Articles by Owner Review

The factory audio head unit was pretty basic, so I upgraded to a colour display that starts up with the Ford logo. Gives the car a next-level feel every time I fire her up. There's no built-in Bluetooth, so I sorted that with an adapter that plugs into the old-school Apple cable, and now music and calls are hassle-free. On the safety side, she's well equipped with airbags, ABS brakes and stability control, which keeps me feeling safe and confident on the road. The interior is spacious and comfortable, with plenty of legroom front and rear, so the family can stretch out on long road trips. The boot is generous for a sedan and easily swallows the weekly shop, luggage and gear for a weekend away. The interior wrap gives the cabin a fresh look, and the weathershields let me keep the windows cracked for fresh air, even when it's raining. The 4.0L straight-six has bags of grunt and pulls smoothly through the gears, whether I'm around town or cruising on the highway. The steering feels sharp and confident, and she holds the road nicely for a big Aussie sedan. Thanks in part to the soundproofing pads I added, the cabin is quiet and comfortable, so long drives are a breeze. The FG Falcon's bold, muscular lines still turn heads, and with the white paint, ceramic coating, black alloys and aftermarket LED side repeaters, dark smokey tail-lights and carbon fibre spoiler she looks a treat. Running costs have been very reasonable for a big six-cylinder sedan. Fuel economy sits at around 8.0L/100km on the highway, as long as the fuel system is well maintained and I drive smoothly on the throttle. Parts are cheap and easy to find and mechanics know these cars inside out, so regular servicing won't break the bank. In 10 years I've never had an accident or a claim, so there havn't been any nasty surprises.  She's been bulletproof. I've owned her for 10 years and she's covered over 233,000km with me, taking her to 310,226 km on the clock and she has never let me down or left me stranded. Solid as a rock, with no rattles, squeaks or dramas. Car's been serviced on time, every time and still starts first go and runs smoothly. For a car this age and with this many kilometres, it's a true blue legend and I plan to keep her for life.

Tech is great for a 2007 vehicle. Heated seats, electric driver's seat, heated/cooled cupholder, 'Mygig' head unit with a car-thumping premium factory audio system. Plenty of airbags, traction control and stability control. The cargo space is very large, easily fits a family of five plus luggage for a big road trip (we did one back in 2012 in our first Avenger). The 2.4-litre engine has a pleasant personality, although the four-speed auto seems to hold it back. But you get used to the characteristics and work around them to get the most out of the drivetrain. The steering is definitely more relaxed than sporty despite being marketed as 'sports steering' and the suspension is quite comfy. I have lowered my current Avenger which rides noticeably better than my previous non-lowered one. The car is very quiet and composed although you can hear some rumbling from the suspension over bumps.  Unfortunately, running costs have been quite high as the car had been sitting undriven for years prior to me purchasing. Nothing major has failed, just age-related components/preventative maintenance and the car only had 113K genuine km on it when purchased in early 2025. My first Avenger lasted to almost 400K km with no issues. Worst I've replaced on either was an alternator and wheel bearings, otherwise just oil changes, tyres and brakes and driving them. I do the servicing myself (at 5000-8000km intervals) as its super easy. Insurance can be tricky as most won't insure it for much money and I'm sure the fact there aren't many examples left in the country doesn't help. Fuel economy is quite good, I can stretch well over 800km on a full (62L) tank on a highway stretch without drama. Car will easily sit in the 7.0L/100km zone and a few times reached low 6.0s on the display (not measured at the tank but my guess would be low 7.0s).  Both my Avengers have been indestructible in terms of reliability with my first one lasting nearly 400K km with no major issues. Car still had a lot of original parts on it until 2025 when it died. The second (current) one has been mostly reliable except when the window regulators failed and alternator bearing started failing, causing the car to be off the road waiting on parts. Otherwise its been flawless. I've done a lot on preventative maintenance to ensure its reliable after sitting for a number of years neglected. If the first Avenger is anything to go by this one has another 250K km of trouble-free motoring left to go. Worth noting my Avengers were only 10 VIN (Vehicle Identification Numbers) apart and identical spec except colour. But they ended up in different states before somehow coming back to me.

The technology is fantastic in this car, the premium Bose 12-speaker system absolutely thumps loud and clear while the multimedia screen is snappy and crisp. The safety systems are too invasive and frustrating. The boot space is quite large and easy to load up. That said, it would be more practical as a liftback. The handling and response from the eight-speed dual-clutch auto and 2.5-litre turbo engine are great. The car pulls like a train; effortless and punchy pick up. Sips fuel for a performance/sporty car. I've reached as low as 5.8L/100km on the highway and city driving sits around 10L/100km. Some services can be on the expensive side for not much extra work being completed. Insurance can be expensive and some won't cover as I'm under 25 years old. Reliability has been mostly decent, the only issue I've had is with the transmission causing a violent clunk/jolt a few seconds after start up which has required some serious attention. The car has had three transmission 're-learns', a full rebuild with many new components, two fluid flushes and will be going back to the dealer soon to be assessed again. I've been told a complete transmission replacement is the next step. All before the car has hit 40K km. I have had wireless Android Auto drop out a few times but it seems to be rare. 

