Help, Ford or holden

[big JB TRX450r]

Gday every1, i know your reading the topic & thinking "what tha?" but i need help from all of you. ill explain, i am buying a near-new family car. My other half has her eye on a 05 XR6 MkII with 14,400km on the clock & we have seen a few holdens that are appealing to. now keep in mind we r not holden nor r we ford lovers. At the end of the day they r all the same to me. Ive driven both brands & different models, they both ride smooth, brake well, have similar features, steer much the same & have the desired room we need. My problem is if i ask someone advice they will either like fords or holdens, now if my other half wants the XR6 thats cool & i actually like the look of them myself but!, the down side is i seem to hear the same thing about "falcons" in general, radiators will block from the bottom regardless of age, heads warping, head gaskets blowing time & time again...& i also hear other storys of owners taking them back to the dealers over little things. If i buy this XR6 is it going to give me an endless migrane, please give me facts based on people who have owned these cars...i dont speed or flog cars, most of the time i have the kiddies with me so im pretty tame behind the wheel....any opinions would b most helpful...cheers

PS. buying a car this tuesday so hit me with some advice

[RavenLS1]

i didnt read any of your post but i say FORD

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by big JB TRX450r

the down side is i seem to hear the same thing about "falcons" in general, radiators will block from the bottom regardless of age, heads warping, head gaskets blowing time & time again...& i also hear other storys of owners taking them back to the dealers over little things.

The first I have heard about this....... Surley you are not comparing the ford 6 cylinder to the holden 6 cylinder. They are as different as chalk and cheese.

[red_hotxr6]

Hey good on her, i would do the same if the budget would stretch but i had to settle for my ef xr6 and i have not looked back. Its got the go if need be but I dont use that feature of the car, it has too many other good qualities.One way to stop all these things that you hear go wrong with a ford or any other car is SERVICE it when it should be done, it will last you as long as you want. Answer go the fords, you wont look back. Cheers. :

[SSBUB]

i have never heard of these issues with xr6's before? theres millions of em around, they must be going alright!
Best bet is to take it to a trsuted mechanic and get the once over - a very thorough once over. You should do this no matter what the car brand.

[monkey_boy1990]

I would buy the ford, fords are known to have a stronger body and better crumple zones in a crash. Also the main structure of holdens are there windscreens so in a situation where the windscreen is shattered the car will flop aruond like a floppy thing...

[Falcon Coupe]

Got 74,000 klm on my BA I6 and the only problem i have is the CD player won't work after my son used it as a slot machine for coins.If you are in the market for a 6 cylinder car, the Falcon wins hands down.

[MoreHPformyXR6]

Originally Posted by big JB TRX450r

Gday every1, i know your reading the topic & thinking "what tha?" but i need help from all of you. ill explain, i am buying a near-new family car. My other half has her eye on a 05 XR6 MkII with 14,400km on the clock & we have seen a few holdens that are appealing to. now keep in mind we r not holden nor r we ford lovers. At the end of the day they r all the same to me. Ive driven both brands & different models, they both ride smooth, brake well, have similar features, steer much the same & have the desired room we need. My problem is if i ask someone advice they will either like fords or holdens, now if my other half wants the XR6 thats cool & i actually like the look of them myself but!, the down side is i seem to hear the same thing about "falcons" in general, radiators will block from the bottom regardless of age, heads warping, head gaskets blowing time & time again...& i also hear other storys of owners taking them back to the dealers over little things. If i buy this XR6 is it going to give me an endless migrane, please give me facts based on people who have owned these cars...i dont speed or flog cars, most of the time i have the kiddies with me so im pretty tame behind the wheel....any opinions would b most helpful...cheers

PS. buying a car this tuesday so hit me with some advice

Hey there in my experience having had my 2005 BA Mk II XR6 for an even 12 months now I have had no problems (done 8500km) 80% of that is city driving peak hour start stop etc 20% highway. Its been a really good car. I drove both VZ SV6 & BA MkII XR6 this time last year & went with the BA for preference I liked the extra torque & felt the BA handled better than the VZ. I took both of them for a decent test drive through the Adelaide Hills. I think asking the question you have on AFF you may get a skewed response same as you would asking the question on Holden forum. If I had read the thread on here " what problems have you had with your BA " I may not have bought my first Ford would I have missed out on a great car. Often in these type of threads you basically only hear of problems. Im sure on a Holden forum some where there is a thread called " what problems have you had with your VZ " :

NB the problems you talk about sound like they occured more from poor service than anything else.

