Loaded Eco boost or BASE GT?!

[AmericanLegend]

As others have stated, shop around. You can find 2016 Premium GTs w/ PP for $35-36K....getting harder to find though. 2017 model year Job 1 date was June 2nd, 2016. If you can wait, 2017s will probably have some nice discounts when the new updated 2018s start showing up.

I'd vote that you get the GT.
The 5.0 just has so much more character and heritage. As soon as you start the engine the decision should be made for you.

One issue you might be wondering about is fuel cost between the two, as this will be your daily driver.

I've run my 5.0 (stock tune) on regular 87 octane and also 93 octane. I know I'm not getting the full 435 hp when running 87 octane. But when running 93 octane, I'm not sure I can really feel the difference. Some people claim Ford says you lose ~ 5-10 hp running 87 octane. I've never seen dyno tests between the two octane levels on a stock tune.

The EcoBoost on the other hand, really needs Premium unleaded to run properly. Regular unleaded really hurts performance on the Turbo 2.3L as one would expect.

Fuel cost comparison between the two:

1. Mustang GT (with Regular Fuel): 15,000 miles per year.
15,000 miles / 19 mpg average = 789 gallons per year
789 gallons x $2.00 per gallon = $1578 per year.

2. Mustang EcoBoost (Premium Fuel): 15,000 miles per year.
15,000 miles / 25 mpg average = 600 gallons per year
600 gallons x $2.70 per gallon = $1620 per year.

As shown above, if you run Regular Unleaded in the GT there is no fuel cost advantage to choose the EcoBoost.

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[potvinscups]

Lmaoo I have doubts - buy a GT haha love it

 

[Jdenkevitz]

As others have stated, shop around. You can find 2016 Premium GTs w/ PP for $35-36K....getting harder to find though. 2017 model year Job 1 date was June 2nd, 2016. If you can wait, 2017s will probably have some nice discounts when the new updated 2018s start showing up.

I'd vote that you get the GT.
The 5.0 just has so much more character and heritage. As soon as you start the engine the decision should be made for you.

One issue you might be wondering about is fuel cost between the two, as this will be your daily driver.

I've run my 5.0 (stock tune) on regular 87 octane and also 93 octane. I know I'm not getting the full 435 hp when running 87 octane. But when running 93 octane, I'm not sure I can really feel the difference. Some people claim Ford says you lose ~ 5-10 hp running 87 octane. I've never seen dyno tests between the two octane levels on a stock tune.

The EcoBoost on the other hand, really needs Premium unleaded to run properly. Regular unleaded really hurts performance on the Turbo 2.3L as one would expect.

Fuel cost comparison between the two:

1. Mustang GT (with Regular Fuel): 15,000 miles per year.
15,000 miles / 19 mpg average = 789 gallons per year
789 gallons x $2.00 per gallon = $1578 per year.

2. Mustang EcoBoost (Premium Fuel): 15,000 miles per year.
15,000 miles / 25 mpg average = 600 gallons per year
600 gallons x $2.70 per gallon = $1620 per year.

You do not need to run Premium in an EB. In fact Ford recommends regular for DD. If he is daily driving, he may lose 10-15 HP on regular. Not a big deal. You can get much better mpg than 25 in an EB. I got 28-29 regularly. If you drive aggressively however and live in the boost, it drops to low 20's.
In my experience in both cars, the difference in cost fuel wise is significant. Whether or not the OP cares is another matter I suppose.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

I'd look for a low mileage used GT premium. If your worried about fuel costs. Buy a Prius.

 

[speedfrk]

Let's beat this dead horse one more time because it's not dead enough... It is personal preference. Go drive them both. The EB handles noticeably better and is lighter in the front. It is a better balanced car. I drove both the GT and EB side by side and chose the EB. If I could get a GT that had the same handling and steering feel of the EB I would pick that. The GT is faster but not OMG faster. The EB feels better on the low end since the turbo makes really nice torque down low and the car is lighter. It runs out of steam up top where the 5.0 comes on. But it also makes the EB a better DD. Plus real life 30mpg on the hwy. If you drive a lot of miles, it makes a difference. The thing that will probably push you toward the GT is the exhaust note. The EB is just bland and nothing fixes it.
My choice would be an EB with PP since it has the 3:55 axle. Most any automatic you find will have 3:15 gears which are not well suited to the EB or the GT but especially the EB. The 3:55 changes the feel of the car significantly.
Finally, all the Mustangs suffer from some amount of driveline vibration. Some cars are quite bad. Drive the car you are looking at extensively between 50-70 on as smooth a road as you can find. The Ford FSE told me that they all have it to some degree but a lot of people just don't notice it unless it is really bad. If you feel it at all, I'd skip that car. Not a road you want to go down, believe me. 119 page thread on this...

