Holden Commodore v Ford Falcon v Subaru Impreza WRX v Mitsubishi Magna 2007 comparison
With the performance 'treadmill' and new model cycle getting faster all the time, some of the most exciting Aussie driver's cars ever built are available for 'econobox' money. And the best of the lot might surprise youAs the new car market remains buoyant, used prices continue to slide more rapidly than they have in years. Even some of the most sought after models have become surprisingly affordable. For the price of a new small-medium four-cylinder model, it is now possible to buy a seriously high performance car and there are some fantastic bargains to be found for $20K.
Stretch a little further and the choice gets even wider.
Nearly all of these cars are less than half their new price and, where they are not -- as in the case of the BA Falcon XR6 -- they are only four-years old. Round up the usual cult car suspects, then add a couple of leftfield ring-ins and you have a pretty fancy field from which to pick your personal winner.
There will always be Holden fans and Ford fans, probably devotees of V8 Supercar racing, many of whom might never contemplate owning a high performance V6 or a four-cylinder turbo, while for others all-wheel drive is a highly desirable attribute in a fast machine.
HOLDEN COMMODORE VX SS (for more click
)The VX was the second SS to use the Gen III 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8, which was introduced with VT II in June 1999.
All VX models boasted higher side impact safety, slight improvements to steering feel and suspension, and more standard equipment. The SS added the 'feel-good' factor of colour-keyed instrument dials to set it even further apart from a V6 Executive. It also scored an additional 5kW for a total of 225, keeping it well ahead of the XR8 in the number buyers understand (even though performance finally has more to do with maximum torque than maximum power).
Performance is impressive even on the world stage -- a standing 400m is the work of 14.7sec and 0-100km/h takes 6.5. This was the first SS to include a CD player as standard and it also gained a power antenna, traction control on manual versions and steering-wheel audio controls.
In October 2000 the retail price of an SS manual was $45K and up only a few hundred dollars over the much less powerful Holden-engined VT model of August 1997. Thus the VX represented a high point in SS value. Six and a bit years down the road you can find a reasonable example for $20K if you shop and bargain hard.
FORD FALCON AU II XR8 (for more click
)While most other AU values have dipped closer to $10K than $20K, you still need the latter figure to buy a good XR8 -- the model which has long had the best retained value among Falcons and for good reason.
Although the 200kW Ford 5.0-litre V8 could not rival the 5.7-litre Chevy unit in the SS on outright power, there was little difference in the real world where the Ford's outstanding mid-range torque kept it in the contest.
The XR also steered and handled better than its immediate competitor, as well as having a more comfortable if less extroverted interior. For buyers seeking maximum versatility its split-fold rear seat is most welcome.
There is less difference in performance between the AU II XR8 and its immediate predecessor than you might suppose from the 15kW increase in power. Both can run the standing 400m in 15sec flat with zero to 100km/h taking a whisker under seven seconds. The AU III with 220kW is just a touch quicker again.
FORD FALCON BA XR6 (for more reviews click
)If you can accept a six-pack instead of a V8, your choice of Falcon for $20K steps forward to late 2002 or even early 2003.
Unlike the Holden Commodore S, the XR6 deserves to be considered as a discrete model. You've only got to note its quad headlight front-end to see that it is more than a slightly worked over base model.
The BA marked the first time Ford Australia gave the XR6 its standard inline Falcon six but this twin overhead camshaft 182kW unit needed no apology. For the first time, it even boasted an almost BMW-esque aural quality.
When combined with either the standard five-speed manual or the four-speed automatic with sequential shift feature, the 'Barra' six could propel the car to 100km/h in considerably less than eight seconds. The manual could dismiss the standing 400m in a neat 15sec.
Steering, ride, handling and braking were all of a very high standard and in dynamic terms the BA XR6 is superior not only to any Commodore rival but also the previous model XR8.