[EBFalcs]

being a fellow holden owner myself, i would still say go the BA as they **** all over VZ's there's no way in hell a VZ will keep up with the BA the big grunty straight six are just awesome, they're comfy they handle good and look good too in XR6 form anyways, and they probably use slightly more fuel than a VZ, but who cares, it would be very minor

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by big JB TRX450r

the down side is i seem to hear the same thing about "falcons" in general, radiators will block from the bottom regardless of age, heads warping, head gaskets blowing time & time again

I think your hearing stories about the old E series Falcons. From my knowledge the headgasket problem was solved years ago.

[jarrod0009]

hi you might want to take a look at this thread
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=689

[coyote]

The general answer to all the issues you mention is service.

That said all makes and models have the odd car that does not meet expectations.

Check LS1 and you will find the same litany of issues with holdens, I am as biased as they come and have three Ba's, two of which have done over 140,000 km and I would still buy another one tomorrow if i needed it.

Having worked on most late model cars, I can honestly say that it is the enthusiasts that notice issues with these cars, in the fleets, they could not tell you which they were driving if you took the badge off the steering wheel.

But I have had such a good run with most of my fords that i will stick with them, and with products as good as the BA I could not see a reason to even test drive a VE

[NC 5ltr]

Originally Posted by big JB TRX450r

The down side is i seem to hear the same thing about "falcons" in general, radiators will block from the bottom regardless of age, heads warping, head gaskets blowing time & time again...& i also hear other storys of owners taking them back to the dealers over little things.

All radiators clog up with sediment after a while thats why you flush every year or 2.

havent heard of a BA head warping or a head gasket blowing on any BA.

got 2 BA's myself and the only problem ive had is fuel gadge sender playing up but thats a warrenty case.

Best bet is to test drive both and find which one you like better.

[nobbystang]

If you can stretch the budget a bit further for a BF, I can highly recommend the new ZF 6 speed auto. I drove my last car harder than I should have and it lasted well, hence why we upgraded from EF to BF XR6.

My selection process is just driving the car, I don't like the feel of Commodores and Magnas have got to be the worst big car I've driven, not sure if its just the front wheel thing or not?? Plus I've been told the Commodores are more likely to end up in two pieces if in a decent stack, not what you want to hear when you have your first child, or any children for that matter.

Good luck whatever you end up with!!!

[Smoked]

In seriousness, coming on to a ford site and asking us to choose? Biased.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Hard choice.

Both have good and bad points, the BA II / BF is a better car then the VY / VZ but it all comes down to what you like best, therefore go drive them.

Im pretty sure the BA will win, but you never know. the VZ Sv6 is just as good if not better when it comes to performance and handling, whether you get the same level of comfort will be another story.

[Ruger]

about the ba head warping thats rubbish. i tested it myself unwillingly.
during a spirited drive through the mountains on a 30 degree day the radiator hose popped off (loose clamp - my fault)
temp rose to 3/4 of the gauge a dash light came on and started beeping like crazy. put some fresh coolant (had some in the boot) let it sit and off i went no damage done. if your gonna crack the head or warp it thats how you do it and it stood up to it so the BA head is definately up to scratch ill tell you that much.

the head issues are a thing of the past for the falcons you wont have that problem ba onwards i assure you.

[XR6TickfordBoy]

Ive owned a couple of e-series falcons and when it comes to reliability they beat Holden hands down. I have never had a ford break down on me where as my bro had a holden which has had an engine transplant plus numerous other problems. My dad got a company car 12 months ago and had a similar dilemma. test drove a VZ SS and a XR6T. The XR6T was 10 times better and he has it serviced on schedule and has not had a single problem, not even a nigggle. So going by my father who has no preference over brand he will tell u that picking a BA XR was the best decision he ever made when it came to buying a car. As said if u service and maintain a car as outlined u should not have a problem with it, we found that with Fords this is definately true. Good luck with your decision

[aidansea]

My selection process is just driving the car, I don't like the feel of Commodores and Magnas have got to be the worst big car I've driven, not sure if its just the front wheel thing or not?? Plus I've been told the Commodores are more likely to end up in two pieces if in a decent stack, not what you want to hear when you have your first child, or any children for that matter.

[majin_andrew]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

My selection process is just driving the car, I don't like the feel of Commodores and Magnas have got to be the worst big car I've driven, not sure if its just the front wheel thing or not?? Plus I've been told the Commodores are more likely to end up in two pieces if in a decent stack, not what you want to hear when you have your first child, or any children for that matter.

Originally Posted by aidansea

My selection process is just driving the car, I don't like the feel of Commodores and Magnas have got to be the worst big car I've driven, not sure if its just the front wheel thing or not?? Plus I've been told the Commodores are more likely to end up in two pieces if in a decent stack, not what you want to hear when you have your first child, or any children for that matter.

