2006 Ford Falcon Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011 and 2015 Ford Falcon as a used buy. In October 2016 the last Ford Falcon left the assemble line, not long after its 56th birthday in Australia. What does this mean on the used-car scene for the period being examined here, 2002 - 2016? At this stage the answer is we

Not a lot of new Ford Falcons are sold these days, so there's a shortage of late models on the used-car scene, but certainly no lack of offering built prior to 2010. For many years Falcon was a huge seller in Australia as the car suits the needs of many local buyers, particularly those in country areas. Built tough for Australia may sound a bit corny, but Falcon certainly answers to that description.Falcons have seating for five occupants, though four works better if they are all adults because the transmission tunnel takes up a lot of footroom in the centre-rear position. Legroom and headroom are ample for all but the largest adults in the remaining four seats. Comfort is very good and passengers can step out of a Falcon after a trip of hundreds of kilometres still feeling fresh and relaxed.The boot in the sedan is relatively shallow, but it's easy to load thanks to a good-sized opening. From the BA Falcon model onwards things are better, though the boot's still on the shallow side.Falcon station wagons are great load carriers as they are built on a longer wheelbase than the sedan so they have a long, wide, practical cargo area. The rear end of the BA is virtually identical to that of the older AU. Ford chose not to do an FG variant of the wagon. Instead, it created a Series III BF model to sell alongside the FG sedans. It wasn't a success, as SUVs were starting to make inroad in the wagon market, so it was discontinued in 2010.Handling is surprisingly good for a car of this size and mass. You wouldn't call it agile, but Falcons hold on when cornering at speeds far above those likely to be attempted by most drivers.Ford's six-cylinder engines all have a capacity of 4.0 litres but come in several formats, including one with a turbocharger. An interesting variant on the six-cylinder is a dedicated LPG engine. Very common in taxis, but less so in private cars (except in Victoria) this engine is all but indistinguishable from a petrol unit to drive. The LPG engine is thirstier than the petrol so fuel range suffers.The BA Falcon's six-cylinder engine is noticeably smoother and offers even better performance than the units it superseded. Ford fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to the AU, but it didn't have a lot more performance than the six-cylinder units and was on the thirsty side. Much better were the BA bent eights. There was a choice of two - both with a capacity of 5.4 litres. One has a single-cam cylinder head, the other a twin-cam setup.The EcoBoost Falcon has what many say is the best non-V8 engine of them all. It provides excellent performance and nimble handling, due to the lighter weight of the smaller engine. Buyers in this market segment can be on the conservative side and they stayed away from the EcoBoost in droves, so you can pick up a real bargain as a used-car.Automatics were all four-speed units until the launch of the BF, when a sophisticated six-speed ZF unit was installed. The ZF was originally only fitted in the topline variants. With the introduction of the FG range all received the six-speed auto, with the exception of the LPG powered models, which held onto the four-speed auto until the launch of the new-design LPG model in July 2011, when it received the six-speed.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar spaceManual gearboxes are rare and probably best avoided in all but the sporting XR6 and XR8 because they can affect resale value. The manual was a five-speed until the BF series, when a six-speed was installed.Prices for spare parts, servicing and repairs are very reasonable and there are Ford dealers just about everywhere in Australia. Most spare parts for the Falcons covered here are readily available, although a few bits on some older cars may have to come from a wrecker.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar space. We recommend having a workshop manual at your elbow before starting the work. Insurance prices are generally very reasonable and premiums for the everyday models are invariably at the lower end of the scale. It will generally cost more to cover a V8 Falcon than a straight-six, and more expensive for a turbo six.WHAT TO LOOK FORMany thousands of used Falcons will have been taxis at some time in their life. Be wary of one running on dedicated LPG; while these are quite common in Victoria, they are rare anywhere else in Australia. Signs of an ex-taxi are vinyl, rather than cloth, upholstery, severe wear both inside and out, holes where signs and a taximeter have been removed, and possibly a paint respray.Engine wear is indicated by a reluctance to start and smoke from the exhaust and/or the oil filler cap when the engine is revved after it has been idling for more than about a minute. Four-speed automatics can cause problems on hard-driven cars, especially if they have done a lot of work. Check they change gears cleanly and don't hunt up and down through the ratios.Be suspicious of any automatic that's slow at going into gear from Neutral or Park. Listen for a whining differential when driving at around 60 to 90km/h. Check the cabin for damage caused by bored kids. In station wagons have a good look at the load area for signs of commercial use.Rust is more unusual in these newer Falcons than old ones. If you do find rust the Falcon may have been poorly repaired after a crash.CAR BUYING TIPBig old used cars that have been looked after properly and driven correctly can be picked up for pretty low prices these days. Don't forget to have a professional inspection, though.

