The first Commodore the VB was based on a German Opel as was the Holden VT, I saw 2 dead SA police officers once in Thebarton after a Chrysler Sigma side impacted their Holden VB, I prefer Ford Falcon over Holden, safer, and they had better motors. Also the Holden VB had an atrocious safety record, if you hit a stobie pole your car would be crushed quicker than a can of VB bitter!
I love how the AU has become a meme and in a way has ascended from just the Aussie audience and is recognized by the Americans and even Europeans for the meme car legend it has become
I was certain that this video was going to start some kind of flame war between the Ford and Holden tribes, but everyone commenting has been pretty polite. Maybe this was because you presented a truthful and balanced assessment.
Only losers who don't own either model tend to make the stupid ignorant comments. Most who have some mechanical understanding and have actually owned one of these cars will be positive about them and truthful.
The one thing I dislike in the Holden is the cruise control. In the Falcon you control it from the steering wheel once it is activated but in the Holden you have a stalk and have to take your hand off the wheel.
Have to say, I used to think I was a Holden man if I had to choose. Grew up with Mitsubishis and Mazda's but when asked to decide Holden or Ford I'd always say Holden. I've owned a VZ and driven VTs. Thought they were tops. But then through necessity I bought a falcon ute. And everything you described was the case, chassis felt stiffer, steering quicker with better feel, an air of better build quality (despite the Commodore's better plastics) a sublime straight six over the v6. More intuitive cruise control, I could go on. And the Falcon's looks even grew on me. These days I drive a BF ute and SY Territory and love them both. Aussie cars rock but I've pitched my tents further north of Hadrian's wall and am now in the Aussie Ford camp.
I had a TE Cortina and an XE Falcon. They were both a piece of crap. Poor dust sealing, excessive fan noise and a stalling problem in the TE, and excessive rust, snapping clutch cables, and an oil light switch that failed a hundred km on the other side of nowhere in the XE. I often hired a newish car if i was going on a long trip as i no longer trusted them. I now drive a 2012 Corolla sedan, and other than with regular servicing, its never been off the road. Oh what a feeling......Toyota!
@@Flying_GC Fair point, but the later EA Falcon and the early Territory's were also riddled with issues. The car should serve you, not the other way around...... particularly if you're doing everything you should be doing regarding maintenance and responsible ownership.
Its not holdens fault ford sold an I6 to the same market.. You would just have the ford v8 losing to the ls1 and the holden six losing to the ford six.
I've had my AU for sixteen years On the other hand my good friend who's a Holden nut has gone through three Commodores. He does way less kilometres than me but he's had two cars develop catastrophic engine issues and his current Commodore has an electrical problem and all three have required ignition switch replacement. I've had to replace the rotors on the AU because they warped
@@doug-core8850 . Certainly did but they weren't worn out they warped due to shit metal. Replaced them with DBA slotted and cross drilled items. Which improved the braking because it's a series one which don't have the best brakes out of the factory. Rear ones are almost worn to minimal specification now and will require replacement again
@@MotoringBoxTV speaking as a bit of a semi professional metalurgist and professional heat treatment specialist, ford cheaped out with rotors. They weren't thick enough and couldn't dissipate heat fast enough. And when these thin rotors get worn down enough, they'll move around like all buggery. They increased the weight of the cars but didn't increase the braking efficiency. The introduction of minimum rotor thickness and thicker sized solid pieces is a quick fix. Its funny reading about how long it took ford to engineer a fix as it shows they didn't have anyone that knew much about cast iron metallurgy. Its very niche. But what we saw all the way up to the very end was ford being too cheap to make big well designed brakes as standard across the board. Even their highest performance rotors are quite frankly, dogshit. They probably just copied high performance manufacturers and did a cheap version. Cause they didn't give these brakes a proper stress relief cycle after full machining. All these drilled holes crack once the cast iron heats and cools, which means they're relieving stresses on their own. Sorry for the long rant but it just annoys me how cheap companies are with brakes.
@@MotoringBoxTV . I heard it was still an issue with the BA. It's not the size of the rotor it was the quality of the metal. The DBA rotors are the exact same size but are superior quality metal.
