GT or Import

[texhex]

Hello everyone, first post. Hopefully you can help me out and not flame too hard on a current import guy.

I'm considering buying a 2017 GT with 401A, Reverse Sensing and GT Performance packages $41,880 MSRP. I'm currently driving a 2013 Infiniti G37x (AWD) and it might seem bizzare but I'm cross shopping the Mustang against a 2016 Q50 AWD. The 2016 Q50 models are not out yet but they will be similar in price to the current model year. They also get a new twin turbo 6 to replace the current V6 which has been bullet proof over the life cycle of the G and Z cars it powers.

Two totally different cars I know, but they are very similar in price.

Big question is that I've never owned an American car and I'm wondering about the build quality, specifically the interior with regards to rattles, squeaks, etc. over time. I have owned two Infinitis, Honda Accords prior to that and a 4Runner and I've literally NEVER had an issue with the interiors.

How does the new Mustang interior hold up over time? Squeaks, rattles, etc.? I won't be able to take it if after 15,000 miles my dash, gauges, doors, housing, etc. start rattling or squeaking. I know it will drive me nuts.

I'm fairly certain that mechanically both cars will be comparable.

I'm not bashing I'm just asking. How is the build quality of the new Mustang interiors?

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[IvanCRF]

Interior:

My cloth seats are wearing out quickly and I dont weigh much. The leather ones frequently pop up in the TSB section for being easily wrinkled, punctured, loose or otherwise damaged. There's rattling noises especially from the dash, which some have dampened with felt. Don't add stiff differential bushings if you want quiet.

 

[jasonstang]

Fit and finish is definitely not as good compare to high end imports but for between $30-40k the imports will look just as plasticly and the engine will be gutless.
Cost
Reliability
Fast
You can only have two of the three.

 

[Dannyho]

My brother in law has a q50s hybrid. It is a much nicer place to sit in than the mustang, and I say that knowing that I do like the mustang interior a lot. The thing is quick too, although I'm not sure how it compares to the model you're talking about. add to that the way his Infiniti dealer treats him vs the lackadaisical way my dealer treats me and I can't say the Infiniti isn't a really good choice. That's assuming the price is really the same after you start adding options. I guess you'll be down on power a bit from the GT, probably a bit heavier as well, and stuck with an automatic transmission.

 

[lazarus870]

Once you start adding options the Infiniti is more money.
The Mustang is more powerful and more sporty
The Infiniti is more sophisticated and more practical

 

[wildcatgoal]

My short answer:
If you are even considering a Q50, get one. Not the Mustang.

My long answer:
The Q50 is a beautiful car and I cross-shopped it, too. Loved it at an auto show I went to. I've been hearing some pretty common reliability issues with them, but then again the Mustang has its own set of faults like an Flintstone-feeling manual gearbox and driveline compared to what it could be in 2016. The Q50 is going to be an easier daily driver but does perform well in spirited situations. It has been reviewed to fall apart handling-wise if you push it, something a BMW or Audi or MB would not do, but those are typically more expensive for similar trim/features. It's going to be much more refined, quiet, rattle-free interior - it is going to be more luxurious. It'll probably be cheaper to own in the long term, too, especially since you will likely not acquire the "mod bug" with a Q50, but you almost certainly will with a Mustang.

The downside of a Q50 is primarily the following. There is not really a "following" or a "club culture" around it. If you are, like me, a car guy who wants to get to know and mod with other "car guys and gals" and enjoy that "family", you will miss that with a Q50. You'll just have an appliance, not a medium for a meaningful social experience, like the Mustang provides. The Q50 is a better all-around car (especially since you can get it in AWD, which is nice to have even in the south, IMO), but it's a fast car for a well-to-do accountant, not someone looking for a raw thrill. Plus you're going to get shit from BMW, MB, and Audi enthusiasts, even if you have, by and by, a better car.

As for the Mustang, the interior of the new Mustangs (with leather, especially) is nicer than ever before, but it's still a car that is rooted at $30K for 435 HP, so... plastic is abound. Personally, I would have NEVER purchased a Mustang if it didn't have IRS and the improved interior. The previous generation interior was, I'm sorry, an absolute joke and a prime example of where the "American cars are cheaply built" stereotype comes from. I could literally pull the "leather" off of the rear seats... unacceptable. But the new ones... it's clear they gave a hoot (on a budget). There's a number of parts that have no place in a car that cost as much as mine did (MSRP, anyway), but it is what it is. They also made the non-Recaro seat adjustment all wrong... I cannot get the seat low enough to feel like I'm in a sports car... it drives me nuts! My eye line is at the top of the window, not the middle where I want to be, unless I lean back and hunch my neck like a gangster... gets tedious. I'm only 6'. But... trade-offs. Overall I find the interior to be a notch above acceptable now. When I sat in the Q50, I felt the interior was in line with it's price range. When I sit in the Mustang, the same deal... have to remember, the Mustang starts A LOT LESS than a Q50.

I know that I have 1,000x more fun in and with a Mustang than I ever would in a Q50, and that's how I felt when I decided to go with the Mustang over the Q50. Sometimes, especially in traffic, I regret my decision (especially since I have 3.73 gears, where 3.55 gears would be much more appropriate for real life), but I never felt any kind of nostalgic or personal connection with the Q50. It'd just be a nice car that I can afford now because I've worked hard and got where I am (which isn't halfway where I wanted to be, but I digress...). I have friends with Audis, BMWs, MBs, etc., and all they talk about is my Mustang. I have a friend with an Audi S3 who can probably run circles around me both in car ability and driver ability, and he regrets buying it over a Mustang. He always says, well... I need the 4 doors since I have a kid (yet he never drives the kid anywhere in that car... ever). I'm sure if he had an RS4 he'd be feeling like he's better than me, but... that's just not attainable for most. And that's the thing, to get the same kind of feeling that you get in a Mustang GT, it seems like you have to "go really big" with the Germans. And I consider the Q50 a "German competitor" because it is (almost) that good.

