2008 Ford FPV Falcon Review by Kevin Hepworth - Carsguide.com.au

[georgekizzie]

the fpv was meant to be driven on no speed limit roads, not roads with a light or roundabout every 3 seconds

[yourtownsucks]

SO many Neuoooton metres! My car has far fewer Newtons than this. Lol silly aussies and their newtons.

[RobStaniford]

the typhoons are brilliant cars but everyone still love the 8's

[jimking19]

no they don't. not the ford v8's anyway. that's for old blokes who wanna relive the past.

[1901974]

Yeah made in the Geelong engine plant for the last 45 years.....great 6

[Max8Jizzy]

Top Gear should do a  Aussie Falcon vs. American Mustang.

[yaroukh]

something tells me they have different emissions requirements

[xbgt351v8]

thank god they didnt go to that heap of shit v6 motor and kepted the straight 6 and to u holden ppl who think there shit why do bmw and more expensive cars hav straight 6s mmmm coz there shit yer they have to be shit yep

[TheNewMrCool]

That post was full of BS.

How do you figure an I-6 is automatically better than a V-6 in reliablity? I-6s are often smoother because of the inherent balance, sometimes a bit torquier too, but that's about it.

You obviously just don't know what you're talking about.

[54FLEX45]

Ford played with this yank V6, they put it in the Falcon and did some preliminary testing(i have an immediate family member working at Ford in performance/emissions). Apparently it was "rough as guts" was the quote I got. Americans do not have a good track record for quality, reliable engineering. The I6T likely to go down as the best engine built/developed in Australia ever. It currently out-performs Holden's 6.2lt V8 and uses 3l/100klm less fuel. You need to drive one to appreciate it. ;-)

[TheNewMrCool]

I like the engine, I don't know why you're talking to me as if I don't.

And I'd still have the V-8 every time.

[54FLEX45]

I'm afraid V8s are now strictly for posers or Aussies who can't let go of what is now inferior. Especially in the Ford brand. From a performance point of view, anyone with any knowledge who has driven both the Boss and I6T will come to the same conclusion... I6T beats it everywhere. Ford would stop making them if not for the inbred Aussie V8 culture.

[TheNewMrCool]

I'm not from Down Under.

And I'm not a poser. I prefer the sound of a V-8.

[signeduplate]

hi. u think that any car in the fpv range can beat bmw m3s in performance?

[54FLEX45]

Short answer, no. But hey, for 100k more the M3 would want to outperform an F6! In a straight line there wouldn't much in it though.

[signeduplate]

how about nissan Rb26 and VQ38 6cyl compared to fpv....

[xbgt351v8]

fpv s which one r u talking about

[signeduplate]

hi...any fpv engine...but i guess some of the fpv engines can outrun supras and GTRS?

[flyinpencil69]

@signeduplate depends if your talkin standard or mdified. N if modified how modified? F6 would be best to take one of them on

[Magnus016]

now lets see

Ford is now Keeping the 4l engine for alot longer now.

And the next FPV GT will have the 550bhp 5.4l Supercharged engine from the FORD GT.

[pursuitdude]

The FG F6 won the 2008 NZ car of the year award too.

[godanselmo]

Yeah it's not the fastest engine in the world, but you can always give it a bit off a push. Haven't driven an Alloytec yet, But I've heard they lack down low and like to whine a lot when revved.

[pursuitdude]

Yes "Silver Surfer" Holden do export their car but if your going to go down that path then one must also say that Holden import their cars too, from the likes of Vauxhall and Daewoo and proudly put their Holden name and badge to it. But guess your not proud to admit that one aye??. :)

[RegsTheFordLover]

fuck

[absopimp]

I really feel sorry for Ford, this time round they really have produced something spectacular first aussie car with 5 star safty rating, great preformance, amazing looks its got everything you could ever want and yet sales are dwindeling, why? extremly bad timing, if this car had hit the market 12 months earlier ford would of sold a hell of alot more.

[uraniumdeath]

How the hell can Holden sell so many Commodores though?

Marketing. Ford's marketing has been poor for a long time.

People associate Holden with "Australia", when in essence, they're both as Australian and American as each other.

Ford have delivered superior products for their generation for years, but Holden have superior marketing.

The FG looks far nicer than the VE IMO, and is mechanically superior, but morons like Paul Gover will never admit, and bag Ford continuously.

Biased journalism.

[absopimp]

Totally agree with everything you've said there, except this "Ford have delivered superior products for their generation for years, but Holden have superior marketing." I think the period of the AU, Holden had the superior product however since then your 110% right. The FG really shows a larger face of Euro design and is far superiour in performance and styling to the VE. However in a time like this with the economic downturn its really not a good time for a new model to hit the market.

[sfalconI6]

I would love to drive the F6... awesome car...

