What will be the new Taxi Wagon?

[Grobbo]

Time marches onwards, FG sedan taxi's are everywhere now days, but there are no new wagons getting about in the yellow livery. I've heard 2016 is the cut off for even the newset of the BFIII wagons... What are they gonna do? I heard the Mondeo wagon 'wasn't strong enough' - whatever that means... My 'source' also wrote off the Terry and Sportwagon for various reasons - none of which I can remember because I was drunk in the back of a taxi at the time of course... ;-)

[Chopped]

I've seen some Passat wagons as cabs.

[Cobramad]

Very little left out there for the taxi market with the demise of the Falcon wagon...Territory aside, which will need to be gas converted.. perhaps a diesel Territory? Any speculation?

[myxr6]

If they need a brand new BFIII wagon there is 16 for sale on carsales as new cars and demos.

[fat4D]

Ive started to see the odd terri taxi in Canberra. Is there really a need for a wagon taxi thou?

[68xt]

I've seen a few Prius taxi's getting around now in Adelaide.

Recently was in Hawaii, taxis were dodge charger R/T and Camaros

[Lightning Strike GT]

Originally Posted by fat4D

Ive started to see the odd terri taxi in Canberra. Is there really a need for a wagon taxi thou?

Family of 4 going to the airport - bus station etc with a shed load of luggage

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by fat4D

Ive started to see the odd terri taxi in Canberra. Is there really a need for a wagon taxi thou?

It seems like about 40% of Melbourne taxi's are wagons, maybe less but there's still fricken heaps - must be some need...

[Mr Hardware]

The new taxi wagons will be the i40 wagon.

[Ford_The_Win]

I asked a couple of local taxi drivers this recently and they said that the Geelong wagon fleet will be replaced by Terris. I have seen a couple of Terris in taxi livery recently too.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

The new taxi wagons will be the i40 wagon.

Well that would be cool - what makes you say that?

[Mr Hardware]

I know an operator who is seriously considering this option. Think of it as a passat wagon that doesn't come with the german tax.

I've been reading a book about American taxis - from the demise of the Checker A8 from the taxi ranks in the late 80's - people said 'what are you going to replace the Checker with?' Because the checker wasn't a 6-seat sedan, it was an 8-seat, with 2 seats popping out from the back of the driver's seat.

But alas it just went to being the Chevy Caprice as the default, and then to the Crown Vic as the caprice was no longer made. And now that the Crown Vic is no longer made all the american taxis are going to be lame little vans. Kia Rondos etc. From a grand big Checker to lame little Kias? What a joke.

And so it will be with the falcon. We've been spoilt for too long. Once upon a time there would have been no way in the world that a car the size of a Prius could be a cab. But somehow as society we are no longer demanding shoulder and leg room. Even the silver service/business class cars don't have to be long wheelbase any more - G6Es and Aurion Presara's fill this space now. Imagine someone in the 90's paying a premium to be driven around in a camry with leather seats!?! What a joke.

And so somewhere along the line we as society have become lame. We accept less as being okay. And its in accepting anything other than the size of a falcon as a taxi that we are now on the slippery slope to having just about anything on our ranks.

If the Prius wasn't a hybrid, it wouldn't be allowed as a cab. But because it is, it is somehow allowed.

I mean we've allowed the bench seat sedan to slip away - in the 90s you could get a family of 5 into a standard priced taxi. Nowadays you'd need to pay a maxi taxi surcharge!!

Same will happen with the wagons. They'll just slip away into the night and soon we'll have to pay a premium if you've got luggage.

So I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years time there are no taxis on the road that are falcons or wagons. They'll dissapear and we've got no-one but ourselves to blame - we'll have let this happen to ourselves.

[Ford_The_Win]

With the obesity epidemic and how disgustingly fat our society has become, a Falcon makes more sense than ever as a cab. How are the big fatties gonna squeeze into an i40?

