Used Ford Falcon review: 2008-2009

There have been many important events in the Falcon's long running history in this country, but none more so than the release of the FG Falcon in 2008.  The FG represented the last play in the Falcon fight back from the AU disaster. Ford couldn't afford to have another lame duck on its hands, so it had to be right.

Two years on from the launch, as it appears on used car lots around the country as company lease cars, fleet units and ex-renters come up for sale, it's the winner Ford had hoped it would be.

Model Watch

The FG came in the wake of the BA and BF models, two solid models that managed to recover much of the ground lost by the unloved AU.  Had it not been for the AU's failure the BA, and the BF makeover, would never have been.

The model slated to replace the AU was to be a mild makeover to keep Falcon sales ticking over until an all-new model could be developed.  But such was the alarm over the AU sales slide that Ford pressed the go button on a major revamp that became the 'Barra' or BA.

The BA proved a success, as did its BF cousin, and the AU became a distant memory.  Enter the FG, the much-trumpeted all-new model that pushed the AU even further into the depths of history.

With a new body, smart new looks, and new chassis, engines and transmissions the FG truly was an all-new car.  What's more there was a new model line-up that clearly differentiated between luxury and sports models.

By the launch of the FG the XR6 was a well-respected sports sedan model on the local market and was the entry model to Ford's new sports range. The other sports models were the XR6 Turbo and the V8 XR8.

While the FG boasted a new look, the XR's sporty look came from its specific headlights, grille, front bumper, fog lamps, rocker panels, and 17-inch alloy wheels.  The sports theme continued inside where in addition to all of the features of the FG XT, it also came with sports dials, sports seats, alloy pedal covers, and on the manual models there was an aluminium shift knob.

Under the bonnet lay the familiar 4.0-litre double overhead camshaft six, but it now had a new fast-burn cylinder head and clever dual- mode intake manifold, and a revised engine calibration.  As a result of the upgrades the peak engine output rose to 195 kW at 6000 revs and 391 Nm at 3250 revs.

Not only was the engine's performance increased, its efficiency was also improved, and that meant better fuel economy.  There was also a new five-speed auto, with sports shift function, and a new six-speed manual transmission.

A new suspension package, with lightweight virtual pivot control link front suspension and control blade independent rear suspension, along with revised steering and new monotube shock absorbers gave the FG impressive on-road dynamics.  Unique 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped with Dunlop SP Sport rubber completed the XR6 package.

In the shop

Owners of previous model Falcons have regularly complained to carsGuide about problems with their cars, but to date the complaints about the FG have been few and far between.

One regular complaint from owners of those previous models related to the adjustment of the park brake, which was tricky, but the FG has a self-adjusting park brake that should eliminate that issue.

The overall lack of complaint is a good sign for FG owners, hopefully one that is a pointer to future reliability.  But with less than 50,000km on average it's still early days for this model.

It's worth making a thorough check of all systems to make sure everything on the car works, listen for odd noises while driving, make sure auto transmission engages smoothly and without hesitation.  Check also for signs of crash repairs, mismatching paint etc., gouged alloy wheels from contact with gutters and kerbs, and scarred bumpers.

In a crash

The XR6 came standard with an impressive list of safety features, including driver and front passenger airbags, front side head/thorax airbags, dynamic stability control, traction control, ABS brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist.  By any measure it's an impressive array of safety systems, enough to be given a five-star ANCAP rating.

At the pump

Driven by Carsguide, an FG XR6 returned 10.0 L/100km in general running around town, which was spot-on with Ford's official figure.

Owners say

James Creece has owned several Falcons over the past 10 years and is bewildered by the complaints owners make about them. He currently owns two FG XR6 Falcon autos and is very happy with both of them. One, a work ute, has done 75,000km mostly with a load and towing a loaded trailer, has averaged 12.2L/100km and he says it's a good ute with a tight body, it handles well, everything works, and it's good value for money. The other is a sedan with premium sound, leather, 18-inch alloys, iPod/Bluetooth that has done 30,000km. He says it's great on the road, the best car he's ever owned. James runs it in PULP and it has averaged 8.9L/100km on mostly country driving.

On the other hand, after 1000km Steve Walters noticed a clunking noise in the right front of his FG XR6 manual when backing it out of a driveway. The dealer checked it and tightened the front-end, and declared it fixed after a test drive, unfortunately when Steve subsequently checked it he found it was still there. This time, after another check, the dealer compared it to another XR6 and found it too exhibited the same noise. The dealer's response was that it was a characteristic of the car and told Steve to "put up with it". After some frustrating discussions with Ford's Customer Relations people, the dealer, and a Ford service rep, the car was once more checked and the noise was diagnosed as being caused by the front lower control arm. The arm was replaced and for a time it seemed the problem was fixed, but after a few days it returned. The car has now done 15,000km and the noise is still there.

Look for

. Sports looks
. Great chassis
. Responsive six-cylinder engine
. Five-star safety
. Few problems reported

The Bottom Line

Grunty engine, good driving chassis, good buy.

Rating

85/100