AU 3 vs BA

[glenz75]

Hi, looking at buying a 2002 AU III Falcon Futura, done 107,000kms and appears to have been well looked after. Just wondering how similar these are to the early BA's as I prefer the BA's but this AU is a lot cheaper so curious to hear your thoughts on this one...
Cheers
Glenn

[Mr Hardware]

I just went through the 'do I ditch my AU for a BA' question - there's a thread about it here somewhere that I created.

The bottom line I came down to the fact that it really wasn't an 'upgrade'. Each advantage was matched with a trade-off (like more powerful motor, but more weight etc). But one area where the AU is superior is reliability and simplicity and therefore a lower TCO.

But for me it was largely a personal preference thing. The BA's are plain, their steering is too heavy and the headlight switch isn't on the dash. But this is all personal preference.

At the end of the day, you're better off having the car you like the most (within reason), because when you spend money on it (and you will have to, it's a car) at least then it won't hurt so much.

[DFB FGXR6]

I have had both, and of the two I prefered the AU. Its was nicer to drive, great on fuel and better built. Because of the popularity of the BA, Ford were throwing them together and the quality went down. I found the AU was more reliable with a more soilid feel to the whole car. Ok, the engine wasnt as smooth, but that would be my only down point. With those low k's, go the AU.

[Zero_PSI]

BA would be my pick. Cant really see this lack of build quality in the ba's. Nicer to drove, better interior and better looks. Cant go wrong

[Polyal]

I went through the same thing....I wouldn't touch a BA1 with a barge pole.

I ended up in an AU2 as it was the right price at the right time, would have gone with a 3 if it was around.

Looks are subjective, I think the AU has more personality and style and ill put money on it the AU2/3 has had less recalls/issues than BA1.

If you find an AU3 with IRS it will ride just as well as a BA...im more than happy with my "dinosaur" live axle though.

For the money, nothing will beat an AU2/3

[Donny]

I had a top of the line BF2 GT-P and went back to an AU3 XR8.. Most would consider that a step back.. Not I.

While it was a bit of a step back in luxury (climate ctl and leather vs norm air con), power (boss 302kw vs weezor 220kw), seats (GT-P seats were magic) and brakes (awesome Brembos), the rest of the AU package really made up for it in my books, specially not being saddled with that near on useless ICC setup B series cars have. Oh, plus the massive diffrence in price between having 50k invested (at time of sale) in the GT-P and depreciating every day and 10K in the XR8 and prices holding currently.

Im not gunna go into the whats better than the other or what looks better, but Polyal has nailed many key points in his post above..

Im just gunna say 1 really important thing.. That I am very happy with the AU I have, its a keeper.

[Polyal]

Yeap my AU will be a daily until it starts to become uneconomical...im about to hit 150,000k's so its got ages left..and my SVI LPG setup keeps me relatively future proofed for fuel costs.

[GK]

Near Easter, I may have an option on a 2004 one owner BA Futura with 88,000 kays. It might be as cheap as 4-5K.

For that price, I'd be willing to give one a go. The car is in QLD though, but I have a mate or two in mind for a road trip if necessary. LOL!

My thoughts would be to put it on SVI LPG here in Vic and give it to the Mrs. I'd keep the Futura wagon as my car and sell the SR.

I have a brother in law who had a BA XR6 with no problems, a mate at work who has had two BAs, an XT and now a Fairmont and both have been really good cars.

I'll keep you posted.

GK

[The Monty]

I have a MKII BA, and have had a S1 Fairmont, and S3 Forte. Hands down in every department the BA is better so far. But thats just my opinion.

[Polyal]

It would be interesting to see how a IRS AU compares to say a BA sedan.

A BA2 is ok, I could live with that, but BF is the pick of the B series.

The B series naturally got a killer engine, thats the major difference. A Barra in an AU would be nice.

[Antwon]

BA IRS fails hard. also although i like the barra motors, compared to my ticky SOHC they feel like theyve got nothing down low.