The interior represents the proverbial quantum leap. Look hard and you'll find a highish km example in fine fettle for $20K or maybe a touch more.
SUBARU IMPREZA MY00 WRX (for more click
)The Impreza WRX for model year 2000 arrived in August 1999, so don't assume that the year on the compliance plate will begin with a '2'. This was unquestionably the best of the first-generation Subaru rocketships and many prefer the MY00 to its bug-eyed successor, seeing it as 'purer'. It is also about 100kg lighter.
With 160kW of power to propel less than 1300kg, it is easy to understand performance figures of 6.3sec from rest to 100km/h and a standing 400m time of 14.5sec. That said, it must be understood that to extract such times requires brutal treatment of the clutch, so strong is the all-wheel drive traction.
Subaru evolved the WRX steadily from its 1994 launch and the MY00 is a little faster, much more flexible, and far better equipped than its predecessors with dual airbags, rally-style seats and 16-inch alloys. It also has a bigger rear wing and colour-keyed door handles for easy identification at some distance.
Despite its strong torque from below 3000rpm, a WRX cannot keep company with the big V8s on this criterion, but in dynamics it has few equals even in rarefied sportscar company. The agility of a well driven Subaru on tight roads is a reminder of the rally heritage.
Beware of modified cars for a variety of good reasons including engine durability. While a properly serviced standard WRX should easily run 400,000km without drama, ill-modified examples can give bearing troubles before covering half this distance. Prices have just dropped below the $20K mark for good examples.
MITSUBISHI MAGNA VR AWD (for more click
)To the outsider, Mitsubishi Australia's performance car philosophy must have looked incomprehensible in 2002-03.
In the second of these years the company launched all-wheel drive versions of its Magna. These cars actually produced less power and torque than their front-drive siblings but delivered sensational grip, handling and much improved steering feel.
The 3.5-litre V6 dropped from 163kW to 159 but the perceived performance was in fact barely inferior. Here, in a sense, was Mitsubishi's answer to its local rivals and to the Impreza WRX as well. Buyers, however, missed the point.
Now that there is no longer an AWD Magna on offer, the car has won some following and prices have yet to drop below $22K for the VR or $23,500 for the sportier looking Sports variant. Retained value is much better than for front-drive models, including the redoubtable Ralliart.
The AWD Magna is a formidable all-rounder with most of the amenity of an XR8 or SS and most of the agility of a WRX.
MITSUBISHI MAGNA RALLIART (for more reviews click
)The Ralliart was a car that no-one expected and very few wanted. Despite being a highly visible car, Mitsubishi Australia's answer to the Falcon XR6 et al was almost invisible in the market.
The level of engineering hidden behind the Ralliart's lairy add-ons and rather low rent (given the near $50K ask) interior was staggering. In 2002 it had the measure of its six-pack rivals on performance while delivering Audi levels of quality and refinement -- upholstery aside!
The Magna 3.5-litre V6 was tuned to deliver 180kW which meant 0-100 in seven seconds in the manual and less than eight in the automatic. (The Mitsubishi 380's engine incorporates plenty of the good Ralliart kit.)
While the five-speed automatic was superior to anything offered in a Holden, HSV or Ford, the manual gearbox was teamed with a torque-sensing limited slip differential for the delighted pleasure of the keen driver. Now that the price has come down below $20K, such a customer is unlikely to be distracted by the cheap looking interior.
The Ralliart is the most underrated example of one of the most underrated models -- Magna -- ever sold in Australia. How unfortunate that Mitsubishi's Australian genii were not able to blend the performance of the Ralliart with the all-round ability of the AWD models in the one crackerjack motor car.
The driver's choice
Without wishing to evade this question, the answer will depend on who the driver is and what kinds of roads are being traversed. If driving conditions are truly mixed, then the Ralliart takes pole position alongside the WRX with the two Falcons making up the second row. The Magna AWD's brilliance is compromised by relatively modest performance.
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