Ford's Falcon has slipped from the minds of many new-car buyers in recent years, resulting in the sad news that production will cease late in 2016. However, the iconic Falcon has long been a favourite with used-car buyers and there’s no sign of that changing anytime soon.To some extent we blame the demise of the Falcon on over adventurous styling. The radical shape of the AU was years ahead of its time when it was introduced in September 1998 and many conservative buyers didn’t like it.Facelifts to create the AU Falcon Series II in April 2000 and to the AU III in November 2001 lifted sales slightly. In September 2002 a major facelift to produce the BA Falcon started to put the Falcon back on track in new sales. The BA Falcon was upgraded to the BF Falcon in October 2005.The introduction of the rather conservative FG-series Falcon saw sales slip again, and history shows that Ford Australia never did recover after that.Falcons have seating for five adults, though four makes more sense because rear-wheel drive means the transmission tunnel takes up a lot of footroom in the centre-rear position. Legroom and headroom are ample for all but the largest adults. Some find the relatively steep slope of the roof in the AU to BF Falcons make it awkward to get in and out; naturally the back seat of the wagon doesn’t have this hassle.Comfort is very good and passengers can step out of a Falcon after a trip of hundreds of kilometres still feeling fresh and relaxed.The boot in the sedan is rather shallow in the older models and the slope of the bootlid on the AU reduces its practicality. It’s easy to load thanks to a good-sized opening. The BA Falcon is better, though still on the shallow side.Falcon station wagons are great load carriers as they are built on a longer wheelbase than the sedan so they have a long, wide, practical cargo area. The rear end of the BA is virtually identical to that of the older AU. Ford chose not to do an FG variant of the wagon. Instead, it created a Series III BF model to sell alongside the FG sedans. It wasn’t a success and was discontinued in 2010.Handling is surprisingly good for a car of this size and mass. You wouldn’t call it agile, but Falcons hold on when cornering at speeds far above those likely to be attempted by most drivers.Ford's six-cylinder engines all have a capacity of 4.0 litres but come in several formats, including one with a turbocharger. An interesting variant on the six-cylinder is a dedicated LPG engine. Very common in taxis, but less so in private cars (except in Victoria) this engine is all but indistinguishable from a petrol unit to drive. It’s quite a bit thirstier than the petrol so fuel range suffers.The standard AU six-cylinder unit is good enough, but the BA’s six-cylinder is noticeably smoother and offers even better performance.Ford fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to the AU, but it didn’t have a lot more performance than the six-cylinder units and was on the thirsty side. Much better were the BA bent eights: there was a choice of two, both with a capacity of 5.4 litres, one with a single-cam cylinder head, the other with a twin-cam setup.A powerful four-cylinder engine, tagged the EcoBoost gave us arguably the best Falcon ever, thanks to excellent performance and nimble handling, the latter due to the lighter weight of the smaller engine. Buyers in this market segment can be on the conservative side and they stayed away from the EcoBoost in droves.Automatics were all four-speed units until the launch of the BF, when a sophisticated six-speed ZF unit was installed. The ZF was originally only fitted in the topline variants, with the introduction of the FG Falcon all received the six-speed auto, with the exception of the LPG power models, which stuck with the old four-speed unit until the launch of the new-design LPG unit in July 2011.Manual gearboxes are rare and probably best avoided in all but the sporting XR6 and XR8 as they can affect resale value. The manual was a five-speed until the BF series, when a six-speed was installed.Prices for spare parts, servicing and repairs are very reasonable and there are Ford dealers just about everywhere in Australia. Most spare parts for the Falcons covered here are readily available, although a few bits on some older cars may have to come from a wrecker.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar space. We recommend having a workshop manual at your elbow before starting the work.Insurance prices are generally very reasonable and premiums for the everyday models are invariably at the lower end of the scale. It will generally cost more to cover a V8 Falcon than a straight-six, and more expensive for a turbo six.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust is far less of a problem in these newer Falcons than old ones. To be on the safe side, check the door lower corners, door sill panels, mudguards and bootlid. If you do find serious rust the car may have been badly repaired after a crash.Many thousands of used Falcons will have been taxis at some time in their life. Be wary of one running on dedicated LPG; while these are quite common in Victoria, they are rare anywhere else in Australia. Signs of an ex-taxi are vinyl, rather than cloth, upholstery, severe wear both inside and out, holes where signs and a taximeter have been removed, and possibly a paint respray.Engine wear is indicated by a reluctance to start and by smoke from the exhaust and/or oil filler cap when the engine is revved.Four-speed automatics can cause problems on hard-driven cars, especially the older models. Check they change gears cleanly and don't hunt up and down through the ratios. Be suspicious of any automatic that’s slow at going into gear from Neutral or Park.Listen for a whining differential when driving at around 60 to 90km/h.Check the cabin for damage caused by wild kids. In station wagons have a good look at the load area for signs of commercial useCAR BUYING TIPBeware ex-taxis: they are run hard and often not driven in a sympathetic manner. 

