Ford Falcon XR8 vs Holden Commodore SS V
Comparison Test
Carsales Network verdict:
Performance: Holden Commodore SS V
Handling: Holden Commodore SS V
Comfort: Ford Falcon XR8 Luxury Pack
Value: Ford Falcon XR8 Luxury Pack
Overall: Holden Commodore SS V
The boys in blue were unequivocal; the Commodore SS is a car for those who are serious about reaching point B in the shortest elapsed time. And Ford's Falcon XR8 just doesn't compare.
Both men were members of Victoria's Traffic Operations Group, crewing a white Holden Sportswagon SS on the road from Lancefield to Romsey. Our 10-minute audience with them (at a cost of $430 for the two of us) came after they observed the black Commodore SS V and the purple Falcon XR8 travelling at a speed that warranted a chat by the side of the road.
Now we're the first to admit that if you do the crime you should pay the fine, but as far as crimes go, this was very much a case of low-hanging fruit: a straight stretch of smooth, open road, late in the morning on a sunny day, with almost zero traffic around and plenty of run-off either side. The speed detected was not a licence-losing velocity either. Easy money for the state government's coffers...
At any rate, it was an opportunity of sorts to hear a professional's opinion of the two cars. The Senior Connies were very happy with their Sportwagon, which was "just like the sedan." There were more squeaks and rattles, courtesy of the Police-issue gear being carted around in the back, but to drive, the Sportwagon is a winner -- as was the Commodore sedan.
And frankly, between the four of us, that made it unanimous. Both the Carsales staffers had already arrived at the conclusion that the V8-powered Commodore gets the nod over the Falcon in this comparison. The coppers agreed...
This was an unexpected result, considering our two previous comparisons of the six-cylinder Falcon and Commodore had concluded in favour of the Ford. So what was different about the two V8 cars then?
THE BACKGROUND
We'd taken delivery of the XR8 exactly a week earlier and the SS V arrived a few days after that, so we had both cars long enough for familiarisation before we undertook the road trip.
The Falcon required more finesse to slot into a gap that way. Barely half throttle would spin wheels, break traction and fumble the car's forward momentum.
By comparison, the Commodore was more adept in similar circumstances. When it was called upon to deliver window-of-opportunity performance, it did. The Holden's native traction was better on wet roads than the Falcon's in the dry.
Impressions of the XR8 were frankly negative from the start. It drove like a V8-engined FG Falcon should, but there were immediate issues such as not being able to get the power to the ground when turning from a side street into a busy road.
It would be easy to blame the Ford's simpler 'Control-Blade' rear suspension, but we feel that the Commodore's poise is not just a question of its multi-link rear end. It's a combination of such things as weight distribution, gearing, the way the respective engines produce their torque and even the capability of traction and stability control systems.
In feel, the Falcon is much more like an old-fashioned rear-drive muscle car. That's not to say it's lacking dynamic ability, but it wants to swing the tail much more than the Commodore does.
The Falcon's fun, but it's fun for burnouts and donuts, a point our uniformed interviewees in their Sportwagon mentioned. The Commodore is more dependable and safer for getting places quickly -- something desirable in a high-powered sedan.
Colleague Feann Torr and the writer were both flummoxed by the differences in handling and roadholding for the two cars. Feann particularly, due to his involvement in previous Falcon/Commodore comparisons…
We had been expecting the Commodore to be dressed up in the Pontiac G8-style looks of the Special Edition model, but what we got was an older standard car from Holden's press fleet.
The Falcon's ride was ahead of the Holden's around town, but the SS V offered the better grip. Despite the difference in wheel diameter (18-inch for the Falcon, 19-inch for the Commodore), the tyres were the same profile and width (245/40), so the contact patch should have been pretty close.
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