taxis.

[b2428]

This may be in the wrong spot but here goes. This will either be interesting or a fizzer.

Today I was driving to work and spotted an Mc mondeo diesel Wagon being used as a taxi. This got me thinking what other random and unexpected fords have been used as taxis.

Something I thought might be a bit interesting.

[Jastel]

Falcons are getting pretty rare outside of the big cities where LPG is over $1 a litre....

[b2428]

Yer must admit it's the first mondeo taxi i have seen. Was what made me think of any other interesting fords there have been.

[Joe5619]

I've seen an FPV taxis!!

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by b2428

This may be in the wrong spot but here goes. This will either be interesting or a fizzer.

Today I was driving to work and spotted an Mc mondeo diesel Wagon being used as a taxi. This got me thinking what other random and unexpected fords have been used as taxis.

Something I thought might be a bit interesting.

Seen a new Chrysler 300 as a taxi in Melbourne on the Tullamarine freeway

[Boza]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Falcons are getting pretty rare outside of the big cities where LPG is over $1 a litre....

My whole family have been in the taxi industry for over 20 years falcons aren't being used as cabs anymore due to reliability issues all new cabs are now hybrid camrys or camrys on gas or now there is a depot in melbourne running hybrid camrys on gas.

If you look all over the world camry's are now the standard issue for a taxi dubai, usa europe asia everywhere.

the do 5.5-7 litres per 500km shift pad changes every 100k and no belts or pulleys to break.

The falcons always had problems with belt tensoners flogging out idler pullleys get noisy after 30k just heaps and ford aus wonder why no one buys falcon's anymore they start having problems from 150k with fuel systems etc..

[Kieron]

Saw a Territory Taxi the other day, not a bad choice actually!

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Seen a new Chrysler 300 as a taxi in Melbourne on the Tullamarine freeway

Saw a whole row of them, some dirty, some battered, some tired looking...outside Mccarran Airport in Vegas...surprised us, as they're just another family car in the states.

Here, can't remember the last time I saw a Ford anything as a taxi. Mostly Camrys (hybrids) and hordes of Prius's.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Kieron

Saw a Territory Taxi the other day, not a bad choice actually!

Quite a few of them, but apart from the extra luggage space I don't think they can take more than the falcons 4 passengers.

ie can they use the 3rd row if its a 7 seater?

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Quite a few of them, but apart from the extra luggage space I don't think they can take more than the falcons 4 passengers.

ie can they use the 3rd row if its a 7 seater?

usually the last row is filled with the LPG tank...

[Charliewool]

I came home from the city in a Mondeo diesel wagon on Anzac night..
Didn't have a clue what it was when I first got in.
Chatting to the Vietnamese driver (who by the way was an absolute gentleman) to be told it was the only diesel Mondeo wagon taxi in Melbourne and that it'd been faultless compared to his previous half dozen Falcons.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Seoul, Sth Korea. Looked nice compared to the orange i45's that are the car of choice for taxi's over there.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by kypez

usually the last row is filled with the LPG tank...

No, tanks where the spare goes

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

No, tanks where the spare goes

There you go. I thought I saw one with the tank in the boot area. I stand corrected.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by kypez

There you go. I thought I saw one with the tank in the boot area. I stand corrected.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

no stopping somebody from doing that I guess, they would fit a bigger tank..

[_Ben]

I was surprised when I went to Melbourne - FG XR6s on non XR6 mags everywhere!

[Bluehoon]

Originally Posted by Boza

My whole family have been in the taxi industry for over 20 years falcons aren't being used as cabs anymore due to reliability issues all new cabs are now hybrid camrys or camrys on gas or now there is a depot in melbourne running hybrid camrys on gas.

If you look all over the world camry's are now the standard issue for a taxi dubai, usa europe asia everywhere.

the do 5.5-7 litres per 500km shift pad changes every 100k and no belts or pulleys to break.

The falcons always had problems with belt tensoners flogging out idler pullleys get noisy after 30k just heaps and ford aus wonder why no one buys falcon's anymore they start having problems from 150k with fuel systems etc..

True however the car was never built to be a taxi.

The industry is using the car for a purpose it was never meant for.

In perspective and contex, the car was not built for how the taxi industry (in general) maintains and drives the cars. My opinion is that the cars are holding up remarkably well for the abuse and kms.

[Uncle Niceguy]

in brisbane there are a few mercedes-benz C-180's and VW Passat wagons being used in the city.

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by Boza

My whole family have been in the taxi industry for over 20 years falcons aren't being used as cabs anymore due to reliability issues all new cabs are now hybrid camrys or camrys on gas or now there is a depot in melbourne running hybrid camrys on gas.

If you look all over the world camry's are now the standard issue for a taxi dubai, usa europe asia everywhere.

the do 5.5-7 litres per 500km shift pad changes every 100k and no belts or pulleys to break.

The falcons always had problems with belt tensoners flogging out idler pullleys get noisy after 30k just heaps and ford aus wonder why no one buys falcon's anymore they start having problems from 150k with fuel systems etc..

Been running falcons for my cabs for 26 years myself...will keep going till they runout around 2022 or whenever. I know how to fix them and have a shed full of parts.
The only part of the FG that doesn't last long enough (let's face it over 200000km is a good life for most parts excluding consumables like brakes, belts and pulleys, tyres etc.) is the diff bushes IMHO.

Sure they lose some on fuel economy even on LPG! But make up for it in purchase price and spare parts.

