What new car next?!

[private9]

Well, I've just sold my ....cough, cough Corolla (it was a long couple of years let me tell you) and now I want to add another Ford to our family.

I'm in no rush, and am still trying to decide what I want, but one thought that popped up is an AU Series 3 XR8.

If anyone is out there with an AU series 3 XR8, I would really appreciate any comments or experience you have to pass on about this car!

One thing in particular that I need to know is what these things are like on fuel.

Thanks,

Justin.

[rag top]

A mate of mine has one, and it is a ripper to drive!

Dunno what the auto is like, but the manual is GREAT FUN!!!

It is a tad thirsty around town, but on the highway, it is pretty good.

[AWD Chaser]

After upgrading from my Barina to the I6 Futura, I think what I have is thirsty round town. Don't count out the option of putting away a few thousand to put the XR8 on dual fuel, also save some money for some mods too... rims, dare I say GT strips (ugg), zorst, or bonnet styling. Series 3 would be your best bet. I would suggest whacking a pair of slotted rotars on straight away, and for $145 each rotar, it's a clean, stylish mod that has good benifits (no shudder or warping issues).

[private9]

Originally Posted by '67

A mate of mine has one, and it is a ripper to drive!

Dunno what the auto is like, but the manual is GREAT FUN!!!

It is a tad thirsty around town, but on the highway, it is pretty good.

You wouldn't happen to have any sort of figures on the mileage would you?

[private9]

Originally Posted by au3 chaser

After upgrading from my Barina to the I6 Futura, I think what I have is thirsty round town. Don't count out the option of putting away a few thousand to put the XR8 on dual fuel, also save some money for some mods too... rims, dare I say GT strips (ugg), zorst, or bonnet styling. Series 3 would be your best bet. I would suggest whacking a pair of slotted rotars on straight away, and for $145 each rotar, it's a clean, stylish mod that has good benifits (no shudder or warping issues).

Thanks, yeah the family hack is an AU3 Futura and i'm guessing it'll be a fair bit worse than that on fuel!

Gas is definitely not an option for me, so if it does drink too much, I'll just have to look at an alternative.

[private9]

As a side note, my brother just go a BA XR8 and that thing with normal driving averages nearly 20 litres per 100 kays! Quite outstanding hey!

[rag top]

I think he gets around 400-450 around town, and 700 on the highway.

[XT221]

here 's a pic of mine to give ya some inspiration, i hav'nt really had any probs with it ,fuel economy is pretty normal for a V8 ,i get anywhere from 350 to 400klms around town & up to 500 to 550 klms on the Highway ,also factor in that they have to run on PULP which is a bit dearer.........but if you are really that worried about economy than a 220 XR8 may not be the right car to choose IMHO! also bare in mind that i can have a lead foot from time to time as well !!! :eclipsee_ LOL


but if your looking for a car thats fun to drive (mines a 5speed) and has a bit of that Old School Muscle Car feel than the AUIII XR8's are a great choice!!

[private9]

Originally Posted by AU302

here 's a pic of mine to give ya some inspiration, i hav'nt really had any probs with it ,fuel economy is pretty normal for a V8 ,i get anywhere from 350 to 400klms around town & up to 500 to 550 klms on the Highway ,also factor in that they have to run on PULP which is a bit dearer.........but if you are really that worried about economy than a 220 XR8 may not be the right car to choose IMHO! also bare in mind that i can have a lead foot from time to time as well !!! :eclipsee_ LOL


but if your looking for a car thats fun to drive (mines a 5speed) and has a bit of that Old School Muscle Car feel than the AUIII XR8's are a great choice!!

Thanks, if I do get one, will absolutely be a manual!

I drive in to the city every day for work, this is the main reason I'm worried about economy, because of all the stop start driving. If I was cruising around the suburbs, I wouldn't even ask - I used to have a Gen 3 commo (I know blasphemy) and that thing used to use around 11-12l/100km around town, was sensational on fuel!

