Ford Falcon XT v Holden Commodore Berlina v Mitsubishi 380 SX v Toyota Aurion Prodigy

Despite what you might have read in the general press, the big Australian six-cylinder sedan isn't quite dead yet. Not even coughing up blood, in fact. Granted, the smallmedium four-cylinder crowd gets the bigger share of the total pool (see chart, below), yet by the end of last year, one in five passenger cars sold in Australia was still a large four-door sedan wearing a Holden, Ford, Toyota or Mitsubishi badge

So, the biggies are less popular than before, but still more likely to create bar room discussion than, say, whether a Corolla will outsquirt a Tiida, or a Santa Fe trounce a Forester in a head-on stoush. Well, in the kind of pubs we go to, anyway.

Which brings us neatly to the subjects of this little comparo, the big four on the local scene right now, namely the Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore, Mitsubishi 380 and Toyota Aurion. It's not the first time you've seen them together in the pages of Wheels: the Aurion arrived last year in a blaze of publicity, as did the VE Commodore, with which Holden took out our Car of the Year. The Falcon BFII and Mitsubishi 380 were also thrown into the ring in a sportysix shoot-out only recently (Jan '07).

This time it's the turn of the one-up-frombase models, the cars a rung above rep-mobile status. That means the Commodore range is represented by the V6 Berlina with standard four-speed auto, the relevant Aurion is the improbably-titled Prodigy, Mitsubishi has the 380 SX and Ford the Falcon Futura.

Actually, hold that last thought, because try as they might, Ford's people couldn't find a $39,290 four-speed Futura on the company fleet to fill our needs, and supplied us with a cunningly optioned base-line XT model instead. More about that in a moment.

Starting with the least expensive, we have the Series 2 version of the 3.8-litre V6 380 SX costing a paltry $32,990, although that's for the five-speed manual, so a five-speed automatic takes that to $34,990. Take it for granted all of these cars come with the basics of power windows, air-con, cruise control and trip computers. To those the SX adds uprated 'sports' suspension, 17-inch alloys, a six-stacker in-dash CD player, powered driver's seat and climate control. It's a good package for the price, with the proviso that on the safety front there are no side or curtain airbags available, and electronic driver aids are limited to ABS and traction control.

The Berlina gets 17in alloys, CD, air-con, etc, for its $39,990 asking price, which is for the 3.6-litre four-speed auto version. Effectively replacing the Acclaim in the Commodore range, this model also comes with side airbags and the electronic stability control (call it ESP) fitted to all its brethren.

The Aurion Prodigy may be virtually lineball with the Berlina on $39,500, but comes with a few additional noteworthy features. Chief among them is leather seat trim (it's the only car here with standard leather), plus fully powered seats for both driver and passenger, as well as curtain airbags. The most glaring omission is decently sized rubber; the Prodigy is the only car here on 16in rims. But if you're into power, its 200kW V6 is a cut above the rest.

With no Futura available, we opted for an XT fitted with Ford's so-called 'Euro sports' pack. It adds an interesting and useful array of upgrades including the ZF six-speed auto (in place of the regular four-speed), ESP, 17in alloys and appropriately wider tyres, and stiffer sports suspension thrown in for good measure. Pricing is a bit weird at the moment: if you're quick, the Euro pack costs only $250 on top of a four-speed XT's $35,990 price, but it will mean a 2006-plated car from the paddock. More realistically, on an '07 car, the options pack costs $2990 taking this XT Falcon's dollar total to a very reasonable $38,990. But because it is an XT, you can forget about a powered passenger's seat, climate control, a six-CD stacker or side airbags.

As if to confirm the Aurion's superiority in the drivetrain department, it managed to head the leader board in the acceleration stakes. But only just: the Toyota hit 100km/h from standstill in 7.5 seconds and covered 400 metres in 15.4sec. However, breathing closely down its neck was the Falcon XT, barely 0.08sec behind at 100km/h, and a similar margin at the 400m mark. Remarkably, perhaps, the Aurion could have been even quicker if its traction control could be turned off, as full-bore starts see the front end becoming light, and power slightly cut to the driving wheels. In either the Toyota or Ford's case, those sorts of acceleration figures are exemplary for hefty, sub-$40,000 family sedans.

