BA vs VZ: I down few to go and BAmk2 is yet to arrive! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

gadgetman · 08-12-2004, 17:44

In the first of many comparisons, BA Falcon has claimed the first victory in the traditional
Commodore vs. Falcon tussle.
In the "Drive" section of Thursday's Age, David Morley compares a BA Falcon XT to a VZ
Commodore Executive and Falcon walks away with the laurels.
Proving that the VZ really is the catch-up Commodore, Drive makes the following
comments:
"With an all-new V6 engine one of the VZ's main selling points, we are somewhat
disappointed in the powerplant. High-tech though it is on paper, in actual use it's not the
great leap forward many have been hoping for."
"�. it doesn't feel like a dramatic improvement over the Buick-derived pushrod V6 that was
fitted to Commodores from 1988."
"�. rev it hard and it loses some of its composure. It revs freely enough but with a fair
degree of unpleasant noise and vibration. The Falcon's inline six cylinder has zinginess to it
that the Commodore's V6 simply can't match, and there's real refinement across the Ford's
operating range."
"In contrast, the Holden's transmission is still a let-down, despite plenty of work being put
into the carryover four-speed. But it can still be caught hunting for a gear and the quality of
the downshifts is poor. It also lacks the Ford's manual-shift plane and is best left out of
"Power" mode, where it's even less likely to pick an appropriate ratio or hold it when it
does."
"�. in Executive trim the interior feels slightly spartan and plasticky. The door trims don't
feel right and the dashboard instruments look fairly nasty."
Drive's conclusion to this comparison:
"�. long after the slightly better finish has worn off, the Falcon's superior ergonomics and
more cohesive driveline will still be impressing and, for that reason, we've given it the nod."
The best part of this victory, is that it was achieved by a BA Falcon. The story only gets
better with BA MkII Falcon!

ianmcginley · 08-12-2004, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by gadgetman

The best part of this victory, is that it was achieved by a BA Falcon. The story only gets
better with BA MkII Falcon!

Yeah but don't forget there are no refinement improvements currently slated for BAII. Nor are there safety improvements (Stability Control, etc...) which the VZ get from the Acclaim up.

There are no power improvements noted either.

BAII could possibily get its ass whooped.

EF_Dave · 08-12-2004, 18:55

i want to actually see what this stability control actually does (if anything) in the real world on normal roads. it might seem to sound good on paper but it seems like a wank, falcons much better suspension could probably make up for this stability control

loxxr6 · 08-12-2004, 19:39

As reported in Drive last week, an electronic stability control system (which can prevent a car skidding out of control by detecting that it is travelling too fast to negotiate a corner safely) is standard on the Acclaim and the V6-powered Calais, Statesman and Caprice. Strangely, this technology is not yet available on the vehicles that would benefit most from such a system -- the high-powered V8s -- because the current 5.7-litre V8 engine is due to be replaced in the next 12 to 18 months. The same goes for the V8's crude four-speed auto. A new five- or possibly a six-speed automatic transmission is likely to arrive with the new V8 engine.

At least in the short term it only the Commie 6's with ESP we need to worry about then. It'll def be interesting with the acclaim onwards models vs the futura etc to see how the MkII compares. Lets see some reviews!