[loxxr6]

You'll def drink more fuel than the commodore.

I think (guestimate) I get around 14l/100 in my XR6 for the driving I do. The 8 would have to be higher again.

[jspec_sti]

As an experience the AUIII XR8 is a great drive. Tickford performed a superb job on the dynamics of the car, and the handbuilt Windsor engines are fantastic - you rarely hear a bad thing about them. Mine hasn't skipped a beat or consumed a drop of oil in over 2 years. And the tingle down the spine from the roar when you put the foot down - well some things can't be put into words...

The only problem I've encountered (if you could call it a problem) is that the standard brakes were nowhere near up to the task, but a PBR brake upgrade took care of that.

Fuel economy isn't it's greatest selling point, but I only use mine on weekends so I'm lucky in that respect.

It's a car that tends to be a bit underrated and slips in through the radar due to the fire breathing, awesome T3 series of cars. But in it's own right the AUIII XR8 is a sensational car. Personally, I knocked back a BA GT to own mine, and I'm in no way disappointed.

[Axle-F]

I was worried about fuel economy too when I was in the market for a falcon.

If you want consistent information you can check out carsguide.com.au which has all the car specs, including petrol consumption per 100kms. Looking at it now for a AUIII XR8 it states 15.0 City, 9.0 Highway. Link:

http://search.carsguide.news.com.au/...ype=6#red_head

Despite being attracted to the good ol’ V8 I was extremely turned off after doing the sums on petrol consumption – I think I came out with an extra $700 per year with my mostly city driving habits…. I didn’t think that was worthwhile so I snapped up a VCT.

Then again the VCT is a bit of an orphan so does require some work to get the fullest performance from it.

Anyway gl with the decision! If it’s a Ford you’re already most the way there…

[buickman]

Originally Posted by private9

As a side note, my brother just go a BA XR8 and that thing with normal driving averages nearly 20 litres per 100 kays! Quite outstanding hey!

I read a drive artical on fuel consumption on a BA XR8 is 11-12.5/100kms highway & 18-22/100kms city. You would have to give the Windsor a real hard time to get as bad as that around the city.

[private9]

Originally Posted by buickman

I read a drive artical on fuel consumption on a BA XR8 is 11-12.5/100kms highway & 18-22/100kms city. You would have to give the Windsor a real hard time to get as bad as that around the city.

Thanks, yeah that was my main concern - I do mainly city driving and when I heard how bad the BA is on fuel, got a bit scared off. From everything I've heard and read though, it sounds like an AU will be significantly better so that's helping the decision!

[private9]

Originally Posted by Axle-F

I was worried about fuel economy too when I was in the market for a falcon.

If you want consistent information you can check out carsguide.com.au which has all the car specs, including petrol consumption per 100kms. Looking at it now for a AUIII XR8 it states 15.0 City, 9.0 Highway. Link:

http://search.carsguide.news.com.au/...ype=6#red_head

Despite being attracted to the good ol’ V8 I was extremely turned off after doing the sums on petrol consumption – I think I came out with an extra $700 per year with my mostly city driving habits…. I didn’t think that was worthwhile so I snapped up a VCT.

Then again the VCT is a bit of an orphan so does require some work to get the fullest performance from it.

Anyway gl with the decision! If it’s a Ford you’re already most the way there…

Thanks Axel-F, sounds like we are in similar situations, the majority of my driving is inner city too - if I was not going into the city every day, I wouldn't really be worried too much as most cars are fairly good on fuel once cruising...

The problem I've found is that I can never seem to achieve the official figures for any car I've ever owned, so I thought I'd try and get the first hand experience of people who own similar cars!

[MADED-6]

my brother owns one and he gets consistent 6 to 700ks out of a tank
he does alot of highway driving to work though and he says it does start to skull it down when in traffic.

[galaxy xr8]

If you find a good one, just buy it you won't be dissapointed.

