Opinions needed on a 2017 GT PP or Premium..

[Jim Bronson]

I have both. If I had to do it again and could only pick one, it would be premium.

You can mostly piece together a PP after the fact if you want.

Exactly my thinking. I don't think I'll ever track the car, so I opted out of the PP. From all my research before and after the purchase and after driving it for about 2500 miles, I'm confident I made the right decision for me. I'm not even sure PP2 was a good value for my style of driving (non-DD), although it sure is a lot of fun. I really like the add-ons of the premium package, and most of them can't be added to a non-premium model. JMO.

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[Chameleon]

If I had a nickel for every one of these threads.

 

[2015Etrac]

Exactly my thinking. I don't think I'll ever track the car, so I opted out of the PP. From all my research before and after the purchase and after driving it for about 2500 miles, I'm confident I made the right decision for me. I'm not even sure PP2 was a good value for my style of driving (non-DD), although it sure is a lot of fun. I really like the add-ons of the premium package, and most of them can't be added to a non-premium model. JMO.

If you do plan to track the car I'd look into the 350R parts. I have the 350R springs, strut tower brace, and plan to add the sway bars. They're surprisingly cheap and obviously work well. I think I'll be in just over $1400 for the Konis, 350r springs, 350r strut tower brace, and 350r sway bars....all new. Next project is the front Brembos ($850) and eventually wheels and tires.

 

[foghat]

Respectfully Disagree. For $1000 bucks and sweat equity you can have better quality two tone leather with contrast stitching and piping, with door inserts, and an aftermarket touch screen nav system.

Replacing Cloth seats and radio is a helluva lot easier (and cheaper) than new rotors, calipers, pads, radiator, strut brace, torsen diff, and rear swaybar.

You are completely minimizing what you actually get with the premium package.

Sure, so you can get leather for $1000 (trusting you on that pricing as I have no idea). How much for decent touch screen that support apple play/android auto? Another $1000? You are at $2000 in and you have leather and an aftermarket head unit. You still don't have all 9 speakers and amp. Plus how well does a touch screen integrate (looks and functionally) with the base console?

But forget about that, let us list all the other things you are not getting and cannot (mostly) get via the aftermarket:

- ambient lighting with MyColor.
- toggle switches with 4 different drive modes
- heated and cooled front seats
- dual zone automatic climate control
- illuminated sill plates
- aluminum foot pedals
- universal garage door opener

Maybe these items aren't important to you (or the OP), but in a daily driver pretty much all of them add to my enjoyment of the car. Much more so than the torsen diff or bigger rad.

Again, there is no doubt the PP is a great value, but if the mood hits, you can build it own your own via after market.

You simply cannot replicate the premium package in the aftermarket. I mean maybe you could do it if you bought all ford parts, but the cost would be astronomical - if it can even be done.

 

[Jdenkevitz]

You are completely minimizing what you actually get with the premium package.

Sure, so you can get leather for $1000 (trusting you on that pricing as I have no idea). How much for decent touch screen that support apple play/android auto? Another $1000? You are at $2000 in and you have leather and an aftermarket head unit. You still don't have all 9 speakers and amp. Plus how well does a touch screen integrate (looks and functionally) with the base console?

But forget about that, let us list all the other things you are not getting and cannot (mostly) get via the aftermarket:

- ambient lighting with MyColor.
- toggle switches with 4 different drive modes
- heated and cooled front seats
- dual zone automatic climate control
- illuminated sill plates
- aluminum foot pedals
- universal garage door opener

Maybe these items aren't important to you (or the OP), but in a daily driver pretty much all of them add to my enjoyment of the car. Much more so than the torsen diff or bigger rad.

Again, there is no doubt the PP is a great value, but if the mood hits, you can build it own your own via after market.

You simply cannot replicate the premium package in the aftermarket.

Katzskins leather with inserts, two tone leather with contrast stitching and piping is under $700. My touchscreen, which works with all the cars functions (Sync 2) was $299.

Disco light puddle lamps and interior ambient mood lighting were not important to me. If they were, they are actually available in the aftermarket. You can get IR controlled led strips for about 25 bucks on amazon. Most of the things you listed are available. And they are quite a bit easier to install than replacing a differential and reprogramming the computer afterwards. Or a complete rotor/brake replacement.

Different strokes for different folks.
What was important was that the car not feel like my old Coup De Ville in the turns.

 

[foghat]

Katzskins leather with inserts, two tone leather with contrast stitching and piping is under $700. My touchscreen, which works with all the cars functions (Sync 2) was $299.

Disco light puddle lamps and interior ambient mood lighting were not important to me. If they were, they are actually available in the aftermarket. You can get IR controlled led strips for about 25 bucks on amazon. Most of the things you listed are available. And they are quite a bit easier to install than replacing a differential and reprogramming the computer afterwards. Or a complete rotor/brake replacement.

Different strokes for different folks.
What was important was that the car not feel like my old Coup De Ville in the turns.

I am not commenting on what was important to you or anyone.

My point in these posts was that you can rebuild the PP in aftermarket (though, for obvious reasons, you may want to skip the torsen) and you cannot rebuild the premium package.

Being able to add leather seats, a sync 2 knock off and some led light strips does not change this fact.

The big items in the premium package items simply aren't available:

- sync 3 (not possible to upgrade to as far as I know)
- dual zone climate control
- 4 drive modes on a toggle switch
- cooled seats (well, maybe these are available)
- integrated ambient lighting with MyColor

If in your comparisons you are stuck on needing to upgrade the standard limited slip to torsen (which I can't see 99% of people doing) and it's associated complexity, it is a little disingenuous stating one can just use a sync 2 knock off instead of upgrading to the factory sync 3 unit which would not be trivial (if even possible in base car) or cheap.

