My GHIA V Rental FG XR6

[csv8]

The missus and I rented an XR6 from a major car rental company. What a POS !!
The car had 50,000kms on the clock. If I took FORD up on their offer "come and compare" I wouldn't buy one. It had vibration thru the steering, passenger got jolted over minor bumps, doesn't drive as smoothly as my GHIA. Auto box was a screamer.And it got 100kms per tank less than my GHIA. My Fez Zetec has firm suspension but nothing like this XR6. I would hope the car had been regularly serviced etc. I did complain about the condition of the car, on return.
I just hope this is an isolated example and not typical of the XR6.

[block58]

Sport suspension vs. luxury suspension?

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by csv8

The missus and I rented an XR6 from a major car rental company. What a POS !!
The car had 50,000kms on the clock. If I took FORD up on their offer "come and compare" I wouldn't buy one. It had vibration thru the steering, passenger got jolted over minor bumps, doesn't drive as smoothly as my GHIA. Auto box was a screamer.And it got 100kms per tank less than my GHIA. My Fez Zetec has firm suspension but nothing like this XR6. I would hope the car had been regularly serviced etc. I did complain about the condition of the car, on return.
I just hope this is an isolated example and not typical of the XR6.

HAHAHA your comparing a 50,000 km old XR6 rental thats never had a service in its life to your personally owned Ghia??

You must be joking..

My FG's smash my BA and BF's, the FGs are quicker, steer better and are more composed on the road.

I think ill go back to bed. While I do that how about you go drive a G6E Turbo and compare it to your Ghia.

[STHSV8]

I rented an FG Xr6 up on the Gold Coast two weeks ago, 6 speed auto. Approx 12,000 on the clock. Didn't want to give it back it was that good.

The car you hired has prob been driven over gutters, median strips, cattle grates, wombats and kangaroos. Keep it real please!

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

HAHAHA your comparing a 50,000 km old XR6 rental thats never had a service in its life to your personally owned Ghia??

You must be joking..

My FG's smash my BA and BF's, the FGs are quicker, steer better and are more composed on the road.

I think ill go back to bed. While I do that how about you go drive a G6E Turbo and compare it to your Ghia.

Spot on there. Durrr my GHIA MORE BETTER it's probably been driven to within an inch of its so far short life and by the way has sports suspension compared with luxury spec in your GHIA

[mr ghia]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Spot on there. Durrr my GHIA MORE BETTER it's probably been driven to within an inch of its so far short life and by the way has sports suspension compared with luxury spec in your GHIA

Hmmm I assume csv8's comparison is with a BF era (Fairmont) Ghia with the fantastic ZF six-speed auto.
The hire car FG XR6 with 50,000 on the clock probably just had the French built five-speed auto which is only slightly better than the old BTR four-speed, so a direct comparison there is not quite fair.
Also re Road_Warrior's comment, the BA and BF Fairmont Ghias have the XR suspension, only tweaked back slightly in favour of ride, so they still handle and ride more like an XR series than a Falcon XT, Futura or ordinary Fairmont.

[ZA-289]

agreed, you cant assume all FG Xr's are the same as one that has had the guts flogged out of it for 50,000kms....

[EDManual]

probably hit a gutter giving you vibration. Not the cars fault...

[4Vman]

Nice balanced report....

[Zedjay]

i used to think
"why buy an FG when you can get a BA at half the price"

then i drove an FG lol they dont compare!!
the FG has it all over the BA BF.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by Zedjay

i used to think
"why buy an FG when you can get a BA at half the price"

then i drove an FG lol they dont compare!!
the FG has it all over the BA BF.

Just like the next offering will have it all over the FG and so on, and so on.

If you could get a car with all the FG niceties with the BA/BF bodyshape what a fine specimen of a car that would be.

The FG has been out around 2 and a half years and its taken a Lightning Strike Silver with black striped 335 kw GT I saw on this site 2 days ago to start to arouse my interest to the point I may look at upgrading - but not yet

[MAGPIE]

Originally Posted by GT0132

If you could get a car with all the FG niceties with the BA/BF bodyshape what a fine specimen of a car that would be.

What with those ghastly carry over AU doors & drooping roof line that....

no thanks



As for the OP, you can't be serious can you

[leighm]

I just handed back an FG XR6 to Hertz on Monday, it's the third one I have had from them now. I have also driven every Toyota they have, VE Calais, SV6 and Focus....the XR6 was the better drive of all of them as far as I am concerned. Followed by a very close second by the SV6. The SV6 was just far too slow off the line and the dash doesn't do it for me.