[sbutler]

Forget the fuel bill, if your worried about that dont buy one.
If you want a great all round performance car there the duck's you know whats.
They do have the shock mount issue as with all AU IRS model's. Not a big deal to fix, but other than that they are a very good car with very few gremlon's..

[BPXR6T]

My AU series 1 XR8 was great on fuel. I would drive from Canberra to Frankston in Victoria on one tank. That's just under 730kms. With gentle driving I would imagine would make the fuel go further.

I'm looking at getting rid of my BA XR8 and getting another AU XR8. Mainly because I don't want to have so much money tied up in a car. Can't beleive I sold my AU XR8 for $13,000. Was in perfect condition with only 70,000 on the clock.

[private9]

Originally Posted by sbutler

Forget the fuel bill, if your worried about that dont buy one.
If you want a great all round performance car there the duck's you know whats.
They do have the shock mount issue as with all AU IRS model's. Not a big deal to fix, but other than that they are a very good car with very few gremlon's..

Thanks, yeah I know they are a great car but unfortunately without sounding like too much of a tightwad, I do need to be mindful of what I'll be blowing each week in fuel. : I know for highway use they are great, and if this is the driving I was doing I wouldn't even be asking these questions, but I just needed to get an understanding of what they're like in stop-start conditions.

[GK]

Originally Posted by private9

Thanks, yeah I know they are a great car but unfortunately without sounding like too much of a tightwad, I do need to be mindful of what I'll be blowing each week in fuel. : I know for highway use they are great, and if this is the driving I was doing I wouldn't even be asking these questions, but I just needed to get an understanding of what they're like in stop-start conditions.

I like you would love an 8, but also was concerned about fuel bills. I decided not to get one, because I know I would whinge about the bill each week and get annoyed enough and sell it. That's not the way to own an 8, so I chose not to get one.

If you're going to moan about the fuel bill, then an 8 isn't for ya! It will just get in the road of you enjoying one of the best cars made by Ford in this country.

GK

[private9]

Originally Posted by GK

I like you would love an 8, but also was concerned about fuel bills. I decided not to get one, because I know I would whinge about the bill each week and get annoyed enough and sell it. That's not the way to own an 8, so I chose not to get one.

If you're going to moan about the fuel bill, then an 8 isn't for ya! It will just get in the road of you enjoying one of the best cars made by Ford in this country.

GK

Thanks GK, yeah unfortunately it's not looking the best for me getting an 8 - damn, I love V8's!

Just can't think of anything else that interests me at the moment.....

[FTE217]

It all depends how you drive, I drove a 6cyc MK11Fairlane for 12days, its fuel economy was not impressive. Open road was 620k's where as my 220 gets 720k's.
Sydney driving at the speed limits would get 400-450 out of a tank, spirited driving I average 350 or a bit more.
As others have said if fuel is your concern buy a 6 but they are not much better anyway.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Bluedriver

It all depends how you drive, I drove a 6cyc MK11Fairlane for 12days, its fuel economy was not impressive. Open road was 620k's where as my 220 gets 720k's.
Sydney driving at the speed limits would get 400-450 out of a tank, spirited driving I average 350 or a bit more.
As others have said if fuel is your concern buy a 6 but they are not much better anyway.

Difference between my AU2 wagon (I6) and the AU1 XR8 in terms of fuel usage was about 1litre per 100km (on petrol). The wagon averages around 14l/100km, the XR was around 15. That makes 450 odd kms from a tank for the wagon, and around 400 for the XR.

When deciding which car to put on gas late last year, it came down to which one is driven more, as there's no use putting gas on a car that only does about 300km per month. The XR does around 350 per week, so that's why I went gas on that one. On gas I get between 18 & 20 litres per 100km (around 320 to 350 on a 64litre tank of LPG). I don't drive on petrol any more in the XR8 (except one trip a week of around 30km, but that doesn't count).

