Test drove an XR6T and SS - Page 4

HSE2 · 13-06-2011, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENT_8

I'll assume you've missed the point....

Look at it this way, Holdens employ people to build vehicles that will sell. The vehicles roll out the door, the employees get paid, the dealer gets a cut, usually quite small, the customer is happy and the dole queue is short.
If Holden dropped the V8 from its lineup it would alienate half its customer base, familiar?

The market is tight and Holden are selling a product at the right price to keep people in work, food on the table, and people like Bearman, who is looking at it from a bang for buck perspective, happy.
Im sure the economic toll on Centrelink in Elizabeth is better for it atleast.

You have assumed wrong.

You don't run a business do you!

GreenR · 13-06-2011, 08:24 PM

Anywho. If it fits your criteria I say buy the SS.

MethodX · 13-06-2011, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTP owner

Back to the topic - good luck if you get the SS. It sounds great, and that will be great for you to listen to when the xr6t in the next lane blows you into the weeds, uses less fuel, and doesn't attract bogan chicks like flies...

Like Ford are any less bogan these days.

Smoke Pursuit · 13-06-2011, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MethodX

Like Ford are any less bogan these days.

What's that Shazza???

BENT_8 · 13-06-2011, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HSE2

You have assumed wrong.

You don't run a business do you!

Did, one time, wasnt for me though.

Irrelevant really.

One thing i do know is, regardless of the losses they make selling an entry level V8 at a competetive price, they're selling them and my mates keep turning up for work.

SEZ213 · 13-06-2011, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Did, one time, wasnt for me though.

Irrelevant really.

One thing i do know is, regardless of the losses they make selling an entry level V8 at a competetive price, they're selling them and my mates keep turning up for work.

It's called a false economy...

**Stav** · 13-06-2011, 08:40 PM

Congrats on the purchase. The ss is a nice car so just enjoy.

b0son · 13-06-2011, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Auslandau

Been reading these threads for years and has always amazed me how the arguments change to suit the

well yeah, they would. people's priorities change, the industry's product changes with what people want. on the face of it, Holden have been doing a better job of gauging what people want.

BENT_8 · 13-06-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sezzy

It's called a false economy...

Im not denying that.

Ask yourself how they get away with it and why.

mik · 13-06-2011, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearman

Yesterday I was talked into taking some cars for test drives. I am thinking about replacing my daily driver in the medium term.

I was pretty keen on an XR6 Turbo but thought I should also drive an SS as well. Both rated the same kw, very similar price new and as second hand buys.

First up was the current model SS auto. Very comfortable seats. great driving position with plenty of room in the cabin. To drive it felt great, really solid and very nice handling. On the freeway I gave it a bootfull, the rear squatted slightly and it was off. Nice shove in the back and could hear the V8 goodness. I really liked this car........ liked it a lot. To me it felt like it had all the characteristics of an old school muscle car.

I needed an antidote so went to the Ford dealer to take an FG XR6 Turbo for a fang. Took a while to get comfortable. Seat down as low as it could go and steering wheel all the way in and up as far as it could go. Even then the steering wheel was a fraction too low into my lap for my liking. Compared to the SS I felt quite closed in with this car. Anyway, got going and it felt really nice. Got onto the freeway and like the SS, gave it a bit. Having never driven a Turbo before all I can say is "GOD DAMN!!!" It was like being fired out of a cannon. A totally different kettle of fish. Back to cruising speed it felt to me like it has a hair trigger. It didn't require much provocation to rear up and take off!!

After it was all over I realized my world has been turned on its axis...... The antidote didn't work...... I've fallen for the SS!!!

The turbo is fantastic and seriously fast but it's just not for me. I'm a V8 guy and always will be.

I now realize what a hole in the range Ford has now that the XR8 has been dropped. To think that if you want a V8 Ford then you have to spend mid $50K on an FPV GS. That is way out of my budget and probably always will be. Maybe in 2-3 years as a second hand buy who knows?? For a potential budget of high $30K to low $40K I would find the SS hard to go past.

The XR Fords look a bit too Plain Jane. I hate the cloth netting type interior, leather is a must. Also, why are there so many Nitro or Ego Fords??? Because the rest of the colour range is shyte. This seems to be a cyclic thing though.

Right now, today, if I were laying down my $$$ I'd be visiting the Holden dealer and springing for an auto SS in Hazard (Yellow), or maybe even an SS V if I could crunch a deal.

I feel so dirty...........

we are pretty lucky, both camps have very good cars to choose from, its a pity you did`nt go for a spin in the gs, from many posts i `ve read just about everyone thats driven a gs buys it, even if they are a little spartan on the accessories front, if you like red teams offering go for it and enjoy.