Only the London Cab and the New York Nissan van thing have been purposely designed for taxi use and I bet they have problems as well.

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by _Ben

I was surprised when I went to Melbourne - FG XR6s on non XR6 mags everywhere!

Because that's what Avis, Hertz etc sell not XTs. In most cases they are not trying to show off, it's just what they can buy easy and cheap.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Bluehoon

True however the car was never built to be a taxi.

The industry is using the car for a purpose it was never meant for.

In perspective and contex, the car was not built for how the taxi industry (in general) maintains and drives the cars. My opinion is that the cars are holding up remarkably well for the abuse and kms.

What rubbish-the Toyota hybrid synergy drive in camrys and prius is purpose built for tough, day to day, bumper to bumper, stop go driving. It has a minimal number of moving or wear out parts.It is proven in service for millions of kilometres.
Ford on the other and had a car that was adapted to taxi use and was based on the best available tech at the time, if you were to put it up as the next worldwide taxi now, here will will be the checklist:
Substandard Diff-Fail
Substandard-Bushes-Fail
Substandard Bearings-Fail
Substandard Idler-Fail
Substandard Electrics-Fail

Im not pretending all other cars out there are perfect but cmon, falcon is not the be all and end all of motoring.

[RB Snake]

The Mondeo is an absolute ***** to fit out as a Taxi. As soon as the canbus system detects anything foreign the whole system craps out and refuses to start the car.

Everybody here is using the Hybrid Camry's and Prius. They make brilliant Taxis. The Hybrid Camry is absolutely perfect for Taxi. Ridiculously easy to fitout and maintain, however the Hybrids must use premium fuel. I've heard to many stories from the drivers that the injectors will clog up if you don't.

I've worked on a couple of interesting taxis such as a Mercedes van, Honda odyssey and even the new POS London Cab.

[Evgeni]

I've seen plenty of Merc Viano's under the Lime banner.
I am in Sydney and I must admit that the falcon is getting rarer. As others have said, it is the hybrid Camry that is the most commonly used.

Just out of interest, how long do the batteries last in these things? I would imagine that this would be the major maintenance cost in a fleet of cabs.

[RB Snake]

Decommissioned plenty of hybrids (800,000+ks), I've never heard of one having battery issues. They're a very low maintenance vehicle.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Because that's what Avis, Hertz etc sell not XTs. In most cases they are not trying to show off, it's just what they can buy easy and cheap.

Makes sense, they are mostly purchased second hand from Auctions (correct me if I'm wrong. at least in Victoria

So the industry is reliant on ex company cars & rental cars?

[Boza]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Quite a few of them, but apart from the extra luggage space I don't think they can take more than the falcons 4 passengers.

ie can they use the 3rd row if its a 7 seater?

Nah can't use the third row in Victoria anyway.
In the approved vehicles list it says third row seating must be removed and cargo barier installed

[Boza]

Originally Posted by Jastel

Been running falcons for my cabs for 26 years myself...will keep going till they runout around 2022 or whenever. I know how to fix them and have a shed full of parts.
The only part of the FG that doesn't last long enough (let's face it over 200000km is a good life for most parts excluding consumables like brakes, belts and pulleys, tyres etc.) is the diff bushes IMHO.

Sure they lose some on fuel economy even on LPG! But make up for it in purchase price and spare parts.

Only the London Cab and the New York Nissan van thing have been purposely designed for taxi use and I bet they have problems as well.

Yeah I dunno bout you mate but everyone I know in the industry in melbourne are over falcon's they went downhill badly after the AU we had an AU that did 1.3million km's on original and auto was a great cab then everyone and I mean everyone from taxi mechanics to operators and drivers started saying what junk the b-series are and haven't heard much good about fg's either small boot space due to the spare in there very hot in the car etc...

The camry's are easier to work in no heat issues in the cabin better handling everyone says there not as wiped out after a 12hour shift dunno bout you but everyone I know are getting away from fords

[Boza]

Originally Posted by Bevsta007

Makes sense, they are mostly purchased second hand from Auctions (correct me if I'm wrong. at least in Victoria

So the industry is reliant on ex company cars & rental cars?

that's exactly how my old man and my uncles do it they used to buy taxi packs which were factory built factory yellow vinylfloor and seats cop cluster and heavier duty leaf springs in the wagons dunno bout sedans we only have wagons but were discontinued after the AU can;t remember the CEO that said he wanted to stop making taxi packs to get away from the cab stereotype that ford had as cabs.

can someone tell me how to do multiple quotes I don't know how

[Evgeni]

Hit the multi quote button on the posts that you want to quote and when you hit the post reply button, these quotes will be in the text box.

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by Boza

Yeah I dunno bout you mate but everyone I know in the industry in melbourne are over falcon's they went downhill badly after the AU we had an AU that did 1.3million km's on original and auto was a great cab then everyone and I mean everyone from taxi mechanics to operators and drivers started saying what junk the b-series are and haven't heard much good about fg's either small boot space due to the spare in there very hot in the car etc...

The camry's are easier to work in no heat issues in the cabin better handling everyone says there not as wiped out after a 12hour shift dunno bout you but everyone I know are getting away from fords

I guess it's what your used to...fixing...driving...whatever.
I suppose I will have to shift to them eventually.

Not sure about heat problems...my ac works fine up here in the tropics it's never off.
The boot is ok, I have LPG in there too, if you have too much crap get a van.

Plenty of people refuse vans and Prius to ride in my cars!
That's why there is more than one type of taxi in most areas.