considering VF wagon

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

I think the VE wagon size is based on style, it's the best looking wagon going around, hence Sportwagon, not Stationwagon. The Ford by comparison is a hearse.

The VE wagons have been derided by some smart-arse motoring writers as 'hearses', yet I cannot for the life (or death) of me imagine where they are coming from with such a trippy description.

Yes, the VZ was 'uge and bigly, no doubt about it. So the VF was a shock to the system to find things didn't fit so well in the back as they had for a good and enjoyable 9 long years...

 

[Holden17]

I think the VE wagon size is based on style, it's the best looking wagon going around, hence Sportwagon, not Stationwagon.

^this...I prefer my sportwagon to a larger, more clumsy station wagon..

 

[RossK]

I think the VE wagon size is based on style, it's the best looking wagon going around, hence Sportwagon, not Stationwagon.

^this...I prefer my sportwagon to a larger, more clumsy station wagon..

Me too, I do 40,000km a year. My choices were a BF111, or a VF, as I wanted dedicated LPG.
The VF is so much nicer than the BF.
But, on the OPs criteria, the BF would be better. The VF isn't going to handle that driveway in the picture, even with blocks in the gutter.

 

[bandwagon]

The rear end of the VF wagon is often referred to as a "squatty" and belies the roomy storage space in the cargo area (but it is not as big as the VZ, nor likely as big as the AU Falcon's).

View attachment 210560

Bottoming out is unlikely to happen (you should never exceed the on-ball towing weight), though depending on which VF you get, the mudflaps on the rear would be crinkled (they are very flexible though). A priority would be to fix the driveway properly to eliminate any perceived or actual risk. It would not be a cheap fix if you should mangle the cats on the exhausts lines around the mid-axle area hitting something going up the drive.

 

[bandwagon]

thanks for all the comments. My side driveway is not official access to my property so there is a bit of a grey area as to how much I can modify the council verge. As prior poster correctly stated - it is the layback that is the issue and tip of tail pipe digs into turf when i have some weight on trailer. Its not like i need this access every afternoon, and seems to be pity that i need to pick car based on this. I have contemplated BFIII as upgrade but not so much in way of change from my AU. Also there are not so many for sale an low km examples are quite expensive for 10 year old car. As other poster has commented the front end of falcon is nimble and when no weight in back you can get into trouble easily with rear stepping out. So good car to drive but if its wet / bumpy roads need concentration. BF wagon is really more of a workhorse than family car due to leaf springs a 2 airbag. with driveway I should really get out dumpy level and get some measurements of different grades, and work out what i can do to fix it. cheers

 

[Big Red VF-SII Go-kart]

The VF is excellent in wet weather - - it knows what it's wheels are doing (traction control, stability control etc.). It must however be slowed down very carefully on bumpy, corrugated roads. The FE2 suspension is excellent at dulling freeway bumps and irregularities, but corrugated, stony and potholed roads will really shake you madly to bits, just a little bit less so than a FE2 VZ with low profile tyres!
The VF runs on 36 to 40psi tyre pressures and is amazingly supple at freeway/open highway speeds (110-130km/h). I let some air out of if am traversing an area with long stretches of gravel or soft road surfaces (not very often). I think you should make the jump!!

 

[Rapom1]

Ahh the BFiii wagon, awesome old cars, in Perth they have taken away the 8 year age limit on taxis, and the BFiii wagons that had hit the age limit and retired, are coming back again, there seem to be heaps of them again now.

 

[Stroppy]

Back to the OP... I bought a VF Evoke wagon back in 2018 with 50,000 kay on the ODO. Ex VicPol car with excellent service record. I had my mechanic check it for me and it was perfect underneath...it had never been bottomed-out and scratched underneath...the fluids all looked good... no noise on start up. Just a solid near-new car. The only thing I regret about it was that there were two on offer with the same Kms., one white, one black. I bought the black as it looked so cool at the dealer but, oh man, what a pain to keep clean!

The other good thing about ex-police vehicles (if you get a good one) is that they have the better suspension pack and all VicPol cars were fitted with blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert which was not normally an option on the Evokes. It does help...even though I am an old fart who knows his head check routine, it does come in handy at times.

The other good thing is if you pick up an ex cop car you can be assured they've been serviced on time every time and they have a dual battery setup in the boot.