The Mitsubishi was third quickest despite having the lowest power-to-weight ratio. It hit 100km/h  in 8.4sec and crossed the 400m line in 16.1sec. Then you get to the Berlina, which was slower by a fair margin. At 9.1sec, it was around 1.6sec slower than the Aurion to 100km/h, and made it to 400m in 16.4sec, or a second behind the Toyota. Look at the order all four cars finished and it seems six (or even five) more closely spaced gearbox ratios work better than four tall ones. Added to that is the VE's weight and power disadvantages compared with the Toyota and Falcon, although it could be worth noting that only the Berlina can be optioned with a 6.0-litre V8 and sixspeed auto. Worth thinking about, that one.

The differences aren't so noticeable on the road, at least in terms of sheer performance - but we'll get to transmission functionality in a jiffy. With only partial throttle openings employed - in other words, more real world driving conditions - the torque of either the Holden or Mitsubishi's V6s is enough to mean that, subjectively at least, they feel anything but slow. Objectively, though, the Berlina is still well behind the others, particularly the Falcon and Aurion, when pushing on from 80 to 120km/h.

Faced with the sort of road that asks the most of a car's dynamics and drivetrain - tight corners, humps, potholes and the requirement to dive from throttle to brakes - and the results are a mixed bag. The superiority of the VE Commodore's chassis is absolute, with finely honed steering that is accurate and loaded with precision feedback, huge rear-end grip even on choppy surfaces, and seemingly limitless amounts of suspension travel. Combined with plenty of roll stiffness and a ride that's taut but not uncomfortable, it makes for a car that's a swift and decisive for cross-country travelling, and a rewarding drive to boot.

Not that the four-speed auto helps matters, though. Fitted as the cheapest option among Holden's three Commodore autos, it has been refined to the point where shift quality isn't the major problem and is actually better than acceptable. But when left in drive the huge gaps between ratios result in some ugly kickdowns when, say, exiting a corner and applying throttle, and the constant swapping between cogs becomes irritating.

For an exact opposite reaction look no further than the Falcon fitted with the ZF six-speed. This is one clever auto, operating unobtrusively when tooling around town and yet instantly on the pace when the stakes are raised. Left in drive and faced with the kind of constantly changing throttle inputs only a challenging road can throw up, the ZF selects a ratio and sticks with it.

The result is that power from the big inline six is always available and can be used to its best effect. Or, as with the Aurion and 380 (but not the Berlina), there's the option of a manual-shift gate. What is apparent is that the Falcon's chassis has a softer set-up than the Holden's, despite the mild sports upgrade that comes with the optional Euro pack. So the ride is supple but, in extreme circumstances like a hump-backed bridge, the rear end will find its bump stops.

Otherwise, the Falcon's dynamic abilities are difficult to fault. The BFII steers as well as the
BA ever did, meaning heavy at parking speeds but beautifully weighted on the move. The rear is responsive to throttle inputs, understeer is minimal, and bodyroll sufficiently contained. In all, the XT reacts like a classic rear-driven, but slightly soft sedan without the overt power to get into trouble.

Bottom of the handling heap is undoubtedly the Aurion, which suffers from a lack of precision in almost every area, and the excesses of a nose-heavy front-wheel-drive chassis in others. First impressions are of a ride quality that is at the same time abrupt and jiggling over high frequency irregularities in the road surface, but also prone to body wallowing over larger undulations. On tighter corners the Aurion leans hard on its outside front wheel, and there's significant steering kickback over bumps, while through faster stuff the back end fidgets and walks across the road. Things aren't helped by the Prodigy-spec Aurion having less rubber and more power than the other three, contributing to chassis ability that can't quite match its pace.

Yet the drivetrain remains impressive, with the 3.5-litre V6 delivering gobs of creamy power, and the six-speed auto shifting with the syrupy precision of a Lexus costing many times more. Despite that, in driving conditions where the Falcon's auto would have no hesitation in holding a ratio for a given series of corners, the Aurion is more likely to fidget between gears. In other words, its refinement is more impressive than its operative ability.

The 380 SX works well enough on the road that it's a preferable driving option to the Aurion, and in some ways enough of an allrounder to level the playing field between it and the Ford or Holden, too. The torquey, 3.8-litre V6 works well with the five-speed automatic, even if the transmission isn't a match for the intuitiveness exhibited by the Falcon's six-speeder auto.

