2011 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

Ford's sporty six kept up the performance image but had a thrftier LPG variant. New Having dropped its V8 in the 1980s, Ford went looking for a suitable model on which to hang its performance credentials. The answer was the XR6, a six-cylinder sports sedan created more in the European style than the earlier GTs that

Take a tip: Go for a later model when you're out shopping for a G Series Falcon. New The G Series was a new range of sports luxury models Ford introduced with the FG Falcon in 2008. In effect it replaced the old luxury Futura/Fairmont/Fairmont Ghia but with greater emphasis on sportiness. The range comprised the G6,

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.

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used Ford Falcon G6E 2011-2012.

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. 

FAMILIES wanting a big, comfortable and economical car - that's most of us - are ideal buyers of Ford's new LPG Falcon. So why isn't there a queue outside the Ford factory for a big car that costs $7.50 to drive 100km (compared with a petrol Falcon's $13.36) and will travel a similar 700km before running out of juice? Or gas. It should be a no-brainer for households but instead, Ford is reporting much greater interest from corporates and government authorities. The EcoLPi sales represent 18 per cent of total Falcon sales, so interest is relatively strong. Now, private motorists will have to get behind the wheel to witness the benefits.On paper it looks good. The dedicated LPG-engined Falcon is $2500 more than its petrol sister at $42,790. Government rebate applies to private buyers of a new car and is $2000. So, the LPG effectively costs $500 and - compared with an equivalent petrol-fuelled Falcon - the car's economy makes the gas car's price equivalent at seven months and produces a potential annual fuel saving of $880 after that. The XT EcoLPi tested had all the comfort, features, handling and even a bit more performance than the petrol model. Yes, the boot is slightly smaller but the difference is marginal.Looks exactly like a petrol Falcon. Only a boot badge indicates its fuel type. The Falcon looks better each year and the latest is a neat big car that, by virtue of clever body tapers, doesn't look big and bulky. In fact, it's only 171mm longer than the "mid-size" Ford Mondeo.Though the underpinnings and the body have lots in common with the AU model of 1998, the intervening years have smoothed out the roof to make easier entry via the rear doors, bulked up the AU's "organic" look, refined the drivetrain and greatly boosted build quality. If one thing stands out, it's the excellent occupant comfort.LPG as a vehicle fuel produces 35 per cent less CO2 emissions than petrol and has an octane rating of about 100. So it's green and powerful - like the Incredible Hulk, actually. But it's not as fuel efficient - the EcoLPi gets 12.5 L/100km and the equivalent petrol Falcon gets 9.9 L/100km.The saving is in the purchase price of the fuel, about 55c/L for LPG and $1.40/L for petrol. Ford's liquid-injection of the LPG replaces the temperamental vapour-gas delivery to make impressive improvements to starting performance, power and torque, reliability and economy. LPG now stays in liquid form from the tank to the combustion chamber.Other than the pause when switching on the engine, you wouldn't know this runs on LPG. Ford has included a priming system so much of the LPG is automatically sent to the engine as you open the driver's door. The boot remains pretty big - helped by the split, fold-down rear seats - and the only intrusion is the side-mounted high-pressure fuel pump box.LPG vehicles came in for some slamming after a bus fire earlier this year, but it's regarded as being no more a danger than a petrol-fuelled car. The Falcon  has a five-star crash rating, six airbags and all the electronic aids. It is a sure-footed car with excellent dynamics, quality steering and brakes. We can get overwhelmed by imported cars but really the Falcon equals or betters most.Previous LPG-only tests were okay, but other than the savings at the bowser, nothing to write home about. This new one is very different. There's a two-second pause between turning the ignition key and the starter motor engaging. You get used to it. But there's virtually no engine cranking - the engine fires up immediately.The EcoLPi feels every bit as smooth as the petrol - which is far better than the Falcon's main rival - and is both quiet and responsive. It is listed as having the same power and torque as the petrol, but is more responsive and is likely to be quicker in acceleration.Perhaps Ford has dumbed the LPG engine down to match the petrol. The six-speed auto dovetails perfectly with that engine delivery. Great handling, excellent comfort and low noise from the drivetrain and suspension make it such an easy car to operate. It works well in the city but show it an open road and it excels.