But, in the end, if you are someone who wants to punch it from time to time and hit a curvy road from time to time, but otherwise are going to be driving to work, and don't really care about making "Mustang friends"... I'd get a Q50 without question. It is the first Infinity that, to me, looks good. And it does look very, very good, especially in top trim.

 

[Chameleon]

Min is not perfect but I don't think many are. If you can deal with a few squeaks here and there, GT all the way. Also it is the Q60 coming out.

 

[Dannyho]

Min is not perfect but I don't think many are. If you can deal with a few squeaks here and there, GT all the way. Also it is the Q60 coming out.

the q50 will be getting a new 400hp twin turbo v6, which is what I think the OP meant. I think it's also getting an entry level 2.0 turbo. I couldn't find any pricing for the trim levels yet, I have a hard time believing their top of the line engine will be priced competitively with the GT premium. maybe the 2.0t will though.

 

[Chameleon]

the q50 will be getting a new 400hp twin turbo v6, which is what I think the OP meant. I think it's also getting an entry level 2.0 turbo. I couldn't find any pricing for the trim levels yet, I have a hard time believing their top of the line engine will be priced competitively with the GT premium. maybe the 2.0t will though.

Oh ok I thought he meant the new Q60 coupe.

 

[foghat]

If squeaks and rattles bother you that much, mustang might not be the car for you.

There is very pronounced rattle that develops around driver side vent and passenger side rear quarter panel (interior) above the rear seat. Not sure if everyone has these, but it is definitely a common issue.

This said, not sure if these issues have been resolved in 2016 model year.

 

[texhex]

New Q50 v6 will have two versions, twin turbo 300hp and twin turbo 400hp. The 400hp version will be low $50K as it will only be available in the Sport model. The 300hp v6 twin is the base v6 and it replaces the v6 offered in the current G37.

The model I'm looking at will be priced in the low $40K range. Right now the 2015 Q50 that I'm comparing is $41,060 AWD, Premium package. If the pricing is similar in 2016, which it should be, the 300hp Q50 will fall right in line with the GT pricing.

Thank you for the replies. Pretty much what I expected. Lower luxury in the GT but way more performance and a strong thriving auto culture. Tough choices.

 

[WHealy]

Had a 2006 and 2010 35/70Z. Sorry, but the V6 introduced in 09 wasn't bullet proof. I had a short block replacement in my 10 @ 5000 miles. That being said, I considered another Z, but decided Ford had made the moves I wanted in the Mustang.

 

[jasonstang]

New Q50 v6 will have two versions, twin turbo 300hp and twin turbo 400hp. The 400hp version will be low $50K as it will only be available in the Sport model. The 300hp v6 twin is the base v6 and it replaces the v6 offered in the current G37.

The model I'm looking at will be priced in the low $40K range. Right now the 2015 Q50 that I'm comparing is $41,060 AWD, Premium package. If the pricing is similar in 2016, which it should be, the 300hp Q50 will fall right in line with the GT pricing.

Thank you for the replies. Pretty much what I expected. Lower luxury in the GT but way more performance and a strong thriving auto culture. Tough choices.

At the end of the day do you want that V8.
Get a GT for 32k throw on a Whipple for 9k you have 700hp car for 41k.

 

[Shouldhavegotthegt]

The Infiniti's are nice cars but they are boring. Just a run of the mill luxury sedan. The GT is a blast drive. It's not the most practical car and lacks a lot of the creature comforts that come with brands like Infiniti, BMW, Mecedes, etc but it's a powerful V8 that will crush most other cars remotely in the price range.

 

[Hurricane]

Right before buying my Mustang last fall, I had a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 with the Off-road Adventure Package, chrome package, heated seats/steering wheel, etc. Its MSRP was almost exactly the same as my S550 at about $38k. The biggest change I had to get used to in the Mustang was the ride height and comfort. That JGC was PLUSH and it was nice being up high with great visibility. However, it's tough to compare the two based solely on price because they're two totally different vehicles. I have leather seats in my Mustang and after almost 11,000 miles, they're still in fantastic condition. Then again, I rarely have passengers in the car and I take VERY good care of the interior.

While the ride is bumpier and noisier in the Mustang, I accept it as a necessary part of owning a sports car that has a big V8 making over 400hp, stiffer suspension, low-profile tires, and sits a mere few inches from the asphalt. As far as fun goes, the JGC would have been tons of fun if I took it off-road more often, but I never did. In the two years I owned it, it saw snow once and sand once. I had this bad-ass, off-road capable SUV that I never took advantage of. Since my wife has a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, we agreed that it was silly for us to have two SUVs (especially with no kids), so I traded mine in and bought the car that I've wanted since high school.

For what it's worth, my first car was a Nissan 240sx and I've always loved the Z car, so I also strongly considered a 370Z Nismo along with the Mustang. What sold me on the 'Stang was having a fully-enclosed trunk as well as back seats, albeit VERY small back seats. I'm sure I would have loved the Z a lot, but when I fire up my V8 every day, there isn't an ounce of regret in my body.

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