Ford's Falcon is a rugged family car that copes well with rough and ready Australian bush roads so are very popular out there. They can be on the large side for close city work but have good outward visibility and a reasonably tight turning circle so aren’t too hard to drive in confined spaces.The radical styling of the AU was years ahead of its time when it was introduced in September 1998 and many conservative buyers didn’t like it. Facelifts to create the AU Falcon Series II in April 2000 and to the AU III in November 2001 helped a bit. However, it wasn’t until September 2002 that a major facelift to produce the BA Falcon started to put the Falcon back into buyers’ minds again.The BA Falcon was further upgraded to the BF Falcon in October 2005. Visual differences are minor, but there were significant changes to the transmissions at this time – more about them later. The introduction of the new FG series Falcon in May 2008 lifted awareness, but its shape was on the conservative side (it’s hard to please people…) and sales didn’t return to the record levels Falcon had enjoyed in the past.Falcons have seating for five adults, though four makes more sense because the use of rear-wheel drive means the transmission tunnel takes up a lot of foot room in the centre-rear position. Legroom and headroom are ample for all but the largest adults.Some find the relatively steep slope of the roof in the AU to BF series makes it awkward to get into the car. This applies to both front and back seats in sedans, naturally the back seat of the wagon doesn’t have this hassle. Comfort is very good and passengers can step out of a Falcon after a trip of hundreds of kilometres still feeling fresh and relaxed.The boot in the sedan is rather shallow in the older models and the slope of the bootlid on the AU reduces its practicality. It’s easy to load thanks to a good-sized opening. The BA is noticeably better, though still on the shallow side. Falcon station wagons are great load carriers as they are built on a longer wheelbase than the sedan so they have a long, wide, practical cargo area.The rear end of the BA is virtually identical to that of the older AU. Ford chose not to do an FG variant of the wagon. Instead, it created a Series III BF model to sell alongside the FG sedans. It wasn’t a success and was discontinued in 2010. Handling is surprisingly good for a car of this size and mass. You wouldn’t call it agile, but Falcons hold on when cornering at speeds far above those likely to be attempted by most drivers.Ford's six-cylinder engines all have a capacity of 4.0 litres but come in several formats, including one with a turbocharger. An interesting variant on the six-cylinder is a dedicated LPG engine. These are very common in taxis, but less so in private cars, with the exception of Victoria, and the engine is all but indistinguishable from a petrol unit to drive. It’s quite a bit thirstier than the petrol, so fuel range suffers.The standard AU six-cylinder unit is good enough, but the BA’s six-cylinder is noticeably smoother and offers even better performance. Ford fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to the AU, but it didn’t have a lot more performance than the six-cylinder units and was on the thirsty side. Much better were the BA bent eights: there was a choice of two, each with a capacity of 5.4 litres, one with a single-cam cylinder head, the other with a twin-cam setup.An impressive four-cylinder turbocharged engine was introduced midway through 2012. It has plenty of power and torque and lower fuel consumption than the big engines. The four’s lighter weight gives the big car a nicely nimble feel during cornering. Automatics were all four-speed units until the launch of the BF, when a sophisticated six-speed ZF unit was installedlpgThe ZF was originally only fitted in the topline variants, with the rest of the range using the four-speed. With the introduction of the FG Falcon in May 2008 all received the six-speed auto, with the exception of the LPG power models, which stuck with the old four-speed unit. A six-speed auto was finally installed behind the new design of LPG engine in July 2011.Manual gearboxes are rare and probably best avoided in all but the sporting XR6 and XR8 as they can affect resale value. The manual was a five-speed until the October 2005 BF series, when a six-speed was installed. Prices for spare parts, servicing and repairs are very reasonable and there are Ford dealers just about everywhere in Australia.Most spare parts for the Falcons covered here are readily available, although a few bits on some older cars may have to come from a wrecker. These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar space. We recommend having a workshop manual at your elbow before starting the work.Insurance prices are generally very reasonable and premiums for the everyday models are invariably at the lower end of the scale. It will generally cost more to cover a V8 Falcon than a straight-six, and be dearer again for a turbo six.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust is far less of a problem in these newer Falcons than old ones. To be on the safe side, check the door lower corners, door sill panels, mudguards and bootlid. If you do find serious rust the car may have been badly repaired after a crash.Many thousands of used Falcons will have been taxis at some time in their life. Be wary of one running on dedicated LPG, while these are quite common in Victoria, they are rare anywhere else in Australia. Signs of an ex-taxi are vinyl, rather than cloth, upholstery, severe wear both inside and out, holes where signs and a taximeter have been removed, and possibly a paint respray.Engine wear is indicated by a reluctance to start and by smoke from the exhaust and/or oil filler cap when the engine is revved. Four-speed automatics can cause problems on hard driven cars, especially the older models. Check they change gears cleanly and don't hunt up and down through the ratios. Be suspicious of any automatic that’s slow at going into gear from Neutral or Park.Listen for a whining differential when driving at around 60 to 90km/h. Check the cabin for damage caused by wild kids. In station wagons have a good look at the load area for signs of commercial use.CAR BUYING TIPNo matter how good a car looks on the surface it may have problems under the skin, never buy without a full inspection. 