[Fordman]

I did pick a BA over an AU and would again, i think mostly because to me BA was such a savior car around the time i got my license, and i like the boxy muscle look of it.

That being said id never turn down an AUIII. As Mr.H says, its down to preference i rekon/

[au11futura]

au11 futura for me mate i found the ba's have a flimsier interior not well made at all.

the motors are more of a guzzler than the au, and more expensive to maintain.

the au has proven itself as a excelent taxi over the years and ugly duckling as it may be it does grow on you.

i always say the au's are the last of the proper sixes made.

[Donny]

I had a 2003 BA1 XR6 n/a that I bought new for my (now exwife) back in '03 with the 4 speed auto.
Back then we tested out Series 1,2 and 3 AU's as well, but we chose to buy a brand new BA and upped it to XR6.
At the time the AU's were second hand and/or near new and not a hell of a lot cheaper, and the BA also won on outside looks..

I found while the BA motor was marginally better performance wise, the AU I6 felt more responsive, toeier and more willing in around town applications.

Perhaps the biggest thing we found out after buying the BA XR was the AU transmission was FAR superiour to the BA 4 speed auto.
Unfortunantly we didnt find out how horrid the BA auto was until after owning the car for a bit..

[Beer Baron]

In my opinion the AU was built better, Interior feels flimsy in B series.

[Sox]

I think both are fine cars, but quite different in how they go about things.

I've only owned 1 BA, an XL utility.

I've driven many BA's and BF's, from XR8's, XR6, XR6 turbo, and even the newer FG XR6, XR6 turbo and XR8.

I've owned 4 AU's, and driven many more.

The greatest difference I've found between A series and later models, is the level of refinement. B series and later are simply a more refined car than AU series.

Now to some, this will be a good thing, however I find them too refined, to the point of being sterile.
B series and later have no Mongrel. They are soft.

As far as reliability is concerned, many reports say that A series is better, perhaps, but I doubt the the later ones a unreliable.

Fuel economy, A series is most certainly in front, a little with the 6 packs and considerably better with the wheezer.

Handling is pretty similar, but typically the AU is a little more nimble due to the lighter weight.

As someone else mentioned, the ICC is an abomination in the B series, I friggin hated it. I much prefer the simplicity of the A series (or similar units).

As a drivers car, the A series wins hands down IMO, the later ones aren't bad, but as I said above, the AU's have some mongrel about them, more feedback, which the equivalent later models lack. The senses are dulled a little too much, and I suspect this will just get worse (or better, depending on your POV).

So really it's up to the individual as to what they prefer and what they want from a car.

For me, it's the little bit of old school rawness that AU's have which does it.
.

[glenz75]

Guys, thanks for the advice on this so far... Very interesting about the comments regarding the AU, I actually thought AU III was a nicer drive than 2004 BA Fairmont. The BA has 146k on the clock.

The AU did seem to have more of a 'feel' is the best way to describe it and seemed a bit lighter to drive and seemed nicer. The BA felt a bit heavy and sluggish, I was actually quite disappointed with it to be honest.

Our family wagon which is an 2006 BF MKII again nicer than that BA.

Personally I think the AU was always a bit ugly, but now that I've driven one...I dunno that could change with time.

And from what I'm reading too the AU is better on petrol also?

Cheers
Glen

[FalconXR6]

for the fairmont and fairmont ghia models, id prefer an au.

for the rest of the range - ba.

[Legit290]

for the gt...enough said

[JC]

Originally Posted by clarkey117

for the gt...enough said

Not really. T3 vs GT: T3 wins hands down every time (except to GT owners).

[Legit290]

Until you press the starter button

[Donny]

starter button = big ****!!!

[JC]

Originally Posted by Donny

starter button = big ****!!!

Hey! I have a starter button in my AU XR8. Put there for the very factor you describe! I mostly use the key though (I have it wired so you have to use the button, or with a flick of a switch, you can use the key).

