Guide me! Good deal on a base 2012 GT, or wait for 2015 Premium GT on order

[sponkey21]

I have been waiting several years, saving with my eye on whatever spectacular thing Ford would surely do with the 50th anniversary Mustang. I am plenty pleased with the look of the car, and very happy with the interior. I was initially excited when I heard they were putting most of the internals and such from the Boss in the GT, and there was talk of weight savings. Well since the numbers for HP, Torque, and weight have come out I was disappointed, but still willing to stand by my order. When American Muscle dragged the 2015 against a...2012 I think it was, and lost (granted it was their first runs on a new car) I am now officially a little bit uncertain at least.
I have not been blindly pursuing the 2015, as I am not a man of vast means (military has its perks, but enlisted pay is not enough to splurge without very responsible budgeting), so I ever so often look for a good deal on 2011-2014 mustangs here in Hawaii. Pickings are very slim on this little rock, but I came across a 2012 Kona Blue base GT that I feel confident I can talk down into the lower 20k range (listed at 25k). I have a Deep Impact Blue GT Premium on order with X-Plan that is scheduled to be built in a few weeks and arrive hopefully before Thanksgiving. With X-Plan it should be about 38k.
I feel like saving 15k and possibly being able to mod the car right away may very well be worth it for a car that is essentially the same in terms of straight line performance, and has a huge aftermarket ripe for me to pick over.
The 2015 is definitely a nicer interior, and surely a nicer ride. I will be coming from a long line of beater cars (from current to past cars - 1990 Miata, 1996 Camry, 1988 corolla, 1965 Mustang, 1993 Mustang LX 5.0). I don't feel like I will be missing any cushy ride, or luxury other than the AC seats and a bit of tech gadgetry.
The 2015 will surely be faster in corners, but I will not likely ever take this car on the track, and straight line bursts are where it is at day to day. With mods the S197 is plenty competent for daily driving cornering, even when spirited.

Right now I feel like I will pull the trigger on the 2012 if I can talk them down to anything lower than 23k out the door. The chance to have a car similar in color, and immediately mod-able for 15k less is possibly too tempting to pass up. 60% of the price for 95% of the performance with plenty of potential. On top of that I feel it is actually the more responsible thing to do and I will be happy either way. Thoughts?

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[1320']

Bad idea.

The potential in the S550 dwarfs the S197.

 

[TampaBear67]

Seriously, There's No Way I could Consider an S-197 having Seen the S -550.

 

[Brent302]

Seriously, There's No Way I could Consider an S-197 having Seen the S -550.

+1

Not even the more powerful 2015 SRT8 can sway me away from the S550

 

[sponkey21]

How does the potential dwarf it? You can't just say something with no evidence. There are plenty of extremely competent S197s out there and a vast aftermarket in place.
I happen to like the look of the S197 as well. I like the S550 better but I don't know if I like it $15000 more. Gonna need something quantifiable.
Please take into account what I wrote as well. I have financial obligations to consider, and I am not a track nut. The S550 seems like the same car with more luxury and cornering consistency. Unless you are going to go above 1000hp I'm just not sure I see the point of spending 15k more. Like I said, I am gonna need some real reasons to step off this ledge. Definitely second guessing here.

 

[TampaBear67]

I understand the financial aspect and that's going to have to be your choice, but personally after sitting in an S -550 compared to the S-197 the difference in Comfort and Quality are Light Years Ahead of the S-197. The Aftermarket is Already All Over the S-550 so as far as the S-197 being Instantly Modable that's going to be True for the S-550 by the time You would get Yours and New Stuff will be Showing Up Daily. The Biggest Selling Point for Me though is All of the Reviews about the 2015 Praising how Much Better the Ride and Handling are than Any Previous Mustang.