Which is the better car, Falcon or Holden, has long been a point of contention at the pub. FordThe XR6 has been a winner for Ford almost from the moment it was first introduced in 1992 with the EB Falcon. Today, it's the XR6 that spells Ford performance, as much as any model in its range, it's the affordable performance car for the masses.The BF XR6 continued the theme when it was introduced in 2005. It was the sporty variant of the Falcon family taxi; the special model dads could aspire to without upsetting the balance at home. Power came from a smooth and refined 4.0-litre double overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder and variable cam timing that punched out 190 kW and 383 Nm. With that sort of output the XR6 had plenty of punch.The standard transmission option was a four-speed sports-shift auto, but it was the new six-speed auto that was the talking point of the new car. For anyone still wanting to change gears themselves there was an optional six-speed manual gearbox as well. Ford's engineers had done a good job in sorting the chassis, and the XR6 had a nicely balanced feel on the road without adversely affecting the ride.Inside, the cabin was comfortable and roomy, and well laid-out with all controls sensibly placed for easy use.Build quality was a concern with the BA model that preceded the BF, and while the BF was built to a higher standard than the earlier model quality was still an issue. The BFII, however, was a much better built car and is by far the better used car choice.The BF had the oil cooler for the automatic transmission in the radiator and it was prone to fracturing, and when that happened coolant would enter the transmission and result in transmission failure. The cooler was moved on the BFII and was no longer in the radiator and the problem was fixed. Both models suffered from failure of the diff mounts, so listen for clunks from the rear end that could indicate the diff mounts need replacing.The diffs themselves could also be a problem, particularly when cars were driven hard, but diff specialists have developed aftermarket fixes that make the diff a more durable unit. There's not much that goes wrong with the Falcon's big six, but look for oil leaks that might affect roadworthiness. The discs are also known to warp and regularly require replacing. A pulsating brake pedal is usually a reliable sign that the rotors are warped.Some mechanics will skim rotors to extend their life, but that's only putting off the inevitable for a short time. Expect 50,000-60,000 km from a set of disc rotors. Go over all the systems in the car, the air-conditioning, cruise, sound, power windows etc, to confirm they're working. Check for a service record to make sure your potential purchase has seen the inside of a service workshop as it needs to.The BF and BFII was quite well equipped to handle a crash. It was a bag car to start with, which meant it had mass on its side when it came to a crunch. It also had dual front airbags, ABS brakes and traction control that added to its crash performance.The BF/BFII Falcon was a big lump of a car and that was shown at the pump. Despite the improvements Ford had made to its engine there's no escaping its size. Ford claimed it would average 10-11 L/100 km on regular unleaded petrol. The actual outcome depends heavily on the pressure applied to the throttle pedal.

The BF Falcon was to be the cure Ford needed to get sales of the Falcon moving again after a painful period of stagnation with the unloved AU.  It followed the BA, which was Geoff Polites' bold move to reinvigorate Falcon sales following on from the disastrous AU.Had the AU been a runaway success the BF probably would have been the model that followed, but tough times call for bold measures and Polites pulled forward the Falcon program and launched the BA earlier than he would have liked.  It worked, the AU was forgotten and the BA embraced. Ford appeared back on track.But if the letters and e-mails received at Carsguide HQ are an accurate reflection of the state of play at Ford the BA was a good car, but flawed.  Owners generally liked them, but were frustrated by the niggling problems they encountered, and Ford's apparent lack of interest in helping fix them.The BA suffered a myriad of build quality and reliability problems, all of which suggested the program had been rushed in an effort to put the AU blues behind them as quickly as possible.  The BF was the first major update of the Falcon after the BA launch, by which time most of the issues that affected the BA seem to have been addressed.MODEL WATCHViewed from afar it was easy to conclude that Ford did little in moving from the BA series to the BF. Discerning the differences required a keen eye.  Externally the BF was little changed, but it didn't need changing. In the course of the BA model change just about every panel was changed, and the result was a much more appealing look.Three years on it still looked fresh so there wasn't much incentive to spend heaps on panel change.  If you cared to look closely you might spot revised bumpers, wheels, taillights, trim and paint colours, but not much more.The main changes were made under the skin where the six-cylinder engine underwent further development and came out with more performance and better economy.  