Both great cars. One thing to note is that as far back as anyone can remember, there’s always been three or four Falcon taxis for every one Holden. That tells you everything you need to know about long term reliability.
AU's were built like panzar tanks, how many of these clocked up well over 500,000 and more as taxis and were still in service is something to be commended.
@@MotoringBoxTV when they first came out I saw one towing a caravan trying to go up a hill, it had a blown head gasket and was blowing steam like a steam train, it was running on three or four cylinders, but on the other hand I knew people that owned them and never had any problems.
I found I do hit my head getting in and out of the AU more than the VT. That goes for front and back. But I do love my fords after owning numerous holden v8's. Never owned a v6, test drove a few but there noisy harsh characteristics made me buy a v8. Then I discovered fords magical inline and auto gear box. Had those for a few years. But now proud owner of a s/c ba gt and a g220 fairlane.
Hello from Slovenia. From my point of view both look good given the age. The only thing I dont like about Ford are those sad eyes/headlights. Both represent the design postulates of that era.
As a Ford guy, I'm going to have to go with the AU but the VT is a great car and had its advantages. I like both as they each have there own unique quirks and features. Great video mate keep it coming.
I have a VX Series 2 which improved on the VT quite alot. I think you nailed the comparison. I found parts availability and price for the VT/VX are plentiful and think that should be a part of your list considering they are old classics. But i guess there is less that breaks on an AU as it is more of a civilised car. I have had 2 Ford Falcons with the EL and EF, i felt the AU was a massive step above, but after i test drove the VX Series 2 i was won over. And how easy they are to modify made it a journey for me. I went to a driving day and drove against an AU falcon and you can see the difference ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rFTKnWtbA2M.html and the sound of the LS1 is pretty brings me back to the V8's at bathurst during the golden years of ford and holden ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_BbKfFMiz0w.html . I will eventually get another falcon but not decided in an AU or BA.
Just curious to know if you’d be interested in reviewing a 2002 CV8 Monaro manual all original except for exhaust and Mafless tune and perfect paint and also a 1971 HQ Monaro LS 253 Manual 4 speed 2 door
In my opinion Holden seemed to go the extra mile with sleaker styling especially from the 70s, when they both became homegrown designs. Kingswood to Commodores styling was more polished than Falcon to me and the Falcon always felt a bit bulbous and and their revisions were often half baked because of cost cutting and attempting to put a corporate face on a local design that was too far removed from Ford internationally. Because of this and overall reliability and cost of repairs especially in their more complicated suspension of these and latter models, I couldn't make myself buy a Falcon despite it being better in other departments.
Outstanding job mate. I’m not really a Ford or Holden guy and I would have picked the Holden back in the day but think the Falcon is more interesting now
@@gavinb9627 I've never had any problems with access, I've heard people saying it's easy to bang your head but I don't really understand how? Maybe they were comparing the AU to boxy cars from the 90s. I've not had any issues with the wheel - if it is off centre it mustn't be by much.
@@MotoringBoxTV I was always banging my head, e series weren't a problem at all but the ba was better than the Au but way behind the e series. the joys of us all being different shapes and sizes
Even as a Holden fan I have to agree with the AU's win. The AU is just a more dependable car and it's quirks really have made it into the legend it is. A great video as always mate! Love the content and how in-depth you get. Stay safe. Look forward to the next video.
Both are winners, both are legends. Ive only owned a au forte wagon and just got a au fairlane ghia last week, but really want to find a clean Vt one day too.
I've owned many Falcons and Commodores and what stood out to me is that with the Falcon is the I6 engine is formidable but let down by the transmission and the rough interior. The Commodores always felt faster, lighter but more "tinny" and had the better V8 option. Both great cars and we need them back.
