Ride Report - '05 Ford Fairlane Ghia (Australia)
Jan 25, 2006, 4:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego US and Brisbane AU
Programs: AA EXP/2MM - DL PM - OZ Diamond - Bonvoy LTT - Hyatt Glob - IHG Plat - National EE - Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,315
Ride Report - '05 Ford Fairlane Ghia (Australia)
First off, a big ^ for the staff at the Hertz location in Brisbane. Three years ago, as a foreign exchange student in Australia, I had stopped by the Brisbane City location to enquire about car rentals, but could not rent because I was under 21 at the time. The Hertz agent actually took the time to call a few other companies in the area to see if they would rent to me instead! 
Fast forward to earlier this month, where I had originally reserved a BMW 3-Series over the phone (not being fully aware of another age requirement, this time for the luxury cars
). A day later, someone from the Brisbane City location called me personally to deliver the bad news, but offered me a Fairlane for the Camry rate (i.e. double-upgrade). Would have been nice to try the new 3, but at least I would get to drive one of Ford Australia's homegrown cars instead. ^
http://www.ford.com.au/range/fairlane/models/
From Ford Australia's website, my particular Fairlane Ghia had no additional factory options and had a retail price of AU $58,625.
Power: My rental example was equipped with the standard 4.0L I6 with approximately 240+ hp. Even in a large and heavy car like the Fairlane, the DOHC motor had no trouble getting me up to speed, and I was pleasantly surprised by its refinement and willingness-to-rev, especially when compared to the Duratec 3.0L, which is found in many North American Ford products. The car isn't blazingly fast, like our 280 hp Avalon or 345 hp 300C, but I'd imagine the optional 5.4L V8 should take care of that nicely. The four-speed automatic transmission was usually smooth-shifting, but was hesitant when pushed, often ending up with an abrupt downshift. The manual-shift/tiptronic feature was also slow in its response. I was not able to note my observed fuel economy (or the expected figures from Ford AU), but the rate of fuel consumption seemed to mirror what I would expect from an average full-size car.
Ride/Handling: Thanks to its RWD architecture, the Fairlane was actually one of the more enjoyable large sedans I've driven. Steering is a bit overboosted, but the response is generally direct. Body roll is a bit too much for my personal preferences, but for a large sedan, it's quite capable. Ride is buttery-smooth, with the suspension being extremely compliant in eliminating road imperfections. The chassis seems to do a good job of holding everything together, as overall, the car feels more like a midsize sedan, and not boat-like at all. Brake feel is on the light-to-moderate side, but they're effective. Standard traction control took care of most RWD-related traction issues and was not intrusive at any time.
Interior: The Fairlane interior is a perfect place for an Australian road trip. Design is clean and elegant, and ergonomics are well done. Of course, switching from LHD to RHD resulted in a few ergonomic snafus, but that's pretty much operator error.
Tactile and material quality is very high, and IMO exceeds North American Ford standards, especially with regard to the soft-touch plastics and chrome accents. Assembly was also adequate, as I experienced no build quality issues. The seats were trimmed in a very nice leather, and were comfortable and supportive. Interior and storage space was as expected for a vehicle of this size.
Features: Besides the standard power and luxury accessories, the Ghia spec also includes audio controls on the steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control (quite effective in the Australian summer), adjustable pedals and a 6-disc in-dash CD changer.
Value: The Fairlane Ghia was classified as a premium car, so I would suspect it would be similar to a G class for Hertz US (i.e. one class above full-size). There's not really much else that Hertz offers at the high-end in terms of sedans, besides the 3-Series and 5-Series, so if you need a car to comfortably carry five passengers and some luggage, the Fairlane is your choice. :-: Overall, it was an interesting drive, as many of us car enthusiasts in the States clamor for Australian RWD cars such as this. In that respect, while the exterior styling was a bit too plain for me, I was impressed by the Fairlane overall and found it to be a great full-size sedan. ^
To sum it up:
The Good
Surprisingly capable
Refined and quiet
Comfortable and nicely-trimmed cabin
The Bad
Drab styling (IMO)
Transmission could use a bit more tuning
Why can't we get this instead of Crown Victorias?
Fast forward to earlier this month, where I had originally reserved a BMW 3-Series over the phone (not being fully aware of another age requirement, this time for the luxury cars
). A day later, someone from the Brisbane City location called me personally to deliver the bad news, but offered me a Fairlane for the Camry rate (i.e. double-upgrade). Would have been nice to try the new 3, but at least I would get to drive one of Ford Australia's homegrown cars instead. ^http://www.ford.com.au/range/fairlane/models/
From Ford Australia's website, my particular Fairlane Ghia had no additional factory options and had a retail price of AU $58,625.