The 4.0-litre six got a more advanced valve timing system that altered the intake and exhaust camshafts independently for better efficiency and a reduced idle speed. Power jumped from 182 to 190 kW.Ford's popular turbo six also grew legs, with power climbing to 245 kW and torque jumping 30 Nm to 480 Nm.  The fuel miser in the range was the E-Gas dedicated LPG version of the 4.0-litre six, which delivered a much more economical motor with a punch of 156 kW and 372 Nm.There were also two 5.4-litre V8s on offer. The entry-level three-valve engine boasted knock sensors, which allowed more spark advance, and the performance grew by 10 kW and 30 Nm to 230 kW and 500 Nm respectively.  The sportier four-valve Boss 260 V8 remained unchanged in the XR8.The base models continued with a revised four-speed auto, but the real talking point at the time was the new ZF six-speed automatic transmission on some of the premium models. It was the first time an Australian car had a six-speed auto and it was one shared in common with cars like the BMW 7-Series and Jaguar XJ.Fuel economy was a major talking point when the BF was launched; the BA was the thirstiest of the big cars and Ford needed the BF to be better.  So it was. The volume-selling models improved 5.2 per cent to claim a combined fuel economy figure of 10.9 L/100 km.With no call for major visual changes Ford made few alterations to the interior, apart from making some minor changes to the interior plastics.The model range began with the XT and added the Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia on the prestige side, and the XR6, the sizzling hot XR6 Turbo and rumbling XR8 on the sporty side.Ford released a MkII BF in 2008 with more fuel economy improvements, and extended the availability of the six-speed auto to the base model XT.IN THE SHOPBuild quality was an issue with the BA/BF Falcons, although it was less of a problem with the later model.  It was particularly noticeable on the inside where the fit and finish wasn't up to scratch.The six-cylinder engine is robust and reliable, having benefited from years of development. Fuel consumption is a concern.  Generally the V8s are smooth and pack the sort of torque wanted, but there are lots of reports of problems extracting the spark plugs from the three-valve engine come service time. The plugs break easily while mechanics attempt to remove them and it's then a case of lifting the heads to get them out.Noisy diffs in XRs are a common complaint and it's nothing to hear of cars having two, three or more diffs. Ford usually replaces them with new diffs up to a point, but then reverts to using used diffs as replacements.  Noisy brakes are annoying and there seems no answer for complaint cars. The noise is a rubbing noise as if the pad is constantly rubbing on the disc.  Warped discs can also be a problem, more so with the performance models.IN A CRASHAn Electronic Stability Program was a key improvement on the BF, although the XT and Futura models missed out.  Front and side airbags were available for a comprehensive crash package.  The BF was rated at five-stars for crashworthiness.AT THE PUMPThe BA was criticised for its relative lack of fuel economy compared to its competition, but Ford hit back with significant improvements in the BF.  Depending on the drivetrain Ford claimed 10.2-10.9 L/100 km for the volume-selling six.  Ford's six can readily be converted to run on LPG.OWNERS SAYWesley Hartley bought his 2007 BFII XR6 six months ago with 24,000 km on the clock. While he loves its looks and its handling, he's not so convinced of its build quality. It's been back to his dealer several times with diff issues. The original diff was replaced, and the replacement was also replaced because it was noisy. There have also been ongoing problems with noisy brakes. Paul Raudino took advantage of the pre-FG run-out deals on the BF earlier this year and traded his AU on a 2007 BFII Falcon ES. The BF and is far better to drive than the old AU, he says. The six-speed auto makes it great to drive and it gives great fuel economy on a trip.Two years ago, after 40 years driving V8s, David Walker bought a six-cylinder BF wagon. He's been impressed by the power and smoothness of the engine, and even more so by the fuel economy. To date it has only been back to the dealer for its scheduled logbook services  -- everything is just spot on after 40,000 km.James Lehane and his wife have owned a second-hand BF XR6 Turbo for just over a year, and both love the car, even though they admit it's a bit of a gas-guzzler. They bought it because they say the BA/BF XR is the best looking Aussie-made car of the period, the six-speed auto is hard to fault, and the Turbo is a fast and satisfying daily driver. If they could they would improve the steering feedback, reduce the weight, and the fuel consumption, fit discs that don't warp, and improve the fit and finish of the interior plastics.LOOK FORo Family-sized motoringo torquey six performanceo new six-speed auto transo sizzling turbocharged XR6To variable build qualityo noisy diffsRATINGo 70/100