With the swtich to liquid injection Ford's LPG powered Falcon has become a much more interesting option. It produces the same level of power as a petrol engine, but costs a lot less to run. The new EcoLPi in-line six-cylinder engine is a state-of-the-art, liquid phase injection, dedicated LPG powerplant that delivers impressive fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, as well as no compromise engine performance compared to Falcon's existing petrol I6 engine. The one issue remains the spare wheel, which if you want a full size one still takes up the majority of the boot.TECHNOLOGYThe new EcoLPi engine develops 198kW of power at 5000 revs and 409Nm of torque at 3250 revs, compared to the petrol I6 engine which produces 195kW and and 391Nm when operated on standard 91RON unleaded fuel. Claimed fuel economy for the LPi is 12.6 litres/100km in the case of our test G6E versus 9.9 for the petrol version. You use a little more LPG but of course it's much cheaper to buy.DESIGNThe car comes standard with a tyre mobility kit which is basically goo and electric pump. A space saver spare is available as a no cost option or you can order your car with a full sized alloy and tyre which will set you back another $250. Our test vehicle came complete with a full-sized spare wheel which unfortunately takes up a large part of the boot, large enough to be very annoying. The space saver is about half the height and takes up a lot less room, but either way there's no hole under the floor to hide the spare - it's made way for the fuel tank.BET EACH WAYSmart cookies could have a bet each way. They could use the tyre reinflation kit for daily driving or a full-sized spare if you'replanning on doing any country kilometres. Some of Ford's own employees do exactly this. But it's cheaper to order the full size wheel when you order the car at a cost of $250. The mobility kit will set you back about $295 from a dealer but an alloy without the tyre is $656.LPG REBATEThe LPG Vehicle Scheme provides grants for the LPG conversion of a registered motor vehicle or the purchase of a new vehicle fitted with LPG prior to first registration, subject to eligibility criteria. Under the Federal Government's LPG Vehicle Scheme private buyers are entitled to a $2000 rebateon the cost of a car that comes factory fitted with LPG.THIRSTThe LPI model comes with an 88-litre tank and claimed economy of 12.5 litres/100km. That gives it a theoretical range of just over 700km from a single tank. We were getting around 12.3 litres/100km, manily commuting on the motorway. Given that LPG is generally half the cost of petrol, that's like ghetting 6.0-litres/100km. At the time of writing the cost of LPG was 53.7 cents a litre compared to standard unleaded petrol at $129.9. That makes the cost of filling up the cars $47.25 versus $88.33 a big difference.DRIVINGGreat. Smooth and powerful. You wouldn't know you were driving a gas car. Hopefully the Falcon will survive long enough for them to fix the spare wheel problem.VERDICTYes and no. Depends what you want it for? The G6E is a lovely bit of kit and won't cost much to run. But the new model will arrive in dealerships around Christmas and we'd wait for that because it is going to cheaper and better equipped.The new price is $46,735 plus on roads, with the LPi option adding $2000 to the price initially because it still gets 17s instead of 18 inch alloys. It was previously priced from $$50,390.

