Ford Falcon XR8 vs Holden Commodore SS AFM fuel economy challenge
April 27, 2009 by Paul Maric
Leaving Melbourne on an early, and slightly chilly autumn morning, our destination is Tarcutta, NSW.
The reason behind our choice is that the small farming town sits exactly halfway between Melbourne and Sydney on one of the busiest major highways in the world – the Hume.
Historically, this town was once a change over point for interstate truckies traveling the long road between our two largest capital cities, but with progress being what it is, Tarcutta will be bypassed within the next few years.
But, we digress.
The rationale behind this destination is that by driving up and back will approximate the same scenario as driving Melbourne to Sydney, a datum roadtest for fuel economy, but with the added bonus we all end up back in our own beds after the trip.
Our first stretch takes us from Melbourne’s busy CBD and sees us quickly on to a network of freeways before climbing the Great Divide on the Hume Highway to our first driver change point, a quarter of the way to Sydney, in Glenrowan, Victoria.
Old Ned might have got away if he’d been in a V8 but he was 130-years too early!
6AM will see our departure from South Yarra in Melbourne. Unlike other publications which have gone for unrealistic measures to save on fuel (folding mirrors, taping gaps and accelerating slow than the speed of walk) we will simulate real world driving conditions which everyday people like you and us would partake.
The most technologically advanced part of this trip will be our live GPS updates and live video crosses throughout the day. Tune in to our live video feeds at: 6AM – South Yarra. 9:35AM – Glenrowan. 1PM – Tarcutta. 7:30PM – South Yarra.
You will be able to chat to us LIVE via the video feed at these times. If you have any questions in between these times, simple post them as comments and we will answer them with each live cross. We will also be logging our entire route throughout the day with the VBOX, that will go online with our conclusion article.
LIVE VIDEO FEED:
LIVE GPS UPDATES:
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Print it: 
CalaisV,
the ute racers dont run the FG’s yet which recieve this upgraded engine.
They still run the old BA/BF spec engine
winding the seat up doesnt cure the massive B and C pillars
How many utes carry stuff???
well every time i look outside i see mine with a decent trailer hooked on the rear and surprise surprise under the cover is chocka too.
Nevermind if you dont see all of them always loaded, but there will come a point where someone needs to move house once they know you have a ute.
Also keep in mind that a trailer on the back puts load on the rear ute springs.
Bret,
The falcon ute did/does have a plastic floor.
Pull the liner out and you will see the road.
But in saying that, the liner isnt really relied on to hold the weight.
They actually have a series of steel channels like a series of joists running under the liner. The liner is like a piece of cladding so to speak.
The advantage of doing it in this way is that it not only saves weight, but it also eliminates moisture being trapped between the liner and solid steel floor which in turn causes rust.
As you said, holden has copied by putting a liner in it as standard kit.
The downfall with the holden liner is that it doesnt cover the top of the tray sides like the falcons does.
Thats where the damage always happens.
the tonneau cover also clips onto the actual paint work meaning its only a matter of time before the paint rubs through
Oh, and they have also copied the space cab idea…..
next thing you know they will have adjustable tiedowns like the falcon does
AFM = stupid idea. It won’t be long until it disappears.
Limited Slip says………………..”CAnt see any AU lines on FG …….they dont share any panels and unlike BF doesnt have the same doors…….FG is way more modern tan AU or BF. The ony way GM get more power from engines is to increase the capacity this is why the Holden\GM engines increase in size all the time because they are limited by the ancient valvetrain ……..”
Just because the new FG Falcon doesn’t share any body panels with the outgoing AU-BF generation Falcon (like everybody says!), that doesn’t mean it can’t look the same or very similar! The body panels are different alltogether, but designed very similar. So that means some people mistake it as the old falcon. Simple!
Simon, your probably right. It’s costing Holden more to add Active Fuel Management also to the Commodore. So if it’s pointless, they miles well get rid of the technology in the Holden Commodore unless or untill they improve on the technology. GM can’t be wating money. Specially at this time!
*wasting money
Hey CarAdvice, which car has the better glove box? And if both cars have leather, which car has the better quality of leather?