 

[BmacIL]

Base GT.

 

[KevinG]

Base GT. Otherwise we'll be reading about your thread in how you traded in for a GT in a few months...

 

[stang77]

Let's beat this dead horse one more time because it's not dead enough... It is personal preference. Go drive them both. The EB handles noticeably better and is lighter in the front. It is a better balanced car. I drove both the GT and EB side by side and chose the EB. If I could get a GT that had the same handling and steering feel of the EB I would pick that. The GT is faster but not OMG faster. The EB feels better on the low end since the turbo makes really nice torque down low and the car is lighter. It runs out of steam up top where the 5.0 comes on. But it also makes the EB a better DD. Plus real life 30mpg on the hwy. If you drive a lot of miles, it makes a difference. The thing that will probably push you toward the GT is the exhaust note. The EB is just bland and nothing fixes it.
My choice would be an EB with PP since it has the 3:55 axle. Most any automatic you find will have 3:15 gears which are not well suited to the EB or the GT but especially the EB. The 3:55 changes the feel of the car significantly.
Finally, all the Mustangs suffer from some amount of driveline vibration. Some cars are quite bad. Drive the car you are looking at extensively between 50-70 on as smooth a road as you can find. The Ford FSE told me that they all have it to some degree but a lot of people just don't notice it unless it is really bad. If you feel it at all, I'd skip that car. Not a road you want to go down, believe me. 119 page thread on this...

It really going to comes down to what the individual wants. I'm no expert, but from what I've read 3.31, 3.15, or 3.55 gears are good if you plan on going FI. Currently I have 3.15 gears and I have no complaints about them.

 

[CommyO]

I'd try to find a premium GT and get the best of both worlds. Hit up koons; they're on the east coast

 

[GTP]

I would say that unless your circumstances fit one particular situation, then go with the GT. I faced this dilemma myself, and even had the EB on order for a week.

So here is the exception. If your DD is long highway miles, and if you appreciate the extra luxury of Premium, then a EB PP automatic 3.55 is a good choice.

• You won't do any gear changes on the highway. So the TQ/HP gain from the Coyote won't be called upon as often.
• The auto keeps the turbo spooled up on upshifts. Drive it in Sport mode. The 3.55 will help off the line. The combo of all 3 will help prevent engine failure.
• The PP option is nice for track days.
• The better MPG gets you farther between fill-ups and saves money.
• Auto/3.55/PP/Premium all total up to $7700 up charge. Yikes! But the Coyote alone is a $7000 delta.

Otherwise, you can get the base GT, and then upgrade the center console gear, seats, and go-fast parts all you want over time as you can afford them.

 

[Stormtrooper5.0]

Base GT, if you get an EB people gonna laugh at you for having a 4-cyl Mustang, then you may regret not having went GT.

 

[Youngmustang]

Base gt. If I can do it again I would save my money and skip the options besides 3.55 gears. I really don't care for all the extra stuff. Mine is a daily driver. But that's just how I feel.

 

[SpeedLu]

Base GT all day, every day, and all 12 months of the year. It has much better performance, much more potential, the engine is far more reliable, it sounds 1000% better, and any advantage the EB has in weight or handling is countered by a few simple suspension upgrades. It's just a better performance car, get the GT.

 

[Aarron_M]

• You won't do any gear changes on the highway. So the TQ/HP gain from the Coyote won't be called upon as often.

Do you think manual owners are changing gears on the highway, unless they want to?

 

[GTP]

Do you think manual owners are changing gears on the highway, unless they want to?

What I meant is that highway driving is constant speed with cruise control. So there is no advantage to the v8 over the i4 during that time. But lots of guys love working up 1-2-3 from stoplights, and they would not like the EB.

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