[yanzzah]

what? holden and ford unbreakable. are u living in a real world or fake one of your's. German cars are known as toughest of all. not these folden things + real fuel guzzlers too.

The Holden Commodore has been outed as the most petrol-hungry of Australia's big-selling cars, costing $2,430 in petrol a year and releasing 3.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Next in line came the Ford Falcon, costing $2,272 and releasing 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

German and Japs are the best in every way.

[frank268b]

take your stupid figures and fuck of where some of of us live (the ones that feed our nation country places) these two manufacturers are the only cars that last for the years they need to dick head. those figures are crap and nothing more

[RED66KNIGHT]

Go stick that jap crap up your arse!

[uraniumdeath]

I love Australian cars and will always support the Australian industry, but VWs are quite different and they're bloody good cars.

A friend of mine has had Fairmonts for years and tested the FG. He said that he wasn't prepared to spend that money on a car so similar to what he currently has.

He test-drove a Passat and said that it was a bloody nice car, and gave you more control over the car itself whereas the Ford and Holden did a lot of the work for you.

Each person is entitled to an opinion

[hal2342]

lol at xkimopye making up lies. some people actually work in the car industry and know what they are talking about so your just making yourself look like a fool.

[xkimopye]

how does your post have any relevance to my post, have you looked at the cars guide? Like i said half of it is about fuel leaving only 50% of the guide about cars, and most of that 50% is just dealership advertisements leaving only a few pages dedicated to product reviews. And most of the time the reviews have already been in car mags, which makes it old news!! My whole life is cars, cars are more important to me than just about anything, and yes, i have worked in the car industry in the past.

[xkimopye]

as usual i have learnt nothing new from cars guide. it is for no-nothing people for people who have never picked up a car mag. about 50% of the guide is about fuel prives and the other 50% is about stuff enthusiasts already knew. Lift your game cars guide!!!

[wolfmother4eva]

god i love the GT-E... it has to be one of the best looking cars that ford has ever made... it's absolutely emacualte!

[uraniumdeath]

The GT-E is my pick too.

I loved the Force 6 and 8 because I love the menacing look without the big spoilers and body kits,

If I had the cash, I'd fork one down immediately as I like a comfortable, spacious car with a bit (or a lot :P) of life in the motor :D.

[bffalcon]

what the fuck the guy said the BA and BF GT was hard to drive! Typical of car experts, some are good the others are curropt and are being past $100 bills for Holden head office to praise their cars. FPV is probaly the best V8 high preformance manufacturer in the world. And should be higly recognized.

[absopimp]

If he thinks the GT is hard to drive maybe he should hope in a fuken SS n try look out the front windscreen past those oversized A pillars.

[FG08FALCON]

who is this moron , he is a cock sucker. May be he can describe the big Mac megameal better

[pav023]

Dont rely on these car experts, man they think a holden is better then BMW or MERC. I rather put my hard earnd cash on a BMW then a Holden anyday. What would they know, F#CKERS.

[xkimopye]

well a commodore is far more reliable than a bmw for one, oh and a lot more value for money, and a lot more bang for your bucks. That holden is looking good now hey?

[pav023]

are u dumb or stupid, a fucken crappydore - get real

[xkimopye]

er, considering my partners car is a bmw and mine is a commodore i know first hand what is more reliable and a lot faster, dont get me wrong, her bmw is nice but i get a whole lot more car for the money, she is sick of her very expensive mechanical bills so she is now looking to buy a new falcon. So yeah we both know that the aussie cars are a better choice.

[pav023]

Enjoy paying more at the pump and high devaluation

[joh2]

Add to that economical - I've had many years experience with a VN V6 with 5spd manual - plenty of performance, yet fuel economy similar to a 2.0 litre 4...

[Wopenka]

You got to be kidding me. Holden more reliable than a BMW? Lets put the R8 up against the M3. Holdens do make good cars though dont get me wrong. But to say they are better than a BMW is just wrong. Topgear says it like this, Holdens and fords for the Aussie battlers who want bang for buck. Mercedes and BMW for the man that can afford to pay more for refinement

[xkimopye]

hey im just talking about the experiences ive had with japanese, aussie and german, and from what i have been through, holden is in a totally different league in terms of reliability, my vt is sitting on 479,000kms with no engine or transmission problems or changes, yes it is a little slower than it used to be but my partners bmw at 200,000 has become a migrane, it is constantly getting serviced, even her father (a retired car mechanic)cant keep up with the servicing. Aussie cars are unbreakable

[Wopenka]

mmmyyyeessss That goes for ford aswell? Since the Ford Australia is a tad more Australian now than Holden.

[xkimopye]

yes ford falcon is a brilliant car too, hence the reason my partner is buying one very soon.