Thanks CarAdvice if you could answer my questions
Duck the only part on the FG that looks like BA-BF it the fron and rear and i dont see the problem with this BMW have been doing this for years but i suppose it’s a BMW,
then theres the VW golf it always an evalution with every new body.
the VE has the same problem to you can tell its a Commodore especially at the back with the VY-VZ tail lights, the VT also did this from the VS.
the only car australia has every made that was a revalution in design was the AU Falcon it was just a bad looking car design wise exept for the T3 TS50 that is.
I agree it looks similar to it’s predecessor. Why are people surprised by this? Why call it a Falcon if there is no pedigree or bloodlines there? And for the record, I like the look of the BA/BF. The FG is taking a little while to warm to, but I personally find it much better looking than the VE.
I guess its the tail lights on the FG that look awkward.
Duck…….FG is a way more modern looking car than BA\F it looks great. I am so glad it looks like a Falcon, so it is similar to you in some areas……..big deal. I have a BMW and it looks similar to every BMW but it is different, so why not hang shit on them for producing similar looking cars? FG not only looks good it is a great car and people who have one love them. Unlike Holden Ford also design their cars for function not just looks, and it has worked beautifully with the FG. Modern and functional. I suppose you think VE looks good? Hardly, it has frontal similarities with Territory and BA Falcon, and i am not the only one who thinks that. Except they spoiled it with those ___king horrible wheels arches…
what happened to the final part of this comparison ? will Holden at least win one part of the total comparison? lol
Why would you, a fuel consumption test on a v8,
hang on, hang on; I see, I just got a V8 (thats the one with the big engine, the fast one, the loude one) so how many KM’s to the ltr? next to nun,no way! I off to get a Smart car, so how fast do you think this little baby will go? not very but, but the fuel consumption is out standing, even better than a V8, good if i bought 10 and tied them together will they go as fast as one v8? maybe we should do a hotish (cold) lap in a smart or a hyundi
Where is the final part to this comparison? The summary?
Limited Slip, I’m not denying that the FG isn’t modern.
duck.i am not denying it looks like a Falcon but it is a nice modern evolution of the BF style, but it is not the same by any stretch of the imagination as some people say. people worry about styling too much these days, if it looks good ok………there are more important things to a car than styling alone. FG is class leader in many things so why not concentrate on those? Enough said….
Andrew M
The BA engine is only a minor upgrade. When the 5.7 was in the utes they still had to be throttled against the 5.4. The VY 5.7 was rated at 245kW, the 5.4 260kW. What’s the go there? Likewise the VT 225kW, AU 220kW but still the VT had to be restricted.
I did say I agreed there was a market for 1T utes. I just don’t think they should all have live rear axles for the 10% of people that buy them.
Make a live rear axle traytop model with 1T capacity and let the remaining 90% of the market have the handling (and therefore safety) benefits of the IRS. The falcon ute already handles well, imagine how much better it would be without the live rear axle.
You said the driving position was too low. Hence the recommendation to lift the seat. You hadn’t previously mentioned the pillars.
Ed said:
“Why would you, a fuel consumption test on a v8″?
Because they aren’t anywhere near as bad as this lot make out. Fair enough they use as much as a (imported) petrol Pajero/Patrol/Prado etc.. around the city but on the highway my VX SS (5.7litre manual) regularly got less than 8 litre per 100km measured by tank topping up (not by the aforementioned inaccurate trip computer before someone jumps on that). The speedo (and hence odo) was within 3% of my GPS though it did read that high. At an indicated 120km/h it was doing 118km/h last time I checked.
The new one, for the record, reads far higher (10%) and I want to get that fixed if possible. Come on, here’s a carrot for you Holden bashers. LOL
All you Ford people should be careful anyway, if Holden goes down, Ford won’t be far behind and we’ll all be driving Aurions before you know it. I’ve been thinking about it and keep waking up in a cold sweat!
