Looking back, was the VT Commodore better than the AU falcon

[Solone]

We all know the VT commodore was a smashing success in sales whilst Ford could barely move an AU Falcon back then.

But today if you read the ford forums they keep saying the AU Falcon has since aged much better than the VT commodore and that they are ultra reliable cars and their drivetrains are better???? They go on to slag the VT saying it looks very tired? Are these people a little weird? (or more likely people who were tricked into buying one now talking them up to offload them)

The AU is no doubt the ugliest falcon ever built and this was reinforced by how good the VT commodore looked. It was like that back then and still is that way today.

Further the Ecotec V6/Supercharged V6 easily accounted for the ford i6/XR6 engine.. The LS1 pounded every version of the windsor V8 they ever tried to release.

What have they got to stand on? looks its a no contest, performance its a no contest, interior its a no contest. Its a TKO every which way you look at it.

Do we agree or did the sales charts lie back then and the AU was the better car?

[GTSLOVER]

I think the VT did look better than the AU. The XR's did not look too bad though. Dont know about the wheezy old V6 being better than the Ford six though. The ford six cylinder easily was more powerful, quieter, smoother and a better design than the V6. I have owned a supercharged V6 and I dont rate it. It was a bit of a dog of a thing.

[C4B]

If anything the AU has looked worse over time. I remember when it came out Ford claimed it was the shape of the future, and people didn't like it because it was ahead of its time.

Since modern cars have evolved to look absolutely nothing like the AU (if anything many have gone with stealth fighter eque sharp edges) rather than the rounded "squashed turd" look, it looks even more ridiculous today than it did when it was released.....

PS: I agree with GTSLOVER regarding the engine. Both the V6 and the SCV6 were about as exciting as tractor engines. Having owned an EF XR6 and a Holden V6 I can safely say the Ford i6 engine was in a totally different class to the wheezy Holden 6 banger.

[feistl]

Yep, VT was much better looking but the AU was considerably more aerodynamic (which helped with fuel economy) but unfortunately dictated the horrible looks. The I6 was/is considerably better than the ecotec, and the ford auto transmissions were much better as well. The super6 had the potential to be an awesome engine, but was deliberately detuned from the VS onwards so it wasnt more powerful than the 5.0L V8. As a result, it was just a thirsty underpowered engine that struggles with heat build up (really need an intercooler).

The LS1 V8 was always better than their V8 alternative. The falcon is still probably a better car in most regards, but those looks are just woeful. Id rather drive a kia...

[Jag530G]

AU interior was even worse than the exterior. The VT had it all over the AU there. Plus the VT had IRS which the AU didn't (apart from XR/Fairmont Ghia).

Ford certainly had the better base 6, in fact I can only think the VL was the one Holden model that had a convincingly better 6 than the equivalent Ford.

Cheers, Matthew.

[v8dude78]

Yep have to agree in the looks department the VT shat all over the AU but as far as drivelines go.

The AU had it all over the VT's, having owned both the AU was a far superior everyday & long distance car. There was a reason why all the Taxis were fords.

[El Narros]

No offence but what a silly question, the AU has to be one of the biggest failures of a new car ever. Not only was it ugly as sin, the interior was about 10 years behind the times. Compare it to the Magna and VT of the time and they were miles ahead in quality and looks. Especially the Magna interior compared to the other 2.
The Falcon was (and still is, including the new models) and still is a horrible and unenjoyable car to drive.
I can't believe a team of people worked on this car and thought it was good enough to make. Even worse someone on big dollars above them signed off on it.
The 2 worst cars I have ever driven were an AU Falcon and a old Excel.

[Marco]

In hindsight both were pretty ordinary but not many of their contemporaries are all that crash hot today either.

I think the VT sold well because it looked good, had a nice interior for its day, and the economy was doing well so people could afford a nice new Aussie car. (In later years the economy did even better and people could then afford a nice new imported car, but that's another story).

Tech-wise, remember we're still talking about the old Ecotec and semi trailing arm IRS; but it did seem to work well.