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

I know an operator who is seriously considering this option. Think of it as a passat wagon that doesn't come with the german tax.

I've been reading a book about American taxis - from the demise of the Checker A8 from the taxi ranks in the late 80's - people said 'what are you going to replace the Checker with?' Because the checker wasn't a 6-seat sedan, it was an 8-seat, with 2 seats popping out from the back of the driver's seat.

But alas it just went to being the Chevy Caprice as the default, and then to the Crown Vic as the caprice was no longer made. And now that the Crown Vic is no longer made all the american taxis are going to be lame little vans. Kia Rondos etc. From a grand big Checker to lame little Kias? What a joke.

And so it will be with the falcon. We've been spoilt for too long. Once upon a time there would have been no way in the world that a car the size of a Prius could be a cab. But somehow as society we are no longer demanding shoulder and leg room. Even the silver service/business class cars don't have to be long wheelbase any more - G6Es and Aurion Presara's fill this space now. Imagine someone in the 90's paying a premium to be driven around in a camry with leather seats!?! What a joke.

And so somewhere along the line we as society have become lame. We accept less as being okay. And its in accepting anything other than the size of a falcon as a taxi that we are now on the slippery slope to having just about anything on our ranks.

If the Prius wasn't a hybrid, it wouldn't be allowed as a cab. But because it is, it is somehow allowed.

I mean we've allowed the bench seat sedan to slip away - in the 90s you could get a family of 5 into a standard priced taxi. Nowadays you'd need to pay a maxi taxi surcharge!!

Same will happen with the wagons. They'll just slip away into the night and soon we'll have to pay a premium if you've got luggage.

So I wouldn't be surprised if in 10 years time there are no taxis on the road that are falcons or wagons. They'll dissapear and we've got no-one but ourselves to blame - we'll have let this happen to ourselves.

Well I think the Kia Rondo is a step up from the Crown Vic... Man those things are cr*p. I bet the Kia has more interior space too - the Crown Vic is like an 'Anti Tardis' - a big square bohemouth with hardly any room inside...

The whole world is moving towards smaller, lighter, more efficient vehicles, you can't really blame anyone specifically.

[Mr Hardware]

Grobbo, there's more to taxis than interior space - one thing the Crown Vic is excellent at is bootspace for luggage etc.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Grobbo, there's more to taxis than interior space - one thing the Crown Vic is excellent at is bootspace for luggage etc.

Fair call. It seems there is a lot of criteria they have to meet which is less than obvious - I have no idea why the Mondeo didn't meet this criteria.

Maybe Vic is different to other states in terms of the rules - don't think we have any Prius's down here?

[Mr Hardware]

Yeah rules for what can and can't be a cab is set by the DOT/MTA. In qld it's gone from about 3 or 4 different cars to now about 20. It's getting silly.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by Grobbo

Well I think the Kia Rondo is a step up from the Crown Vic... Man those things are cr*p. I bet the Kia has more interior space too - the Crown Vic is like an 'Anti Tardis' - a big square bohemouth with hardly any room inside...

The whole world is moving towards smaller, lighter, more efficient vehicles, you can't really blame anyone specifically.

I agree - the Crown Vic is not as big inside as it would appear. Most of them are ex cop cars - they still have hole from the spot light and all of them are trashed.

More and more time in New York I end up with a Ford Escape Hybrid as a cab. Ample load and passenger space + a very high percentage of cab rides are 1 or 2 people and no luggage anyways.

[Brazen]

Speaking of the wagon, one of the rural sales reps out here has had his Falcon wagon with a Hyundai iMax van. He hates the change but a van is the only thing really big enough after the Falcon wagon.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

And so somewhere along the line we as society have become lame. We accept less as being okay. And its in accepting anything other than the size of a falcon as a taxi that we are now on the slippery slope to having just about anything on our ranks.

If the Prius wasn't a hybrid, it wouldn't be allowed as a cab. But because it is, it is somehow allowed.

