- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
4.0i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
195kW, 391Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 10.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2009 Ford Falcon XT Review
I bought my 2009 FG Ford Falcon XT in 2011 with only 30,000km on the clock as I was after a big smooth roomy powerful sedan with rear wheel drive that can run massive km, is reliable and easy to repair and I don't go off road so I didn't need a 4wd or a ute as I commute 65km each way to work everyday and needed a comfortable car as I live in rural NSW. To date it now has 191,000km without a single issue and the factory Barra inline six petrol engine is as smooth as silk, never uses a drop of oil between changes and the original 5 speed automatic transmission shifts like new and has been as reliable as a wood stove thus far.
- The Engine and Drivetrain , Room, Rear Wheel Drive , Looks good in black., Built in Australia
- Base model interior is looks very cheap, taxi spec and plastic, No Transmission Dipstick to check Trans oil level, Can be a little thirsty in the city
191,000km is still a baby for Fords Inline six that can go over 1 million kms without a rebuild with regular servicing. Sure its not the greatest sounding of engines but still pulls as good as most V8s and has plenty of power. The turbo really must be like a rocket ship. I had a trans cooler fitted at 150,000km to extend the life of the transmission and the air con has never needed a regas as its still icy cold. I got over 175,000km off the original brake pads, not bad for a 1700kg sedan. Driven 161,000km in it all over rural NSW and has been faultless. Fuel economy is not too bad for a heavy car with a straight six as it never needs to be worked hard thanks to the torque and usually get around 720kms off a tank highway driving (8.2 litres per 100kms) to work and could go over 750kms plus on a long road trip.
Tows the trailer laden with steel fencing and rubbish etc with ease and I love the effortless inline six/drive train that tows as good as any turbo diesel without the repair costs or reliability issues, lots of room inside, rear wheel drive, never struggles or needs to be revved hard and best of all its Australian made and employed Australians during its manufacturing and a credit to our engineering talent.
My only small petty gripe with the car is the interior is pretty plastic and cheap compared to many other cars but its the base model, interiors are much nicer in the G6E but still has climate control, cruise and everything you need to be comfortable on the road. I wish they kept building Falcons in Australia and made the interior a bit nicer and Ford Australia's Inline six is with out a doubt our best built Australian engine that could have incredible potential if it was kept in production and improved further. Its impressive that an engine that dates back to 1960 still has the highest torque figures for any NA Six in 2016 and gets quite good fuel economy on the highway compared to some other petrol V6s that are way newer and smaller in capacity and in lighter cars.
Servicing is a little expensive regarding oil changes, the motor holds 6 plus litres of engine oil but its offset as I change the oil myself and the 5 speed auto is a little expensive to service as it holds 10 litres of transmission fluid but everything else is cheap and replacing the drive belt and hoses is easy with lots of room under the bonnet. It will be sad to lose the Falcon our Aussie workhorse that can carry 5 in comfort, tow, great to drive, big boot and do it all except go way off the beaten track with one of the most durable, longest lasting, bulletproof engines Ford has ever made and rivals the famous Mopar slant six and Ford 300 inline six in longevity and durability. Sure the inline six's days are numbered but sometimes simple just works, perfect mechanical balance, and still has more torque than petrol v6s do, inline sixes are still used in semi trucks which says something about its advantages over a V6.
Sure there are more flash fancy models to buy but the FG Falcon is a great model that has been a well proven taxi and police package for many years and I hope to keep driving long after it hits the 500,000km mark.
Sad to lose our local car manufacturing. RIP Falcon and Commodore