XR6 Turbo review by The West Australian

[Road_Warrior]

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/mot...mily-thriller/

The XR6 Turbo is the dazzler in the Ford Falcon line-up, a sedan that stunned the motoring world with its strong-yet-silky power delivery when unveiled in 2002.

Its engine - a 4.0-litre turbo six cylinder - was ahead of its time, with the auto world since racing to do likewise, by deleting cylinders and adding turbos.

This provides engines with extreme verve for their size while the lighter weight in the front end aids steering and handling.

Other key advantages are sipping fuel use and low CO{-2** emissions. For example, the current XR6 Turbo uses 11.7L/100km while the 5.4-litre XR8, whose production has ceased, slurped 14L/100km.

This engine downsizing trend will extend later this year when Ford introduces to the Falcon range a 179kW turbo engine with just four cylinders. Who would have thought?

Since 2002, the XR6 Turbo has been vastly improved but its price has increased by only about $5000 to $48,990 (manual) and $50,990 (auto). The advances, worth well over $10,000, include iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, climate- control air-conditioning, electric seat adjustment for the driver and bigger alloys.

The 2011 buyer also gets a brilliant ZF six-speed auto compared with 2002's ordinary four-speeder, an extra 30kW and 50 Newton metres of torque plus a 1.0L/100km fuel saving.

Safety has been lifted markedly by the addition of anti-skid stability control, bigger brakes, side and head airbag protection for front occupants and an array of subtle protection systems that include crash sensors, staged-release airbags and a sophisticated body design that distributes crash energy much better.

In a crude sense, the XR6 Turbo provides amazing "bang for the buck", as does its similarly priced Holden SS V8 rival. The Ford's output of 270kW equates to a price of $180 per kW while a similar-size BMW 550i with 300kW works out at $600 per kilowatt.

The Beemer has advantages in many other measures, but the Falcon nevertheless provides a lot of luxury-cruiser refinement for the price. The cabin is quiet, the driver is cosseted in an electric- adjustable seat, the ride is excellent, the steering light and easy and the power delivery progressive with no fits or starts.

In short, the XR6 Turbo could be enjoyed as a regular, practical and spacious car around town and as a wonderful country loper that transforms into a cheetah for passing road trains.

Buyers would have a car that is respected, comfortable, well kitted out and involving to drive.

It might surprise some readers that there are many muscle car drivers who think just like that.

Partly because of the $50,000 price tags, the owners are often quite mature people who don't abuse their pride and joys.

The desire to test the car's 5.2sec. zero-to-100km/h acceleration time and adept handling is nevertheless strong but there are safe, reasonably priced outlets. These include driver training and track sessions with the WA Sporting Car Club (9306 8022) at Barbagallo Raceway and by MC Motorsports (1300 137 470) at the RAC Driving Centre near Perth Airport. Specialty car clubs also enable owners to hear the full growl of the engine in track days along with more casual cruises.

Though the XR6 Turbo's crash-safety rating has lifted since 2002 from four to five stars, I am going to pinprick Ford's airbags strategy. For side protection, thorax-head airbags are provided for front occupants but those in the rear miss out on the curtain airbag head protection provided by key rivals such as Holden.

Curtain airbags are available as a $300 option, a piddling amount that surely is not worth the muddying it does to an otherwise very strong safety story for Ford .

Lacking child-friendliness is the provision of just one child-seat anchor point in what is a very spacious, family-size car.

To take the sports-luxury feel up another notch, buyers could opt for a $5000 pack that adds leather seats, dual-zone climate control, a 150W premium audio system and 19-inch alloys.

I can't end without informing Freo cappuccino strip cruisers of my test car's sensational colour.

I dubbed it Dockers Purple Haze - but Geelong sponsor Ford prefers to call it Viper.

Give it curtain airbags and parking sensors as standard equipment and I'm sold

[Polyal]

Yeah but its only $300...surely you could bargain them into the sale.

All pretty standard stuff, except for the comparison to the BMW..there's one way to make the bang for your buck look extraordinary...LOL

Still, easily the best car in the range. I know the F6 is a monster and worth every cent but honestly, whack some brembo's on it and look out. Its standard performance is more than enough for most people I would have thought.

Add to that the FG XR is one of the best looking styles in a while, just icing on top.

[Road_Warrior]

But if that gear was standard you could buy one from stock without having to wait for a built-to-order car. And let's face it - that stuff should be standard by now (and probably will be come FGII)

[redman]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

....
Give it curtain airbags and parking sensors as standard equipment and I'm sold

I have had a few (possibly) unconnected thoughts on the curtain airbag situation:
1. Kids and airbags do not mix.
2. It is (currently) not possible to dis-able an airbag.
3. The purchaser of a vehicle knows (a) how many people may travel in the back and (b) their ages.

