail, head, hit.
If we still had Rep thats a +1. Someone else already gave thanks.

[Ryan]

I must be the only Holden fan on the face of the earth that doesn't mind the look of the AU. Particularly in Tickford and XR6/XR8 guise.

Far more aggressive looking than the equivalent VT/VX IMO.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by eb2monty

Yeah, this car is sooo ugly

Personally I would have used a series 2 or 3 to get the point across lol but it seems that anything that isn't tasteless mediocre *** resembling a Corolla is 'ugly'. The AU was something different for the time (same as Focus) and both have aged better than most cars from that era. So much so that Mercedes launch the CLS a few years later that resembled a melted AU.
As a total package the AU Fairmont Ghia was the first Aussie car of any generation to give the 5 series and E Class a run for their money.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Bud Bud

That is why the AU gets picked on so much. We all know that they make great taxi cabs because they are so reliable but the car is still ugly. It seems to only appeal to a select few as Australia as a whole voted with its wallet and a one stage even back then, Holden was selling 2 Commodores to every Falcon. This car failed not as a car, but as a sales success because of its styling.

At no point during the AU's run was it ever even close to being outsold by the Commodore 2 to 1. The VT was selling around 7500 a month and the AU was about 6000, give or take a few hundred each month.

Taken from the tech gallery, sales for 1999.


Oh how Ford and Holden would kill for those sales figures now.

[fmc351]

It certainly got us all talking about that magazine, and Im guessing a few have checked the site out and added comments.

Im gonna say the articles did their job.

[Vekgib]

My EA S-pack was a terrific car.Thought it was a good looking car and served me well for 120,000kms. Had an AU I XR6 for another 100,000kms and the only trouble I had with either was that the steering wheel stereo controls on the AU broke.Regular maintenance and care led to otherwise over 220,000kms of trouble free motoring in two cars that I thought were eye-catchers. The AU I Forte,as described above,was a face only a mother could love.But mechanically ? Could'nt fault 'em.

[drew`SEVNT5]

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Or the Couger .... nice looking car but terrible to drive with the terrible RHD conversion, my feet wouldn't fit between side wall and pedal without applying break at the same time and the drive didn't match the looks .... didn't own one but considered one a while back (Sorry to the Couger owners out there)

Probe wasn't too bad and was the same as the Mazda equivilant (Name escapes me)

AU's will always be bagged as poor quality from those who have never owned one or two or three as many AU people seem to do

As for LANDAU's .... pfffffttttt ... has no idea. GREAT 2 seater (with 4 seats) and slow???? See below .....

Dead stock is your Landau?

[fat4D]

how has every one missed the ford ka? Now that thing was a bucket, although i can understand how ford forgot it... Its like parents with a trouble child send it to boarding school out of site out of mind