Quote:
Originally Posted by Citroënbender
What was not good (according to me) about the AU?
Ford were not attentive enough to how far some other countries had come in materials selection, standard fittings and modular component design.
• ABS dash shell - ten years out of date.
• HVAC unit that required dash removal for fan replacement, and no pollen filter - five years behind.
• Rustproofing and panel coatings - ten plus years out of date. The hit/miss corrosion in AU through BA models was simply inexcusable.
• Clunky trip computer not stalk operated - who didn't have to ask someone at first, what "DTE" stood for?
• 14" wheels on entry level Series 1. Seriously?
• Why no one-touch driver's window control standard across the range with upspec models having it on all four doors?
• Timing chain tensioner cap oil leak on sixes - should have been a "once only" dealer procedure designed and provided to resolve the issue enduringly. |
Are you viewing this from 1998 perspective?
AU materials were no worse than the VT, anything out of Japan or France.
Arguably better built and same level of interior material quality than the high end LR Discovery 2 and P38 Range Rover launched three years earlier.
And although the Germans had better quality materials and better build, IMO the AU has stood the rest of time and is relatively indestructible inside, where the German marques haven’t unless they’ve been well looked after. Only exception on the AU might be the front door speaker covers that are easy to break if something falls on them while drive or closing the door.
I’m not aware of any AU that came with 14s. AU1 15 standard, then 16” from AU2.
One touch windows from that era are a PITA and over rated. I have them in Mercedes and BMW and if you don’t want the window down the whole way it can be tricky finding the right spot.
In saying that what standard vehicles in the price range had one touch windows in the late 1990s?
Trip computer run of the mill for the late 1990s before infotainment systems made an appearance in most things.
Rust proofing didn’t only effect AU, ran well into the BFs and Territory’s.
Oil leak from the front of the engine is never bad enough to stop them on the side of the road. A pita if you’re fussy.
Fair call in the
HVAC units, about the only hard job on them. All in all a pretty insignificant list of faults. The same can’t be said for a lot of other cars and there is a reason why they were the taxi of choice around that time.