Worst/best Ford Falcon

[phoon]

Whilst I dont own an AU and alot of people tend to bag the styling, have a close look at the styling of the new batch of mercedes benz. The styling is very similar to the AU (Im not talking about performance or build quality) but rather the styling. Maybe the AU styling was ahead of its time and we all just didnt realize it. I agree that I didnt go much on the base forte's etc, but put a XR or TE body kit on them and I think they are a totally different animal or speak to the guys that own the AU's and they just love em. Definately not the worst car. Heres my worst car, VN commodore (oh sorry, this is about Fords isnt it.)

[S3SR]

how many AU's can hit another car at 70kph and still go, do that in your E series i say! :P

[|||]

Originally Posted by T3man

The AU was anything but useless on the racetrack.

I agree that the car punched above it's weight, but attending V8 supercar races during the AU period was in part what made me lose interest in the sport. Call it lack of factory support, cheating Holden teams, the fact that V8 supercars have very little to do with road cars anyway or whatever, the point stands that the AU was a dud in the one series that the public care about.

Originally Posted by T3man

The XA was all-American. WTF would make you think otherwise?

It doesn't look like any US Falcon I have ever seen. Drivetrain components yes, but to me it stands out as the first Aussie Falcon without a very close US cousin.

[TZENU]

Not having owned a bad Ford yet, I cannot vote for the worst falcon...

Maybe i can admit that the XR6T is the worst because it makes you want to put the foot down everywhere you go and will cause you to use more fuel than ever before! :evil3:

[Eu-GenixX]

i've got a lot of respect for the EA falcon.. it's amazing how much money ford spent developing that car... $750million and that was back in the late 80's... first aussie built ohc 6... etc... the EA had a lot of things going for it... it was just realised too early... as for lack of performance.. the engine put out 139kw... holden's V8 was only delivering 125 kw at the time... .. if you go to the fpv website.. read up on the heritage on there.. there is some pretty interesting reading about all the cars...

AU's really are ugly.. altho i think thats just the forte.. i've got a futura.. and the more i look at it.. the more i like the styling... i've got fairly high km's on mine.. but it's so comfortable and smooth to drive...

[FTE217]

Look this thread is going off topic too many times....
Best/worst Falcon is to open imo...

The best ? every new model should be as it's meant to be an improvement...
The worst ? every model has lemons !

So it comes down to looks and thats to open again,needs to be broken down from base,fairmont/ghia,xr etcetc.....

[FORD3V]

Purely on appearance the base model AU's and XF falcons would have to be the worst looking in my opinion.

The best looking old falcons in my opinion are XW's and XY's and the best looking new falcon's are BA/BF's and from my personal experience the V8 XW I owned was a very reliable car, as is my BA.

[Mongoose]

Well it basically comes down to styling for me, So the AU (any of the dam things, exept fairlanes/LTD's because there sexy not matter what) has to be the ugliest thing to hit our roads since cheap korean cars. But no matter what anyone else says, the XB lineup has got to be the best of all IMO

[aussieford]

Originally Posted by TE50 056

But they look like crap dont you know that : so therefore that makes AU's crap

I'd have to say I tend to disagree

[mean & green]

Originally Posted by S3SR

how many AU's can hit another car at 70kph and still go, do that in your E series i say! :P

my old man was T boned by a women in a patrol doing 60-70 k's ,pushed his ed fairmont over a stop sign and into a power pole . couldnt open the passenger side doors but it still drove home about 10 klm's ,wheel alignment was a bit out though!!

dont dislike any modle really ,love them all :

my favorites would have to be any FPV or XR 's

[Steve]

Bon't know about best or worst. I'd rate them in order of which one I'd buy if they were all equal in terms of age and km's. Most preferred would be an RPO 83 XA, least would be a Series 1 AU Forte wagon. In between all those at the top end I'd include the likes of XY GT, Landau, BA GT, XE ESP, T3, Cobra etc etc.

[Squalo]

I've only read pages one and five of the topic, because all I could see was the same stuff - "this thread will die a horrible death" and people stating what they reckon are the best Falcons without having clearly owned any of the cars they refer to.

So, it hasn't died yet - and what's the point of parroting about cars you've never owned?

