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The Pub For General Automotive Related Talk |
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08-08-2006, 09:41 AM | #1 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Gday
I'm really probably not asking the right people here I've got a feeling the answer might be a bit biased.... anyways about 2 years ago I was looking to finally buy my Ford. I had gotten my drafting business to the stage where i could geta loan and finally a decent car. And lose the Daewoo at the same time. (which incidentally was the best car I've ever owned!) Got to the car yards, looking through prices and found a really nice looking dark blue AU 6. Standard, no wheels just clean. All excited, jumped in with the wife- and I've never driven a car I could honestly say I've been more dissappointed in. Bugger all torque, handled like a boat, really plain plastic dash and just not appealing. All from a sub 100 000k car. Same yard, all ****ed off and defeated, my wife spotted a VT Berlina 6. Midnight blue, standard, 118 000k's. She liked it, I resisted initially and thought may as well drive it. Drove like a dream! floated like a cloud (not now she's lowered and on 18" wheels) nice stereo, beutiful interior, torquey, smooth and far more comfortable. The only downside- the falcons brakes were stronger. Even more recently- drove work's BA ute- all excited again, but plastic, understeer, gutless, similar story from my mates. So my question- How do you guys feel about the AU? In fact, how do you feel about Falcons in general since the EA? I'm just a bit dissappointed is all and almost wish we were in the day of the XD, and just wondered if I'm alone in this... |
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08-08-2006, 09:53 AM | #2 | ||
Supercharged Mang-mobile
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Behind the wheel
Posts: 1,792
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I completely disagree with you
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09/00 VX HSV XU6 Build #0001 of 0171 http://fordforums.com.au/showthread....09#post5571209 -- Best E/T: |14.982 @92.12mph | R/T:0.013 | 60' 2.213| 330: 6.283 | 1/8: 9.624 @ 73.17mph | 1000: 12.529 | 25Deg, N/A Hum, 1010mb | Willowbank Raceway 7/12/16 Tickford EL Falcon XR6 RIP -- Factory Manual -- Best E/T: |14.991 @ 92.71mph | R/T: 0.607 | 60': 2.215 | 660': 9.665 |13Deg, 86%H, 1024mb, 184RA @ Willowbank Raceway |
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08-08-2006, 09:58 AM | #3 | ||
DJR Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,575
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I've never driven an AU, but I don’t think driving a BA work ute should turn you off BA's. Unless you buy a performance model, you wont get the kind of performance you are after. I'll guess it was an auto that you drove. The old 4speed can feel a bit sluggish in N/A models. With the understeer, cars these days are designed to understeer for the simple fact that its safer and easier to correct than over steer. If you want a performance car, buy a Tickford/XR6T/XR8/FPV.
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08-08-2006, 10:03 AM | #4 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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It's not so much that I was expecting a performance car, but my VT with 200 000k's and standard pulls harder (and its a lot heavier)- in fact I was happy with my car again after driving the ford.
Just the overall package of the fords isnt there. Like the ute- she just wan't finished I thought. |
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08-08-2006, 10:03 AM | #5 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 2,434
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You can't compare a Berlina to a stock AU Forte. Jump in a Fairmont, or Fairmont Ghia (which most came with Leather), all Climate Control, (some even came with a VCT motor). Then we'll see what you think of it.
The 4 speed Auto does kill the performance, but they are a family car. You can't expect everything from them. If you spent the same amount of money on the Ford as you did for the Holden; it would be far superior. I.e. handling, looks, etc.
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AUIII Falcon Forte, with SIX Appeal |
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08-08-2006, 10:05 AM | #6 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 14,654
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Quote:
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335 S/C GT: The new KING of Australian made performance cars.. |
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08-08-2006, 10:07 AM | #7 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,083
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Each to there own. Personally I love my AU.
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Older, wiser, poorer. Now in Euro-Trash. VW Coupe V6 4motion.