I personally have owned both cars And both have great quality , but l must admit the vt is a really good looking car but I found that the au is my favorite as I now have 3 of them, they are so reliable and are well built, the overall drivability of the au has a no nonsense feel about it. And I depend on their reliability, and after 15 years of driving au fords , I have nothing but praise for them both v8's and the 6's
Hell yes he's back, just after I plugged in my new TV and grabbed the spare recliner out of our storage shed. Please no more snapping VT fuel filler flaps the last one nearly made me cry. 😅
I loved my AU right up until I lost compression in 3 cylinders. Mine was lowered and It always felt tighter and more agile then my ex partners VX Calais through the Twisties. It was dual fuel and 5 times a year I would fill both tanks, hit the highway and drive 1000 kilometers to Bathurst without needing to stop once. Such a great cruiser!
I have owned many of them both over the years, totally agree with what you say. The VT looks way better but they have heaps more body flex, and the doors feel like they don’t line up properly. My AU ute was a “genuine one owner” with service history & recipes, I drove it to 550 thou kms on the original motor, complete respect to the mighty AU
Sean - another cracking vid mate - very enjoyable! Bang on about the AU being the more 'Memeable' - it has defiantly become a legend online in recent years! Also, surely you need to mention the rear styling of the early CLS Mercs (which many consider very sexy) was either inspired by, or stolen from the AU lol!
The vt back seats don't fold down like the au which is required to haul long items from the hardware . The au is cheaper to buy and also cheaper for parts that lasts longer There was a reason nearly all taxis were fords -reliability
Another great video mate! My AUII XLS 4.0 5 speed ute which I've had since new is still running strong at 260000km. It's had a few minor upgrades along the way and still drives like a dream especially on the open road. Nothing major has gone wrong with it, just normal wear and tear stuff and serviced every 10000 kays. The AU was easily the most reliable Falcon Ford Australia ever made, I'm on a mission now to hang onto it for another 10 years so I can get NSW historic rego!
I love my AU, I am onto my second one. They cannot be beaten doing the long highway stretches I do living in the country. First one: 465 000 km and still going as a paddock basher. Second: currently 340 000 km and still driving beautifully up and down the highway. I couldn't stand the Commodore on the highway and were 40% more expensive than the AU. AU for me all day.
Thank you for this clip, I have a 1999 Falcon Forte AU sedan & I've had many opportunities to upgrade. But to what?. Had a few problems like window stick & central locking. But in all this time it has never let me down apart from one time on the freeway , can't remember what, but made it home in Limp Home Mode, had to keep her under 80ks but got there, amazing. It handles so ,well & the steering is so precise. You can drive for long periods & it's a relaxed drive. When you need the extra speed, it's immediate & a fantastic gear box. I've noticed more & more that the new cars have actually followed the AU design, even the new Mercedes, got to admit I had a giggle. To me the Ugly Duckling has turned into a beautiful Swan. Loved your comments, so interesting, thanks.
I mean, you can either pick a VT because they’re pretty good value, reliable, still good looking...or.....the ugliest car in human history, I wouldve been straight to the Ford dealership to be apart of history back in the day
@@TheTeeroy32 it's actually a shame we didn't get those here. I really wanted one after watching Breaking Bad. I guess we always have the SsangYong Rodius.
This is rubbish.A few journos made these comments at the time and I’m pretty sure the myth grew from there.Absolutely zero aesthetically wrong with the AU.
As someone who has been brought up in a family with two 2005 falcon xt's (the station wagons) the fairmont just looks a little funky. I love everything else about it. Still going to stick with the wagons though because the practcality is unbeatable.
I believe the AU fuel filler was designed more 'naked' to accommodate the LPG filling port in factory dual fuel models, or LPG only, not sure if they had LPG only AUs.
@@chrisbenton3365 . Yeah, personally I couldn't give a shit what it looks like inside of the fuel filler flap. You only see it a little while anyway but Holden had to make the inside look better because they knew that they were going to fall off
Something to ponder: The word Falcon is way more popularly used than the word Commodore, quite apart from the cars they're attached to. That may sway the Google numbers. Otherwise - spot on. ;)
Very nicely done video mate. I actually got a bit emotional during the end credits, the period between 1997 and 2006 was such an exciting time for Ford and Holden. Such a great loss.
The au is a legend. I’ve owned many sedans and wagons and they’ve all given me trouble free driving. The commodores I’ve had however didn’t even get close.