My contribution - best Ford I've owned or experienced is without a doubt my mum's XW 221ci auto Falcon 500 - it just did everything that was asked of it, and the only problem - ever - was in 1997 when I took it on a road trip through the Snowy Mountains and it did the radiator at Gundagai on the way down. Amazingly, the pub referred us to a bloke up the road who had an XW 221 auto radiator HANGING ON THE WALL - 2 hours and $240 later we were on our way, and man did that guy deserve the case of Crownies we bought him.

The worst? Probably the ZL Fairlane I had - lots of things went wrong with it once it clocked up 160 000km - power windows failed, trip computer vanished, gaskets went etc. But to be fair, that was the car that taught me to get rid of post seventies Fords and Holdens as soon as they get near 150 000km (that's when they reach the end of their economical life, and become fodder for enthusiasts). But I did enjoy driving that car - it drove and handled far better than a barge should be expected to, and I say that having sold a Brock VK Director to get into it.

Other Fords in my experience, in no particular order (to make the above more relevant):

- XB GT sedan (close second behind the XW)
- XD ute
- ED XR6 wagon (serious contender for best Ford I've owned, but for warranty claims)
- EL Fairmont Ghia with XR6 motor (a far better car than my VT Berlina)
- XF Fairmont Ghia - strangely, not as good to drive as the ZL
- XC panelvan
- XR ute (excluded as it's been a project since I've had it, but I love it anyway : )

[FordFella]

Not that I would be able to give personal experience, I reckon that BA would be right up there for overall "bestness". How far ahead was the BA? Still , the XY would have to be the best (simply cause the most legendary Australian car ever was based off it), and that the EA was the worst.

[SP.UTE1]

From the many Fords we have owned, the best would be the 05 Territory Ghia AWD. It was comfortable, easy to get in/out of, looked good, and with the right tyres (Cooper ATR's) got us into and out of many places it had no right to be in.
The worst, without a doubt V6 Escape 02. It was harsh, vibrated at speed and was ultra thirsty and had a very hard plastic interior.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by aussieford

I'd have to say I tend to disagree

Nah mate it was a light hearted jab, all threads like this end up the AU being the worst Ford ever built, some people dont have any taste. If you notice too i own a T2 TE50 and had an AUII XR6 before the TE so i do like AU's

[sprjenkins]

Originally Posted by Adrenaline

In response to the first post, based on low sales and damage to the Falcon brand, the AU would have to be the 'worst'. Apart from the low sales, I don't see anything wrong with the AU - especially the XRs. The best Falcon is quite debatable.

I don't see this thread staying peaceful for too long.

Lol the AU sold more than any other falcon model ever, I can't find the link to the sales figures but its on here somewhere

[1600GT]

having actually OWNED quite a few different falcon models over the years (XT, XY, XD, XE, XH ute, AU, BA), and my choices are...

best: AU easily. best handling, best braking, best performance, good looking, best reliability, amazing ecomony, well built, the lot.
were talking AUII XR8 here, is my wife's car, and she'll never let it go.

worst: BA by a mile. very front heavy handling, brake shudder every 5 secs, should be heaps quicker with 260kW but the weight kills it, the WORST reliability i have ever had in ANY car (those that know me know of the list of problems it's had since BEFORE i got it... and some that continue to be...) and i mean any car including the earlier falcon models as well as other cars ive owned, thirstier than an AA meeting in the desert, build quality like it's built from a mechano set and left over leggo blocks, but it's 1 saving grace is it's got looks on it's side.
were talking BAII XR8 ute here, is my 'work' car, and it's gone at the first chance i get.
which shouldnt be too far away now...
hopefully.

[uranium_death]

Originally Posted by sprjenkins

Lol the AU sold more than any other falcon model ever, I can't find the link to the sales figures but its on here somewhere

I am sure the XF was the best selling Falcon ever. 220,059 built...

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by sprjenkins

Lol the AU sold more than any other falcon model ever, I can't find the link to the sales figures but its on here somewhere

I think that might be in terms of private sales (if you have the evidence to prove it), when the AU was on sale production numbers were lower then the BFII numbers are now. Also Ford were using auction yards to store these cars because they had so much stock that couldn't be sold.

[LeadFoot81]

AU2 Falcon. Had it looked a little beefier/mundane in standard trim, people wouldve appreciated it for what it was.

