2005 Ford Falcon BA XT MKII 6 cylinder

Summary:

A fantastic sedan to drive

Faults:

Odd, faint whining noise upon acceleration.

General Comments:

This car definitely has some grunt to it, the roaring of the engine when the acceleration is hard is just so satisfying!

The sports shift mode is absolute bullocks and nearly completely pointless (aside from making the car run at higher revs).

The visibility and size of the car can make parking difficult to the uninitiated.

Pretty comfortable, extremely roomy too.

The console is very neat in appearance, with the buttons being quite tactile and not clunky, in my opinion far superior to that of commodores.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 2nd June, 2006

7th Dec 2006, 02:52

The faint noise is differential noise, but it is definitely not an indication of differential failure.

Most EA-AU automatic Falcons do it. Talking to numerous taxi drivers, they say rarely do they have to replace the diff in the life of the cab, but it will make the noise most of its life.

12th Apr 2010, 09:38

The semi shift feature on the BA is sweet, and can be used perfectly on the downchange to a swift apex only if you know how to drive right and keep speed up!

The BA is a great car to drive on the bends or the straight, so when you learn to drive, you will realise how much the car has to give.

They are top cars to drive!

6th Nov 2010, 13:01

The semi shift feature is pointless, it's not as fast or accurate as a manual gearbox, and you'll just end up using more fuel, thinking you can drive like Michael Schumacher. It's just as fast to drive in pure auto mode. I don't see the point of having a "sports mode" in a 4 speed auto box, as the ratios of the gears are not designed for "sports" shifting. In the ZF 6 speed auto on the newer Falcons, it might be interesting.

In reply to 7th Dec 2006, 02:52

18th Jun 2014, 08:45

The faint whining noise is generally the alternator belt. I myself thought it was a fault, but the mechanic said it is generally like that, so I am no longer worried :)

2005 Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo 4.0 Ltre turbo

Summary:

A good all round vehicle with a nice blend of performance and comfort

Faults:

The car has been faultless since new.

General Comments:

The only problem I've had since new is with one of the 18" alloy wheels.

The wheel and tyre were ruined after driving, quite sedately, on a dirt road for approximately 100 Ks.

I've since received advice that my tyre pressures were a little low for that type of driving. NSW Police use these cars as pursuit vehicles. They recommend a pressure of 36 PSI which is slightly higher than the factory spec.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th March, 2006

2005 Ford Falcon BA mark 2 Barra 182

Summary:

Would never buy a Ford vehicle again

Faults:

Issue with gearbox and clutch. It has burnt out three clutches in under 12mths. With the last one being on it's way out in under 4 days.

General Comments:

Ford need to have a serious look at the gearing of these vehicles. They are spec'd up to be a commercial vehicle yet you would struggle to carry a bag of cement up a hill.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 21st February, 2006

27th Mar 2006, 03:19

Perhaps, one should look at the driver or operator of the vehicle, I currently own a BA falcon, Manual, in which is used to tow my 3 axle caravan around Australia, completed it without hassle. as for a bag of cement, try a large caravan full of luggage and boot, with 4 adults in the car ad a full tank of fuel.. I have no issues at 60 thousand ks..

14th May 2006, 06:41

Honestly what did you expect? Name a reliable and well built falcon?

Thought so...

Stop being a sheep and buy a decent Japanese car.

2005 Ford Falcon BF Futura 4.0 6 Cylinder

Summary:

Truly an excellent car

Faults:

At this stage I am not in the position to comment on the reliability, all I can say is I hope it is more reliable than my previous BA, not that anything major was wrong with it, it was the little things that added up to start annoying me.

No problems have been encountered as yet, probably because it is still being run in, the only thing, and it's minor, is the suspension thumps when rising oven a speed bump or through a dip in the road. It also does this when the car comes to a stop.

Should any major reliability or mechanical problems arise they will be posted here.

General Comments:

This is the new BF series, apart from engine modifications (e.g. 182kw to 190kw) not much is different. Little things like the knee level air vents are gone, the cover for the cup holders is gone and the electronically adjustable pedals from the BA2 were taken away. These are small things that don't really matter, it's the new driving experience that counts. Even though the Futura still has the "old style" transmission shifter, the gear changes are smoother. The engine is a lot quieter, at traffic lights, you can't hear it.

The power available to you is great, it just takes off and the engine starts to get angry and lets off a great sound.

The updates to the front of the car look good, but the rear is in need of a change (it's a wagon) the tail lights have been around since 2000.

The car turns on a 5 cent coin, it feels safe and secure on the road. Haven't required the traction control to intervene yet.

The interior is large and comfortable, the seats feel new and different to the BA, you could travel all day in the car.

The Automatic Headlights are convenient they come on when the car senses it's dark enough. I just don't want them to flicker on and off when driving through tunnels and under bridges.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th December, 2005

23rd Feb 2006, 01:07

Now up to 6000km, only problem we've had is the handbrake needed tightening. It is still early days yet, but the car will be doing 35000km a year so we'll see how it holds up.

17th Apr 2006, 23:30

I feel so sorry for you. You'd think that you would steer clear of Falcons after you see all the half fallen apart ones in used car yards. But no, you have succumbed to Ford's advertising and the need to have the latest Aussie car.

I can't believe that after owning a BA you would come back for seconds. It's like a Commodore VT owner buying another VT. People like that must have rockies in their head. Good luck is all I can say, Japanese cars all the way...

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