The AU on the other hand looked terrible on day one, and even worse now that they're old and unloved. The interior was garbage new, and Ford's quality standards of the day mean they're even worse now. I can't remember the last time I saw a nice one, but I've seen plenty of tired looking ones that have just been flogged by a succession of broke owners selling them to each other for $1500. The absolute worst thing about these cars is that they seem to be reliable, which means that it'll be a few years yet before they're out of sight and out of mind forever.

[Marco]

PS - only a truly one-eyed Ford fan would now try to argue that the AU was better than the VT in some way. I say this for two reasons - one, if you looked at the AU with only one eye it might look better, especially if one of your eyes has slightly blurrier vision than the other; and two, because the market decisively rejected this car when new, and is still rejecting it now. If you want a tidy VT these days, three or four grand will see you in something nice. (I saw a nice looking manual VT S by the side of the road over the weekend for $3500 and I was tempted, for some reason, until I remembered that I didn't actually have a use for one). You can buy any AU Falcon you like for half that.

[Smitty]

................ There was a reason why all the Taxis were fords.

and that was ...Holden REFUSED to make a taxipack in VT or paint VTs special taxi colours like yellow!

[Jag530G]

PS - only a truly one-eyed Ford fan would now try to argue that the AU was better than the VT in some way. I say this for two reasons - one, if you looked at the AU with only one eye it might look better, especially if one of your eyes has slightly blurrier vision than the other; and two, because the market decisively rejected this car when new, and is still rejecting it now. If you want a tidy VT these days, three or four grand will see you in something nice. (I saw a nice looking manual VT S by the side of the road over the weekend for $3500 and I was tempted, for some reason, until I remembered that I didn't actually have a use for one). You can buy any AU Falcon you like for half that.

Here's a question for you. If you were forced to choose, would you NOW buy a 15 year old second hand base AU Falcon Forte 6 or a VT Commodore Exec V6? Which would you choose? I'd have to admit, the taxi cab reliable drive line would tempt me towards the Falcon, but everything else says Commodore.

Cheers, Matthew

[Solone]

There is a thread on another forum about how the AU has really come forward some 15 years on from its release and people are realising they were wrong to choose VT.. they even continully post pictures of a current model mercedes that they believe looks exactly like the AU rear.

I agree the XR models look ok but still a step back from the EL series XRs which were very nice. The VT simply destroyed the AU in every motoring facit possible. Even the ecotec from series 2 with its weight saving gave the AU a black eye.

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...ht=au+15+years (makes the Vt look 20 years old lol)

[Drizt]

The AU we had is still the worst car we ever owned. Unreliable ugly POS.

The VT s2 we had was a much much better car in pretty much every regard.

AU was a dud back then and its even worse now.

[v8dude78]

Here's a question for you. If you were forced to choose, would you NOW buy a 15 year old second hand base AU Falcon Forte 6 or a VT Commodore Exec V6? Which would you choose? I'd have to admit, the taxi cab reliable drive line would tempt me towards the Falcon, but everything else says Commodore.

Cheers, Matthew

I would have to pick the AU but only because they are so reliable. And I know it's only one of thousands but the brother in law just stopped using theirs as they bought a VZ crewman which suits their needs better but the trusty old AU has done numerous trips from Queensland to Vic to SA to Tassie. Towed everything from overloaded trailers when moving and boats etc

And now it's being used in his yard to move things around with including the odd truck lol BLOODY thing just won't die lol

[Solone]

Here's a question for you. If you were forced to choose, would you NOW buy a 15 year old second hand base AU Falcon Forte 6 or a VT Commodore Exec V6? Which would you choose? I'd have to admit, the taxi cab reliable drive line would tempt me towards the Falcon, but everything else says Commodore.

Cheers, Matthew

The VT2 hands down, it still looks good even in present day models company. Those Ecotec motors can also take a beating. The AU just looks mid 80s to me, it should have been released post XF and pre EA.