Just found this channel. Aussie car guy. Really good job mate. When you said the Commodore was better than the Falcon thought you were wrong. Then I found out that the Commodore had an LS. Oh boy even after seven late model Mustangs (2015 on) the LS is my favourite engine. but overall your review was really good. Great work mate great work and all those people who are dissing you I’d love to see their channels.
Thanks a lot mate. Some people love to throw shit in my direction, but pretty much every one of them didn't have a single video. I think it says a lot.
You see way more AU s on the road these days than the VT commodore. Even though the VT had huge sale success over the AU at the time. The AU is Just a better quality car all round in my book. I worked at both dealerships when these cars were new. Even looking underneath the AU you will find allot of cast alloy part, suspension, sub frames etc compared to the VT with its steel stamped welded parts. The VT would have been cheaper to build than the AU on these grounds.
I'll be honest here I had one of the nicest au falcons with a full C2R body kit and a full respray on Oxford green and I miss it dearly. I now have a FG falcon and I love it to bits but it just didn't feel like my au did, simple but efficient.
Get the Falcon, it’s way more robust. Plus the I-6 and 302 are very easy to get performance parts for. The only good thing about the VT was the available LS1.
I bought an FGX XR8 and was going to trade in my AUII XR6, but couldn't do it. I'm glad I kept it as I would have regretted getting rid of it. Still brings a smile to my face when driving it!
I think you gave a pretty fair review. Well done! I'm a Ford man but I have come to appreciate Holden over the years. I do think the AU was ahead of its time styling wise. I have a 99 Black AU XR8 with full Tickford bodykit and non car friends are shocked when I tell them it's 21 years old. They think it is way more modern.
Really, really enjoyed this review! Much better than some of the professional reviews I've seen, and I always seem to get through the full duration of your videos with ease. Never really appreciated the VT or AU before, but this video gave me a lot of insight and appreciation for them - Keep up the incredible work!
Had one for a few years. Brilliant car especially with the ZF 6 speed. But it was such a guzzler. Whoever has it now would be enjoying the sub-$1.00 petrol prices though!
I was waiting for labor difficulty, doing anything on the sohc straight 6 easy as, help my mate with some help on his v6 commodore, just a small gasket change, felt like lighting the thing on fire for him to get the insurance money.
I just can't see a reason to relace my 2002 AU wagon, over 300,000 k's and still as smooth as silk. I bought it for $2,500 6yrs ago with all paperwork going back to new. A fantastic Aussie car that will live on as a classic workhorse.
I have owned both commodores and falcons, currently own an AU Fairmont with the Tickford 6Cyl. Absolutely love it, comfortable to drive (I'm 6'3") and great to cruise on the hwy and good on fuel.
I have an AU series 3 six cylinder 5 speed, purchased new 18 years ago and it still looks as good as the day I took delivery! Awesome car and has never let me down!
Not too bad. I wish I was able to get that sort of economy from my old EF 6cyl back in the day, normal driving was about 13L/100km, 2000rpm at 100km/h didn't help. Weren't the 6cyl Commodores fairly fuel efficient?
Great video, as always. I’d have to agree with the verdict. I inherited an XG Falcon Ute a few years back that had been sitting in a shed for a decade. Completely original, had to do some work on the engine but now use it almost daily, very smooth to drive and I’m constantly surprised with how reliable and enjoyable it is. Thanks for appreciating these soon to be classic Australian motor vehicles.
Great vid mate. Just got my au forte back on the road after 6 months sitting in the front yard. Youve given me insperation to keep going with it. And no more riding my motorcycle at night in winter to work. Cheers, Don, Sturt , South Australia.
Love the AU, I have three other cars, a Y62 Patrol, Nissan Navara and a Hyundai I30, all modern, then I have a AU Fairmont. The AU has only 40k on the clock but although I don’t often drive it I so look forward to it. It’s so comfortable and beats all our other cars hands down although they range in sizes and functionality.