A new nose, more gear and aggressive pricing are at the core of the Falcon fightback. Holden has just introduced its VE Commodore and Toyota rolls out its new Aurion late this month, but it will be 2008 before Ford debuts its all-new Falcon.To see it through, Ford will introduce a freshened-up BF II late this month.The upgrade includes a new look for many models, fresh equipment and price adjustments, including some serious reductions on premium models.Ford will also introduce an optional Euro Sports pack on the base models. It includes electronic stability control, 17-inch wheels, sports suspension and the world-class six-speed automatic transmission for a launch price of just $250.The ZF six-speed automatic, as used by Jaguar and BMW, is normally worth $1500 as a stand-alone option.To help Ford models compete with the new Commodore range, the company has cut the prices of some premium models.The Fairmont Ghia tumbles $6370 to $46,490, the V8 XR8 has shed $6340 to $44,990 and the XR6 Turbo slips $2415 to $43,990.Some models stay the same and others, including the base XT and Futura, have increased by $100.Some ute models have increased by $500. Others have stayed the same.There has been some finetuning of the automatic transmission start-up that has seen a slight fuel saving on four-speed models, but the running gear is effectively unchanged.The most noticeable change has been made to the front of the XT, Futura, Fairmont, Fairmont Ghia and base ute models, all with new bonnet, bumper and light assembly.Most sedans also have a revised rear bumper and many models have fresh alloy wheels.Ford designers left the exterior styling of XR models alone.The XRs do pick up some minor interior improvements, including a new instrument cluster backing, brighter metallic touches and new interior trim.There are also four new colours, including a new shade of orange.The Fairmont Ghia will be the star of its BF II advertising campaign.The prestige sedan picks up the nose and tail tweaks, and it will also run an XR-style bodykit, including side skirts and rear bumper.Its interior has also been upgraded with a new-look steering wheel, shiny black centre trim, new instrument cluster, new front seat headrests and extra chrome touches.A Bluetooth hands-free phone connection, which allows most mobile phones to connect to the car's sound system, will be available across the range as an option for $495.The new Falcon weighs the same as the previous model, but uses slightly less fuel (0.2 litres every 100km). The base XT four-speed automatic now uses 10.7 litres for 100km of mixed driving when tested to the ADR 81/01 standard.This figure is now 0.2 litres less than the base Commodore Omega, but a Falcon XT fitted with the ZF six-speed automatic transmission records an impressive fuel economy figure of 10.2 litres for 100km.These consumption figures are 0.3 litres per 100km more than the front-wheel-drive Toyota Aurion.THE front end is only a small part of the BF II upgrade. The new nose has freshened the non-XR models and gives the cars a more modern look, which is important when it has to compete against an all-new Commodore.But the most important part of the BF II upgrade is the price and specification levels.The price cuts for the XR8, XR6 Turbo and Fairmont Ghia are welcome, but a customer buying a base Falcon is the real winner.The new Euro Sports pack that includes live-saving electronic stability control, 17-inch alloy wheels and the six-speed automatic transmission for $250 transforms the XT and Futura into world-class cars at a bargain price.An XT Falcon fitted with the pack costs $36,240 and a Futura with the pack costs $39,540. That is great value.Anyone who has driven a high-end Falcon or Territory fitted with the six-speed automatic knows it's a good thing.We drive a base XT model fitted with the six-speed automatic at the BF II launch in Tasmania and are instantly impressed.The standard four-speed automatic does the job linked to the torquey in-line 4.0-litre engine, but the six-speed is a much better unit.Its changes are smoother, quicker and less noticeable thanks to two extra gears with which to play.The ZF six-speed unit is more likely to hold a gear rather than flick up and down hunting for the correct gear.The premium transmission works well with the Falcon's six-cylinder 190kW engine, which was upgraded when the BF was introduced last year.It's a punchy plant with great pulling power, and there is also the bonus of fuel savings that come with running the six-speed automatic. That's handy when fuel prices are so volatile.We record a fuel economy average of 9.8 litres per 100km on an undulating road with a mixture of cruising and getting on the gas, which is very good.The other changes that come with the BF II upgrade are less noticeable. The interiors of the base models are the same — old and plain. The changes to the interior of the XR models, apart from the new seat trim, are almost impossible to pick. It's a shame they didn't also get an exterior upgrade.Ford spent most time and effort upgrading the Fairmont Ghia. The interior looks a lot better, with the use of shiny black dashboard sections and metallic highlights rather than woodgrain. The exterior is now much more masculine.The driving experience hasn't changed, but that is a good thing.A nice mix of performance and luxury, the Fairmont Ghia has a softer suspension set-up than its Holden Calais rival and that will be welcomed by many drivers.The Ghia, along with all the other Falcon models, still handles very well with precise steering that is not too heavy, not too light and gives you just the right amount of feedback.The BF II upgrades are minor compared with what Holden did with the all-new VE Commodore, but the Falcon was already a good car. It might not be totally new, but the exterior tweaks, the additions of stability control and brilliant six-speed automatic mean the Falcon is right back in the fight with its Commodore opponents.

