2008 Ford G6E Turbo Review
October 13, 2008 by Matt Brogan
Cog swapping comes compliments exclusively of a six-speed ZF automatic that in my opinion is by far the best gearbox available in an Australian produced car.
The ZF is brilliantly decisive and is just as happy popping quick changes for a sprint down the overtaking lane as it is dawdling around town. The only addition I could have asked for would be some shift buttons or paddles on the steering wheel.
Steering feel (along with driving position) was one of the biggest headaches for the previous BA/BF series and Ford has done well to ensure the issues were addressed for FG. Offering a far more neutral and balanced feel, the steering offers quicker turn-in and sharper front-end feel over the predecessor, as well as far less column vibration.
The suspension set up too has benefited in making for not only a better handling package, but one that rides in a more settled manner, is easier to manage when evasive maneuvering is required and offers a more calm, quiet and comfortable ride – a brilliant mix all round.
Up back G6E Turbo loses the LSD fitted to its XR6T cousin, but given the more family orientated packaging this is probably a good thing. The final drive ratio comes in at 2.73:1 which makes for very economic highway cruising, in fact for my week of combined driving I managed an average of 11.6 litres per 100km.
Staying at this end of the car G6E Turbo of course offers Falcon’s famous large boot (531 litres) and also features 60/40 split fold rear seats for those occasions when a little more space is required.
Towing capacity is de-rated from the 2300kg normally on offer in Falcon to 1600kg for transmission cooling reasons, but given most people are unlikely to use the G6E Turbo for little more than the bikes or a jet ski, it’s more than ample.
Self praise is no recommendation !
DanMan,
I don’t understand the dig at me. All I clarified was your reference to the service costs.
And what I said IS correct.
Outside of Toyota’s short term promotion, once they have convinced enough of the sheep, servicing of Toyotas is just as or more expensive than the rest FACT (learn’t that one from Dingo, if you type it in capitals it is true).
And BTW those who design and engineer things usaully understand them better than those who JUST sell them.
Back in your box.
Oh i could get a degree if i wanted to but dont want the pay cut. LOL
Also Blog on Jalopnik, Truth about cars, EVO UK. Dont worry other people know more about other subjects, but with cars i have as Charlie Sheen says, a Knack!
Have submitted a few WIKI pages about manafacturers..
Anyway dont need really to impress anyone on this site. Their ignorance is my bliss!
Just to claify then:
Toyota’s servicing costs ARE expensive if you’re outside of their short term fixed price servicing!
YES!
Ummm 3 years is not short term.. maybe your attention span is..
It depends on the vehicle but using a ‘complex’ turbo diesel as a guide the first 6 services are capped at 150$ per service. (hilux 4×4) Toyota motor company pays the difference, not the customer or the dealer.
you probably save about 1300$ over 3 years this way. Also it’s not a promo. It doesn’t end.
It also ensures the resale value is proteced because all toyotas now have full log book genuine servicing for three years.
BTW a 70k service is about 600$ not bad.
Think i will go fix the Large Haldron Collider for a challenge….
Danman – you really expect us to believe that those who have gone to university/college; studied engineering or graphic design etc.. and now use either state of the art computers to design or high tech machinery to build cars etc earn less than a humble car salesman in suburban Sydney or Melbourne?
As for 3 years not being a short term…. it is when you consider it takes on average 6-8 years for a car to go from design through to production and that the average age of a car on Australian roads is approx 7 years old – mainly due to the number of old [10 years+]Holdens and Fords still going around today
Actually In Brisbane, and you spelt your Name wrong.. ahem.
Well when you dont pay for fuel and basically drive most cars you love for free that saves alot over 4 or 5 years!
I have travelled about 30k klm’s per year and paid about 35 $ in fuel. sucks to be me.
Well good for you DM, I’ve average about 40,000km’s a year and the car is not even mine, talk about saving dollars and its not a Toy-oda thank GOD if it was my life would’ve ended up very boring, yep a good old 2007 Ford Focus runs rings round overrated ugly corolla and also Ford’s car service is much cheaper than dodgy Toy-leta..
TVEE, Too bad your mums focus is in no way as good looking as the current Toyota Corolla, or the Yaris hatch! ;-)
TVEE.
Your proof that hero7n is a helluva drug!
