Base GT test drive not impressive. What am I missing

[AZStang]

I have an ecoboost for a year. I have since sold off a few toys I didn't use much any more for plans to finally get a gt. The gap from the premium auto ecoboost to the GT is much then I hoped but I'm getting there. So today I test drove a base auto gt. Seems to be all stock. First part I drove in drive. Felt really pretty boring with really only a couple half throttle pushes. Then I did sport. It was better but still felt a bit less strong than my eco with a few half throttle runs. I gave a decent full throttle run which felt ok down low and nice pull at top that the eco does not have. I then drove with paddles and still torque wasnt that great at 2000 to 3000 then progressive better topend pull. It seemed geared high though. I only hit full throttle a couple times for a short period. I see dyno charts and the gt should have more torque at 2500 but charts are always full throttle. Does an eco have better pull at part throttle. Does a base gt have other issues that doesn't let it perform as good as a PP. Could the gearing just be that low. I'm just trying to see what I'm missing since I have been really looking forward to saving up for the gt. I have a premium test drive in a couple days and look forward to see how that one performs. Maybe going to try a manual too. FYI. Also text drove an 08 gt manual and man that felt slow. Maybe very high gearing.

First Mustang I test drove was an auto, and I also felt the same as you. In fact i asked the salesman what's wrong with the car? I was coming out of a 13 Challenger RT mind you. My expectations were the car would feel faster than my RT, and the but dyno said it was slower. HP numbers don't always equal what you expect, or make a car fun to drive.

Test drove my GT P PP and it felt like a completely different car, and I bought it. Really happy I went premium PP. It's the best of both worlds. Just my 2 cents.

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[tw557]

I do plan to drive the stick and auto next week. The stick is a PP but the auto is a premium. I'm anxious to see how they feel along with the plenty of advice and comments I have received here. Interesting to see how much better the PP will feel since many have mentioned such a better experience they felt with the PP.

 

[2015Etrac]

When my 2015 auto with 3.15's was stock it would blow the tires up in sport or track mode. Definitely wasn't a gearing issue. My 2011 with 3.15's went low 11's N/A. No gearing issue with that car either.

I agree. In sport or track mode with my 3:15 I have to ease on the gas from a stop or it will just spin the tires, and I have the summer tires that the PP cars come with on my 20in wheels. I think the problem, as others have said, is he's not getting into the RPM range he needs to be. If you get the car up to like 4k in 2nd and hit the gas, it should launch hard. On the other hand if you just floor it at 1500rpm it feels like a dog at first.

 

[ChitownStang]

In my opinion, premium manual with 3.31 is perfect. You can launch it hard and you don't have to shift as much as 3.73 in the pp. either way manual is faster than auto and in my opinion the only way to have a sports car.

 

[TricarboNate]

Go for the GT350.

GT350 is a best, don't get me wrong. However it will be even more torqueless at low RPM.

 

[BmacIL]

In my opinion, premium manual with 3.31 is perfect. You can launch it hard and you don't have to shift as much as 3.73 in the pp. either way manual is faster than auto and in my opinion the only way to have a sports car.

:cheers:

You making it to Supercars on Saturday?

 

[2015Etrac]

I do plan to drive the stick and auto next week. The stick is a PP but the auto is a premium. I'm anxious to see how they feel along with the plenty of advice and comments I have received here. Interesting to see how much better the PP will feel since many have mentioned such a better experience they felt with the PP.

Put the auto in track mode when you drive it and launch it at like 3k-4k rpm.

 

[ChitownStang]

Yes! Look forward to meeting you Bmac

 

[Popo5ohh]

Besides gears performance is no different with base over pp....

 

[thet33]

Sport mode (double tap) in the base has improved throttle response as well.

It's my understanding that the Base "Sport" mode only affects nannies. No throttle response parameters are affected whatsoever. Believe me, I have a Base GT and always felt like I was pulling an anchor and added Pedalmax which helped some.
I eventually upgraded to a Sync 3 unit and had the premium modes programmed. So much better now. I might just remove the Pedalmax at this point.
So yes, OP, I would definitely try a Prem with Sport or track mode enabled and traction control off. Makes a world of difference.

 

[Popo5ohh]

If i car is tuned all nannys are taken off anyway which means tuned base is equal to tuned pp

 

[Tommy556]

I think i would give this some consideration but it certainly is more involving to do. I have no e30 or e35 stations. The meth injection systems seem a little more to keep after for a daily driver. Also I don't have any shops or friends with any mustangs to compare to let alone modified ones. I'm thinking that would be the performance and feel I am looking for. I figured the gt would do the same and have a warranty. I don't think I would feel comfortable modifying the ecoboost that far without internals upgraded.

You don't really have to push the stock internals to get good numbers out of the ecoboost. Get a vargas stage 2 with intercooler and accessport (around 3.000$) and you can get to ~360/370whp roughly on 93 on a safe tune without having to upgrade internals. That's around as much as the GT does top end. But you will have tons more of torque down low and in the middle of the rpms. You are also lighter. The car will be very quick with those mods. And the number of big turbo ecoboosts that have failed so far is close to zero since the vargas turbo can make good power with a lot less stress than the stock turbo.

 

[BmacIL]

It's my understanding that the Base "Sport" mode only affects nannies. No throttle response parameters are affected whatsoever. Believe me, I have a Base GT and always felt like I was pulling an anchor and added Pedalmax which helped some.
I eventually upgraded to a Sync 3 unit and had the premium modes programmed. So much better now. I might just remove the Pedalmax at this point.
So yes, OP, I would definitely try a Prem with Sport or track mode enabled and traction control off. Makes a world of difference.

It does both. Reduced TC/SC intervention and a change in throttle response. It's not a big change but it's noticeable.

 

[Hashbrownn]

Besides gears performance is no different with base over pp....

Maybe so, if you're only driving straight.
Night & Day difference in the corners

 

[NoVaGT]

If i car is tuned all nannys are taken off anyway which means tuned base is equal to tuned pp

Wut???

Whose tune turns off all the nannies?

I know this isn't correct with BAMA tunes. Are there other tunes that do so?

I don't even think a tuner messes with the programming that controls the nannies.

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