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dzcook
9th November 2006, 04:16 PM
Just a gripe of mine but what has happened to the station wagon ? cant understand anyone buying just a sedan as no bl**dly rm in it

am looking at a replacement soon as the old au ford is getting a bit overworked but u either get a basic wagon or have to go to 4wd drive looks like u cant get a fairmont wagon anymore ( can you still get fairmonts ?) or whatever the equal was in holden

have no use for 4wd at all, have had 2 and never used the 4wd ever in either and annoys me that there are heaps of good looking and practical vechicles out there but i have to pay for stuff that i will never use in both servicing fuel ( re weight ) and extra wear and tear on parts that i dont need

And another whinge i have is the loss of a s/wagon with a opening rear window

Think hyundi have a model thats the same as their 4 wd but comes as only a 2wd with smaller engine etc but they seem to be the only maker that dose this

when you see shows like top gear etc and all the cars we miss out on makes you realise that we have a very small choice of cars out here

silentC
9th November 2006, 04:37 PM
Mine is fine, thanks for asking.

I've got an AU wagon. The Fairmont, as far as I know, has gone the way of the dodo. Now you can buy a Futura, which is, as far as I can tell, what the Fairmont was to the Falcon. They look the same (my Father in law has a sedan) but they have the bells and whistles.

A selling point when I bought mine was that it had column shift and a fold down middle seat, so you can fit three in the front.

Futura wagons are about $42,000.

silentC
9th November 2006, 04:39 PM
Begging your pardon, according to the Ford site Fairmonts do still exist. But no wagons.

duckman
9th November 2006, 04:42 PM
I don't know how luxurious the Fairmont was/is but I think a Holden Berlina wagon might suit you. :)

Of course, I could be wrong.:p

silentC
9th November 2006, 04:55 PM
I looked at a Commodore wagon when I bought mine. The Falcon is a fair bit bigger inside. And it's not a Holden :p

duckman
9th November 2006, 05:04 PM
I looked at a Commodore wagon when I bought mine. The Falcon is a fair bit bigger inside. And it's not a Holden :p
But why would anyone want to drive a Ford?:confused: :confused:






:p

silentC
9th November 2006, 05:08 PM
Actually, I'm not too proud to drive a Holden. I've even owned a couple. Had a HR and a couple of HKs over the years.

Iain
9th November 2006, 05:10 PM
But why would anyone want to drive a Ford?:confused: :confused:






:p

Or an Olden???
For the same or similar money you can get a decent handling Japanese car or wagon, with things that actually work:rolleyes:

Wood Butcher
9th November 2006, 05:10 PM
But why would anyone want to drive a Ford?:confused: :confused:

:p
Cause it doesn't have a Holden badge on the front:cool::D

Grunt
9th November 2006, 05:14 PM
Actually, I'm not too proud to drive a Holden. I've even owned a couple. Had a HR and a couple of HKs over the years.

I drive Fords by choice however, I've owen 4 HQ Holdens in my time. All of them pieces of crap but they were cheap.

silentC
9th November 2006, 05:17 PM
For the same or similar money you can get a decent handling Japanese car or wagon
Too squeezy!!


All of them pieces of crap but they were cheap
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. HR: $600 with 12 months rego, HK #1: Free HK #2: $400 with 6 months rego. ;)

johnc
9th November 2006, 05:22 PM
With wagons there is a compromise between space and handling. Not that you would notice unless you really push the thing through corners. There is an issue with unrestrained gear in the back which cargo barriers help with. All the same a passanger was killed a few years ago when a tripod leg came through the mesh and penetrated her skull and that was just under sudden braking.

Nothing has a full advantage over anything else, it depends on uses and I find dropping the seats in the AU allows a lot of gear in the back. Just hope it doesn't ever try to join you in the front.

silentC
9th November 2006, 05:25 PM
Mine has a perspex barrier and there are tie down points too. It handles pretty good for a large car, probably better than my old XR Falcon ever did. It's no WRX but I can give it a fair bit of boot without worrying too much.

echnidna
9th November 2006, 05:51 PM
There is a compromise.