[fairBA]

have driven - XF-EA,EF,EL,Au3,BA -
BA best,
AU had some good points, as long as you did not want to go fast or have to look at

[LeadFoot81]

yes yes, we all know AUs are SO ugly and so damn slow. You should change your name to UNfairBA.

[fairBA]

Originally Posted by The_Fantastic_Ford

yes yes, we all know AUs are SO ugly and so damn slow. You should change your name to UNfairBA.

One thing i really did like about the AU was on the 1st XR6 - the double spolier, the "higher" one in a differenet color - that did give it a nice look, - shame though as i dont think it was on the 2nd or thrid release.....

[LeadFoot81]

Yeah its a shame they never did a series 2 bi-plane, a lost oppurtunity. They had it planned at one stage, but then it got canned.

[SVR73]

Great thread. I like these ones where their's a chance of a big uproar and tempers
I am only going to go by the cars the family and I have owned or I've been a passenger in

Best looks and drive : S1 AU XR6 VCT with the bi plane spoiler and full bodykit
I've got one and nowhere near 100,000 km's yet and I never want to get out of it after a long cruise every fourth to sixth sunday.
My god those seats are so nice. Not as good as BF GT seats perhaps but better than so many other cars front seats.

besides needing slotted's and EBC's to get good braking, it is the best car I've ever driven.

It never understeers and with the new exhaust system and my home made intake mod, has excellent torque and good power. Throws you back in seat every time and I love the feeling I get when you throw it around a group of twisty roads. Wherever you steer it, it goes right there and turns almost as good as a go kart.

Sure the AU3 T's and XR's look bigger and tougher but unlike the B series, the AU XR's are actually a fairly low build numbered model and it's getting damn hard to see more than four AU1's per month on the roads and most don't have the full kit on them.

Mine needs to be lowered about 3/4 to an inch to look better and even with 18's on it, the ride is really plush.

Runner up : XA to XC 2 door coupe's
Always loved them, owned an XA with XC doors and mint black interior and GT suspension. 400 hp 351 and 265's front and rear.
Awesome car to drive (except the brakes) and best looking falcon ever.

Others I like : My mother's XC 77 rally pack 302C fairmont wagon with the exhaust out the side.
Best looking falcon wagon ever, comfy interior, never let us down and went hard.
My uncle's 68 XT 500 Ute with the 302 Windsor, big wheels and new airbag suspension.
Sounds awesome with no mufflers and cool fun to drive on the track around his farm

mate's EF XR6 Wagon in cobalt blue with the rear spoiler and those awesome XR wheels.

Worst looks/Drive : EA 4.0L GLI

[Sledgehammer]

well I prefer the Au over the BA - Ba was a step backwards in design and handling, and I own both.

[Bucknaked]

In fairness, you can't include the T-Series or the FPV's as techincally, they arn't falcons. So its Forte and XT to XR8 for both models only when your comparing BA's to AU's

[webby_191189]

Originally Posted by Creampuff

I agree to agree that this thread is pointless, do you agree!!

I also agree. There is no definition of the best and worst falcon. Another useless thread that will start arguments later on

[LeadFoot81]

'Which is the best falcon?' is too broad a question/statement. I agree arguments can/will/almost have started.

If 'best' is which model has achieved the most for the Falcon name, you'd argue BA.

If 'best' is the most legendary, then you'd argue XY

Anyways they're all the best!

[apolloxbgt]

Originally Posted by Eu-GenixX

i've got a lot of respect for the EA falcon.. it's amazing how much money ford spent developing that car... $750million and that was back in the late 80's... first aussie built ohc 6... etc... the EA had a lot of things going for it... it was just realised too early... as for lack of performance.. the engine put out 139kw... holden's V8 was only delivering 125 kw at the time... .. if you go to the fpv website.. read up on the heritage on there.. there is some pretty interesting reading about all the cars...

While I can see where your going with the ea ( the mpfi 5 speeds had more poke than any 6cyl falcon before them),the vn 5litres ranged from 165-200kw's,not 125,and in stock vs stock I'm sorry but vn's onwed ea's in performance.

I think I've found something to love about all the Falcons I've owned (almost every model from xl-ba mk11 ,incl gt's ,gs's,xr's ghias etc.),except for the xf's (which I've owned 3 of).I'm sorry but in stock form they were turds.