With its Tickford-tweaked 4.0-litre six, improved handling and braking, plus minor cosmetic enhancements, the XR6 showed that the ordinary Ford Falcon had lots of previously unrealised potential.

The late Howard Marsden, who was the marketing managing at Tickford when the XR6 was launched, spoke of 'family sports'. In other words, you get the merits of a standard family sedan with some extra fun factor built in but without a huge impost on the pricetag.

New though this seemed in the early '90s, the idea really dated back to the 1960s when the EH Special was offered with the option of a 179 engine complete with highly-stealable chequered flag badge on the bootlid. For Bathurst 1963, there was even a limited edition S4 variant with -- wait for it! -- sintered metallic brake linings.

After the EH came assorted other Holdens, Falcons and Valiants, the most significant of these probably being the Pacer of 1969 which was very much in the same mould as the XR6.

Combine the go-faster formula with two-door bodywork via first the Torana GTR and XU-1 and then the Charger, and you have the recipe for a lasting Aussie love affair with hot sixes.

Extra carburettors, sportier camshaft, dual exhausts and wider wheels were at the heart of the original formula.  But as electronically fuel-injected engines have become the norm, significant performance gains became harder to achieve.

So, Ford Australia, for example, tried to fool buyers by inventing ESPs and S-Packs, which had no additional straightline performance. It was the Tickford connection that made the XR6 different and notably faster than any ordinary Falcon sixpack.

Fast forward to this century and the hot six has become the warm six. Whether you want a Holden, Ford, Toyota or Mitsubishi, there is a mildly worked version on offer and, as petrol prices climb, resale value decline, meaning you can buy quite a tidy performer for not much money.

The Mitsubishi 380 has come and gone but smart used car buyers will recognise the value in the range, and particularly the sporty VRX variant. Priced at $40K when announced in late 2005, at the end of a three-year lease, a VRX struggles to command a retail price of half that with prices currently starting at $17K.

Is it the recent demise of the 380 that has pulled resale prices down? To some extent, but consider the case of the Toyota Camry Sportivo. Sure there has been a new shape Camry quite recently, but you can buy the previous model in 2005 six-cylinder guise for similar money to the VRX.

What we find is that when it comes to the VRX, resale values are no worse than for rivals and arguably better than for the venerable rear-wheel drive pair.

Yes, the Falcon XR6 and Commodore SV6 have their own problems. The latter is the now very dated VZ model, while it is well known that Falcons of all varieties other than the FPV versions, plummet in value once they have left the new car showroom.

So an SV6 or an XR6 at three years of age comes to market significantly below the $20K threshold.

The relative desirability of the sports versions of family sixes does not seem to have been affected by the glut of used cars. Standard BA Mark II Falcon XTs and VZ Commodore Executives are now dipping below $10K.

FORD FALCON BA MARK II XR6
The stylish Tickford wings emblem has long vanished from the XR6, and there is no improvement in engine performance over the standard 'Barra' 182 kW 4.0-litre six.

As Ford Australia's engineers have exploited the full potential of the Falcon's straight six, there has been less opportunity to sustain the XR's performance advantage over the entry level models. And, it must be said, less need to do so because, by contrast, the 1992 XR6 had 164kW of power, which was extremely impressive at the time.

There is, however, a premium turbocharged variant for buyers wanting extra grunt and the XR6 Turbo has also suffered considerably at the hands of depreciation.

Much the same deal applies to the suspension as the engine, with less scope for significant improvements over the standard model.  The XR does have a slightly lower ride height and firmer settings for a sportier feel with little compromise to ride comfort.

In real terms the biggest differentiator between a base XT model and the XR6 is aesthetic. The exterior and interior treatments give the sporty model additional status and appeal. And there remains the cache of an XR badge.

From the time of its launch in September 2002, the BA range brought a new level of sophistication and refinement to the Falcon. Few observers were surprised when the Falcon was made Wheels Car of the Year. The Mark II versions went on sale in October 2004, taking the process a step further

In absolute terms the BA Mark II XR6 is barely more accelerative than its 1992 forebear; the extra safety and refinement inevitably adding weight. A 0-100km/h time of 7.2sec for the six-speed manual (and 7.4 for the four-speed automatic) is only by tenths superior to what the EB achieved. Times for the standing 400 metres are 15.2 and 15.3 respectively.