At the end of the day, you are right - it is whatever floats your boat. That just wasn't the point I was trying to get across.

 

[5pointOh]

I am not commenting on what was important to you or anyone.

My point in these posts was that you can rebuild the PP in aftermarket (though, for obvious reasons, you may want to skip the torsen) and you cannot rebuild the premium package.

Being able to add leather seats, a sync 2 knock off and some led light strips does not change this fact.

The big items in the premium package items simply aren't available:

- sync 3 (not possible to upgrade to as far as I know)
- dual zone climate control
- 4 drive modes on a toggle switch
- cooled seats (well, maybe these are available)
- integrated ambient lighting with MyColor

If in your comparisons you are stuck on needing to upgrade the standard limited slip to torsen (which I can't see 99% of people doing) and it's associated complexity, it is a little disingenuous stating one can just use a sync 2 knock off instead of upgrading to the factory sync 3 unit which would not be trivial (if even possible in base car) or cheap.

At the end of the day, you are right - it is whatever floats your boat. That just wasn't the point I was trying to get across.

Sync 3 can be swapped into base cars quite easily and for about the cost of the mounting kit and a good touchscreen radio.
Dual Zone climate- doubtful but might be possible
Easy to reprogram your APIM to enable drive modes with or without the toggle switch.
Heated/cooled seats are just a seat swap away
People have added mycolor to base Mustangs, I'm sure ambient lighting can be added as well.
Granted all of this after the fact is way more expensive but it can be done.

 

[foghat]

Sync 3 can be swapped into base cars quite easily and for about the cost of the mounting kit and a good touchscreen radio.
Dual Zone climate- doubtful but might be possible
Easy to reprogram your APIM to enable drive modes with or without the toggle switch.
Heated/cooled seats are just a seat swap away
People have added mycolor to base Mustangs, I'm sure ambient lighting can be added as well.
Granted all of this after the fact is way more expensive but it can be done.

Fair enough - I should know better than to say 'not possible'. As generally speaking anything is possible given money and/or resources.

Though I have never heard of being able to get the premium drive modes in base - if it were just an APIM reprogram I'd have expected to see all kinds of posts about it. Maybe they are there and I have just missed them.

Still, you likely don't have dual auto-climate control and are in it for much more than the ~$1000 Jdenkevitz was implying it would take to get to premium.

 

[SVT-DADDY]

A guy over on the suspension and brakes forum posted the parts list and prices. I think he pieced the setup together for $800-$850 using some of the sponsors on here. The calipers were $259 each with a $50 core charge, and the rest is just choosing rotors, and pads, and a few small odds and ends. Surprisingly most of the OEM parts are fairly cheap.

That sounds like a lot of homework. I'll likely spend $1200 on the kit and sell my take offs for a few hundred.

 

[Polax]

Thanks guys for all the input I'm going to look at a used 16' premium pp and I believe it's a 401a car it has the sensors in the back bumper it has 15k miles and there asking 28k. Sounds like an awesome deal if there's no issues with the car. If that one doesn't check out I think I'm going to go with the grabber blue premium the dealership has. I like the interior better on the premium and I figure the 3.31 gears will better down the road for the supercharger. I'm going to drop the car so I figure I'd just go with the eibach pro kit that comes with the springs and new sway bars. I would just have to see how much a big break kit would be and I would have most of what I want.

 

[wireeater]

Thanks guys for all the input I'm going to look at a used 16' premium pp and I believe it's a 401a car it has the sensors in the back bumper it has 15k miles and there asking 28k. Sounds like an awesome deal if there's no issues with the car. If that one doesn't check out I think I'm going to go with the grabber blue premium the dealership has. I like the interior better on the premium and I figure the 3.31 gears will better down the road for the supercharger. I'm going to drop the car so I figure I'd just go with the eibach pro kit that comes with the springs and new sway bars. I would just have to see how much a big break kit would be and I would have most of what I want.

Check in the for sale section in here too... Sometimes you can get some killer deals by NOT going through a dealer. I know most like to go to a dealer for simplified process but if you aren't trading a car in, I would try privately first.

 

[Jim Bronson]

I have used or will use every single feature in the Premium package. I especially like the larger touch screen and the nice sound system. The ceramic leather seats look great (mine haven't started wrinkling yet).

The only feature of the PP option I would like are the bigger brakes - not for the track, but for the street. AFAIK this wouldn't be a hassle to accomplish.

Let me emphasize this is the setup that is best for ME. I'm not a super aggressive driver, except that I really like the PP2 additional low-end grunt. It makes me smile. If that changes, I can upgrade later.

There is no winner here. In the end it all comes down to preferences. Check out both, and don't base a decision entirely on forum comments.

 

[moto111]

my non pp handles just fine to me. and with the aftermarket and maybe 1200 bucks it will handle better then any pp

 

[H@mmer]

I am in the same boat. I will probably end up going PP. I want to rip out the back seats and put some aftermarket Recaros in it anyway, I have a Raptor if I want to ride on leather and with a big screen, and I don't care about interior lights.

The only things I want from the premium car is the garage door opener (i can add) and the bumper (to do the 350 valence [which i think i can buy, have painted, and fitted for about a grand]).
So, again, pretty sure I'll go base PP.

But, there's options because not everyone is the same. The only person that can answer this question is you.

Heck, what I'm having a harder time with is what color to get. Lightning, Ruby, or Grabber. Gah. I want RGB paint that I can change with a remote lolol.

 

[2015Etrac]

That sounds like a lot of homework. I'll likely spend $1200 on the kit and sell my take offs for a few hundred.

I'm mainly going this route because the 50th Brembo calipers are gloss black and will match my car perfectly and I plan to go aftermarket rotors, stainless lines, and pads, but the Brembo package does make things easier.

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