FG wagon - what would it have been?

[Phildo]

Originally Posted by AMGC63

LOL, spot on... i haven't read a logical argument yet as to why a Diesel Mondeo wagon or Terri isnt a suitable option for fleets or taxi's....

Cost. Money. They are pretty good reasons. Right now, a BA or BF Falcon is by far the cheapest car to run as a taxi. I wouldn't even run an FG for another couple of years - taxi mechanics haven't had exposure to them yet, so won't have the experience with them (although they are pretty much the same as BF mechanically).

The Territory has been around for a while now; how many taxi Territories have you ever seen? There are more Camry and Prius taxis than there are Territories.

Besides, if running costs weren't such a factor then there would be heaps of Tarago taxis around - they would have luggage and passenger capacity (ie more than four passengers).

I've seen two Territory taxis in Perth - the orange one and the blue one. I had a conversation with a driver of the orange one a few years ago when the car first became a taxi. That car has a south-east restricted plate, meaning that it has to stay in the Armadale area. For those that don't know Perth, Armadale is one of the worst areas in Perth (especially for taxis). Let's just say that "local people" cause us significant drama in that area. There was a taxi stolen there back in March when the driver asked the two passengers for a deposit. They responded by bashing him and stealing the car.

Anyway, the driver was dumbfounded that the owner went for a Territory. Her point was that the car needs to be anonymous and not easily recognisable by certain problematic people. By having a car that stands out, then these people will be able to target that particular vehicle.

I can't recall the last time that I saw that vehicle, so it's very possible that the owner has given up and gone back to a Falcon. I would consider that to be the most likely possibility.

I see the blue one around Perth regularly; it is privately owned. I've not had the chance to speak with any of its drivers, so don't know the reasons why the owner chose a Territory for a taxi.

Do we have any actual taxi mechanics that want to comment in this thread? Jastel?