A limo service I use quite often sends a Prius - nothing wrong with it at all - I was amazed how much legroom there was in the back.

[Boza]

I have a few uncles who operate taxis in melbourne main reason they don't use terry's is size unfortunatley most of the drivers are average and can't even handle the size of a falcon

They only run wagons foe multiple reason number one is the space and they say as long as they make the wagon they will buy them my uncle is changing over a car right now and just bought a bfm3 egas wagon also there is more work for wagons people actually ring and book wagons specifically and they prefer the leaves in the back as the diff bushes are apparently a major headache and the control blade bushes give heaps of grief aswell

But they all say as long as the wagon is available they will run them so for the near future I think the melb taxi fleet is safe they all say they don't run holdens because of reliability problems not as toiugh as the ford apparently they just fall apart as cabs honestly how many cabs do you see as holdens and holdens are more expensive to maintain

[GS608]

Very rarely do you see a Falcon sedan let alone a wagon as a taxi on the coast anymore..all are prius' or camrys (which seem to be getting rare now too)..it's either a Prius or a Hiace here

[daddy0]

Try all the Toyota's, Nissan's and other people movers being used as Premium
Cabs in Honolulu. Some of course we don't see here in Australia. Canberra is awash with people movers. Other than Falcon Wagons the only vehicles that can carry 4 and their luggage

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Spammy

A limo service I use quite often sends a Prius - nothing wrong with it at all - I was amazed how much legroom there was in the back.

Must be a poor limo service if they have Prius's, how does that qualify as any type of "limo".

Originally Posted by Boza

I have a few uncles who operate taxis in melbourne main reason they don't use terry's is size unfortunatley most of the drivers are average and can't even handle the size of a falcon

Do they realize the Territory is actually smaller in length than a Falcon sedan, with Falcon wagon way bigger again?

[Boza]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Do they realize the Territory is actually smaller in length than a Falcon sedan, with Falcon wagon way bigger again?

Yeah they do but they reckon the height and width keeps em away they don't need a vehicle that high mainly cause of the grannys they can hardly get into a falcon plus the height in some places is a problem apparently

[vxssm6]

Originally Posted by 68xt

I've seen a few Prius taxi's getting around now in Adelaide...

Same deal here in Cairns, Prius' everywhere with the odd Camry thrown in for good measure. The Prius has a fair amount of room.

I think they get around the wagon dilemma though by having the option for a people mover and anyone with a ton of luggage just throws it all in that and off they go..

[weairy]

Locally we mainly just have BF/FG XTs as taxis. Just reliable old mules. Admittedly, I live in a rural town an hour north of Melbourne. But we've got Maxis for any major loads (Toyota HiAce of course) and still a couple of wagons floating around.

Hell, I've been out a few times in Melbourne, always getting FG cabs, XR6s and G6s too.

First I ever encountered a Prius taxi was on Schoolies in 2009. I thought it was an awesome idea at the time, costs nothing to run, and for doing the drunken school-bus run, it's probably ideal. But I mean, how many Ks can you clock out on a Prius before it farts and sharts itself? What's the lifespan on them?

I think they're almost better off moving towards Aurions or something similar. Toyotas are still alright for reliability, and the Aurion is still spacious enough.

[Spammy]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Must be a poor limo service if they have Prius's, how does that qualify as any type of "limo".

When I say Limo I mean car service ie to go to a meeting or to the airport and for that a Pries is great. I don't mean bogan school farewell party or hen's night.

[Cobramad]

Working in Darwin and staying at the airport, all my rides were either Camrys or Prius' which is fine until you put 4 oil rig workers inside for a trip to town then they are pretty squeezy. The drivers are usually responsible for the fuel bills and love the low cost. I hated the squeeze but up there you had no choice unless you waited for a van. Didnt see a single Falc taxi at all..

[falconnut]

Ecoboost FG Mark 2 anyone?