The seats in my vt spac are stitched I've owned it for 18 years it still has the original exaughst, alternator, power steering pump and fuel pump. It's on it's 2nd starter motor, steering rack and set of brake pads. It's never left me stranded
Right on the money. I am a Holden person, but the AU and BA cars I really like the comfort of a drive on the long highway 🛣. But they’re starting to increase their value now as so many were sent to the scrap gods. I will get one to keep in the shed just to say I have one when I am older. Great job yet again with the detail of visual and audio styling. Your as most confident like John on his channel. Keep it up! Awesome job yet again!!
Not a fan of either but my thoughts on this growing up in that era are all based the looks. At the time I feel that the VT was by far the better looking car with the AU looking like an aborted mess. However when it comes to aging, i feel the AU looks a lot better these days where as the VT to me looks and feels extremely dated. I'm also getting generic bogan vibes looking at the VT which might be impacting my feels :)
Agreed. I have a black '99 AU XR8. My friends that don't know about cars are shocked when I tell them it's 21 years old. It was way ahead of its time, not to mention it's bullet broof.
I'm not sure if you still reply to comments anymore, but I've been slowly getting into cars more and more. I never noticed how many of those ford falcon AUs are around, and I think they've grown on me, especially the bug eye headlights variations XD. I loved how the video was based on personal experiences and not just looking at the car and going "Yeah I think this one is nice". Definitely subscribed! And hopefully, once my old Barina TK bites the dust, I can find my own project car to tinker up and try be a mechanic like my sister :D
@@MotoringBoxTV As a big bloke, those are my two top priorities! If I can sit in there without feeling like a sardine, I'm happy as larry lol. Now I just need to find one that's affordable and doesn't look like it came out of a lake after 30 years of submersion, facebook marketplace is crazy where I live XD. Thank you for replying! It's nice to see you still comment on these videos!
I love them both, get a good well looked after example of either and you can't go wrong. I own an AU Fairmont in stunning nick and love it. I can get my hands on a mint 115 thousand original Ks VT, previously owned by a retired doctor for a steal and have been trying to persuade my son to buy it Would buy it myself but no real need for it. If I didn't have the AU would buy it in a heartbeat
The gearbox in the VT shouldn't be clunky. The L60E gearbox are smooth. Try changing the transmission oil and check the tailshaft couplings. They may be worn out. Also check diff backlash. Change the diff oil. Slightly thicker viscosity.
The beauty of this review is that it’s totally independent. There are no marketing dollars attached to the advertising around the article that influence a Journo’s review.
I owned a 2000 AU series 2 Forte and after giving that thing a 300,000 Km work out driving up and down the Bruce Highway for 10 years the only problem I ever had with it was the paint work fading from it being out constantly in the hot Queensland sun. Apart from the usual replacement stuff like Fluids, oils, tyres and brakes I had absolutely no major mechanical problems what so ever. I traded it in 2010 for an FG falcon XR6. As much as I love the new FG, The AU was one of the best value and most reliable cars I ever owned. As a mechanic I was astonished at the amount of VT commodores that were coming into the workshop with major problems. How can something with so many problems be a no one seller. For my money the AU wins hands down and I don't care what anyone else says. If I ever had to go back to an old cheap car again I would buy the AU without hesitation.
Great review. I've never owned either car (I've owned an EA and a BF) but I've driven all three iterations of the AU Falcon and you're absolutely right about them being brilliant cruisers. That's what I love about Falcons.
Great video Sean, clearly a lot of work goes into them. Quality is better than quantity, keep up the good work! As for the result of the video, think I'd agree with you these days. Drove both cars 20 years ago while traveling through Australia. They were standard 6 cylinder hire cars and I preferred VT since it felt more like a drivers car. Now I'm in my 50s I think I'd prefer the comfort of the AU.
These 2 cars are incomparable.They are 2 very different beasts.The commodore is suited to high speed cruising/long trips where as the falcon is your Sherman tank ready for any dirty work you can throw at it.
Thanks for the great imformation of these two favourites of mine. I have an au2 xr8 ute manual 200kw.Owned it for fifteen years, been a great vehicle no problems. Has 141000km on the clock goes like it did 15 years ago.
@@MotoringBoxTV Thanks for that, it's venom red with black leather interior. It's still in above average order. It is totally original with no mods. Been a good old ute, Over those years.
