Traded the EL for a AU

[old_mate]

...but only for the weekend

went back to brisbane for 5 days, got to punt my Dad's new car, AU III SR sedan. Stock as a rock

what i liked about the AU

-Nice, tight and quiet (only 100k on the clock)
-excellent on fuel (in comparison to my tired EL, i got 600ks out of a tank city cycle)
-SR interior is nice
-auto well behaved (like mine used to be)
-i cannot believe how much i liked the stereo controls on the steering wheel
-comfy seats

Only thing i disliked was the seating position, i felt i was way too high above the steering wheel and couldn't fix that feeling no matter how i adjusted the seat. I also reckon my EL would flog it...AU felt real doughy off the line, had good midrange but died in the top end. Handling was excellent for a stocker much better than the EL before i modded it

I had decided then and there to get back here offload my Fairmont for about 4 grand and go buy a AU ute

Then i got back and drove my faithful Eseries. And yep, instead of going into debt another 15k for a AU I'd only have to invest 5 or 6 into it to be happy. The AU was definately a better car, apart from the driving position, but i'd guess you'd expect that being 5 years junior to the EL. I imagine a BA would only be better again (better not drive one then)

What are everyone elses thoughts? I imagine some here would have driven a AU before (be is S1 S2 or S3) and i'd like to hear others comments (except Dan he cant shake the Eseries persona lol...even after owning one of the best AU's around)

[EFFalcon]

while i found the AU to be a lot more refined, smoother, quieter etc.
i personally found it didnt have enough feel in it, nor did i like the seating position.
A pillar blocks too much vision and accel pedal is uncomfortable to use, don't like the AU on long trips compared to my EF.

[Damo]

My old Mans current AU2 company car is a crapper, it's E-Gas and has been in a major head on (was a co workers car and his wife stacked it), it's about as quick as a 3 speed EA. His Previous AU1 duel fuel wagon was heaps better and was a lot quicker, it was also better than his early BA E-gas which he handed in when his license was suspended. Getting a BF very soon so will be interesting to see how that compares.

Convert you EL to 5 speed like you've allways wanted, and fix up the body etc and it will be heaps better than any GAYU. :P

[GlennBA]

in stock form E series feel very bargey to drive in my opinion. The AU is a bit more refined and handles considerably better. Not having a go at anyone, its just my opinion
They are both pretty good cars though

[Supa R00]

Originally Posted by EFFalcon

while i found the AU to be a lot more refined, smoother, quieter etc.
i personally found it didnt have enough feel in it, nor did i like the seating position.
A pillar blocks too much vision and accel pedal is uncomfortable to use, don't like the AU on long trips compared to my EF.

I felt exactly the same, i hit my bloody head on the way out too for the first time! also driving it with the slanted front windscreen gave me a queezy feeling and i had a bit of travel sickness feeling, but other than that a very nice car.

[niko]

shame they didnt refine the outside!!!! :P

[lv619]

I'm not even going to compare my AU to my dads EL they are WORLDS apart (hmm lets compare the EA to the XF, lol). Spongy breaks, clunky diff, slushy auto, um bland interior... compared to firm breaks, tight diff and well an over all superior design. I guess if we are talking base model vs base model it might be a different story, lol.

[The Dok]

For what it's worth, I've still got my EF wag (can't bare to to sell it yet) as well as my AU1 F/mont wag & as I do drive them both, (AU mostly as it's duel fuel, Tickford gas) I think that puts my in a good position to compare, with the exception that neither are stock but have similar suspension/handling setups. Have to agree with "old mate" the seating position in EF puts you in more command. However AU is much more powerful, better on fuel, more responsive on take off, handles signifigantly better, is more refined & generally feels bigger even more spacious. It's also worth adding that I stepped out of an EA wag (was a nice car) into the EF, I thought the EF was leaps & bounds ahead, then stepping into the AU after driving the EF for 18 mths, was like.............heaven, for the want of a better description. Probably the biggest dislike about the EF was the power steering, seemed harsh/tight, EA was too light & the AU seems to fit snugly somewhere in between. :evilsasmo

[b2tf]

before the blue toy arrived we had my EF and the AU2 in the driveway (AU2 Fairmont and EF2 Futura).

The EF felt a lot more down and dirty and up for a good punt, the AU is more a of cruiser but will still go if you put the foot down.

Like everyone else has said I reckon the seating position was better in EF/L than AU, but it pretty much stops there in terms of what EF/L has over AU for me.

[Dezza]

I've driven an AU Fairmont and a couple of BAs (XT sedan and XT wagon). I loved them both, they all drove really well, particularily compared to the old EA. I'm not a big fan on the pedal layout on the BAs. It's too cramped, particularily for size 12 feet! The AU seemed better, but the pedal layout on the EA feels better than all of them. Other than that, the AU and BAs felt much smoother, a lot more refined (no clunking auto, nicer power delivery). It's also nice to hear the engine without a stack of fan noise (go the old clutch fan).

The volume controls on the steering wheel are great, and the cruise control is A LOT easier to use than on my car (my Cst Res button is nearly dead, the Set Acc button might take a few goes before it actually works). It was also great that I could knock 5kph off my speed by pressing one of the buttons as well (great when I get behind a car that is slightly slower), much easier than switching off cruise and setting it again 5kph below what I was doing. The steering on AUs and BAs feels much nicer than the ultra-light EA steering. Also, none of those cars had the squeaks and rattles like my nearly 16 year old car. The Sport Shift on the BAs is great, good fun! I didn't push any of the cars hard, so I didn't get a real feel for handling and grip.

Next, the seats! While I loved the seats on the AU Fairmont (velour), I wasn't impressed with the BA ones. They didn't seem as comfortable as my EA velour seats, but that could be because they were only the XT cloth versions. I'd need to drive a BA Fairmont, complete with velour to get a fair assessment. Overall though, the EA feels primitive next to the AU and BAs. The later model Falcons are great cars, but sadly they are out of my price range. I'm still going to drive the EA for many years.