My current charriot has the $300 airbags, due to excess teenagers. If I had kidlets, I would have NOT gone the option.

Advantage to Ford for giving informed buyers the choice. Muttering rotters only have other scribes as back seat passengers.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by redman

My current charriot has the $300 airbags, due to excess teenagers. If I had kidlets, I would have NOT gone the option.

Since when are curtain airbags considered unsafe for children?

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by redman

I have had a few (possibly) unconnected thoughts on the curtain airbag situation:
1. Kids and airbags do not mix.
2. It is (currently) not possible to dis-able an airbag.
3. The purchaser of a vehicle knows (a) how many people may travel in the back and (b) their ages.

My current charriot has the $300 airbags, due to excess teenagers. If I had kidlets, I would have NOT gone the option.

Advantage to Ford for giving informed buyers the choice. Muttering rotters only have other scribes as back seat passengers.

Curtain airbags are designed to protect rear seat occupants from being showered by broken glass and being injured by projectiles coming through the window during a collision so I don't see how child safety is going to be compromised by the presence of curtain airbags.

[stang65]

No I beleive redman is correct., I think it has something to do with the children being shorter than adults.

[stang65]

While front seat side air bags are more common, some cars also have side air bags in the rear seat. Check your car owners manual and look for labels on the sides of the seats. Although they can help prevent injuries to adults in side crashes, these bags may pose a danger to children who are not properly restrained or leaning against the door. Although side air bags are smaller than frontal ones and inflate with much less force, injury could occur if your child’s head is too close to the air bag.
http://www.research.chop.edu/program...at/airbags.php

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by stang65

....I think it has something to do with the children being shorter than adults.

That's why the littlies should be in child seats or boosters.

I'd much rather have side airbags and a slight injury risk rather than no side airbags and a huge injury risk. Windows and door panels are bloody hard!

[SEZ213]

That is an awesome article! Best I've seen in a long time...

They have a five star rating without the airbags...

Indicates they're probably not a necessity, but an additional safety feature that consumers can purchase, if so inclined.

I personally don't like airbags, particularly on the steering wheel - I think I've listened to too many stories about airbags breaking noses...I shudder to think what they would do to a child who's spine isn't quite as strong as an adults...

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

They have a five star rating without the airbags...

unfortunately, most motoring journo's like to put a higher emphasis on airbag count. i think they go over the top with it personally. it is still 5 star rated.

i wonder how they would rate a car if it was only 4 star but had 37 airbags.

[Grippy]

To me it sounds like a very well rounded and truthfully written article, good to see the XR6 Turbo getting the praise it deserves.

[vztrt]

If people are so in need of rear airbags the G6ET would fix that....the 50th version is better yet.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by redman

1. Kids and airbags do not mix.

Neither do kids and protruding power poles, or Kids and asphalt meeting their heads in a rollover.

I was 9 years old when we were t boned in our then near brand new EB Fairmont Ghia by some retarded p!ssed piece of $#!t in a kingswood ute.

I hit the door pillar, and had glass embedded in my eye, and my face, and was in hospital overnight. I have no doubt that a curtain airbag would have been of assistance there.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Danny

Neither do kids and protruding power poles, or Kids and asphalt meeting their heads in a rollover.

I was 9 years old when we were t boned in our then near brand new EB Fairmont Ghia by some retarded p!ssed piece of $#!t in a kingswood ute.

I hit the door pillar, and had glass embedded in my eye, and my face, and was in hospital overnight. I have no doubt that a curtain airbag would have been of assistance there.

probably best left to the parent to decide on the appropriate risk for the kids, if they want it its an option, personally i`m a little surprised even the standard xr6 does`nt get a bit more praise, even with out the turbo these things have a real turn of speed that would shame a lot of v8`s in years past, agreed good write up.

[redman]

I think the review (subject of OP) is pretty damn good. I wish that the turbo was available for my car plan, alas, it is not. I am able to select from the NA 6 cylinder versions of the FG and so this where I thought I should offer a rebuttal to a particular point in the review.

I object to what I consider to be a 'cut and paste' negative; the 'lack' of standard curtain airbags. I think that most press reviews of the FG make the same air-bag point; 'they should be standard'. I tend to think it is part of the review document template used by the writers - as in "review of Ford FG - better mention $300 curtain airbags option".

Thanks to "stang65" for locating an article that supports my view.

I am sorry for taking the thread OT.

[stang65]

Welcome GOOgle is our friend.