Name Your Price
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday March 25, 2006
Buyers of Aussie-built large sedans have never had it so good, writes BILL McKINNON.
We're closing in on a critical six months for the local car industry. Toyota launches its new Camry in July and Holden follows in August with the VE Commodore. Ford can be relied upon to crash the General's party with an updated BF Series II Falcon. Then, in October, Toyota muscles up against Commodore and Falcon with its Aurion, the replacement for the Avalon. Mitsubishi's struggling 380, meanwhile, will be the bunny in their headlights. Big, six-cylinder, home-grown sedans once dominated the Australian market but sales have been on the slide for several years now, driven by rising fuel prices, the growth in user-chooser fleet customers, cheaper imports, changing demographics - you name it.Workers have been laid off, shifts have been cut, plants have been closed. There are still plenty of 2005 plated cars sitting in holding paddocks. So it's advantage buyer, especially on the base models.Good deals are always available on metal that's about to be superseded. Add the fact that these cars are causing their dealers to bleed money and you have, as they say in the trade, a never to be repeated opportunity (well, until the next time, anyway). Ford BF Falcon XT, from $35,880 We found a straight up, no questions asked $6000 discount on the internet for a 2005 model but you can also get a generous deal on a 2006 car if you're ready to sign up. Ford has also been doing cash back offers - up to $3000 - on some 2005 Falcon models. The Falcon is the best of the locally made sedans. Its 4.0-litre straight six engine produces 190kW in the BF. It's now a refined, spirited powerplant, still with torque to burn and superior in every respect bar economy to the Commodore's wheezing, sluggish 175kW base 3.6-litre engine. The four-speed automatic continues on the base model. Others versions have - as standard or an option - the excellent six-speed auto, which does wonders for highway fuel economy and overall performance.Expect less than 10 litres/100km in a six-speed on the open road, or 10-11 litres/100km with the four-speed. The Falcon handles confidently, rides comfortably and at these prices is great value. Holden VZ Commodore Executive, from $35,990 We did even better on the Commodore: a $7000 discount on a 2005 Executive, taking its price down to $28,990. Holden tries to charge an extra $2250 for air-conditioning but you would be asking for that to be thrown in as well. Holden is battling on with the VZ, sales of which have slumped nearly 20 per cent this year compared with 2005. It does so by releasing a constant stream of value added deals, where extra equipment - usually air-conditioning, alloy wheels, a six-stack CD player, rear power windows and a trim upgrade - is included on a "special edition" for no increase on recommended retail price, or even with a drive away offer. That's fine but you can negotiate a big dollar discount as well.The Commodore Executive still handles and steers pretty well but in other respects it drives like it's on its last legs. It was very disappointing in our recent comparison with the Falcon, Mitsubishi 380 and Hyundai Sonata. Toyota Camry Altise, from $33,000 Toyota has the advantage of exporting most of the Camrys it makes, so it is less of a prisoner of local market conditions than Ford and Holden. That said, when the opposition is giving 'em away, you have to respond. We found a $3000 discount on the internet on the 3.0-litre V6 Altise, however it has been advertised for less in Toyota's frequent sales. On past form, you would expect that as the new Camry launch date draws closer Toyota will be wheeling and dealing on the current model to a greater extent than this, with prices in the $28,000-$30,000 range, possibly drive away. Keep an eye on the ads in Drive and be prepared to move quickly. The Camry is whitegoods on wheels, bulletproof and holds its value better than the Commodore and Falcon. Its 141kW, 3.0-litre V6 four-speed auto is more economical but it lacks the bottom-end torque of the Ford and Holden engines.
© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald