Whats going on with Commodores?

[TadKa]

This isn't funny at all but What the hell is going on with commodores. I think in the last month there has been about a dozen very serious accidents with Commodores full of people doing 160 into trucks or trees and busting into flames. Almost every serious accident you see in the paper or the news is a 90's commodore. Sure I like to drive a bit wild every now and then when I'm by myself on an empty road, but when I see a VL-VX Commodore full of young guys I almost want to pull over and wait for the danger to pass. And I feel for these guys. We all make mistakes but there one mistakes have killed about 20 young people lately.

[jcxr]

There was a news item the other day, 2 guys trapped in an upturned xr6, so i wouldnt be to specific on vehicle types. Im fairly Ford oriented,but it takes all kinds.

[Donald McAlpine]

And there was another in yesterday's news. A family of five covering three generations was wiped out after their Commodore crossed to the wrong side of the road into the path of a truck. It happened in NW NSW.

[DJL351]

tick tick tick.......... I see this one lasting.

For the record, the brand of car has on effect of the stupidity of some drivers.

[sleekism]

In the recent "hoon" crackdown they were ALL Commodores bar one Falcon.

I think it's funny because the Commodore/Falcon ratio of hooning is nearly 50/50 yet the ones caught are 95% Commodore.

Nothing wrong with Commodores their drivers just stuff up more lol

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by DJL351

tick tick tick.......... I see this one lasting.

For the record, the brand of car has on effect of the stupidity of some drivers.

No it doesn't but it seems these idiots are going for one brand in perticular. Mind you the other weekend I saw 2 XR6T's, 1 VLT and a 200sx racing up the eastern freeway weaving in and out of traffic, then slowing down to 60k/h and racing again. Almost hit a few cars. Funny enough one of the XR6T had a personalised number plate.

[Dave_au]

Two things:

1) There are more commodores on the road than Falcons
2) For whatever reason, commodores seem to be more appealing to younger guys than falcons. I see a lot more provisional drivers driving commodores than falcons.

[T3ts50]

Originally Posted by jcxr

There was a news item the other day, 2 guys trapped in an upturned xr6, so i wouldnt be to specific on vehicle types. Im fairly Ford oriented,but it takes all kinds.

Heard about that, guy at work thought t was me.

[TadKa]

Yeah for sure there are idiots driving all sorts or cars. In Tas most of the idiots are in Holdens or Grey Imports. But there are a few Ef/El's that go for it. Last week I was turning onto a 60km/h road and a hsv ute driver decided to do a crazy u-turn smoking the tires up like buggery and almost took me out. And what would you know 3 minutes later I follow him into Woolworths carpark and park next to him. I felt like saying something but there was no point. Just went the stare. He had a lovely tall blond in the passenger seat. I suppose he was trying to impress her.

[HLC]

IBTL.


(in before the lock)

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Two things:

1) There are more commodores on the road than Falcons
2) For whatever reason, commodores seem to be more appealing to younger guys than falcons. I see a lot more provisional drivers driving commodores than falcons.

1)I've actually heard there are more Falcons on the road which makes sense considering the Falcon has been around 19 years longer and outsold the Commodore through the 80's.

My theory is that

1)More idiots buy Commodores who barely can drive.
2)Commodores handle worse than most cars. After driving a VN I was shocked it felt like it fell into the corner rather than turned. Add to that bald tyres and RWD and you can see the effect.

Also believe it or not but people with lower powered Commodores (VB-VK) are buying oil squirters which get this: SQUIRT OIL ON THE BACK WHEELS!!!

[Bobman]

There are more young blokes in Commodore's but there are more Falcons around, in fact I think Cars Guide stated there are more Ford cars (all models) than any other brand on Australia's roads.

Most Hoon Commies are VL - VS.

[1sikxt]

im 16 and i got a fair few mates that got there p's and out of all of them only 1 i drives a ford and thats coz its his dads car and he wants 2 buy a vs

[Fev]

tick tick tick...


no matter how biased we are through personal experience and friends, drivers that do stupid things regularly drive commos.

[GORDZ]

the p plate hoons i see around here are ALL commodores. the fully licenced hoons are all fords. Campbellfield, melb.

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by sleekism

1)I've actually heard there are more Falcons on the road which makes sense considering the Falcon has been around 19 years longer and outsold the Commodore through the 80's.

Granted, but given that Australia buys nearly 1 million cars per year and only 13 million of us have a driving licence, most cars thesedays that I see in Sydney are less than 10 years old.

I virtually never see an XF, pretty rare to see anything before an EF, only see a VL or VP occasionally as well.

Simply put, Ford may have sold more, but most of the older cars, regardless of make, are on the scrap heap. I would also imagine that there are more registered Commodores than Falcons, given that for the last ten years Holden have been on top of the sales race.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Dave_au

Granted, but given that Australia buys nearly 1 million cars per year and only 13 million of us have a driving licence, most cars thesedays that I see in Sydney are less than 10 years old.

I virtually never see an XF, pretty rare to see anything before an EF, only see a VL or VP occasionally as well.

Simply put, Ford may have sold more, but most of the older cars, regardless of make, are on the scrap heap. I would also imagine that there are more registered Commodores than Falcons, given that for the last ten years Holden have been on top of the sales race.

Holden may have sold more Commodores but when you look at the figures Ford actually sold more Aussie built cars (remember the territory took alot of sales away from the Falcon).

[Dave_au]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Holden may have sold more Commodores but when you look at the figures Ford actually sold more Aussie built cars (remember the territory took alot of sales away from the Falcon).

But we are talking falcons not terrys..... and production over the last 10 years when Terry has only been here for four.

Here we go - sales of commodore vs falcon since 99 from Russell

[mrniceguy]

Commodores are cheap, the V8's go pretty well and they are "trendy" amongst younger male drivers who are in the highest risk group for crashing anyway.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by vztrt

No it doesn't but it seems these idiots are going for one brand in perticular. Mind you the other weekend I saw 2 XR6T's, 1 VLT and a 200sx racing up the eastern freeway weaving in and out of traffic, then slowing down to 60k/h and racing again. Almost hit a few cars. Funny enough one of the XR6T had a personalised number plate.

I actually noticed a similar thing a couple of years back, except brand specific. Coming back Nth from Byron Bay on a Saturday night past the Gold Coast on the Pacific Hwy Id come across 4 Skylines doing 70-80, then hammer it for a few hundred metres, then back off. After watching that a couple times I eventually get past them and come across 3 or so Commodores doing the same thing. Was a weird drive that night.


There are youtubes of Typhoons dragging Commodores on streets, past T intersections that would suggest you dont need to drive a Commoodore to do silly things. Someone posted a couple here including one of them doing burnouts in suburban streets in an XY.

[Polyal]

Holdens are cheaper, bogans have less money; natural selection?

[Keepleft]

Well, the event yesterday had a box trailer in tow and was overtaking on a two-lane rural road, that means a representative speed of say . . . .

Add in multitudes of other factors, tyre pressure or lack thereof, etc and so on.

Poor buggers, but poor truckie too.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Well, the event yesterday had a box trailer in tow and was overtaking on a two-lane rural road, that means a representative speed of say . . . .

Add in multitudes of other factors, tyre pressure or lack thereof, etc and so on.

Poor buggers, but poor truckie too.

That one in particular was very disturbing; just nothing left.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Holdens are cheaper, bogans have less money; natural selection?

Fords are the cheaper cars. So not sure what you base that opinion on. Go to an auction and the Falcons will always be cheaper and have a lower resale value.

Just look at VL's and the price they get compared to XF's. VQ Statesman's still get $6k for a decent V8 model, while NC V8 Fairlane's will only fetch around $3-4k.

[Werd.]

Falcons are "lame" and VL's are cool.. Thats the way it works.
Theres no real advantage, its just all peer pressure.

[ltd]

This could be one of the reasons Holden seem to have more fatalities, wasn't everything up to the VE based on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caOqD54oxRA

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by ltd

This could be one of the reasons Holden seem to have more fatalities, wasn't everything up to the VE based on this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caOqD54oxRA

Saves the government from crushing them into cubes if they do it themselves :

Oh yeah my brother has VH too. Have to show him this and then see how safe he reckons it is now.

[Bobman]

Originally Posted by Werd.

Falcons are "lame" and VL's are cool.. Thats the way it works.
Theres no real advantage, its just all peer pressure.

So true. The amount of times I've heard from young females "Fords are crap, Holdens rule" - yet they have never even been in a Ford and only follow what the "guys" in their group say.

[Tles]

I could be cruel and go down the "natural selection" route, but most of the people, not just young, who buy Commodores, and Falcons for that matter do so to drive them, hundreds and hundreds of ks on country roads, highways, through the hills. More 100 km/h kms on Bgrade roads = more chance of accident and greater risk of serious injury. "If you lose it on a bend at 100km/h there's a 90% chance your going to hit a tree." - Quote from this morning's Queenscliff road VT wrapped around a tree through passenger door - driver Ok couple of minor scratches - lucky.

Having driven VT Commodore with mates I can attest that the handling is very confidence inspiring (complacency?) up until the ragged edge where the rear end can get twitchy as and catch you out, little too fast into an off camber bend with a bit of chopping up and round she goes. Light rain after a few dry dusty days, less than 80% tread....
Good Car control means being familiar with your vehicle under virtually all circumstances and knowing just what will upset her and set her off. Then what you must do to recover the situation.
Good wife control equals.....well I know most of what sets her off anyway, and what I must do to recover the situation, bout all I know though.

[ef_classic]

Originally Posted by Bobman

So true. The amount of times I've heard from young females "Fords are crap, Holdens rule" - yet they have never even been in a Ford and only follow what the "guys" in their group say.

So true.