Nevertheless, the engine is smoother, quieter and feels like a far more expensive unit than the single camshaft unit used in pre-BA models. While current fashion tends to a V6 configuration, enthusiasts mostly favour the Ford's in-line arrangement, as exemplified by BMW. Strong engine torque from quite modest rpm has long been a Falcon forte (no pun intended on the AU entry level model!).

Excellent steering feel has characterised Falcons since the introduction of the AU range in October 1998. There is little scope for criticism of the XR6 from any dynamic perspective. Certainly the ride is firmish as you would expect of a sports sedan, but in typical Falcon fashion, this car takes rough surfaces in its stride. Handling is great and the car always feels like the rear-driver it is.

The six-speed manual transmission gives impressive fuel economy gains on long trips, but around town the XR6 is depressingly thirsty by current standards. Typically you'll need 13L/100km in suburban conditions but steady highway cruising can see the number fall to 9 in the automatic and 8.5 in the manual.

Accommodation is like any other Falcon in recent memory. Front occupants are well provided for but those in the rear will experience the discomfort faced by every tall or creaky person who has to perform ingress and egress in a Falcon taxi. The door opening is too small, the B-pillar set too far back and the roofline too steeply angled. And this is supposed to be a roomy Aussie sedan. The new XG Falcon has tackled these issues. The boot is generous and the split-fold rear seat a great asset.

HOLDEN COMMODORE VZ SV6
When the VT hit the market in August 1997 it looked and felt like a radically new kind of Commodore, but even the best designs age and by 2005 in VZ guise, this was an old car. But at least the last variant of this generation was blessed with a radically new engine, which in theory should have been a world-beater.

But it wasn't. The 3.6-litre Alloy Tech V6 was offered in 175kW and 190kW versions, the latter powering the SV6. Despite its impressive new technology (for General Motors) of dual overhead camshafts per bank of cylinders, this engine gave little impression of being different from its ancient predecessor.

It was if Holden's engineers had conformed to a brief to make what should have been a genius engine feel and sound like an out of breath athlete. Please note that this achievement was uniquely Holden's. Versions of the AlloyTec engine plumbed into Alfa Romeos sound fabulous. So, go figure!

Even in its more powerful form, the AlloyTec's 190kW power and 340Nm of torque did not combine to provide a high level of performance. The problem here was the relative lack of torque, especially when compared with the XR6.

The SV6 engine gave its maximum pulling power at 3200rpm, while the Ford's was strongest (383Nm) at 2500rpm. It is usually torque rather than power that contributes more to the sense of performance, and this comparison is a clear illustration of the point. In flat-out driving, the Holden is only just beaten by the Ford but the everyday impression markedly favours the XR6.

The SV6 came with a five-speed manual transmission standard and with options of a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. Choose a manual with the extra forward ratio to get the best outcome from the sporty Commodore six. The 0-100km sprint takes 7.5sec in the manual and an extra couple of tenths in the automatic. The standing 400 metre time is 15.5 or 15.6 respectively, indicating that beyond 100km/h the Falcon displays a marked advantage.

At least the AlloyTec engine confers a fuel economy advantage, albeit not as much as one might expect in view of its theoretical credentials. In suburbia, usage is typically around 12 to 12.5L/100km but at highway speeds the six-speed manual sips as little as 8.

The Commodore lacks the sharp steering feel of the Falcon but has excellent handling nevertheless. The ride is too busy to be described as comfortable but the suspension deals effectively with rough roads.

Unwisely, Holden engineers have long favoured the less expensive ski-port arrangement over a proper split-fold rear seat stowage facility. But on the plus side passenger accommodation is superior to the Falcon with room for Harlem Globetrotters. (Holden has its own seven foot engineer for testing!)

