XR6 Falcons

[Naki]

Once agian thinking of a new car - commented in the past here about buying a new vehicle but couldn't justify it at the time and had other priorities but I really need to do it now as my '98 Accord is now 13 years old, done 270,000 km and owned it for 10 years (hasn't missed a beat!). Also the the paint work is detiorating rapidly and the interior is falling to pieces.

Thinking of splashing out this time and buying my dream car (short of a BMW M3 or something else equally exotic) a late model XR6 Falcon (FG series) ...anybody here have any bad or good experience with this model?

[Ian Warren]

Good luck on your buy , 270 thousand on a Honda , wicked , sure you don't want a Maserati , could equal your Honda in cost not the clock , had one up the driveway here couple days back , sure that would suit you more there Paul .. don't no what it is about the thing but sure as hell go,s like, a 'cut cat' and i'm not sure what that means .. but a FALCON man

[creator2003]

Being a older BMW series 3 owner id get the M3 model if i had the choice between the two ,mechanically sweet and really nice on the road just keeps sticking ,steering radius is real good easy parking etc ,and plus i really like how you just plug them in to find out issues ..
anyway haven't hear anyone complain about ether models ..

[Naki]

The M3 is out of equation for me...just deaming when it comes to that car .. I need a big car - which = Falcon (or Commodore).

Much that I like Euro cars it just gives me the shivers when I think about repair bills or reliability ...I have had a couple of Euros (mind you they were cheap) in the past and they wre unreliable as anything...

[Timmo]

The Falcons (or Commodores) don't have the best reliability ratings and I find they are very cheaply built (especially in the interiors). In saying that, in terms of car for the money they are very good and have well sorted suspension and steering tunes.

If you are considering a large RWD sedan, also look at the Toyota Aristo/Lexus Gs300, Toyota Celsior/Lexus LS430 or Toyota Mark 2 IR-v (a bit smaller than a Falcon but 300hp makes them super quick)

The 3l wagon version of the Altezza (Gita) is also a pretty well sorted car, but again is a bit smaller in terms of load capacity than a Falcon.

[Ian Warren]

Hey Mike Least your Beamer sticks to the Tauranga round a bouts , not like that Falcon/Holden we saw a couple years back

[Naki]

Hmm never thought of a GS300 or LS430..very nice cars ..must have a look then at Trademe.

The Falcon Im looking at has done 60,000km and is only two years old and is very well priced for the age. The interior of a FG model is very nice and step up from earlier Falcons.

A guy at work here owns a 5 year old Falcon XR6 and has done nearly 300000 km in it and has no problems at all...he had a Legacy GT before that and the turbo blew costing him a bomb. All the reports on the net about FG falcons in terms of reliability seem positive..not sure about Commodores though.

Th other option is go smaller and cheaper and buy a Accord Euro and use the wife's Mazda MPV for long trips (which is a bigger gas guzzler than a Falcon!)

[Bazza]

What happened to the MX5 Paul.....?

[Naki]

Wifey decided it wasn't practical carting around kids! ..probably right even if it is a second car..when the kids leave home (which is years away) then a MX-5 will be in my driveway

[Timmo]

QUOTE (Naki @ Nov 16 2011,5:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wifey decided it wasn't practical carting around kids! ..probably right even if it is a second car..when the kids leave home (which is years away) then a MX-5 will be in my driveway

Good man!

(Bazza not sure if you saw but I've just purchased a replacement '5 after I sold my NA before travelling- A very tidy NB RS )

[Alfashark]

If it's an FG or even a BF 'Coon it should have the 6 speed ZF slushbox... This is a good thing for two reasons:
It's a smooth shifting unit, with some of the nicest adaptive logic you can get as far as working out your driving style.
It's a very reliable box with no "use by" lifetime, unlike the older 4 speed in the AU/BA/BA II's that was known to go pear shaped after around 200-220,000km.

I'm having thoughts about a BF XR6 myself, but I'll hold out a bit longer in search of a manual.
Tons of room in the back, cavernous boot, smooth ride without being too whale-like (unlike a lot of the larger Jap Luxo-barges...) and not too thirsty either - I drove an XR6 from one side of Hamilton to the other in peak traffic, then on to Tirau and back, average consumption came back at 8.1L/100km which is pretty good for a 4L six, bearing in mind that my Pug weighs almost half what the 'Coon weighs and drinks 9L/100km if I'm being gentle.

Oh, and Lawrie (Snowman) will approve if you go down this track

[spongebob206]

Stay with a Honda Mate

Get reliability, extra's and performance.