Ha, you both said the same thing.

[Joes_meat]

The problem of headgasket's that are prone to blowing was solved with the AU (or possibly the series II EL with the hybrid motor?)

The BA has a very interesting head. Designed from the beginning for thorough and very even cooling (plus it has the right number of camshafts ).

I'm really not sure what I'd buy... The Falcons tend to have poorer resale value - so you can probably get a slighly newer one.

The BA introduced a lot of new components (the Barra engine, new transmissions etc.) whereas the VY Commodore has the tried and tested Ecotec motor and 4L60E auto. Sure it's not the smoothest or most powerful combination, but it's been around a while (some parts from the 1950s.) From experience, the Commodore is the slightly more reliable bet, and better on fuel too. As for the VZ, I can't say I know much about the new alloytec motor. But the Falcons a better drive. But there's not much in it. Life's a gamble, buy the one you want to live with and drive everyday.

[needaXYGT]

wheels magazine at the back where sales prices are says:
All new holden VE commodore - best commodore to date
BA XR6 - best aussie car for value

in other words, holden have still got some catching up to do.

im not joking BTW.

[Full Spectrum]

Originally Posted by nobbystang

Plus I've been told the Commodores are more likely to end up in two pieces if in a decent stack, not what you want to hear when you have your first child, or any children for that matter.

Good luck whatever you end up with!!!

That was the V-B-C-H-L. A bending in the middle of the car when towing huge weights.

Originally Posted by majin_andrew

Ha, you both said the same thing.

Yes and they were both 18 years wrong:P.

Originally Posted by needaXYGT

wheels magazine at the back where sales prices are says:
All new holden VE commodore - best commodore to date
BA XR6 - best aussie car for value

in other words, holden have still got some catching up to do.

im not joking BTW.

you forgot the ones that said the Omega is the best Austalian car made.


You know what i say too this guy buy a Mazda 6 turbo you will get nowhere here or anywhere Else.

[S3SR]

Originally Posted by SlickHolden

you forgot the ones that said the Omega is the best Austalian car made.

its not australian made!

Originally Posted by SlickHolden

You know what i say too this guy buy a Mazda 6 turbo you will get nowhere here or anywhere Else.

get a mazda 3 mps 10x better than the 6 or any falcadore.
if its for the family do a bit of research and test driving to see whether the Ford falcon station wagon or Holden commo is the better.
ive seen Nissan Patrols ST 93ish for $13k

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by SlickHolden

you forgot the ones that said the Omega is the best Austalian car made.

huh?? Regardless of Australian content (which is supposedly meant to be greatly reduced with the VE) all Commodores are still Australian made.


The BA Falcons before oct 03 were full of problems but a lot of changes were put through. My nov 03 Falcon is tough as nails and is reliable, safe, and smooth. Commodores are just as unreliable as the Falcon and it's a gamble.....but it's a gamble with any car.

[Full Spectrum]

Originally Posted by FALCONSR

its not australian made!


get a mazda 3 mps 10x better than the 6 or any falcadore.
if its for the family do a bit of research and test driving to see whether the Ford falcon station wagon or Holden commo is the better.
ive seen Nissan Patrols ST 93ish for $13k

Omega think about it

That might be the one i was thinking of lol MPS looks nice and goes hard.

[outback_ute]

Drive a few of each, it should be easy to decide which make you prefer. Obviously I am going to say get the BA, I believe it is the better car.

If you did go for a Commodore the VY2 is probably the pick as the Alloytec engine is relatively untested & cannot have gas put on it if you were looking at that.

If you don't need the final bit of size and towing ability, it's worth looking at fwd alternatives eg Mazda 6, Camry, Accord etc

[HSVETAR]

Ummm.... What sort of question is that??? you do relise that this is a ford forum... I say FORD....

[Full Spectrum]

Originally Posted by outback_ute

Drive a few of each, it should be easy to decide which make you prefer. Obviously I am going to say get the BA, I believe it is the better car.

If you did go for a Commodore the VY2 is probably the pick as the Alloytec engine is relatively untested & cannot have gas put on it if you were looking at that.

If you don't need the final bit of size and towing ability, it's worth looking at fwd alternatives eg Mazda 6, Camry, Accord etc

You do realise the alloytech is LPG also?

[Creampuff]

obviously..when asking on a FORD site you will get FORD as the answer.
of course this is the correct answer......FORD........... FORD.
My BA is 2 years old and faultless..Love it..Drive it....Go and Buy it.