HSE2 · 13-06-2011, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Im not denying that.

Ask yourself how they get away with it and why.

They aren't. It’s not long ago Holden themselves said the honeymoon is over as they can’t continue to sell their product at a loss. That made mainstream media.

Supercharged · 13-06-2011, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamRSLC

Im sorry , ill have to disagree with the OP . Ive came from a 06 ssv auto to a FG xrt auto and for me its a no contest . The commo auto is quite poor as it seems to select the incorrect gear most of the time , takes ages to shift from 1 to 2 when on the loud pedal and gets confussed when trying to kick down in drive . Classic case for me was merging onto to freeway at 80km/h , couldnt merge as was blocked in so planted it and the stupid thing went to 1st , smacked straight into the limiter which cut the engine so auto upshifted to 4th !! and bogged until it went back to 2nd .

The A piller blind spot is a safety concern and they have done nothing to fix it , try going around a roundabout or tight right corner and spot on coming cars . The L98's whilst being a good engine are prone to lifter noise and expect 16l-18l per 100 km in the city .

Falcon goes better , drinks less , turns in better and has a nicer interior only down fall is the rear end traction .

adam

There is one reason apart from others that I stay with Ford and that is the ss, ss-v and all it’s inbreed cousins are a common as mud. When I am out and about there is simply an endless procession of these Commodores and I am often the only Falcon in the parking lot or on the country road. These ss, ss-v and hsv’s are so common they may as well all be painted taxi yellow. I say inbreed as they are now so similar I can’t tell them apart. A car such as a GT-P is a work of art and admired by all, stand on the side of a busy road and you would be lucky to see one an hour but the Commodore cousins you will see 10 a minute, if you wish to be one of the mindless masses them buy the Commodore but if you want to be an individual purchase the GS.

nt0351 · 13-06-2011, 09:12 PM

the XR8 got canned due to the XR6T being a better car in all respects ,..power ,handling , economy etc etc .....Im Ford V8 thru and thru,..but lets face facts it was starting to be a bit of an embarassment trying to justify its purchase over the turbo 6,.... as long as there's an XR6T in the line up the poor old XR8 will be in the cupboard.

they may lower the ask on the GS to fill that void ,..lets hope so

Holden dont have that problem ,..their V6 is a piece of S%#t,..so the budget orientated performance buyer in that camp only has one real option ,..and they fall into it face first every time ,..

dont get me wrong the SS is real value for money,...but like anything in life you get what you pay for ,.....no way anyone can tell me after driving an XR6T & an SS ,..that the Holden is a better drivers car,..only a moron would arrive at that conclusion

,..in fact right thru the range from the povo pak's to the top of the range HSV offerings the FG's are a better drive

HSE2 · 13-06-2011, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DASH GT

What's that Shazza???

Hey thats me!

XA-Coupe · 13-06-2011, 09:20 PM

dear god.. I stay away for 18 months and the same BS is still going on...

FreddyDUZ747 · 13-06-2011, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nt0351

dont get me wrong the SS is real value for money,...but like anything in life you get what you pay for ,.....no way anyone can tell me after driving an XR6T & an SS ,..that the Holden is a better drivers car,..only a moron would arrive at that conclusion

,..in fact right thru the range from the povo pak's to the top of the range HSV offerings the FG's are a better drive

I hear the Sportswagon is better than the FG equivelant...

In all seriousness the HSV Utes are fairly nice,the 6.2ltr Malloo is a ripper.

HSE2 · 13-06-2011, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA-Coupe

dear god.. I stay away for 18 months and the same BS is still going on...

Welcome back. You have missed nothing.

Auslandau · 13-06-2011, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b0son

well yeah, they would. people's priorities change, the industry's product changes with what people want. on the face of it, Holden have been doing a better job of gauging what people want.

Has nothing to do with priorities. Last week it was the engine not good enough .... this week its something else. If its not the engine, its the interior or the dials or the knobs or the colours or the price or the economy or the range or the wheels or something! Never going to be a right for everyone so it is a matter of just moving on if its not right.

Why is Holden doing better? Because they are selling twice as many cars than FORD in oz? Love to know how you think they are doing so much better?

Long term I know where I would stick my money and I am saying that not based on a feeling but on what I know. The GFC hit all manufacturers hard and they all had to re evaluate. On a world scale Ford is doing just that bit better than many. They have taken stock and the next few years ..... even if it means a bit of short term pain for some niche Aussie buyers ...... should be very strong on a world scale with some very interesting world range of engines and cars.

nt0351 · 13-06-2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreddyDUZ747

I hear the Sportswagon is better than the FG equivelant...

