Ford Fairlane 2005 Review

What we liked
>> Solid handling and comfortable ride
>> Improved interior finish
>> Plenty of metal for your money

Not so much
>> Six-cyl gets harsh when pushed
>> Thirsty engines both six and V8
>> Tip shift auto is slow to react

OVERVIEW
Although luxury was a relative term with the Fairlane's highlights including floor carpet, bucket seats and a heater, it was a market that Ford went on to virtually own for the better part of the next 25 years.

Today, the long-wheel base Fairlane models are still based on a similar concept - a larger, more luxurious version of the bread and butter Falcon - but the market has well and truly moved.

With a reduction in import tariffs, many customers looking for luxury motoring have moved into the European arena and the big locals no longer have the sort of share both in terms of volume or presence that they once did.

Domestically, Holden now takes the sales crown with its Statesman easily outselling the Blue Oval two to one, prompting Ford to move its release of the BA Fairlane Mark II forward by a few months.

The BA versions of the long wheelbase cars were first launched in 2003 but according to Ford, the feedback from customers - and reflected in its poor sales performance - was that cosmetically at least, the cars did not live up to the luxury tag. Especially inside, there was little to differentiate them from the Falcon, which could be bought for half the price.

So for Mark II, without spending any serious money on metal changes, the focus has been very much on lifting the look and touchy feely aspects of the car to give it a more prestigious ambience.

As with Mark I, there are three models in the range, the six-cylinder or V8 Fairlane Ghia, V8 Fairlane G220 and the top of the range V8 LTD. Price increases for the Mark II range have been minimal and now range from $56,000 for the six-cylinder Fairlane Ghia to $72,790 for the LTD.

FEATURES
With the launch of the BA Fairlane range, Ford delivered a car that no longer drove like the barge it had looked like so for Mark II, the only significant mechanical change has been the adoption of the sports suspension as standard across the range. With a firmer tune for improved handling, the sports option was previously only standard on the G220 model.

Without doubt, the biggest changes have been cosmetic, especially on the base Fairlane Ghia and from the outside, it is now distinguished by an all round application of a thick highly polished chrome strip - down both sides and across the rear and full coverage on the back of the outside mirrors.

Inside there has been plenty of chroming too, although more has been done to improve the prestige ambience. The seats are now trimmed in a new leather that feels and smells more like a cowhide should, the centre console is finished with a classy looking black plastic and the steering wheel is a wood and leather combo.

Both the Ghia and the G220 also get a new eight-way power driver's seat while the LTD gains a DVD rear entertainment system as standard that can be swapped at no extra cost for a sunroof. There are also some new paint colours in the range.

COMFORT
Part of the appeal in the past of the local prestige products has been the longer wheelbase that in the current generation sees the Fairlane being stretched 90mm over the standard Falcon. This translates into an overall length increase of 237mm, much of which ends up in the expansive rear seat room and big boot.

With the move to Ford's control blade rear-end suspension with the BA, driving comfort was a big beneficiary and whether you are sitting behind the wheel or in the rear there is a comfortable feeling that the ride is of a refined quality and nicely controlled.

With the new sports suspension settings it is a little firmer but not so much that it dramatically affects the ride comfort.

The seats themselves are big and supportive and there is no shortage of adjustments for the driver's pew, pedals and steering wheel to ensure you attain the perfect driving position. A long list of standard equipment helps make your journey a pleasant one and includes a dual zone climate control, a quality in-dash six stack CD player and steering wheel controls for audio and cruise control.

SAFETY
As a big car, you are probably always going to fare better in a crash in a Fairlane that in a Fiesta but that said, the Fairlane range doesn't shirk on its share of safety kit. Upfront there are driver and passenger and side airbags with dual stage inflators which combined with seatbelt pre-tensioners help to reduce any potential injuries in a crash.

The adjustable brake pedal also collapses in a crash to reduce potential foot and lower leg injuries.

To avoid a crash in the first place, antilock brakes on big discs and traction control are also standard across the Fairlane range.

MECHANICAL
Since the launch of the original BA Fairlane, it has shared most of its mechanical specifications and components with the standard Falcon. Under the bonnet driving the rear wheels is a choice of two engines, the vastly upgraded for BA 4.0-litre inline six-cylinder and the 5.4-litre V8. Maximum outputs for the six are 182kW at 5000rpm and 380Nm at 3250rpm while the V8 generates a maximum power of 220kW at 4750rpm and peak torque of 470Nm at 3250rpm.

Both drive through a standard four-speed automatic transmission with a tip-shift sequential manual option.

For BA Ford dropped the rear double-wishbone suspension in favour of the new independent Control Blade system but up front the long wheelbase Fords all still use a double-wishbone setup.

COMPETITORS
Most obvious rivals for the Fairlane range are the Statesman and top of the range Caprice from the Holden camp and as mentioned, these are definitely the punters favourites. Although the LWB Holdens are far more distinctive and differentiated from the standard Commodore, the Fords do have an edge in the driving stakes.

A new rival in the form of the Chrysler 300C is set to land on these shores late this year with a choice of V6 and Hemi V8 engines but people in this market these days are not necessarily looking for a capacious back seat but a luxurious ambience and ample performance.

As a result, if you are looking to spend between $60,000 and $70,000 on a prestige car and vast space is not a major priority then the options run across a broad swathe of Europeans from the smaller six-cylinder Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C Class and Jaguar X-type to the mid-sized Saab 9-3/9-5, top-end Volvo V50/S60, Rover 75 and Volkswagen Passat.

ON THE ROAD
Despite Ford spending a small fortune on converting the unloved AU Falcon into the multi-award winning BA, it was essentially still a mid-life upgrade and as such there wasn't a hell of a lot left in the kitty to spend on sheetmetal aesthetic changes. That was even more evident in the long wheelbase cars which didn't differ a lot from their predecessors and as explained, the changes for BA Mark II on the exterior front are miniscule.

But what did change from AU to BA was the way the car drove and that is still its biggest selling factor in this market, and one that may have even become a little sharper with the adoption of the sports tune suspension across the range.

For despite the car's overall length of 5.15 metres and a kerb weight in the V8s that exceeds 1.8 tonnes, on the road the Fairlane never feels like a really big car.

Aim it at a tight corner and the feedback through the well-weighted steering wheel indicates that yes, you are turning in tightly and the car easily follows your desired line. It sits solidly on the road and has plenty of grip but should things start to go awry the traction control works in a reasonably subtle manner to pull the car back on course.

At the same time, the Fairlane is being promoted as a luxury car and along with this comes a requirement for ride comfort and the longer wheel base of the big Fords help deliver this. Over a vast range of road surfaces across the short 250km launch drive, the car never revealed the true state of the road surface with plenty of controlled compliance in the spring and damper settings.

With the six cylinder tipping the scales at 1770kg, the engine is adequate but does tend to get a bit coarse and loud when pushed into the upper rev limit so our choice of powerplant would be the V8. Its acceleration is effortless, it delivers a nice subdued note under throttle and remains smooth and refined across the rev band.

The auto box is not a match for the competition and is showing its age but it remains reasonably smooth although like many, the tip shift is very slow to react to driver input and is really only effective in holding down gears longer.

As a car in which to spend a long time behind the wheel, the Fairlane is a great proposition but unless your kids or those occupying the back seat are not remotely challenged in the leg length department, then we don't see any reason to stretch beyond the shorter wheelbase Fairmont.