In its day it would have been modern and top notch, however 20 years on it’s dated. Great interior, comfortable seats, wood grain finish and generous boot.  I absolutely love driving it. Safe and great pick up. Holds itself well.  Extremely high. Diesel and services are medium to high cost, repairs very high cost.  Never let me down.

Safety is adequate without constant, annoying "keep your eyes on the road" intrusions. Screen access to the air con has been critized in a number of reviews but it isn't difficult with quick and easy access at the bottom. The Max de-fog selection for clearing the windscreen is the best in any brand I have driven or tested. Loving the heated mirrors and seats. It's a minor issue but the size of the cupholders could be better. Otherwise the layout suits us. The sunvisors are amazing, able to slide back and forth when on the side windows. Cargo capacity is a stand-out feature as we regularly have large loads to carry with seats up and down. Nothing in the price or vehicle size range comes close. This is one of the most under-rated cars on the market. With European styling and comfort it offers more bang-for-buck than any other brand including Chinese brands currently flooding the market. With Melbourne's pothole abundance the ride is challenged every trip and soaks up most irregularities extremely well. The engine isn't race car-like but is ample for us. Certainly one of the better CVT's (Continuously Variable Transmissions) I have driven and feels like a European car, making my daily trips to and from work and the occassional business pick up very enjoyable. With a seven-year, unlimited km warranty, seven-year roadside assistance and 30,000km or 12 month fixed price servicing, running costs was a big factor in choosing this car. Fuel economy so far for city driving is better than quoted with us averaging no more than 9.1L/100km, currently running around 8.6-8.7L/100km. Shopping around for insurance we found it comparable to Nissan/Toyota/Mazda insurance costs. With over 5000km we have no issues in our first three months of ownership, and with the backing of a well-known platform, we don't expect any.

Head-up display is great. Clear. Parking assistance collision works well but tends to be on the sensitive side. Yes, very spacious for family of four. Smooth and comfortable. Sporty if I want to. But on a ride from Sydney to Melbourne on Eco Pro - it’s super fuel efficient, giving me an extra 165 km! Fuel is 95 premium unleaded, which is on the expensive side. Maintenance, if you do it yourself, is just a bit more than a Japanese brand like Mazda. Very reliable. Can’t complain. I’ve owned Japanese cars in the past and this X3 (G01) sDrive20i is on par.

The multimedia set-up is basic. There are enough buttons on the steering wheel to avoid fiddling with the stereo but it hasn't aged well. Bluetooth drop outs are frequent. Car is very practical if you just need something to commute in. The interior is simple and the fabric seats are easy to clean with just a vacuum. Despite being a hatch the boot is more than big enough. Drives really well. The (manual) gearbox and clutch are super smooth. Auto stop/start sometimes leaves you waiting an extra second for the engine to restart, worrying someone's about to lean on the horn or run up your backside. Ride height is a pain. You have to crawl up and down driveways to avoid scraping the front bumper. Great on fuel, consistently averaging under 7.0L/100km. Insurance is fairly cheap, too (full comprehensive under $1000). Servicing is fairly straight forward. No major services required until you hit 120,000km. Never had major mechanical issues. Mazda originally had a recall notice out on the windscreen wipers, but it's never caused a problem.

Multimedia is the worst. Always freezes and blanks out. Sometimes it won’t connect to Apple CarPlay, doesn’t scan radio stations and has poor reception.  The seats are really comfortable, the cargo area has a lot of space and it’s convenient with the two sliding doors. It has the power required but has a lot of issues with premature disc rotor wear (warping at 20,000km) and issues with first and second gear. It’s fuel efficiency is great and with the Eco mode you can use e10. Servicing is very expensive and a lot of things aren’t covered under warranty.  The reliability is very poor. It has rust within three years, a lot of mechanical issues and electrical faults.

The tech transforms every drive — smart safety systems, cameras, adaptive cruise and driver assists make touring effortless, while remaining easy to customise and disable. Love the interior, so plush and comfortable. The plastic tub liner could be thicker and more substantial. Best car I've ever driven. It’s like it’s on train tracks. Power is smooth and plentiful. It’s a ute so the rego and insurance are higher. Fuel use is as good as you want it to be.  Has not missed a beat. I’m getting oil done every 10,000km as all diesels need that extra care.

The safety technology is intrusive and the multimedia could be better. The car's interior is very well done - spacious and comfortable. The rear cargo area is efficient and practical. I can slot my tools in the back and have a very comfortable experience inside. The experience is very pleasant but the car's not as durable in the bush as I thought it would be. In suburbia it's a comfortable, easy drive, although its slow to take off. With today's fuel prices it is very expensive, especially if you use it in the bush as well as the city. Other than than it's affordable. It's a very reliable car. I have put it through a lot and it still runs efficiently. I damaged the drive shaft by running different size tyres but it still got me where I needed to go.