The liftee looks mysteriously younger and more fabulous, but you, the untrained eyeballer, can't quite put your finger on why (and it's just as well because if you could it would feel gross, like a turkey's neck).Cher, for example, has had so much skin lifted above her head over the years that you could make a Lindsay Lohan out of it. In fact, maybe someone did. But to you and I, she looks pretty good, for a 90-year-old.So, it would be fair to say that Ford's Falcon facelift, known as the BF Falcon MkII, is, in cosmetic surgery terms at least, a success.If you can spot the differences at one glance, you clearly spend too much time reading CARSguide.In fact, if you are one of these people you should put this section down right now, go outside and sniff some flowers. Please.The BF II is, as Paul Keating would say, the facelift the Falcon had to have.With several hundred forests having been denuded to tell the world how wondrous the new VE Commodore is, the very existence of the not-so-new-any more Falcon has been in question.Thus, Ford has spruced it up, priced it down and added some new, bargain-priced fruit to put itself back at the forefront of buyers' minds. Or at least those buyers who are still interested in large, Aussie cars.The changes the trainspotters will be oohing over include a "new, stylish tapered bonnet", a revised grille, a new front bumper, some shiny chrome bits and new headlights.These nips and tucks give the car a slightly more sophisticated face, but from a distance it would be fair to say that the BFII looks a lot like a BF Falcon.Some cars in the range, like the sporty XR series, also get some new bits of trim, but I forgot to look for them and, as a result, didn't actually notice.There are also some new colours from Ford's violent colour palette, as usual, which sound like they were named after female wrestlers and look like they'd be more at home on leotards.Neo, Octane, Breeze, Obsession and Flare are their naff names and if you've seen the kind of lurid, lunch-disturbing colours Ford has been producing in the past few years, you can imagine what they're like.The model with the most changes is the Fairmont Ghia, which gets all the bonnet bits the others get, XR-style side skirts and bumpers, a chrome exhaust pipe and "new block font 'GHIA' badging".When they mention that sort of thing, you know they've really run out of stuff to say.The Ghia also gets new trim, a new steering wheel, new instruments and an onyx command centre, which, rather ingeniously, is so Darth Vader's helmet shiny that it reflects sun right into your eyes.Oh, and Bluetooth is now available across the range.Frippery aside, the good news is that the Fairmont Ghia, which is actually a pretty slick drive with the excellent six-speed ZF automatic, has had its price cut from $52,860 to $46,490, in an effort to make it competitive with the new VE Calais ($45,490).Better yet, the XR range has gone into battle with the SS, copping price cuts of up to 12.4 per cent.The already outstanding value XR6 Turbo drops from $46,405 to $43,990 and the big-nosed XR8 from $51,330 to $44,990.Holden's SS range starts at $45,490.The biggest benefit of this facelifting frenzy, however, is that the six-speed auto will now be available across the range, which is a major thumbing of the nose to Holden.On its own, the ZF box would be a $1500 option, but Ford is offering a steak knives and kitchen sink deal, called a Euro Sports Package, which includes the six-speed box, Dynamic Stability Control, sports-tuned rear suspension and 17-inch alloys - worth a claimed $3900 - for a piddling $250.Of course, this sounds like Sale of the Century, but it's actually a slightly desperate bid for market share, it's not available to fleet buyers and it's only available on vehicles purchased and delivered between November 1 and December 31.It also means that Ford has failed to match Holden in making the potentially life-saving DSC technology standard across its large-car range.Ford says it is merely listening to its customers and giving them the choice they want. Road-safety experts might point out that people are idiots, they never know what's good for them (customers will always choose alloy wheels over airbags, given the option) and that car companies should be doing the right thing and just giving them DSC, like medicine.Oh, the other thing we're meant to be very excited about is that Ford claims to have cut fuel economy by vast amounts, or was it 2 per cent?They're also keen to point out that if base model buyers opt for the six-speed auto they'll save even more on fuel. Four-speed-auto fitted XTs drop from 10.9 litres to 10.7 litres per 100km, but if they choose the ZF it drops right down to 10.2 litres.All fascinating stuff, except that over some 500km driven in various models, we returned figures of between 11.2 and 13.8 litres, which just goes to show you that real-world figures are all that really matter.The surprising thing is that car companies still think they can sell big blunder buses like this on fuel economy, when they'd be better off just not talking about it at all.The overall impression after a day of driving, however, was that while the Ford Falcon BFII range may look a little dated and taxi-like inside, it's still a pretty contemporary, and capable, engineering package. And the ZF box should be an automatic choice.Stephen Corby is a senior roadtester for the CARSguide team whose work also appears in the Sunday Telegraph. A version of this review plus more news and analysis can be read in the Sunday Telegraph.