The combination of larger 17in tyres and sportier suspension than the standard 380 offer worthwhile improvements, namely enough traction to largely negate any chance of an inside front wheel spinning, and the extra degree of front-end grip to cancel any front-drive understeer. The Mitsubishi also rides well with bump absorption falling somewhere between the stiffer Berlina and softer Falcon. The upshot is a competent handling, decently quick car without any overtly sporting pretensions.

Fuel consumption was almost too close to call, with the surprise winner being the torquey Falcon delivering 11.6L/100km. Worst (but not by much) was the 380 with 12.3L/100km, while the Berlina and Aurion were virtually inseparable on 11.8 and 11.9L/100km respectively.

But if it's interior space you're after, look no further than the Berlina. It's no accident this car has a superior amount of roominess in pretty well any measurable sense. Take a look at the dimensions: despite being only a few centimetres longer than either the Toyota or Mitsubishi (and actually shorter than the Falcon), the Holden has a whopping 2915mm wheelbase. And every single bit of it has been put to good use.

The VE's cavernous interior is most noticeable from the back seat, which is entered via long doors that open very wide. There's more knee room than the other three, space for passengers to put their toes under the front seats, headroom aplenty and even enough width to carry three adults without too much of a squeeze. All is not perfect, however, thanks to the large central transmission tunnel, a lack of cupholders in the centre armrest and no grab handles integrated into the door trims.

Those latter items, however, are all to be found in the Aurion (along with twin air conditioning  vents that are features found in all four), and the Toyota does indeed have a spacious rear seat by most standards except for the Commodore. Less knee room and width are at least off-set by the lack of a transmission hump to befoul a central passenger's feet. Passengers also sit high, helping give a decent view of the road ahead.

The 380 SX is almost on par with the Aurion in terms of interior space and equipment, although there are no grab handles and the armrests are made of hard plastic. It has a good seating position with better-thanadequate knee and toe room, but headroom is the tightest of the four.

The Falcon is without doubt the most disappointing of the four when it comes to accommodation in the rear. Despite its length, leg room in the back is limited and there's a large transmission tunnel shared in size with the rear-drive Commodore. Access to the rear isn't good either, thanks to the curved turret that dates back to the AU bodyshell. And there's no centre armrest or door pockets - a probable legacy of the XT being a rung down the specification ladder compared with the other three cars. At least the rear pew has better width than the Mitsubishi or Toyota, and there's hat room aplenty.

At the risk of sounding like the ultimate cop-out, choosing a winner from the four is more  difficult than might be imagined, especially given the Falcon's relative age, and the  well-documented brilliance of the VE Commodore. And while each of these four has glaring strengths and weaknesses, on the whole they all represent excellent value for money given their low prices, muscular engines and generally good feature levels.

There's a good case for putting the Aurion Prodigy last. It does have a lot going for it, including a powerful engine and refined transmission giving strong straight-line performance. Plus, at just under $40,000, it is well equipped (leather being the stand out feature) and well built. But the Aurion's chassis is a letdown, managing to combine a restless ride with relatively sloppy handling. From a keen driver's point of view, it's the least satisfying.

The Mitsubishi 380 SX makes a strong case when it comes to value for money, because if the accessories fitted to this test car are ignored, the base price of $35,000 is simply money in the bank. The torquey engine and efficient auto offer ample performance, it handles as a good front-driver should, and three passengers plus driver will find that it's spacious as well. (Add another to the back seat and the 380 is less happy, however.) But the look and quality of the
interior aren't good and while the dynamics are better than adequate, it isn't the sharpest
tool on the rack.

So that leaves second place to the Falcon XT - or, more fairly, the Futura. We won't go into Ford's currently confused pricing policy, but the fact is that a 2006-built XT with the Euro options pack is a very good buy because it simply adds excellent stuff. The six-speed automatic is a beauty, the combination of lazy big-six power and soft yet controlled handling is alluring, and even if rear seat passengers aren't totally cosseted, at least three of them will get comfortable.

So the winner of this particular battle is the Holden Commodore Berlina, but its victory is neither definitive nor easy to arrive at.

The major drawback is the four-speed automatic that does nothing for driving smoothness, and is partly responsible for the Berlina's relatively tardy straight-line performance figures. But that's about it. For the price, the Berlina is strong on safety and comfort features, has an attractive and functional interior, and is streets ahead of the others when it comes to on-road dynamics and useable interior space. It's a close call, but the Berlina tops it.

Images: Cristian Brunelli