In all seriousness the HSV Utes are fairly nice,the 6.2ltr Malloo is a ripper.

gotta agree with you there ,..the wagon is a very nice unit to look at and no Ford alternative,..thats a winner hands down !!

also agree totally on the Malloo its a great looker and heaps of grunt ,..but NO finesse,..ie : a bucket to to drive ,.. would still buy the FPV over the Maloo even thou it still has a 1960's rear end

ray38l · 13-06-2011, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supercharged

There is one reason apart from others that I stay with Ford and that is the ss, ss-v and all it’s inbreed cousins are a common as mud. When I am out and about there is simply an endless procession of these Commodores and I am often the only Falcon in the parking lot or on the country road. These ss, ss-v and hsv’s are so common they may as well all be painted taxi yellow. I say inbreed as they are now so similar I can’t tell them apart. A car such as a GT-P is a work of art and admired by all, stand on the side of a busy road and you would be lucky to see one an hour but the Commodore cousins you will see 10 a minute, if you wish to be one of the mindless masses them buy the Commodore but if you want to be an individual purchase the GS.

so one of the reasons you like fords and fpv is because they are unsuccessful? Owning a gs doesn't make you more of an individual then anyone else. It just means your backing the under dog.

Auslandau · 13-06-2011, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA-Coupe

dear god.. I stay away for 18 months and the same BS is still going on...

NO ....... this is talking about FG's ..... back then it was the BA ..... or was it the AU? Completely different!

FreddyDUZ747 · 13-06-2011, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nt0351

gotta agree with you there ,..the wagon is a very nice unit to look at and no Ford alternative,..thats a winner hands down !!

yep I agree totally malloo is a great looker and heaps of grunt ,..but NO finesse,..ie : a bucket to to drive ,.. would still buy the FPV over the Maloo even thou it still has a 1960's rear end

The six speed box is nice,the brakes are killer(again and again)and the suspension is a tad to firm.Goes really well around Mallala and fits the "drivers" market quite well,it needs to be driven to get the most out of it and will feel better than the FPV on the knifes edge in factory guise.This is out of the op's reasoning though and is more than likely moot points.The Malloo is a ***** to see out of though.

A drivers car to some is a different approach and for me its the one that holds up when being driven the hardest not the one that feels better in day to day commuting.Id go the GS ute myself and spend ten large making it a better car in every aspect compared to the Holden,dont think it would take that much though.I am a Holden man myself and also own a L67 s/c VX but couldnt deny what Ford had to offer me in the price range.Look now and my favourite old school car is the XW Falcon instead of the A9X,wouldnt have happened if I hadnt ventured abroad.Love being non bias.

LeadFoot81 · 13-06-2011, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sezzy

The GS does come with stripes...

Leather is optional (I would assume because a lot of people don't necessarily want their bum sticking to the seats in summer...)

Brembo's are race brakes...why do you need them on a car that doesn't require them, except for the 'jerk off' factor...?

I meant it should come with GT 'hockey' stripes' to tie it into the FPV range, and distance it from it's XR brothers.

Fair enough re: the leather, but how about some cloth GT seats? (with GS embroided on them)

Brembos are optional on every other FPV model, they should be optional on the GS as well (and they're optional on the SS/V)

I think if it wears FPV badges it should have more FPV bits and pieces.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sezzy

And if you compare the prices of the GS which is an FPV after all, to the HSV's GTS...you will find the GS is great value for money...and actually looks like a real car...

But it doesn't look enough like an FPV...

nt0351 · 13-06-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreddyDUZ747

The six speed box is nice,the brakes are killer(again and again)and the suspension is a tad to firm.Goes really well around Mallala and fits the "drivers" market quite well,it needs to be driven to get the most out of it and will feel better than the FPV on the knifes edge in factory guise.This is out of the op's reasoning though and is more than likely moot points.The Malloo is a ***** to see out of though.

A drivers car to some is a different approach and for me its the one that holds up when being driven the hardest not the one that feels better in day to day commuting.Id go the GS ute myself and spend ten large making it a better car in every aspect compared to the Holden,dont think it would take that much though.I am a Holden man myself and also own a L67 s/c VX but couldnt deny what Ford had to offer me in the price range.Look now and my favourite old school car is the XW Falcon instead of the A9X,wouldnt have happened if I hadnt ventured abroad.Love being non bias totally.

you make a very fair point ,...i reckon your right the Malloo would grunt for longer on the limit ,....i couldnt see the puffer going the long haul on a track ,..im Ford thru & thru,..when you are talking the old stuff id go the A9X over the XW,......my comments are derived from experiences not bias ,....had an early VZ calais prior to my current company car it was a great car,..cant say the same for the VE's
cheers
Nick

RAPID_BA · 13-06-2011, 10:07 PM

Buying a ss or ssv is no disgrace, they are a good package, big v8s and responsive to mods.