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08-08-2006, 10:09 AM | #8 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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um, no
i joined because I am a ford man, my old man has Fords (f truck & XR8 EB) my grandfather drives an escort, and I love the older fords. I've been waiting for the fords to get up in the racing again, and their starting to. I just wanted to see if others here feel the same, as most I talk to face to face feel similar |
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08-08-2006, 10:10 AM | #9 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Quote:
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08-08-2006, 10:12 AM | #10 | |||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,083
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Quote:
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Older, wiser, poorer. Now in Euro-Trash. VW Coupe V6 4motion.
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08-08-2006, 10:13 AM | #11 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Brisbane champ
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08-08-2006, 10:30 AM | #12 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,303
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Brisbane eh... OED666 I think you have a shotgun passenger awaiting!
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08-08-2006, 10:30 AM | #13 | |||
DJR Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,575
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Quote:
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08-08-2006, 10:33 AM | #14 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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by the way didnt mean to upset anyone- just wanted your opinions...
and yes it is nice to see the Fords are competitive |
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08-08-2006, 10:57 AM | #15 | ||||
To shreads you say?!
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FNQ
Posts: 538
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Sounds like another forum troll to me.
2/10 for effort.
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BAII XR6 Ute (manual) Winter white. Quote:
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08-08-2006, 11:03 AM | #16 | ||
cross breeder
Join Date: May 2005
Location: vic
Posts: 3,964
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My mum recently did the same thing,test drove a vt berlina,then an au 2 fairmont.Au won hands down,and is now in her garage,and she was leaning toward the vt before she drove one.
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Like xk-xf's?
http://www.ozfalcon.com.au/ |
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08-08-2006, 11:04 AM | #17 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Quote:
I asked a legitamate question, wanted to see if others felt the same as I get a similar reaction in real life, and I'm a troll. Nice one Go bugger yourself buddy |
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08-08-2006, 11:09 AM | #18 | ||
Workshop & Performance
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hewett SA
Posts: 4,128
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Well as an ex VX owner I can honestly say I dont know where you're coming from.
The VT 6 FEELS torquier off the mark, but i wouldnt rate its chances after that. Its pretty breathless once it up and happening, needs a kick down to get back in its zone. The Ford 6 FEELS less urgent, but theres really nothing in it once the things are moving and I'd suggest there is more available torque on the roll. Interiors? As above, Berlina interior should compare to the Fairmont interior. They're both plasticky, but the higher in the range they go the less obvious it is....thats life these days. Ride? Nothing in it. Hard to compare two cars when you dont know where they've been. I drove both when reasonably new and there wasnt squat in it. AU steered more directly, VT had the steering feel of a tank. I went from VX to BA, but moved up in the interior stakes so cant directly compare. But the VX/VT interior is showing its age comparitively...
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When close is good enough and the 6 MPS in the driveway has FoMoCo written all over the place. Xr5 for sale shortly...just not a hatch guy |
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08-08-2006, 11:12 AM | #19 | ||
Heart of Blue
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ACT
Posts: 322
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http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=59566
Similar thread but the driver has gone from a VT to an AU.
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2004 BA XR8 Ute - Blood Orange - Love it! |
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08-08-2006, 11:14 AM | #20 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Quote:
How do the fords go with an exhaust and intake upgrade? |
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08-08-2006, 11:17 AM | #21 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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..and diff gears....
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08-08-2006, 11:19 AM | #22 | ||
DJR Fan
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 2,575
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I see where you are coming from. I like the VT interior over the AU, i will say that. And if I was buying a bottom-of-the-range AU or VT i'd go for the VT.
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08-08-2006, 11:27 AM | #23 | |||
Forum Director
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Boro
Posts: 1,187
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Quote:
I would also note that a VT is good for about 8.9 seconds 0-100, while a BA ute should get to the same speed in about 8.5. It would appear that you are allowing bias to interfere with facts. |
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08-08-2006, 11:33 AM | #24 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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No bias here champ
I would have thought the Berlina (electric windows, 18" steel rims, climate, etc etc) would have weighed more than a ute (alloy wheels, small cab, alloy tray) but hey I didnt look uo the specs I know of a wagon a mate says is the same- slow off the mark. I dont know quarter times or 0-100 times in comparison, but the falcons just felt slow as far as bias is concerned the amount of near punchups I got into when I didnt know a throttle body from the spare tyre says I really wish I felt differently |
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08-08-2006, 11:34 AM | #25 | ||
Shoot.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 4,909
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I've said it time and time again, and this'll be the last time!