The point? A V8 will not cost you that much more in fuel over an I6, as long as you don't drive it hard all the time. Of course, give it a hard time all the time, and it will guzzle fuel, but then so do the 6's.

[private9]

Thanks JC, not much of a difference at all is it?! The family car is an AU3 wagon (6 cyl) and that's getting around 15l/100 or more- 350-400 km's out of a tank max and I was worried that an 8 would therefore be a fair bit worse.

Hmmm decisions decisions.....

[chief]

Private9 you are only getting 350 - 400km out of a tank. I get the better part of 550 - 600km out a tank and its also a six and wagon (series II).

[GK]

JC is a handy bloke to have around, having a I6 wagon, many of us need such verhicle for the family as well as a Windsor V8.

Good to have them both to do back to back comparisons.

You're getting ok mileage from the 8 on gas JC!

My I6 is only getting that. Well not exactly, I do give it a bit from the lights, my 2 and a half year old daughter spurs me on (honest!) and the last few week's worth of driving has been stop start very frequently!

On the open road though, it goes around 500 kays without any dramas, that's loaded with the family and heaps of gear!

When I was hunting for a second AU late last year, there was a Congo Green Forte V8 on gas for 15k, had 115,000 kays on the clock. : Me thinks I should have made an offer on it. : I didn't even go to see it! :

It had Tickford rims and all! : I had the money to buy it! :

GK

[12]

Originally Posted by private9

Thanks, yeah that was my main concern - I do mainly city driving...

If city / stop-start driving is what you do most, do yourself a favour and get an automatic. You will be thankful. Been there done that. Plus there's no difference in manual vs auto if it's city / stop-start driving is what you do most, and concerned about fuel consumption. The manual is only better fuel consumption wise on highway drving/long distances compared to the auto.

Have you driven a manual AU V8 in peak hour? Do this first before you decide on manual. Plus the manual seems to highlight the drivetrain backlash a lot more than the auto does. Very annoying problem that even BAII couldn't address. Yet to drive a BF manual.

[JC]

Originally Posted by GK

....I do give it a bit from the lights, my 2 and a half year old daughter spurs me on (honest!) ....

I know what you mean. My 2 1/2 year old twin boys do the same "Go faster daddy" - they like hearing the car roar (the 6, they don't/won't go in the 8 cos it's got "no seats")! But they know when there's a car in front, that I can't go fast. They say "move car, move". Kids are so honest, and so funny!

I'm not unhappy about the gas consumption in the XR8 - it's cetainly a lot better paying $80 per fortnight for fuel to/from work. I was paying about that a week!

[GK]

Originally Posted by JC

I know what you mean. My 2 1/2 year old twin boys do the same "Go faster daddy" - they like hearing the car roar (the 6, they don't/won't go in the 8 cos it's got "no seats")!

I'm not unhappy about the gas consumption in the XR8 - it's cetainly a lot better paying $80 per fortnight for fuel to/from work. I was paying about that a week!

I know what you mean, the wagon is the family mover, the seat that was in it, is now also in the wagon! Aaaahhhh the joys of a growing family!

My SR I6 sedan is not on gas. I had thought about it but decided against it in the end. It gets about 10 litres per 100 going to and from work, which is a 84ish km daily round trip. My Ford Laser used to get 8 litres per 100, so I reckon the SR is doing quite well! I drive pretty sedately though!

The guy I was considering getting to do the conversion advised me against it unless I do 30,000 or so kays a year. How's that, a guy who makes money from conversions knocking himself back business! :

Actually, he's a good bloke, shares his knowledge, and explained that gas is cheap, but fiddly and one bad backfire can really cost you lots. I had to replaice the head and converter on the wagon a few years ago, cost me a few thou, so I decided to go with the oil!

Speaking of the cost of oil, I hope Uncle Johnny gives us a good cut in tax this budget, we're going to need it with the way fuel is going! :

GK