Global Green Challenge daily results

[EDManual]

i doubt that 2L/100 too.
Remember they only did 75 km around town in adelaide.
Probably over filled it on the last tank and coudnt squeeze the same amount in at the end. The slightest angle of the car can have a huge effect on how much you can fit in!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Drive article about Ford vs Holden 6's

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/Ar...=66950&IsPgd=0

Class acts with six appeal
Bruce Newton, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 31, 2009

A V8 isn't the only path to smart sports performance, writes BRUCE NEWTON.

Ford and Holden's definition of the essential Aussie sports sedan

You really don't need the extra cylinders, power and thirst of a V8, not when there are six-cylinder alternatives as good as these two. They define the very essence of the modern Aussie sports sedan: powerful, well-balanced, involving and yet easy to live with every day.

In the red corner is Holden's Commodore SV6 with a new direct injection 3.6-litre V6. In the blue corner, Ford's latest FG Falcon XR6 and its Aussie-born and developed 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder.

While the Falcon is newer than the Commodore, the Holden's US-developed, Australian-built engine has only just been updated for improved efficiency. As a result, it has stretched its power advantage to 15kW (210kW v 195kW) and narrowed the torque gap, albeit to a still significant 41Nm (350Nm v 391Nm) in the Falcon's favour.

Almost as important as the Holden's overhauled engine is the new six-speed automatic transmission that goes with it. Holden claims 10.1 litres per 100 kilometres fuel consumption average, effectively lining it up dead level with the XR6 when equipped with its optional six-speed auto.

Performance-wise, Holden is also expecting a big improvement, although it declines to make an official claim. Previously, the Falcon has provided the better acceleration figures and more enjoyment in the process.

But let's start with fuel consumption. Taking in a combination of freeways, highways, back roads and a smattering of urban running, the SV6 emerged from our test with a 10.4L/100km figure. The Falcon managed a more impressive 8.9L/100km.

On the surface it's a victory to the Ford but there are qualifications. The SV6 travelled from Sydney to our southern NSW test base while the Falcon rolled up the Hume from Melbourne. We'd also caution that we've seen much closer results than this.

Either way, these are encouraging figures for 1700-kilogram-plus four-door sedans that drive their rear wheels. That shouldn't really surprise because both engines are sophisticates, with double overhead cams and variable valve timing.

The Holden's advantage is direct injection, which feeds fuel directly into the combustion chamber rather than in the inlet tract as most engines have since the inception of fuel injection. It provides a more efficient burn, bringing improved economy and performance.

Speaking of the latter, the SV6 dramatically improves here as well. According to our independent performance testing using satellite-based tracking, it accelerated from 0-60km/h in 3.3 seconds and 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds. That's a significant gain from the original VE SV6 (195kW V6 and five-speed auto). It's now on par with the Falcon, which recorded best times of 3.1 and 6.8 seconds respectively.

The Commodore also sounds the faster car, its new dual exhaust system delivering a full-blooded mechanical cry under acceleration that truly belongs to a sport sedan. The Ford is raspier and harsher sounding and runs out of revs 1000rpm earlier, in the mid-5000 range.

But it's about now the XR6 starts a pretty concerted fightback. Its engine is brawny and its auto better tuned, shifting more crisply and reading the road better. On a winding, undulating road the Holden's six-speed drops back to fifth gear at the first scent of a hill and then quickly down to fourth if the slope steepens.

The Falcon is the more convincing driver's car on these roads. Both are confidence-inspiring to drive. Rear-wheel-drive cars have a reputation for being harder to control than front or all-wheel-drives but these two are very well sorted with lots of grip and the support of well-tuned stability control if you're a little too enthusiastic with the throttle.

The XR6 is better, though, when driven with enthusiasm. As the speeds rise it hunkers down and becomes even more precise while the Commodore gets fuzzy around the edges, indicated by its tendency to roll slightly more in corners. The Falcon reinforces its security with a more reassuring brake pedal.

But the Commodore is a quiet cruiser and has a more comfortable suspension. And while styling is in the eye of the beholder, the VE remains one of the great sedan shapes produced in Australia. The Falcon is a 21st century evolution of what has come before, its deep-seated headlights an XR signature.

Inside, the Falcon is classier and more modern but the Commodore has clearer labelling and bigger buttons. The Falcon's seating position is a tad high while the Commodore's flush-mounted parking brake is a continued annoyance. Both have plenty of interior space and storage and big boots but the Holden makes do with a ski-port while the Falcon has a much bigger split-fold.

So which one to choose? Both sport keen driveaway pricing at the moment with the Falcon holding a $2500 advantage, though the Commodore has standard curtain airbags that are an extra $600 in the Falcon as part of a pack. Normally the pair are offered in the low $40,000 bracket before on-road costs are added, with the Commodore $700 cheaper on an auto v auto basis.

If you buy your sports sedan for the sport though, the XR6 asserts itself with greater cohesion and involvement.

Both engines are capable of delivering a combination of performance and economy that makes them enjoyable and affordable.

[GT69]

God I hate wishy washy bs articles. How many more times will the Falcon show the Commodore up before people stop saying 'both are great cars.....'

So the XR6 was better on fuel, .1 second slower to 100kph, better gearbox, better handling, nicer shape, the only thing they can point out is the buttons are a little bigger on the commodore.....thats like saying 'I run my brand new gaming PC on 640x480 resolution when it could be on 1920x1080, because i like my big ugly Icons.