[80sOldSkool]

Have to agree with you, I'm a Ford man through and through, but a VT or an AU is a far more reliable car than a BMW or any other Euro car for that matter. And the best thing with the Falcon or Commodore, it's never going to break your budget if/when you do need to get it fixed.

[uraniumdeath]

We've had a VTII Acclaim for 8 years and over those eight years, troubles have been minimal, with only wear and tear being the issue.

At about 90,000kms, been through a battery, a steering rack (replaced 6 months ago), and the central locking has buggered up a couple of times. The interior is falling apart though.

But in terms of mechanical reliability, it has been a bloody good car, all for $26,500 brand new.

Damn good value.

Can't get that in a European car.

You pay for a badge.

[H0LDENSUX]

As of today, the BA Falcon is beating the VE Commodore in 2008 V8 Supercars - This means alot to FPV owners. Jack Daniel Racing took a VE Commodore station wagon to a bathurst 12 hour race and despite 4 pot calipers - it failed to stop after 20 or so laps. The biggest car of the race ran into the smallest - a lotus elise. LOL - The commodore just gets bigger and slower.

[xkimopye]

unfortunately your wrong, the new holden wagon is in fact smaller than the previous shape commodore wagon which is a shame because i could not live with a boot smaller than what i have in my vt

[H0LDENSUX]

actually, what i meant was bigger in terms of weight, not shape. i bet your VT wagon is lighter than the new VE wagon (when both are left unloaded). Yes, the VE handles better than VT, but can not be forgiven for the extra weight contributing to proven poor stopping performance on the track. You can have a smaller wagon, but if it's heavier than the bigger one, the laws of physics won't work in your favor.

[theboxmike]

looks good....

But prefering the looks of the VE so far

[Damo384]

fuck these so called car experts give me the shits. They have no fucking idea...Why dont you just go and do what you do best and sit in a fuckn pub...No wonder they work for unknown car journo mobs, not wheels or motor

[uraniumdeath]

Wheels and Motor are extremely biased towards Holden. Carsguide in Victoria is terrible too.

I don't want journalists to favour any brand. Their job should be to present unbiased, informative reviews.

For the past months, we;ve had nothing but Ford = Doom and Gloom while Holden is = Green, great, top shit, saves cancer, destroys Osama Bin Laden, pleasures my wife etc.

[absopimp]

LOL however its not quite that bad, whilst being a Ford fan myself I keep an open mind to Holden aswell and if I was to offer my most unbiased oppinion the best way I could sum it up would be despite styling if I was going to by a V8 I'd buy Holden, but if I was going for supreme performance I'd buy the Ford Turbo. Clearly Ford are behind with the 5.4 BOSS and need to upgrade it before the next model, which is why they all rival the SS not to the XR8 but to the XR6T instead.

[uraniumdeath]

Yes, but only the XR8 and GT and GT-P carry the V8.

THe inline, along with the ZF is far superior to Holden's offerings of the clunkomatic and their "Alloytec" with its pleasureable whine.

I have a VTII with an Ecotec and I reckon it's a bloody good car. No problems.

But Carsguide's constant doomsaying about Ford and constant praise on Holden (which in many offerings on the Australian product, is inferior), which to me reeks of biase.

GT sales are killing F6 by the way.

[absopimp]

Yes I'm well aware of the which models carry the V8 however the point I was trying to make was that Holdens 6 litre is far superior to the 5.4. Theres a pretty ovbious reason why the GT sales are better that is, have you ever towed somthing with a turbo? My last car was a VX S Manual, I would have to say that was a fuken grand champion car loved it, big backwards step with the "alloytec".

[uraniumdeath]

People should not buy a GT for towing. If you want to tow, get a turbo diesel, like a Hilux, Triton, Ranger, or Colorado.

V8 engines aside, Ford has produced a great car but Carsguide continues to spout out negativity and uncertainty revolving around Ford, and I think it's unjustified given that Holden aren't sitting overly pretty either.

Six cylinder models for both cars far outweigh V8 sales, so on weight, the Falcon offers a bloody good package.

[absopimp]

Clearly you dont own a boat, why would I want to drive around in a hilux or some turbo diesel away for a week up the lake with my boat? I'd buy a bloody GT because it can tow a boat no dramas and its an enjoyable car to drive. I'm not talking about towing a trailer or use it for work. What negativity are you talking about? the only negativity I hear of is why the 5.4 is still here getting squeezed. Cars guide gave the FG a very promising review and even applauded the 5 star saftey rating

[uraniumdeath]

No, I don't own a boat...

But I would personally not purchase a GT for towing. Each to their own.

In Carsguide, Gover openly reports Ford's sales issues etc. but never mentions a bad word about Holden.