Stock I6 auto Falcons are sluggish from a standing start compared to a stock V6 auto Commodore. It's all in the gearing. There is no way in hell when my Falcon was auto it could even come close since I've changed to manual (from a standing-start). Likewise against my friends' VR/VS Commodores. They're really quick (and rough) through first, hit second gear and power seems to drop off. They had the edge when mine was auto, now it's a whole different game. Then again, who's to say the AU you test drove wasn't a bit of a dud? It'd be interesting to know how you feel after driving a couple more AUs (Series II/III, manuals, Fairmonts/XRs etc.) But each to their own. The different feel of cars will always suit different tastes - we're just fortunate to have that option and competition. [And yes, you will get some biassed reviews :P]
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20V Turbo |
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08-08-2006, 11:36 AM | #26 | ||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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lol good on you mate
bias has nothing to do with it when my earliest memories were falling asleep to the gentle rumble of the twin 2.5" feeding from the 351 clevo in my old man's XC seabreeze... |
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08-08-2006, 11:43 AM | #27 | |||||
To shreads you say?!
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: FNQ
Posts: 538
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Quote:
You want a contrasting real life comparison. I drive any of 7 different vy - vz commodores for work. They are all executives with some of the optional extra's included. They all : Shudder when breaking Change gears eratically shunt in 1st and 2nd gear have massive body roll for a recent model car have massive understeer compared to my car are slower then my car Funnily enough, my car doesn't have the problems these cars do, but see, i look after my car. And my car is an XR, rather then a bog stock standard job. So judging two different manufactorers cars on a couple of 2nd hand examples is not always going to be the greatest base for comparison. Is this a fair comparison? No. But it's not untrue, and it holds about as much water as your comparison. Otherwise, i'm in agreement with PepeLePew above. The commodes feel faster because of the lower gearing, but its pretty much negated in the XR's (moreso in the ute's). You get 3/10 now for making me reply :
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BAII XR6 Ute (manual) Winter white. Quote:
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08-08-2006, 11:51 AM | #28 | ||
Forum Director
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Boro
Posts: 1,187
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Then perhaps my choice of word was imprecise. I apologise if so.
My point is that what feels fast and what is measurably fast are two radically different things. I have no issues with the fact that you prefer your VT to any late model Falcon. That is a matter of taste, for the individual driver to decide. My wife prefers her 2004 1.4 Micra to my Pursuit, but I still think a lot of her. |
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08-08-2006, 11:59 AM | #29 | |||
Regular Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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Quote:
Now, as far as you're saying that's fine. I am asking because I still have a soft spot for the oval badge, and I wanted to hear peoples good stories about why they like their falcon, or why they might agree with me or why they dont give a toss. I didnt say the new fords were a piece of ****. All I said was I felt the ones I had driven weren't as good as the Holdens. Simply bad examples? I'm happy to cop that. In fact I'd prefer to hear that. Now, not a fruitless excercise- I've already learned the falcons are geared higher, and interior wise you really ought to look at the berlina/ calais alongside the fairmont |
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08-08-2006, 12:10 PM | #30 | ||
FF.Com.Au Hardcore
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 22,920
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My BA mark II 4.0 XLS was a Cult Car, much much quicker then any stock v6 holden I have driven, as for my BA XR6 it was also a very very quick car with only intake mods.
VT Berlina - 18 inch steal wheels? They come with 15 inch alloys lol. VTs were crap to drive, very floating and disgraceful trim in them. The AUs werent the best car but yet again my AUIII XR6 would easily keep a stock VT in its place, as for build quality I would still take the AUIII over a VT - VZ Commodore, atleast it never sounded like the motor was going to vibrate itself off the engine mounts when you gave it a bagfull.
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2022 RAM Laramie 5.7 2023.50 Ranger Wildtrak 3.0 V6 Premium Pack 2024 Everest Sport 3.0 V6 Touring Pack 2024.50 Mustang Darkhorse 6M Blue Ember + Appearance pack ETA Jan 25. |
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