[Legit290]

Originally Posted by Donny

starter button = big ****!!!

The apprentice at the exhaust shop looked puzzled when he went to put it on the hoist and the key stopped turning without starting anything

[Donny]

I found the whole Starter Button thing to be nothin but total **** factor on my GT-P.. That was one thing I would have gladly done without.

First you have to turn the key to on, and then you use the the other hand to press to start..
So you effectively end up using both hands just to start it..
I much prefer to just turn the key to start it like other conventional cars..

Just another gimmick part to go wrong.. And watching people try to figure out how to start it is only amusing once or twice..

[Legit290]

so if one hand is on the key and the other on the button you can't be a ****!

[Mechan1k]

I actually jumped from an AUII to BFII ... so never really got into a BA inbetween ... I ahve driven a few BAs ... and there is a difference compared to that and my BFII.

Both utes as well ... and there are some things that i miss from my AU ... and there's other reasons why I'd stick with my BFII in the end.

I miss the sound of the AU 6-cyl with a decent cam in it ... I miss that lope/rock at idle at traffic lights.

I miss the nimble handling ... although the entire suspension had been upgraded though (and I am comparing that to a stock standard BF as well) ... it may change when i finally get underway with new bits under the BF ... but the AU had more feedback when driving ... and i felt more connected to the road.

I miss the interior feel as well ... and fit and finish as well.

But as a daily work vehicle and fun vehicle on the side.

The BF performance wise in stock form ... is better in everyway than the AU could ever have been (even when it was modded ... i am taking EGAS models here)

The seats are much better bolstered in my BF compared to the AU. A few more interior features and trip computer functionality in the BF is much handier than the AU was.

My BF headlights are amazing in standard form (before upgrading globes) ... I thought the AU was good .... but they don't hold a candle to the BF unfortunately ... even with big driving lights on the front of the AU ... I find the factory high beam in the BF is well aimed and coverage is so much better. One this I was initially amazed about as I always thought the AU was better in this department.

Now I also have the reverse light in the taillight cluster now ... not a silly little dull reverse light in the bumper bar cut out.

Also i had provision of factory foglight placement as well ... and the Ford item I purchased is a decent setup as well and worked just as well as my old slimline Hella FF75s I had on the AU.

It's just little things that added up to a nice upgrade over the AU for me ... Don't get me wrong ... the AU was a strong vehicle and took what I gave to it ... but i had a lot of ancilliary issues with overheating in the end ... and nothing fixed it ... hence why i retired it. I needed reliability and it just wasn't that in the end.

Oh ... I didn't miss the dash mounted headlight switch ... mine felt that flimsy it was so cheap.

Next will be an upgrade to FG or higher .... I really like what Ford have done with them ... and I think it is more of an upgrade from BF to FG ... that it is from AU to B-series.

[mik]

the Au is a great daily driver, not without a few flaws like all cars, but its like an old comfy pair of shoes that you can wear day in and day out, if the choice was mine for a fairly average ba or a very good au , i`d go the au............unless the b series was a bf2 or later with a 6 speed auto then i`d swap the au like hot potato.

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by mik

unless the b series was a bf2 or later with a 6 speed auto then i`d swap the au like hot potato.

Had one (XR6) for a week and couldn't stand it. High dash, crap interior, and the worst seating position that I can remember. Maybe my 1958 Morris Minor was worse... but I doubt it.

I'm really glad that I got the opportunity to drive one for an extended period. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have hated it for the period of ownership. Pleased for those who own them and like them but it ain't for me.

I really thought that I'd go from an AU3 to a BF2. Not now, not ever.

[Au3xr8]

Ive had an 08 FG xr6 ute, BaMk11 xr6t sedan "tweaked" and now an 02 s3 xr8 sedan and imo the au just feels a nicer package all round, better seating position, interior looks and feels nicer, exterior has more personality and in regards to a V8 note....... ya cant beat it.