Falcon vs Commodore, an age old stoush. Basically they are as good as each other and will always continue to be. The newer one will always be the better car. VT-good, BA-better, VE-better, FG-better. It’s the way it works and has been for the entire Commodore vs Falcon story. The FG may be a better car but I wanted a Calais/Fairmont. The G6E is a great car but I wanted a V8 and because no-one else does, the price is right (E-Class Merc a little out of my price range)! Nothing sounds better than a V8. Except maybe a VW or BMW V10.
Keep fighting the Holden vs Ford war but remember it’s the customer that loses if one disappears. After all, what are Toyota going to do to compete with either? That leaves the last one standing to do no development until it too produces rubbish and gets shut down.
Ford’s long term future in Australia relies on Holden surviving. Competition improves the breed. Without improvement no-one will buy, without customers why produce? If Holden can’t make money in the current environment selling Australia’s top selling car what hope have Ford got with the 5th top selling car (OK, would become the 4th)? Holden are also the 2nd manufacturer, Ford 3rd. Same deal. The worst thing is that there are more killer Prados out there! Potentially stealing customers from Falcodores.
If you ask me, we are currently facing the loss of the entire car industry in Oz but that’s another post on another article.
Oops, I erred, the VY was 235kW and heavily throttled, not 245kW, that was VY2.
The 6 litre was in the VZ as a 260kW yet needed throttling against the 260kW BA. Hmm…..???? Why?
And I didn’t know they had gone plastic tub, silly if you ask me but there you go, since it’s lighter it probably handles better and with only 300kg capacity it won’t break, ha ha. I still like the single piece sheetmetal on the Commodore better than the Falcon’s extra bit.
Also, copying the space cab????? That’s like saying Ford copied the idea of IRS from Holden. Space cabs have been around for ages (Rodeo, Hilux etc…etc)
That new falcon is farken ugly as sin, those fuel consumptions dont seem right either.
The commodoer outsell the falcon 3 to 1..
falcon rubbish, why bother ford..
Well goin out to all the holden boys out there. I have a current FG XR6T Manual. and on regular occasions i get people in Auto VE HSV GTS Commodores come up to me and try to give me runs and can gladly say that I will take on allcomers. Because for value for money and the price difference between the two of them. My car takes the pants off of them. Good old fashioned boat anchor V8’s. Just love it. Turbo six is way of the future!!!!
What a load of garbage, there is no way in this world that, that 5.4 Ford V8 is more economical than the SS manual let alone the auto with the AFM on it.
This goes against every test ever done on these cars buy Wheels, Motor and Top gear. They drove an AFM equipped Calai from Melbourne to Sydney on one tank of fuel there is no way the Ford could do that.
Also the SS runs mis to low 5’s, with AFM will and has run mid to high 5’s with the XR8 somewhere back in the dust.
The FPV GT barely get’s under the 6 second barrier.
How much did FORD pay for this????
I own a 5.4l 2004 fairmont ghia 4 speed auto, and this car is a keeper, it still has the same new car feel as the 1st time i got it in jan 04 and so far i have managed to outrun every single car on the road to date! and don\’t forget it just reached 200000km today! and still as new!
a stock FG XR8 makes 302kW with RON98, 290 or 288.8kW constant on a hot day on RON91 petrol. SS commodore makes 248kW on RON91 and 266.2kW on RON98 again wrongly advertising and its NOT 270kW!, its a piece of a crap of a car = HOLDEN VE SS. It is less economical than any 5.4Litre Boss engine so far and it loses in TORQUE and tractable power from a long gone indestructible 3V Barra220 engine.
At the end of the day Holden cars are not AUSTRALIAN cars at all, they are just re badged from something that is known as CHEV and wrongly preached to us as one of our own brands “HOLDEN” that is.
Pontiac GT and G8 are basically CHEV and Pontiac and are NOT Australian Commodore, its just the naive public whom are brainwashed in to believeing that its actually an Aussie icon. But in fact its all 100% USA and UK renamed to a Holden and then built here and then falsely re named and exported to USA, while a Ford Falcon has been an Australian engineered and designed 100% ground up since late early 60s.
Ford Falcon as a car, especially from the E series till now is 100% Australian owned patent, Australian engineered, built, designed and tested.