 

[sponkey21]

That is true that a lot of the reviews have been very positive of the ride of the new S550. I have driven a lot of cars over the years (was a Valet in Southern California for 6 years), and I can say I love the way the S197 drives. The only complaint I have is that it is actually too refined. You can't hardly tell how fast you are accelerating unless you look out the side windows or at the speedometer. With a tune, intake, and maybe a lightweight driveshaft that will fix a lot of the visceral, snappy around town feel. I also have always felt the S197 corners pretty darn good.
I would love to have the shiny new toy, I'm just not sure anymore that this is as much of a jump forward as I was hoping for. Everything has kind of slowly gone downhill for me ever since the high of seeing the exterior, interior, and options (oh man AC seats were one of my FAV features as a valet). The gains from the exhaust make me think Ford hid some nice performance gains in the aftermarket, but I won't really be able to afford the aftermarket for a while with the S550. With the S197 I will quickly be a good deal faster than I would be in an S550, just without the luxury interior. Having never had that luxury interior I'm not sure I will miss it.

 

[jaja6009]

Do what you think is right in your heart. Sure ask here and see if somebody comes up with a point that you overlooked. But Im sure you have an idea of what you wanna do.
And as far as potential for modding I think it is over stating to say that the modding potential is dwarfed. Come on the S197 doesnt handle so bad as to fly off the exit ramp at speed. Powerwise the potential is very similar if you do a blower and want the blower powertrain warranty. Maybe the new motor will handle more power overall, but then again when you start getting into the 600rwhp and up it really isnt useful on the street.
And this coming from a 1/4 mile guy, so far the S550 has been less than spectacular at the 1/4 mile. I know its still early but so far I am actually a little dissappointed even though once power and weight came out the hp to weight ratio remained about the same.

Either way you will end up with a great car. Sometimes dilemmas like these are win win.

 

[elohel]

Honestly, don't base your decision to buy a car on one 1/4 mile race. Who cares if the car lost? That means nothing to your enjoyment of the car. It's like when people read reviews and see car A is .2 seconds faster than B, even though they wanted B, now they're considering A.. you will never notice this stuff on the streets. I'm sure the 2015 will absolutely please you just as much as it would have had the 1/4 mile results been the opposite in that video.

 

[sponkey21]

Do what you think is right in your heart. Sure ask here and see if somebody comes up with a point that you overlooked. But Im sure you have an idea of what you wanna do.
And as far as potential for modding I think it is over stating to say that the modding potential is dwarfed. Come on the S197 doesnt handle so bad as to fly off the exit ramp at speed. Powerwise the potential is very similar if you do a blower and want the blower powertrain warranty. Maybe the new motor will handle more power overall, but then again when you start getting into the 600rwhp and up it really isnt useful on the street.
And this coming from a 1/4 mile guy, so far the S550 has been less than spectacular at the 1/4 mile. I know its still early but so far I am actually a little dissappointed even though once power and weight came out the hp to weight ratio remained about the same.

Either way you will end up with a great car. Sometimes dilemmas like these are win win.

This is largely what I am feeling. Looking for any good points I could have overlooked, and it is a win win. Both are great.

 

[Mike A.]

I've been there right where you are a few years back, enlisted and loving cars. If you listen to any of the advice here consider this. As an enlisted military member do not buy a $38k car! Trust me, you will end up regretting that financial burden. Go with the 2012 for a huge amount of savings.

 

[cosmo]

The base mustang GTs have been horrible. Go and sit in it before you intend to buy. The steering wheel is uninspired and bland, the seats aren't very good at all and the interior trim package is very underwhelming. If you're thinking about a 2012, get a premium model. They can be found for around 20-25k depending on mileage.

I was in the same boat and it came down to this. In 5 years, will I still love a 12? Or would I wish I splurged and treated myself?

This depends greatly on how much you make. I make 65k with a 3k bonus coming and a 3% raise this year. I have about 15k saved up purposely for a car. Over the course of a 60 month loan, is it worth about 100 bucks a month to upgrade to the 15? For me, a 24 year old guy without a family, hell yeah. The car is just as fast in a straight and a much more comfortable drive with vastly improved handling. The mods will give more gains because of the more restrictive exhaust, the upgraded internals and heads and valvetrain, and plus it has more options to suit my driving needs and wants.

Maybe consider dropping the premium, and instead getting a new base GT. The car will still be much better interior wise and won't be as expensive.