I have a Tourer at the moment, wife has a Euro. Really miss the Honda V6 I had couple of years ago. Would recommend one of these.

Thought I went for economy with the 2.4 but have noticed no difference.

Honda V6 will beat the Falcon off the mark all the time. Top end they will win though. (but with the added fuel)

All the best on your choice.

[deaneb]

I've had a 2004 XR6 for 5 years now and have had no issues with it, although its only just gone thru 76,000 km. Its only a 4 speed auto, but its still been a great car for longer family trips. People pooh pooh the economy, but they are usually the ones driving large SUV's to work and back! The best thing I did was chuck a K&N panel air filter into it. I now get 10.5L/100km average (thats open road and round town) which is pretty good considering it was 11.3 before that. I drove a rental BF on a 350km open road trip a couple of years back and got 9.2. If I had the money I would upgrade for sure, even though I'm not a big fan of the look/shape of the FG's - I think Ford were too subtle and needed more aggressive styling !!

[benwynn]

QUOTE (Alfashark @ Nov 16 2011,5:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If it's an FG or even a BF 'Coon it should have the 6 speed ZF slushbox... This is a good thing for two reasons:
It's a smooth shifting unit, with some of the nicest adaptive logic you can get as far as working out your driving style.
It's a very reliable box with no "use by" lifetime, unlike the older 4 speed in the AU/BA/BA II's that was known to go pear shaped after around 200-220,000km.

I'm having thoughts about a BF XR6 myself, but I'll hold out a bit longer in search of a manual.
Tons of room in the back, cavernous boot, smooth ride without being too whale-like (unlike a lot of the larger Jap Luxo-barges...) and not too thirsty either - I drove an XR6 from one side of Hamilton to the other in peak traffic, then on to Tirau and back, average consumption came back at 8.1L/100km which is pretty good for a 4L six, bearing in mind that my Pug weighs almost half what the 'Coon weighs and drinks 9L/100km if I'm being gentle.

Oh, and Lawrie (Snowman) will approve if you go down this track

Unfortunately I don't think 'Coon' is an accepted nickname for Falcons these days.

[beaufighterguy]

Hey there.

Just thought I'd add my two cents
The new model Falcon is a bloody great car. My uncle has a '09 xr6 and she's got good build quality, more than enough power and rather good fuel economy.
If I was you I'd look at getting a newer falcon.

[Gavin Conroy]

Can throw 10 cents in as well.
I had Commodores up until 2003 but bought a new BA XR6 Turbo in 2004.
Only changed as I liked the look better and the 4.0L turbo went really well.
I agree with the four speed gearbox comments, it is nowhere near as good as the new 6 speed ZF box, it is seemless and works well.
In terms of the BF, really nice model as well, I had an FPV GT in that model, a bit more refined and the six speed gear box was nice but very notchy. Had a lot of BF XR6 rentals and found them to be quite nice, the auto and XR6 go well together.
Then onto the FG, again, have had lots of rentals, had an XR6 for two weeks and it is a great car and far more superior in most respects, quick enough and good economy.
Had G6 model once as a rental, nice interior but suspension was too sloft and gave the car a sloppy feel.
Never had any issues with the cars I have had.

I dont think you would go wrong with an FG, they are a pretty good car for what you pay for, but push for discounts especially if you end up buying new, some very cheap cars, out there but give the dealer a good negotiation session.
The FG2 is due out very soon so you may find a very cheap run out deal coming soon.

Cheers.

[Bazza]

QUOTE (Naki @ Nov 16 2011,5:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wifey decided it wasn't practical carting around kids! ..probably right even if it is a second car..when the kids leave home (which is years away) then a MX-5 will be in my driveway

Good thinking Paul. By the time your kids have grown up, my hobby minter will be a real classic, I'll save it for you, averaging 250 k's a month lately.
..
Glad to see Timmo has upgraded his as well, need some details so I can spot him on the local roads for the roofless one finger salute...

Perhaps Lawrie will sell you his Falcon, also a bit of a local minter..

[Timmo]

[Bazza]

That's very nice Timmo, and you got the colour right as well, be a bit longer in the legs and gears..

[AlisterC]

If it's really cheap just make sure it isn't an ex-rental car
I worked for Ford for about 5 years, though I have never met this model. The Falcons were fairly good in terms of reliability, but not as good as the European build Fords (like Focus and Mondeo).
Gavin, I like your taste in cars The turbo model was always my favourite to drive.