THE XR6 has long been a loved Ford Falcon for its mix of punch and brightness. So the arrival of a new one has us hauling out the checklist. Brawny looks - tick. Roomy cabin - tick. LPG - WTF?Yes, the cabbies' favourite fuel has migrated from the base-level XT into the rest of the Falcon sedans and utes, with every model getting a gas-up. But before you run shrieking into the street to check if the sky is also falling, first check out the current price of petrol, and the advances in LPG systems.The exiting E-Gas Falcon used LPG in vapour form, delivering it to the cylinders under pressure.The new gas Falcons use the latest liquid-phase injection - dubbed EcoLPI by Ford - that uses a fuel rail to deliver liquid LPG, which vapourises in the intake to cause a denser, cooler dose of air entering the system, with benefits for power, torque and economy.So compared to the vapour system, this one results in the 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine using considerably less fuel (12.5L/100km vs the previous Falcon's 14.9L/100) while delivering 198kW of power and 409Nm of torque - impressive increases of 42kW and 38Nm respectively.But it's also ahead - albeit by not so wide a gap - on the petrol XR6's 195kW/391Nm outputs. And with the addition of a great six-speed automatic transmission, that means this is a gas Falcon you'd consider taking home to meet the family.Why would an XR6 fan move across to LPi? Because they'd get sick of pouring petrol down its throat, and be attracted by a tank fill that doesn't run into three figures.From that point of view, you have to measure the $46,490 EcoLPi against the $43,090 automatic petrol XR6 at 9.9L/100km - remembering that the government rebate wipes out $2000 of the difference (leaving you just $500 to recoup) and that while you use more litres on LPG, the price is about 40-50 per cent of unleaded.By those calculations, the EcoLPi pays for itself by 10,000km - in about eight months for an average private driver, as little as three months for a business, and about three weeks for a taxi. That repay period will extend a bit longer after an excise is applied at the end of 2011, starting at 2.5¢/L and rising to 12.5¢/L over five years.If you're happy with LPG, what are the other options in the large car class with the XR6's level of fit-out? There's a dedicated LPG Holden Commodore on the way next year - promising significant improvements in fuel economy, and an underfloor tank that will stop the signature chomp into boot space.But for moment, the closest you'll get from Holden is the dual-fuel Commodore Berlina,  At $45,890, it's $600 cheaper than the EcoLPi XR6, but the Holden's 175kW/325Nm 3.6-litre V6 is also thirstier at 14.2L/100km, the four-speed auto should have been retired long before now - and the new one will put the current model out to pasture.If you don't mind taking your petrol with an electric chaser instead of gas, there's the Toyota Camry Hybrid in Luxury spec at $39,990. But it's front-wheel drive, continuously-variable transmission and - if not exactly chalk and cheese - overprocessed cheddar compared to the tangy bite of the XR6.The XR6 gets all the Falcon sports touches, and it's a large and handsome beastie.Our test car took it a bit too far with a lurid purple paint job, but otherwise the details were well judged for the market - blue saddle-stitching on the mesh-textured upholstery echoing the blue-it switches and dials, a well-shaped wheel (with the hub bearded with buttons and controls so you don't have to fumble for them on the spokes), soft-touch plastics and a colour digital info/entertainment control screen that gathers together a lot of functions, leaving the dash uncluttered and crisp.But while there's plenty of space for people, there's not much room for their stuff.For a start you have to make the usual choice between boot space and a spare - which is an optional extra if you don't want to risk travelling with a goo kit or a space saver spare. And there's poor personal storage, stingy door pockets, slim useless slots in the centre stack and a small glove-box despite the deep dash.It gets five stars in crash testing, and has anti-skid brakes, brake assist for panic stops, brake-force distribution to share the effort around if the car is loaded unevenly, and four airbags. But disappointingly for a family car - and one at this price - you have to shell out extra for curtain airbags and reversing sensors.The only hint the XR6 is running on gas is when you first turn the key, and get a slight hesitation. From then on, it's impressive acceleration. Plant your foot hard and it gathers itself for a nanosecond before it delivers, but feed it steadily and it gives a steady and strong answer.See a break in the traffic and want it? No problem, no hesitation and no fuss. But also no engine growl. There's plenty of sting but no soundtrack.It's very good over potholes and rough-patched bitumen, where you can feel the poor surfaces, but not in a way that becomes tiresome. And that's no surprise, because Ford has spent decades building cars for rubbish Aussie roads.Visibility is good, mainly because the C-pillars don't aid and abet blind spots and the big hungry mirrors are an enormous - literally - help in seeing what's on your flanks It's got a reasonable turning circle, but there's no mistaking that it's a big, Aussie-built car - and admittedly the patriotism factor might help sales.