You have to be shitting me...of all cars I've been in Fords have had the noisiest drivelines by far...kinda like a spaceship noise as they move off. I'm yet to have gone in a Commdore auto that is clunky and mind changing as you say.
And given you've made much strong statements based off this I'm assuming this car has been well looked after, and you have also driven other cars that are 10 years old to compare it with? Do also note that the VR was the first of the electronically controlled version of that box. For each and every different engine and model infront of them, they have all been calibrated differently to suit that engine. Don't think that all VR-VZ will necessarily drive the same way.
Do also note that the AWD VR-X Magna from Mitsubishi Australia shits on anything from Australia to drive through the hills. Also with a MUCH BETTER AUTO. MUCH MUCH BETTER! FACT ^---
Unless it's a VCT model, that's like saying a stock Magna can take a Falcon Forte which isn't much to chirp up about.