We took the opportunity last week to re-acquaint ourselves with the hi-po Falcon six and its new six speed automatic transmission.We knew the car was a cracker to drive and who are we to refuse the opportunity to savour the delights of this home grown hot-rod.It took about a nanosecond behind the wheel before we felt the effects of the blown six. Whoosh _ it's all action made all the better for having the Jag sourced six speed auto behind it.Never is there a point where instant grunt isn't available.And with the automatic controlling power delivery, acceleration is seamless and smooth, well as smooth as something as brutal as this can be.The engine is a 4.0-litre, twin cam straight six like garden variety Falcons but the innards have been changed and there's a turbo charger and intercooler bolted on. Boost pressure is quite modest but is enough to change the humble Falcon donk from Dr Jekyll into Mr Hyde. It sounds furious when the taps are opened and is a fitting accompaniment to a car that can dust a 0-100kmh sprint in the mid-five second bracket.Being XR spec' the Turbo bristles with "go- fast" goodies including a set of slick-looking 18in alloys with low profile rubber, ABS, multiple air bags, sports suspension and brakes, sharper steering and all the necessary gear inside.Let's not forget this is a big car, essentially a family car capable of seating five in comfort and take all their stuff in the boot. But that picture doesn't really sit right with us given the Turbo's nature.It's such a good package we can't understand why anyone would buy the XR8. The Turbo would see it off and costs thousands less. That probably explains the respective sales rates of each car.The test vehicle had 16,000km on the clock and felt strong as an ox and quicker than other versions we had driven with fewer kilometres.It offers tidy handling and the facility of automatic transmission which is one of the smoothest in the business.It makes an excellent car even better.And all for $47,655The iridescent purple test car was a hoot to drive. Everyone hated the colour.

When you buy petrol, the dollar metre is far and away the greatest, when you buy LPG, it's the other way around.Twenty dollars gets you roughly 40 litres.It throws you at first.But at under 50 cents a litre, LPG is looking better and better as an alternative to petrol even factoring in the price of LPG conversion.However, if you commit to LPG up front when buying a new car and opt for a "dedicated" LPG model, conversion cost is not really an issue.Ford's E-Gas Falcon XT sedan (automatic) retails for about $37,000 and offers plenty of reasons to go gas.E-Gas is also available on Futura, Fairmont, ute, cab chassis and wagon. A sporty SR Limited Edition sedan is also available.Falcon is the only locally built car with a dedicated LPG engine.Ford modifies the engine and fully integrates the gas appliance as well as recalibrating the car's electronics and making some with internal modifications. It's all factory fitted and tuned to run on LPG.The engine is based on a petrol DOHC, 4.0-litre Falcon six and as such, starts from a high base in terms of power and torque.The E-Gas engine shares the same 10.3:1 compression ratio of the petrol engines.However, the E-Gas engine maintains stronger con-rods and harder valves and seats to meet the higher demands placed on the engine by using LPG fuel.A revised venturi providesd better air/fuel mixing, while the smooth curve of the new inlet pipe provided better flow so the gas could be withdrawn in a more controlled manner.Some power is lost when running on gas but it takes the E-Gas car down to a still handy 156kW/374Nm output.The tank holds from between 90 litres and 116 litres depending on the model.Fuel consumption is heavier than a petrol version averaging around 16-litres/100km but gas is way in front when costed out against petrol.Ford literature says the E-Gas Falcon will save up to 33 per cent of the fuel cost compared with petrol over the same distance.That seems about right.A tank of LPG last week cost about $40.00 while a tank of petrol cost more than $100.There are some negatives with LPG and one is loss of power.The E-Gas Falcon needs to be driven harder for any given application compared with the petrol car _ with predictable fuel use results.The E-Gas cars also lose some luggage space because the spare moves on top of the load deck instead of sunken into the fuel tank. That space is taken up by gas cannister.It could be an issue for families or commercial users who need all the load space they can get.LPG availability is no longer an issue as most service stations carry it.A side benefit of E-Gas is lower emissions because the engine meets the stringent Euro III regulations.E-Gas is a $1200 (RRP) option, but this cost can be recouped within approximately a year of motoring, or even sooner if petrol prices trend upwards.E-Gas has no effect on Falcon's 3 year/ 100,000km warranty.Driving the car is pretty much the same as a petrol powered Falcon except you need to push the throttle harder to acelerate. Once you achieve the desired aspeed, there is no difference. Infact, the LPG car could be a tad quieter and smoother than the petrol.Roll on acceleration is good as is torque output that gives good throttle response. It's no slug out of the blocks but still sounds like a vacuum cleaner. Does owning a E-Gas Falcon mean you own a taxi?Not really even if all cabs are on gas and most are Falcons.The test vehicle was comfortable and looked to be well made. It is identical to the petrol Falcon to look at inside and out.A six speed auto would be better than the standard four speed unit and would save fuel as well as boost performance.Dual independent VCTRevised camshaft profileDual knock sensors with individual spark controlRevised venturi, throttle body, and inlet pipeEuro III emissionsTransient rpm limitImproved NVHPower output on the E-Gas engine remains at 156 kW, while torque has increased slightly from 372 Nm @ 3000 rpm to 374 Nm at a lower 2750 rpm.