 

[cbrookre]

I have been waiting several years, saving with my eye on whatever spectacular thing Ford would surely do with the 50th anniversary Mustang. I am plenty pleased with the look of the car, and very happy with the interior. I was initially excited when I heard they were putting most of the internals and such from the Boss in the GT, and there was talk of weight savings. Well since the numbers for HP, Torque, and weight have come out I was disappointed, but still willing to stand by my order. When American Muscle dragged the 2015 against a...2012 I think it was, and lost (granted it was their first runs on a new car) I am now officially a little bit uncertain at least.
I have not been blindly pursuing the 2015, as I am not a man of vast means (military has its perks, but enlisted pay is not enough to splurge without very responsible budgeting), so I ever so often look for a good deal on 2011-2014 mustangs here in Hawaii. Pickings are very slim on this little rock, but I came across a 2012 Kona Blue base GT that I feel confident I can talk down into the lower 20k range (listed at 25k). I have a Deep Impact Blue GT Premium on order with X-Plan that is scheduled to be built in a few weeks and arrive hopefully before Thanksgiving. With X-Plan it should be about 38k.
I feel like saving 15k and possibly being able to mod the car right away may very well be worth it for a car that is essentially the same in terms of straight line performance, and has a huge aftermarket ripe for me to pick over.
The 2015 is definitely a nicer interior, and surely a nicer ride. I will be coming from a long line of beater cars (from current to past cars - 1990 Miata, 1996 Camry, 1988 corolla, 1965 Mustang, 1993 Mustang LX 5.0). I don't feel like I will be missing any cushy ride, or luxury other than the AC seats and a bit of tech gadgetry.
The 2015 will surely be faster in corners, but I will not likely ever take this car on the track, and straight line bursts are where it is at day to day. With mods the S197 is plenty competent for daily driving cornering, even when spirited.

Right now I feel like I will pull the trigger on the 2012 if I can talk them down to anything lower than 23k out the door. The chance to have a car similar in color, and immediately mod-able for 15k less is possibly too tempting to pass up. 60% of the price for 95% of the performance with plenty of potential. On top of that I feel it is actually the more responsible thing to do and I will be happy either way. Thoughts?

First and more importantly thank you whole heartedly for your service. It is vert much appreciated.

Second on the car, it really depends on what you value the most here and others cannot tell you that. Truth be told once you buy a car you will only be driving that car seeing all of the others. Unless you are street racing (you sound too sensible for that) or tracking it, doesn't matter what anyone else has in their car, it matters if you are satisfied with yours.

So what is more important to you, the more refined interior, the confidence inspiring chassis and the newness of the 15 or $15k? When I buy a car it is to drive until it cannot take it anymore and the extra trunk space in the vert of the 15 is worth it for me, and the cost will average out over the next 10+ years, but i can see your position and think you would do well either way.

Godspeed in your decision!

Chris

 

[Old 5 Oh]

If the point is to go fast on enlisted pay, the answer should be obvious.

There's no point in comparing a 3-year-old base S197 with a new Premium S550. It's pretty clear which is the better and nicer car. Ultimately the straight line performance won't be much different, but you are comparing steak with hot dogs. Nothing wrong with hot dogs if that's what's in the budget, but they are not better than a filet.

 

[kc3333]

I'll give it a shot. Random thoughts:

I love the 2015 and hope to get an S550 in a year or so.

I have 2, 2012's. One will get traded for the 550. But I love them, too. One's a Boss, and while its a little faster than the GT, I can certainly vouch for the handling potential in the 2011+'s.

One comment in almost all S550 reviews is how refined the car is. More sports car than muscle car. What matters to you?

Do first-model-year bugs bother you? I've done that 3 times, and 2 have been painful. The other was Ford but that was back in simpler times.

If you buy used, the biggest depreciation hit is behind you. You can always trade for a '16 with not much lost.

Modding can void your warranty. Some think it's best to do after the 36/36k is done. 2012's are basically done.

Don't base your decision on monthly pymt. You could do something else with that difference. 15k is 15k.

Do you get deployed away from home? Where will you store a brand new car with large payments? Are you anal with new cars? Have good parking every day? Coming back to the mainland in a few years? Which will be easier to sell under duress if needed?

Good luck.

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