What's Daily Life Like With An XR6T?

[satz]

hi all

am getting close to deciding on an XR6T (or G6ET)...or Mazda MPS3

Was wondering if any of you who've owned either of the Ford (sedans only please), could let me know your thoughts on daily life with the car:

eg: does it ride fairly smoothly on suburban roads

how's the windnoise at 110kmh?

how's the AC on the hottest day, say after the car's been parked (with a hot engine)

what's the best fuel

parking

stereo (esp the Premium one)

any complaints?

Am trying to get a feeling of what long-term owners still feel about their car? Does it still thrill you to drive it?

would really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts...

many thanks

S

[freeze_dk]

eg: does it ride fairly smoothly on suburban roads - Yes

how's the windnoise at 110kmh? - Mine makes a windnoise coming from the drivers door seal because the rubber plug? fell out,, before that it was fine

how's the AC on the hottest day, say after the car's been parked (with a hot engine)- either mines really crap on a 40 day or it need regassing

what's the best fuel - I only use BP Ultimate

parking - parkings fine.. gives you over a foot on each side of the lines to play with

stereo (esp the Premium one) - Premium is good,, awesome standard sound,, I have no complaints

any complaints? - too slow lol

Am trying to get a feeling of what long-term owners still feel about their car? - over the standard power

Does it still thrill you to drive it? - only when its a cold night

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Edited 20/09/10 05:16 AM by freeze_dk

[Guest XR09]

eg: does it ride fairly smoothly on suburban roads

They ride very well std. Quite, comfy and easy to drive. They don't handle very well std. Understeer city. A lot of tire roar.

how's the windnoise at 110kmh?

All good ... except for a little wind noise from the mirrors. The rest of the car is so quite to the wind that it is noticeable and annoying. Also so quite that tire noise is quite pronounced.

how's the AC on the hottest day, say after the car's been parked (with a hot engine)

Mostly good. Some have had some problems. I live in Se QLD and I use the aircon most of the year and its always worked well. Even on the hottest of days I have just left it at 22.C and it stays there.

what's the best fuel

Looking at an av of 12.5 to 15, depending on your right foot.

parking

Rear camera. Rear parking sensors. Pretty good. Otherwise they are as good as any other. Easier than that crommidore to park and see out of.

stereo (esp the Premium one)

Its cheap poor quality shoite, and not much you can do about it unless you want to spend a lot of money. And yes that's the premium.

any complaints?

Fords build quality. Fords after sales service. Poor paint and very little of it. Premium stereo. Nill sound proofing. Std rubber. NVH levels from the rear end. Only white for the roof liner. The seats don't hold you in on hard cornering. Cheap plastic leather for leather.

Am trying to get a feeling of what long-term owners still feel about their car? Does it still thrill you to drive it?

The car just keeps getting better. They are a great car to drive and play with. And live with. A set of decent dampers and springs and the car transforms itself. So much nicer to drive when they are sprung right. Best feeling steering of any large Aussie car. They can take an hammering and wont complain.

would really appreciate it if you could share your thoughts...

many thanks

[Impellor]

Interesting comparison. MPS is a very capable car. Much faster around Lakeside, and much slower around most other tracks than XR6T . The MPS is not a comparable vehicle, FDW v,s RWD Vs huge power (XR6t). The Mazda is a more refined choice and indeed an excellant vehicle, however, it is not in the same class when we consider performance potential. I think that if you put these two vehicles in the same category, buy the mazda, because the Ford will hurt you. Harder to drive fast, harder to master . Mate take the soft option, you won't be sorry. Cheers

[discostig]

eg: does it ride fairly smoothly on suburban roads

Eats up the crappy bumps fairly well I gotta say. My old tired XF and EA were softer but that's mainly due to the age!!

how's the windnoise at 110kmh?

can't say I've ever really noticed it much. I can hear it near my door a little because of the rubber perishing a little.

how's the AC on the hottest day, say after the car's been parked (with a hot engine)

AC has always been great for me! I prefer window down but when I need to run it due to whinging passengers it always comes through with the goods quickly.

what's the best fuel

BP98 and nothing else for my baby.

parking

easy to park, vision is good. reverses in very nicely or parallels if I need to.

stereo (esp the Premium one)

povo pack stereo - decent enough as I'm already a bit deaf thanks to headphones. I do crank it now and then and it's ok, though no thumping bass of course as there's no sub.

any complaints?

the clunk when giving it WOT and backing off the throttle especially from top of 2nd...must be smoother on the decel!