I meen seriously why do you bother commentating. your the worst poster on this site.. I have arguments with some other people here but i still respect them as people. but you are so not worthy . you sound about 14-15. IMO. your sentence structure and syntax are extremley underdevoped so i find you having a job with that car packadge Unlikely.
Please understand that people make very conservitive choice when spending a years salary on a car. minimisation of risk. Toyota’s are not a ‘drivers’ car but 23% market share means that not all (very few in fact) care about driving at 8/10th, even 6/10ths. They TRUST Toyota, and with good reason.
Hey DM,,, please spell properly, I struggle to read all your garbage.
Toyo is a discount fleet seller.
The Ford Focus drives and looks much better than any Toyoda >>>>>>>> piece of junk..
DM please go to Drive.com, Dingo is waiting, he needs some toyophile support, go now loser have another puff of that crack pipe.
All the comment’s you have posted are nonsense, no one needs a fruitcake with an IQ of about 9 + brainwashed Toyo jargon.
Yeah; Dingo is on drive/com.au getting his diluded ignorant narrow-minded a-r-s-e kicked [surprise surprise] by my “Drive” mates Seats and a Steering Wheel and Bones
As always he is on the offensive.. He repeats the same story over and over and over again and he also misreads peoples comments and therefore doesn’t get the full story [just as he does/did on here]
And when he realises he is losing an arguement he either tries to change topic or uses one of his aliases [spit personalities] to back up one of his previous statements…. yet he has the nerve to call other bloggers pathetic and immature.
Wheelnut,
I am in the right mind to report your previous post!!!
How dare you mention the name Dingo on here.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
yeah, what a W*nk hey.
Hey Matt where is the story on that blue F6 Ute your showing pics of on Facebook babe ! N…I…C…E !!
you must have missed it.
the Deni muster story
Coming soon BM ; )
DanMan Says:
October 28th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
“It depends on the vehicle but using a ‘complex’ turbo diesel as a guide the first 6 services are capped at 150$ per service. (hilux 4×4) Toyota motor company pays the difference, not the customer or the dealer.
you probably save about 1300$ over 3 years this way. Also it’s not a promo. It doesn’t end.”
Toyota are overcharging $1300 (at least) for a start to cover this!
And just because there is no published end date doesn’t mean it’s not just a short term promotion – it is, and we all know it, despite your corporate speil.
“It also ensures the resale value is proteced because all toyotas now have full log book genuine servicing for three years.”
Errrr, no it doesn’t. Nearly 3/4 of all toyotas sold are fleet, to which this fixed priced servicing does not apply. The poor unfortunates who buy the second hand fleet cars will be slugged the full price, with probably a massive first up service bill to catch up with all the skipped fleet services.
At least when Ford did similar (better actually) a few years ago it applied to all cars, including fleets, and transferred to a new owner when sold.
Yeah your the expert Bret. Like me you obviously do this every day and know the industry back to front. Only Govt Fleet is exempt….
All ford ‘incentives’ will cease under Bankruptcy. Pricewaterhousecoopers will void them straight away. So why do Toyota’s have the best Resale average after porsche in the industry? Riddle me that bretman.
Because Toyota have a 50 year record in this country of promise’s made and kept.
Also Toyota workshops have are not dependent on warranty work to survive so are more competitve than you believe. there are 15 in Brisbane greater area alone. each with a PMA that ensures they can look after their customers.
Anyway why try to convince you? 260,000 a year disagree with you..
DanMan,
No your the “expert”. You tell everybody every day on here.
Obviously you know, and the guys who run Toyota and their website are wrong. What about Toyota’s massive rental fleet sales? Still, it only proves that it IS just a short term public propaganda exercise.
Toyota Australia’s history is littered with failures and broken promises, who are you trying to kid?
Or is this just yet another case of a Toyota salesman who doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does, spinning bulldust?
(The more apt reply is still “awaiting moderation”)
Just got the g6e for the wife who was hell bent on a Volvo or somthing else around the 75-85k mark.
This thing on the road and with all its features is simply BEAUTIFUL!!!!
ps. and we were both Holden people through and through..
I picked up my new G6E Turbo last week and frankly, I cannot stop driving it! I am in love with this car…fantastic! Why on earth would you bother with an expensive European car when we make such a masterpiece in this country. Well done Ford!
The ford’s have lane change assist,
Just had to throw that in