MITSUBISHI 380 VRX (2005-06)
The 380 was not as much of a step forward from its Magna predecessor as we might have expected. The fact that the pricing and specification seemed optimistically high and low respectively was borne out by a major re-positioning seven months after the launch.

While the biggest improvements were made at entry level, the VRX benefitted from a price cut from $39,990 to $38,990 and the standard inclusion of leather trim.

There is no difference in engine spec between the VRX variant and other 380s. All make 175kW of power and 343Nm of torque.

This is a notably sporty engine in feel and incorporates many of the impressive features used in the Magna Ralliart performance model of 2002-04. It is smoother, quieter and more willing to rev than the Falcon and Commodore sixes and, frankly, feels like a classier unit, even though it is outgunned.

Teamed to either the five-speed manual or automatic gearboxes, it does a good job. The 0-100km/h sprint takes 8.3sec on the way to a standing 400m time of 16.1. Fuel economy is about the same as the Commodore's, although the Mitsubishi fares better in really heavy urban conditions.

This is one of the better handling front-wheel drive cars on the market with excellent turn-in and minimal understeer. Ride comfort is generally good, and the 380 takes the toughest roads Australia has on offer. It is an excellent all-rounder. The steering feel is not quite as good as the Falcon's and could use just a touch more weight.

The interior is let down by a cheap feel to the plastics but the seats are especially good and there is generous room front and rear. There is significantly more space inside a 380 than any Magna. The boot is huge, but not favoured with a split-fold rear seat. You have to make do with a ski-port instead.

Despite the sometimes unimpressive décor, the build quality of the 380 is clearly half a step ahead of either the Ford or Holden. And you certainly don't get standard cowhide in either of those!

Search Mitsubishi 380 models for sale here

TOYOTA CAMRY SPORTIVO V6 (2005)
Despite sharing its front-drive layout with the 380, the Camry Sportivo is the odd one out here. It is perhaps visually the most extroverted of the quartet but has the smallest engine by more than half a litre.

Nevertheless the Sportivo V6's high standard of quality, excellent dynamics and good fuel economy, as well as its surprisingly low resale value make it worthy of consideration, provided grunt is not high on your list of priorities.

This model has been superseded but from a technological viewpoint it is at least as modern as any of the bunch except the Mitsubishi 380. Despite its bespoke spoilers, the Sportivo remains the most visually challenged, particularly from the rear, where a diet would appear to be in order.

The Camry's 3.0-litre V6 makes just 145kW at 5200rpm and 284Nm at 4400rpm, which is still quite reasonable for its capacity but cannot realistically be compared with the three larger engines in the group.

Surprisingly its performance almost equals the VRX's in flat-out acceleration; as times of 8.4sec from 0-100km/h and 16.1 for the 400m dash demonstrate. Not only that, but this is a delightfully smooth unit with a lovely note.

Specific Australian engineering input has given the Sportivo driver appeal that is lacking in the standard Camry. It feels every millimetre the sports sedan, especially in five-speed manual form.

The Camry is a smaller and lighter car which tips the scales at just 1510kg, compared with 1600 for the next lightest Commodore; 1670 for the VRX and a porky 1710 for the Falcon.

As we drive into darker days of high fuel prices, the Sportivo makes a compelling argument for buying a lighter car -- weight being the enemy of both performance and economy.

It is only at higher speeds that its power and torque disadvantage show up against the others and below the legal limit it feels -- and is -- virtually as quick. But the Toyota is always more economical, averaging 11.5L/100km around town and around 8 on the open road.

There is less sprawling room in the interior than the others because the car is physically narrower but the Camry is spacious enough for most buyers. That fat bum also contains a huge boot which benefits from a split-fold rear seat.

The Driver's Choice
The XR6 wins this because of its rear-wheel drive, grunty straight six and balanced handling. Second place goes to the VRX.

The Sensible Choice
Having a keen eye on value for money and assuming several years of ownership, the distinctive 380 VRX gets the nod, provided you choose the upgrade with standard leather trim, meaning a post-May 2006 car. Runner up is the Camry Sportivo, largely due to its excellent quality and impressive economy.