Am trying to get a feeling of what long-term owners still feel about their car? Does it still thrill you to drive it?

Had it two years stock, great fun to go 80-100 or 0-100 even recently. Long drives (3 hours) are fine. Carries large boxes fine at work, tows trailers with no problem, beats most stock vehicles around (will always remember that first purple 'chev' SS that went me...haha). Just got it tuned to early 300's rwkw, now it's just too easy to light up the rears...even more fun all over again now!! And still great on juice - in the 10's on my highway drive to work without trying very hard at all, was 12.5 to 14.5 when stock (depending on foot as was said) and I drove 10 minutes in city traffic to work.

[satz]

thanks guys

good to get a feeling of how it is to own an FG XR6T

There was a post that was up yesterday, but seems to have dissappeared today. The poster seemed dissappointed with the car (and its AC) on hot days. And I think he was also p***ed off about the Premium Audio, Paint thickness and windnoise?

Are they common gripes?

cheers

Satz

[RHR]

With my fg the only issue ive had so far is was my ipod was not working with the car.

Im averaging 10.7l/100.

I have a little wind noise from my right mirror but that will be sorted when I could be bothered taking it in for warranty.

As for the premo sound. I was disappointed when I first bought the car. Spent a bit of time adjusting the settings and now im verry happy with it. Yes I know it will never be as good as a custom stereo but for me it does the job.

Its very easy to use an ipod with the stereo.

Just about to tick over 45k and everything else has been great

[discostig]

Oh I was talking about my BFII by the way The FG is superior from all accounts in the NVH and build quality stakes so it's all good

Though I have wondered sometimes if you could get a brand new B series today and do a back to back with a new FG, would it be so vastly improved...cars do get old and worn out and a back to back of BA/BF and FG right now is a little unfair to the older car

You'd still think they'd improve the car though just as a matter of progress!

I wouldn't get a zippy car like a Mazda mps unless I was never going to be driving on a highway. If I lived in New York or something and it was bumper to bumper it's more sensible but not in Australia! Too much distance.

[MexicanBatman]

One thing wheelspin aside, I'm still able to accelerate moderately quick in the wet in the FG something I've never been able to do in a fwd, if I nail it in the pouring rain at 100km it wheelspins, and obviously off the line it will too, but driven with that in mind I can still get it moving when needed really quickly, something I doubt you'd be able to do in the Mazda... I've had heaps of fwd cars too so I do know how to drive one properly.

Also ask your self, do you want to drift the roundabout and put the rear of your car into the pole or understeer and hit the pole front on LOL

Ford is a good lazy cruiser, it's an effortless drive even loaded up with 5 people, remember that

Also I was looking at mazdas before buying the g6et not the 3 but big complaints of a week aircon system are all over the forums here and there...

Sure the ford a/c is no Toyota a/c but it's close mine works almost great, but still can't beat my previous toyotas for brain freeze on 44 deg days, but what ya gunna do?

[satz]

Managed to have an extended test drive by myself today. Was impressed with the power...at first. Esp off the line. But was

surprised by how much I had to floor it to get great in gear acceleration once the car was moving. Just didn't get the kick in the back I was expecting... Kickdown was a bit slower than I expected. Ride was good. Car didn't feel as huge as it actually is..which was good.

Premium sound was lacking in bass even after I adjusted the bass level. The connected iPod sounded much richer/deeper than FM radio..is it differently equalized?

I loved the rear tyre squirm and loss of traction off the line.

The leather in the lux pack has no smell at all :( But seems to smell better in the 50th Anniv!

50th anniversary looks better, but I worry that ride will be rougher and replacement cost of 19 in tyres.

Overall still like the car heaps.. Though I don't think it's anywhere near 'hardcore' as one earlier poster implied. Quite easy to drive at any level, but just didn't feel like 530nm under my foot.

I liked the nitro, silver, edge and mystic colours.. Does anyone know if Edge is different to Ego colour? The GM at the dealership reckoned it was just a 'new name'.

Edited 28/09/10 09:54 PM by RHR
edited version