So I'm thinking about a BA-BF or VY -VZ for my next windsurfing car.
I gather that the Falcons are more refined and have a nicer engine but the trans and diffs are a bit suspect in durability, while the commodores are a bit less smooth but don't seem to have any issues and are more economical.
My other choice is Magna, but I already have one of those so know all about them and the amount of gear I am collecting is getting a bit too much for it. Vans are out for safety reasons and trailers are out for parking reasons.
Has anyone got an opinion or advice for me on whether the Falcon or Commodore would be the better car?
Dont know anything about Falcons except that you lose some space in the rear as the spare is inside the car instead of being under the floor.
Can fit heaps of gear inside when all seats are down. I can get 3 boards, masts, 3 booms and 4-5 sails in plus gear bag etc.
If you are taking the family then with decent roof racks you use the split fold rear seats in different configurations.
As far as driving is concerned they are a big car and if you are a lead foot will chew the gas. All Ive had replaced/fixed on mine is the hoses and power steering pump. The V6 3.8 is pretty good on highway conditions but gets thirsty in stop/start city driving.
Just make sure you get a Series II of any model as the first ones are renowned for problems.
Hope this helps.
Have a VYII Acclaim on LPG - cheap and economical - the transmissions are a bit weird and don't like dropping back gears when you accelerate up a hill, cruise is good but not "intuitive" and throttles hard on hills - I only use it on relatively flat areas.
Scuba gas tank is around 55L gas and does around 320-340K's for $25 around the city.
Can fit 3 boards,(84-112) 4 sails and all the other gear with 3 in the car + their is stacks of room on the wide type Rola racks.
Must say I have had a good run out of it but the transmission and cruise "thing" annoys the crap out of me when in the hills
Tows the Jayco nicely with a load and 4 people.
Must say the Falcon 100l gas tank is a real draw especially if your not going to remote too often.
Good luck - I think their both a pretty safe and reliable purchase
Have a VZ Acclaim... The best word to describe it is satisfactory. It is not good, it is not bad. It has done almost 50K km and the electrics are getting tired!
The 3.6l V6 in the VZ is a lot better then the 3.8 V6 that was used in the VT-VY. However, the electric throttle is aweful. Throttle lag! A tank of premium every now and then helps...
Falcon wagons are really ugly... and the spare in the back is simply stupid... shame... Both wagons are cheap compared to other big cars. Check out the auctions - save thousands off dealer and even private prices.
The big question is... what comes next? The VE wagon is 20 cm shorter than the VZ - which is quite a lot, when the noses of boards alreay rest perfectly on the centre arm rest between the front seats. Hopefully ford make a better wagon when the next one comes out.
I have an AU Falcon wagon and a VS Commodore wagon. The AU is exactly the same as a BA as far as interior shape/space goes and the VS is only very slightly shorter than the VT onwards. Same engines as well (mostly).
They are both good cars for windsurfing, and I agree, the engines in the commodores are slightly more fuel efficient than the falcons.
The only significant difference I care about is that the split fold seats in the commodore allow a passenger to sit behind the driver when boards are run down the passenger side, while the falcon doesn't. This is because the falcon splits the rear seat on the other side to the commodore.
I don't know why people are mentioning the spare in the back of the falcon. This is only the case if you have LPG and the LPG tank replaces where the spare would sit. If you don't have LPG the spare is under the car and you don't even need to remove all the gear from the back to lower it down. On the commodore you reach the spare from inside and have to move your boards out of the way to get to it.
The commodores are more popular, so expect to pay more for them than the equivalent falcon. I believe that the reliability for both is generally the same, and the only reason people favor the commodore is people like the look of them better.
what about something smaller,
i'm tossing up between the ford focus and the hyundai i30cw
Wow I thought Holden vs Ford would degenerate pretty quickly, and end up like a kiting v windsurfing thread. 
Then again this is the windsurfing forum I guess.......
Really I pick neither, I have a 2002 Commode wagon 
but it is more for the missus, I drive the fourby. Given a $10K spend for one car and it must fit w/s gear in I'd get a 10 y/o Pathfinder / Challenger / Pajero.
Fits same stuff as the Commode or Foulcan but you can also go windsurfing at remote beaches and we all like that huh
the holden's nice bit pricey....plenty of room for boardshttp://cgi.ebay.com.au/Ford-Spanmor-Hearse-88_W0QQ
cgi.ebay.com.au/2008-Holden-Commodore-VE-MY09-hearse-Black-A-Hearse_W0QQitemZ220493766696QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Cars?hash=item335673e028itemZ320441049164QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Cars?hash=item4a9bc6604c
).
how do the subaru liberty's, toyota camry's go with windsurfing gear?
I'm in the market for a new windsurfing vehicle but im not keen on a big 6 or a van.
My previous windsurfing car used to carry formula gear etc, vw golf couldnt quite fit the formula board inside...
I've got an 07 Impreza. It's too small to fit a board inside unless you move the front seat forwards too. However the liberty is quite a bit longer so I believe a board would fit. The new one is hideous though - what were they thinking?!
I love the built-in roofrack mounts on my car and the rubber tray for the boot - both very convenient for windsurfing.