It only has a Ford badge on it, where in fact it has nothing really to do with Ford USA apart from Boss260/290/302/315 engines and 3V F-150/250 “Barra220/230″.
As far as a car goes, the Inline SIX is all 100% Aussie and the rest of the sheet metal and nuts and bolts.
Commodore is the biggest scam, rubbish car, useless crap!
a stock 290kW 6 speed manual XR8 FG will eat a stock 6 speed manual VE SS.
end of story.
Not to mention that it will go well over 500000miles vs 200000 miles for a crappy inferior GEN4 piece of crap with only 16Valves and 90 year old push rod crap!
And at the end of the day i still see stupid, dumb and naive misinformed, illiterate and egocentric public going and buying a totally flawed Alloytec 190 and 195kW V6 commodores, and i see them waste $30000? 40000? on stupid crappy VE utes with a crappy V6 and still being given a run for their money by an old shit box EAII 3.9L Falcon and EL or an AU taxi …. and totally destroyed with today very cheap and affordable BA Falcon XT 2003 models which you can acquire for less than $8000 now days vs a shit box thats slow and has no torque at all for $40000 EG: SV6 commodore total shit
how about a 60th anniversary VE? a total flaw!!!!! does 0-100km/h in 9.5s, a stock 3.0L camry V6 does under 8s
a stock EL does 8s 0-100km/h, a stock AUIII does just under 8s.
a stock BA XT does just over 7s, any other model such as XR6 or SR or Classic do flat out 7s from a stock 4.0L 182/190kW I6 3984cc 4.0L DOHC VCT six engine.
its a shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!
a shame!!!!! a stock Falcon XT auto $6999 with 244000km on clock beats a 2008 VE SV6 manual with 15000ks on clock!
its a shame!!!!!!!
a shame!!!!!!!!!!!! booo on you boooo!!!!!
And worst of all, try telling that to the naive uneducated and unwilling to understand public? to a typical yobbo fag who drinks beer and listens to acdc and thinks that a holden is an Aussie icon, where in fact a Ford Falcon is everything to be called an icon! its been around here longer and its everything to us.
Most reliable, most comfortable and most powerful and torque rich factory produced cars are by FORD, especially Ford Falcon Australia and Ford Crown Victoria USA!
they are an icon, a standard which can never be out performed! or beaten!
Ford is the best, strongest company auto maker on the planet, nothing beats Fords ingenuity, knowledge of Ford engineers and their effort!
it is very sad to see a stock FG XT Falcon, white 3500km 5 speed auto 195kW/391Nm on RON91 and 198kW/411Nm on RON98 beat and totally destroy a so called piece of crap high tech Aurion V6 and match a supercharged version of it!!!!???
very sad!
it is sad indeed!
its sad to see that, that a stock FG Barra195 is actually de-tuned from 220ish kW and 430ish Nm of torque on RON91 petrol! to only 191/391 just to let the poor losing competition stay alive!!!!
shame!
a total shame!!!!!!!!!
Ford all the way! say what you want. Educate yourself 1st and then make a comment about cars!!!!!!
Ford Falcons 1989 – 2009 any day over any crapppaddore!
HOLDEN = holes, oil leaks, dents, engine noise they are not as reliable as Ford , they are no where near as flawless as Ford.
adios amigos
and another worst thing is when you see a loser buy a brand new VE SS and parks it in front of his house sad??? he may think that he achieved something
instead of buying Aussie engineered he is buying the “other” and his new VE SS is a bottomless cave where he’ll spend $1000s more on fixing it!!!! its all good while its new, wait 10000ks and it will cost ya!
buy Ford, its better, more reliable and you will never kill it.
from a proud taxi driver William R, my car: AU1 1392000ks on clock , still new! and original engine.
William, I am a Ford guy but pls spare us your emotional rants.
If Holden can achieve things using pushrods good on them. You dont judge an engine by its tech, you truly judge it by its output. If a 6.0L pushrod engine can put out the same power and economy as a rotary or 4cyl turbo…then whats the drama???
Judge by output…