A twin cab or extra cab ute, carries heapsa stuff as well as people.

Readily available in 2wd or 4wd

Harry72
9th November 2006, 06:57 PM
Or even a Territory 2wd? Plenty of room in them.

Stuart
9th November 2006, 07:40 PM
Nothin' wrong with my Holden Commodore - heaps of room in the back, cargo barrier, tows fine, plenty of power (for a 2.8(?) L). Handles fine, good brakes - just wish it was an SS.

Grunt
9th November 2006, 07:46 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. HR: $600 with 12 months rego, HK #1: Free HK #2: $400 with 6 months rego. ;)

1st $400, 2nd $150, 3rd $500 and 4th an outrageous $700.

I drove the second one around for 2 years and then gave it to my Brother who got another 18 months out of it. Almost no compression, the handbrake didn't work very well. Quality motoring that beast.

Doughboy
9th November 2006, 08:05 PM
We have a Subaru Outback 3lt 6 cyl. Love it no change out of 50k but it does all we want. Takes off from the lights like a bullet. Had a Skyline GTO and a Nissan 200sx, both all done up exhausts the size of chimneys out the back, sit beside me a the lights only paying attention to each other. Road was dry and clear of traffic, we only had the Subie for about a month so I thought why not. I fixed my gaze on the lights and ignored the other two cars. Lights went green and I floored it, they achieved some wheel spin from the squealing I heard and I just shot off the line. By the time I reached 180 km/h they were about three car lengths behind and I decided that I had proved enough to me so I slowed down.

The other two followed me to the shops. Pulled up along side me and queried the specs of said car. After about 5 mins of talking and peeing in the wind they revealed to me that they are both cops, showed me their badges and politely advised me to not drive that way in future then said well done and were on their way.

Ummm back to the thread.. The Subie is useless when it comes to carrying anything inside it. We have a 1989 Holden Astra 1.6 lt that holds more than the Subie. But we still love her none the less.

Pete

craigb
9th November 2006, 08:11 PM
Station wagons suck.

They are noisy as buggery, don't handle as well as a sedan and they aren't all that good at carrying stuff.

For mine, get a sedan for driving around in and a cheap ute for carrying stuff.

Horses for courses.

baxter
9th November 2006, 08:35 PM
We have a Subaru Outback 3lt 6 cyl.
Ummm back to the thread.. The Subie is useless when it comes to carrying anything inside it. We have a 1989 Holden Astra 1.6 lt that holds more than the Subie. But we still love her none the less.
Pete

Pete the back seat does fold down you know:) will carry 1.8m front to back and 2.1m on an angle. Bigger than that, use a Bunnies trailer:) :) .

Luv the Liberty wagon:D :D :D

silentC
10th November 2006, 09:07 AM
Station wagons suck.
Craig, how can you say that after having been in mine?

I've had nothing but wagons for the last 10 years and no intention to change. Very handy when you're a drummer. I can fit my drums in the Mazda but there's no room for anyone else. With the wagon, I can put the full kit in the back and still carry 6 adults to the gig.

Pete, I had someone in a black Honda do that in front of me on the main drag in Canberra earler this year. He took off when the lights changed to drag off a Holden V8 ute. I don't know how fast he got to but when the big white laundry van pulled out of the side street in front of him because she didn't see him coming, and he bounced off the front of her, darted across the road (fortunately no other cars next to him), hit the light pole and brought it down on top of his car, I bet he was wishing he'd stayed at home. Watched them cut the roof off his car to get him out while my wife and I stayed there with the van driver, who was an absolute mess, to make sure the cops knew exactly what happened and whose fault it was.

craigb
10th November 2006, 09:19 AM
Craig, how can you say that after having been in mine?




I was just feeling controversial last night. :o

silentC
10th November 2006, 09:46 AM
You mean you posted something that was not necessarily your true opinion just to get a rise out of someone? You'd never catch me doing something like that :eek:

craigb
10th November 2006, 10:01 AM
You mean you posted something that was not necessarily your true opinion just to get a rise out of someone? You'd never catch me doing something like that :eek:

Well not on days that have a Y in then anyway. :p