The xr6t is also a great car , very fast but a v8 and i6t offer a different experience. they are almost not direct competitors.

People looking at the ss honestly think ford is not offering an alternative. the xr8 is that but then it gets stacked up against the xr6t. so the xr8 is in a difficult spot.

Why did i buy an xr8? Ive owned a ss, ive owned a xr6t, the boss is different to both, not everyone has one, less people mod them. its just a little bit more special.

Ford should bring back the xr8. They may still sell more xr6t but if bunnings only sold the top 100 selling items noone would shop there, the big range sells the popular items

SEZ213 · 13-06-2011, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

I meant it should come with GT 'hockey' stripes' to tie it into the FPV range, and distance it from it's XR brothers.

Fair enough re: the leather, but how about some cloth GT seats? (with GS embroided on them)

Brembos are optional on every other FPV model, they should be optional on the GS as well (and they're optional on the SS/V)

I think if it wears FPV badges it should have more FPV bits and pieces.

But it doesn't look enough like an FPV...

If I were to go on that logic...the GT-E shouldn't exist at all...or the F6.

I understand where you're coming from but not everyone likes hockey stripes (for example me) I'd much prefer a sleeper, than an ostentatious vehicle that stands out like the dogs proverbial.

It's all a matter of personal choice...Brembo's are actually standard on all other FPV's...but in saying that - the GS is classed as the poverty pack of the FPV...it's a base model, the SS-V isn't a base model. I guess they could option it, but the question is - how many people would ask for Brembo's (with the additional cost) if they knew that the braking power of standard brakes were just as good?

It's also a discussion that will never be won, unless everyone has the same taste, which we clearly don't. I couldn't drive an SS because it looks like someone threw up on the dash...others think it looks great...I also can't stand the exterior of the HSV, somehow in the scheme of things they've brought back flared guards that you just can't get rid of...others like that...

Bearman · 13-06-2011, 10:30 PM

Seems I've started a ****** fight, or should that be re-started one!!

My next car purchase will be whatever feels right for ME, whatever the badge is.

I know what configuration I like, I know what is available in my budget and I am going to buy on what I feel suits me. Whichever I feel is right for me may not be right for you, the guy next to you or the dude standing behind you. It is entirely personal and subjective.

I don't care about marketing strategies, long term financial outlooks of the car makers, government handouts and how they were used, whether the car is common as muck, if I'm seen as a bogan, if I'm going to be blown away by the car I pass up....... I don't care.

The XR6T is a great car and wickedly fast but I feel it isn't right for me. So what if I get hosed by one at the lights?? Won't bother me.

I've got no doubt the FPV GS would be a cracker but I'm not going to test drive it because I can't afford it. It's well out of my budget. Simple as that.

Ditto with the HSV range.

I am still to drive an XR8 so that is still up in the air.

Still got time to decide. The BA is still going OK so there's no urgency.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

we are pretty lucky, both camps have very good cars to choose from, its a pity you did`nt go for a spin in the gs, from many posts i `ve read just about everyone thats driven a gs buys it, even if they are a little spartan on the accessories front, if you like red teams offering go for it and enjoy.

Dead right brother, we've got it so good. We are spoiled for choice with great cars all round.

Perko · 13-06-2011, 10:53 PM

Hahaha. Once again a simple thread goes the same way with the same arguments. It's obvious that there are a heap of passionate fans all with the "right" idea. In the end it comes down to perception, and perception is 90% of the truth. I'm getting out of this one and I'm sure you love whatever car you get Bearman. Good luck buddy.

Supercharged · 13-06-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray38l

so one of the reasons you like fords and fpv is because they are unsuccessful? Owning a gs doesn't make you more of an individual then anyone else. It just means your backing the under dog.

Australians always like backing the underdog. They are not unsuccessful but not as common.

grandpa_spec_F6 · 13-06-2011, 11:38 PM

I've been tempted to test drive an XR6T just to see what they are like, however after having my head violently shoved back into a headrest of my friends turbo supra when it hit boost, I decided I didn't like the concept as much anymore.

It's all down to personal preference, I like the V8 more, and Holden seem to do them pretty well it seems.