They're both fine cars, but I find it frustrating that the Falcon is not supporter anywhere near as much as the Commodore by these journalists.

Initial reviews are worthless if the team of journalists puts doubts into the buyers mind about Ford's long-term viability.

[absopimp]

The purpose of purchasing the GT over the F6 was simply because it has the added benifit of being able to tow. Now I don't like to tow anything let alone an F-ing boat in my cars, but the thing is its extremly capable and I'd rather cruise around in a GT than Hilux. Any way did you read yesterdays carsguide review, they actually had plenty of good stuff to say about ford, the FG in particular.

[absopimp]

BTW you can put all that "carsguide talk negativly about ford" shit to bed now, if you havnt already found out, they named the FG car of the year 2008.

[uraniumdeath]

An award doesn't change what they report.

I've known about the award for a while now.

Gover will probably continue to loudly support Holden, while constantly placing question marks over Ford.

I doubt it will change.

[absopimp]

Well ok then, you win, you continually blow me away with your stupid comments, your absolutly hell bent on the idea that Cars guide are 100% against Ford and worship Holden...who cares if they are? Read Wheels/Motor instead. They gave it car of the year I think that pretty much sums up their report, what more could you want? They could of given it to Holden but they choose Ford. So am I missing somthing here or are you really just bent on having a pointless argument?

[uraniumdeath]

An award doesn't say shit.

Holden Camira Wheels COTY 1982, Mitsubishi Magna 1985...wow...big deal.

Throughout this entire time, too many media outlets have placed uncertainty in the minds of buyers when it comes to Ford, much like the same manner as Mitsubishi.

An award doesn't always mean much.

Paul Gover of Carsguide has lead the charge, stating some incorrect facts along the way.

I drive a Holden, but we need both brands here.

Through that, there must be impartiality in the media.

[stu22aus]

Ok but what about WHEELS magazine? Holdens left right and centre, doesn't even matter if they exist or not! COTY edition has a 'torana' on the cover, despite the only evidence being Holden refusing to rule out Torana as a name...any chance they get to pound Holden into our heads they take it

[godanselmo]

I completely agree with you mate. I currently own a VX S auto and love it to bits. It's my first car, and I think the old Ecotec is a great engine for what it is. Plenty of torque down low and considerably smooth despite what people may say. The FE2 suspension makes a big difference. It's a joy to drive and I don't plan on getting rid of her anytime soon. I have to say though, I wouldn't mind one of these GTs on my driveway.

[absopimp]

Dead on mate, I've got an XR6T now and it goes like all hell. But I miss my VX S II, it was bloody awesome, great preformance, awesome economy, i got over 700 ks to a tank a few times. I only had 2 complaints about it, 1. I wanted an LSD diff, 2. MORE POWER (doesnt every body) haha. The Ecotec was a gun engine, like u said plenty of low down torque n extremly smooth. I tell you wat dont get rid of it, you will regret it! haha

[splintercell99]

gold

[ThaSilverSurfer]

ford the perennial losers! COUPE 60 BABY

[niklal07]

silversurfer,

you typical haewoo lover

[pav023]

How much that cost, a typical holden lover will buy it. Oh well God i love depreciation, in 5 year it would be worth peanuts hahahaha

[slappedoutarse]

im not your baby. Goose...

PS, Fuck dawooholdenthingymabob

[uraniumdeath]

That's why Holden was up the creek back in the late 80s, with the VK and VL falling in sales to the last of the X-series Falcons.

You can have an opinion on what you like, but it's moronic to brand Ford perennial losers when there have been many great cars over the years from both camps.

What's this about the Coupe 60 anyway? Dream on.

[ThaSilverSurfer]

what like the AU??? ha ha ha you know the chief designer got his ass sacked over that monstrosity!...ford is always playing catchup and very poorly too. holden ships WORLDWIDE so stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Brokolli17]

The new FPV series are fucking mad! Holden would only ship to fucking asian countries bcoz no one buys them in AUS or America and the asiansare the only ones dumb enough to buy the peices of shit. So Shove that in your WOK and fry it!!!!

[mif73]

Although a lot of people were polarised on the looks of the AU, it actually drove very sharply, I used to have an AU2 6cyl as a company car and it drove like on rails and amazed people how well it stuck during a corner.

Never a problem over 140,000 km lease.

Not to mention the torque to overtake in top gear and much better towing stability and torque than the current VZ wagon company car.

[ThaSilverSurfer]

the B.A..........................n­uff said

[kuetessz]

WTF thats fuckin european design, a ford falcon it´s a muscle car thats gay, we have enough with ford focus and all that shit

[mounirraad01]

very nice

[80skiwi]

Could've discussed more about the performance of the cars. How about giving us a sample of the engine noise. The FPV range probably won't arrive in NZ til July.