Power: My rental example was equipped with the standard 4.0L I6 with approximately 240+ hp. Even in a large and heavy car like the Fairlane, the DOHC motor had no trouble getting me up to speed, and I was pleasantly surprised by its refinement and willingness-to-rev, especially when compared to the Duratec 3.0L, which is found in many North American Ford products. The car isn't blazingly fast, like our 280 hp Avalon or 345 hp 300C, but I'd imagine the optional 5.4L V8 should take care of that nicely. The four-speed automatic transmission was usually smooth-shifting, but was hesitant when pushed, often ending up with an abrupt downshift. The manual-shift/tiptronic feature was also slow in its response. I was not able to note my observed fuel economy (or the expected figures from Ford AU), but the rate of fuel consumption seemed to mirror what I would expect from an average full-size car.
Ride/Handling: Thanks to its RWD architecture, the Fairlane was actually one of the more enjoyable large sedans I've driven. Steering is a bit overboosted, but the response is generally direct. Body roll is a bit too much for my personal preferences, but for a large sedan, it's quite capable. Ride is buttery-smooth, with the suspension being extremely compliant in eliminating road imperfections. The chassis seems to do a good job of holding everything together, as overall, the car feels more like a midsize sedan, and not boat-like at all. Brake feel is on the light-to-moderate side, but they're effective. Standard traction control took care of most RWD-related traction issues and was not intrusive at any time.
Interior: The Fairlane interior is a perfect place for an Australian road trip. Design is clean and elegant, and ergonomics are well done. Of course, switching from LHD to RHD resulted in a few ergonomic snafus, but that's pretty much operator error.
Tactile and material quality is very high, and IMO exceeds North American Ford standards, especially with regard to the soft-touch plastics and chrome accents. Assembly was also adequate, as I experienced no build quality issues. The seats were trimmed in a very nice leather, and were comfortable and supportive. Interior and storage space was as expected for a vehicle of this size.Features: Besides the standard power and luxury accessories, the Ghia spec also includes audio controls on the steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control (quite effective in the Australian summer), adjustable pedals and a 6-disc in-dash CD changer.
Value: The Fairlane Ghia was classified as a premium car, so I would suspect it would be similar to a G class for Hertz US (i.e. one class above full-size). There's not really much else that Hertz offers at the high-end in terms of sedans, besides the 3-Series and 5-Series, so if you need a car to comfortably carry five passengers and some luggage, the Fairlane is your choice. :-: Overall, it was an interesting drive, as many of us car enthusiasts in the States clamor for Australian RWD cars such as this. In that respect, while the exterior styling was a bit too plain for me, I was impressed by the Fairlane overall and found it to be a great full-size sedan. ^
To sum it up:
The Good
Surprisingly capable
Refined and quiet
Comfortable and nicely-trimmed cabin
The Bad
Drab styling (IMO)
Transmission could use a bit more tuning
Why can't we get this instead of Crown Victorias?
Last edited by SpeedRicer; Jan 25, 2006 at 4:25 am
Jan 26, 2006, 2:39 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Sydney, AU
Programs: Hertz PC, Qantas Club, Avis preferred, Thrifty Blue chip/
Posts: 50
Good to see that you like our local Ford products. Ford have just upgraded the Falcon/ Fairlaine range late last year, so all upper level Falcon and all Fairlaine/LTD sedans now get standard:
DSC - Dynamic Stability Control
ZF 6 speed auto transmission with sequential shift (same gearbox in 7 series BMWs, Jaguars, landrover)
17 inch alloys (22/50R17 tyres)
This has now become my standard car as PC. I now always book Full size and get this.
Geoff
DSC - Dynamic Stability Control
ZF 6 speed auto transmission with sequential shift (same gearbox in 7 series BMWs, Jaguars, landrover)
17 inch alloys (22/50R17 tyres)
This has now become my standard car as PC. I now always book Full size and get this.
Geoff
Jan 27, 2006, 12:26 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Diego US and Brisbane AU
Programs: AA EXP/2MM - DL PM - OZ Diamond - Bonvoy LTT - Hyatt Glob - IHG Plat - National EE - Sixt Platinum
Posts: 1,315
If the upgraded transmission is anything like the six-speed in the Jaguar XJ8, it would go a long way in solving my complaint about the transmission. ^
It was definitely nice to experience two of Ford Australia's latest products (had a chance to take a quick spin in the newest Falcon too). When I was in uni, I had a '90 Falcon that was a pretty good car as well -- I guess this puts me on the Blue Oval side in the Fold vs Holden rivalry...
It was definitely nice to experience two of Ford Australia's latest products (had a chance to take a quick spin in the newest Falcon too). When I was in uni, I had a '90 Falcon that was a pretty good car as well -- I guess this puts me on the Blue Oval side in the Fold vs Holden rivalry...