[Jimmyd]

Driven a ridiculously large number of renters over the years including FG XR6s - the FG package simply has the competition beat hands down including the SV6 (V6 engine is just too 'thrashy' for my liking). Just last month I had a new <2,000ks FG XR6 for a week. Very much like my Tickford optioned AU 1.5 Fairmont Ghia to drive. FGs inexplicably soft suspension and six speed auto are the really noticable differences in the mechanical package, everything else is pretty well line ball with my ten year old Tickford spec AU. Thought about buying one briefly but decided to stay with my AU for one very simple reason - at 6'4" I don't have to dislocate my left knee to get behind the wheel of the AU.....

Cheers

James

[aussie muscle]

sounds like rentals are a lottery. i've only had toyotas when renting, both were in good condition, but so boring to drive, it was hard not to nod off.

[LightningStrike]

Both FG's I have had from the same rental company in the past 3 months have been excellent - a black one with 30ks and a blue with 12ks. I reckon you just has a bad example unfortunatley :(

[BAxtER]

Originally Posted by csv8

The missus and I rented an XR6 from a major car rental company. What a POS !!
The car had 50,000kms on the clock. If I took FORD up on their offer "come and compare" I wouldn't buy one. It had vibration thru the steering, passenger got jolted over minor bumps, doesn't drive as smoothly as my GHIA. Auto box was a screamer.And it got 100kms per tank less than my GHIA. My Fez Zetec has firm suspension but nothing like this XR6. I would hope the car had been regularly serviced etc. I did complain about the condition of the car, on return.
I just hope this is an isolated example and not typical of the XR6.

If i was to walk in to a ford dealer and compare. Id be taking a test drive of an FG xr6 that probably has 800kms...not 50,000kms. also it would have been driven the same route by maybe 10 other people. Not multiple routes by multiple families for thousands of kms.
I can garuntee that the one at the dealership wouldnt have a steering shudder from warped brakes, the trip wouldnt be long enough to compare fuel usage.
The gearbox would have new oil, not burnt black oil in a typical 50,000km car (especially one driven by people with "its not my car attitude" for 50,00kms).

Just remember when ford state in their commercial "come in and compare" they mean in a ford dealership, not at AVIS ;)

[JADED6]

Originally Posted by BAxtER

Just remember when ford state in their commercial "come in and compare" they mean in a ford dealership, not at AVIS ;)

That made me laugh.

[GTJOHN]

Mate i love my BA and will keep it for many many years longer...
But i have driven company cars at work G6E, XR6 & XR8 that are in our fleet...
they all have upwards of 40,000k;s and man id take any of them in a heartbeat..Smooth, comfortable and awesome to drive..Our cars are regularlly servcied and well mainytained..It seems the one you got wasn't...

[Falcon_Crazy]

Come drive my FG - its got 72,000km on it..still drives like new. Hire cars can be a lotto..most of the time with Hertz i get an FG..all but one have been sweet. The one that wasn't was due for wheel balance and it was only I had requested it over an Aurion

[Mickxr8]

Rentals ! haha
take 1 well made car
put it in the hands of lots of people with a care factor of 0
footwells conveniatly shaped like ashtrays
special suspension designed for running over curbs,culverts,wildlife. no wonder they dont last long
(not saying all people treat them that way )

[jamesson1980]

WOW!! Guess the verdict is in. Personally I love the FG, my standard 6 is pretty damn close to the 02 XR6T I used to have in speed and is a world ahead in ever other aspect, feel, handling, quietness, interior (maybe not exterior style but hey). $34,000 brand spanking in 2009 was the best money I ever spent.. I look after it, it looks after me.
In totally unrelated news, I saw Geelong get spanked by Adelaide on a bad day in the AFL.. does it make Adelaide the superior side??

[wrongwaynorris]

My FG XR6 has 100,00 and still drives like the day I picked it up , you just got a thrashed and bashed one .

[gcg2503]

Very funny thread!
So all FGs are crap then lol

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by gcg2503

Very funny thread!
So all FGs are crap then lol

Yes bro, they are no good those FG's..

I just got out of a BFII Taxi and it wasssssssss noo where near as good as my mint condition AU Series III Fairmont Ghia V8 5.0 Tickford special option spoiler delete pack clear side indicator limited edition. What a bucket of bolts those BFII's are let alone those newer generation BFII lookalike FG's..

[Road_Warrior]

lol

look at all that pwnage.

[chevypower]

Ummm, never judge a car by a rental.

[Bucknaked]

I hired a G series last year. It was awesome. Solid and fuel efficient, went well. Loved it. I could have happily kept it.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by csv8

I just hope this is an isolated example and not typical of the XR6.

Test driving an new XR6 with ZF is the only way you'll get closure......

[irlewy86]

What's the old saying?

Rental cars. The only true all terrain vehicle