Gotta say, you really can’t go wrong with either car, but the AU Falcon will always be the top contender in my books. Top notch video mate. Getting my P’s early 2021 and saving for an AU, BA/BF, or FG XR6. Absolutely awesome cars
Brilliant job once again. Very objective and balanced review. I certainly didn’t like the AU very much as a youngster and was firmly a Holden fan but the AU has certainly grown on me over the last 20 years. These days, while I own a Holden I’m not as one eyed as I used to be, I must admit that we did a good job here building a big car for a big country and it’s a shame that the ability to buy the latest and greatest Falcon, Commodore or Magna/380 is now gone
380 is something I want to check out. That thing bombed super badly, thanks to a few big mistakes from Mitsubishi. Brilliant car, but with a crap name and released at a time when the large sedan market was on the way down.
I have owned neither of them but the place I worked for at the time meant I spent a lot of time driving both of them. I always found the Falcon to be the nicer of the two to drive. Quieter, smoother and somehow more refined. It turned out at the time to be more reliable too. In the 2000's I went off to buy a used car. The dealers had plenty of AU's and VT's on offer but I knew what they were like to drive, so I took a 2005 3.5 V6 Magna for a spin. I liked it and bought it. I had it for eight years and never had a worry with it. It never ceased to amaze me how it drove and handled and to this day I haven't seen a car that was finished to the same high standard.
Awesome video, loved the review! When I was at uni I had a VX Berlina with the 3.8L V6 which was virtually identical to your VT Calais, so that car will always hold a spot in my heart. Looking forward to seeing what's coming up next on your channel!
Bloody good shit lad. Only thing I would say is I think the au interior is much nicer with the climate control interface and wood grain that stretches throughout the car.
It's an acquired taste for sure. When I was editing the video I couldn't help but notice that the shots of the AU dash looked better (to my eyes anyway).
Falcons were great cruisers. Set them in a straight line and they would eat miles at any speed. But they were never as happy going around winding corners. The commodores I've owned simply loved to corner and felt very competent at it. But straight line highway undulations always required more concentration and felt less planted. I think which one was the better driver completely depended on the type of roads you drove on. Both of them were good cars. Its such a shame they've gone.
When I was a 8years old the VT came out and when I 9 years the AU came out, my brother and both said that we would own one , he own a VT and I own an AU we love both cars
The trend for rear spoilers in th 00's wasnt for looks it was to enable visibility when reversing.90% of the cars had these fitted for this reason. Once the boot line was raised they almost completly disappeared.
I would like to look at a VE one day, obviously compared to an FG. But yes, looking at the differences between it and the VT would also be pretty interesting.
I've owned both these models back in the day but they were both 6 cylinders, I currently have a LS1 commodore so do know how good that engine is. I agree with most of what you said, I found the AU was better and more refined from engine to driveline where as the calais was better built, equipped and drove nicer on the road (yours has suspension mods where as mine was stock. I agree that both models were actually great cars and it's hard to chose between the 2, to me the AU styling was a bit before it's time but I like how both look. My final thought on them was the Calais was actually a nicer car to drive daily, there was something about how it got down the road where as the AU felt boring even though it did drive nice also. When you start getting into mods though the Holden is always more bang for your buck especially with the V8 and the LS1 is a great engine when you start working on it, it really does respond to mods so it's a win to the Calais, if we were talking the Barra then it's Ford but sadly the Barra wasn't available back then. P.S. the door latches on the Holden have a rubber on them which breaks off after time and results in the door moving, have been through that myself, replace the latches and the doors sit tight. Keep up the great work, love the channel
Fantastic analysis video in a way that feels very neutral in opinion. Great work. I personally own a VT Calais as a weekend car ( was my late father in law's) and an Au falcon as a work car. I love both very much, but for everyday use and reliability. AU wins. Ugly but wins
Thanks for the awesome video! The quality of some of these car reviews are so professional these days, I don't know how you do it.I loved the AU, I had a ute for 10 years, which barely missed a beat. Love the VT too, but the Holdens were always out of my budget.