Car and Driver 2018 Mustang GT instrument test

[15GTBEN]

Read more. It's not only Mustang owners. :doh: Car&Driver:

"Nevertheless, here’s what you must know: The Camaro has a narrow greenhouse, unknowable corners, near-zero rear visibility, and, yes, back seats that are less usable than a Mustang’s. These facts were not lost on our logbook scribes. “It’s hard to imagine that Chevy could have made it less practical if it tried,” reads one entry. The words “gun slit,” “periscope,” and “cave” appear so many times in our notes that we have forever banished them from the C/D lexicon."

Hey I'm not denying the camaro has worse visibility, but again it just hasn't been an issue for me personally. The “gun slit,” “periscope,” and “cave” are all real attributes that I'm okay with but can understand it isn't for everyone.
My 9 and 5 year old's are the only one's that ride in my back seats and they cant tell a difference between the mustang or camaro back seat space. Adults could sit relatively comfortable in mt 2012 and 2014 gt's however :shrug:

Neither the stang or camaro are perfect and each have their positives and negatives.

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[Nomadic]

I've also driven all 3. Mustang GT (not 2018), Scat pack and Camaro SS. ALL 3 are GREAT and have their pros/cons.
The SS power seemed a little more potent than the PP Mustang I drove.

If comparing 2018s, the Camaro 1SS has to be probably the best deal IMO.
All depends on personal preference really and how much you want to spend.
I personally think the Camaro SS is a tougher looking car than the Mustang. But I think they all look good.
I ended up with a '15 GT b/c the price was right especially with the mods it came with. But I'd be very happy with any of the 3.

 

[15GTBEN]

I've also driven all 3. Mustang GT (not 2018), Scat pack and Camaro SS. ALL 3 are GREAT and have their pros/cons.
The SS power seemed a little more potent than the PP Mustang I drove.

If comparing 2018s, the Camaro 1SS has to be probably the best deal IMO.
All depends on personal preference really and how much you want to spend.
I personally think the Camaro SS is a tougher looking car than the Mustang. But I think they all look good.
I ended up with a '15 GT b/c the price was right especially with the mods it came with. But I'd be very happy with any of the 3.

Or find a certified 17' 2SS with magetic ride and 1100 miles for $34k like I did for the bang/buck factor. I wasn't willing to mod my base 15'GT so was a no-brainier for me.

I think you made the right choice with the 15' GT going the F/I route.

 

[Rock&Roll]

Idk why people fret over .1 or .2 seconds in the quarter mile, its so little you wont feel it on a daily basis. Like if the 1le is a tad faster around a track who cares, the cars are so close it doesnt matter. I would rather take the mustang because you can actually see out of it and it has better interior storage and a nicer interior imo. That is a bigger deal then .2 in the quarter. But just because the camaro is a tad faster people freak out and make rash decisions. Just put a cai and tune on the 18 gt and youll be happy and you will also be able to see out of your car

:headbonk: was out driving today and all i could think was this car is so hard to keep under the speed limit Imagine if it was .1 or .2 faster like OMG and Totally :lol:

 

[Nomadic]

Or find a certified 17' 2SS with magetic ride and 1100 miles for $34k like I did for the bang/buck factor. I wasn't willing to mod my base 15'GT so was a no-brainier for me.

I think you made the right choice with the 15' GT going the F/I route.

That's a sick deal on the 2SS. You would never get that price here in SoCal. It would be 2-3K more and would sell quickly.

I was waiting for heavier GM discounts on the 1SS but found my '15 already boosted, lowered, exhaust. No regrets.

 

[Lorne34]

I'm a younger guy (31) and I'd never trust something like blind spot monitoring in the absence of being able to see. That's a good way get you into a apathetic style of driving. Ford did a great job with the beltline height, window size and mirror positioning (with the convex bubbles) so that you do not have any blind spots if they are set correctly, while still having the tight quarter windows and large C pillars.

I agree, I have BLIS on my premium and it is super convenient, but it's only a REINFORCEMENT for what I see when I look in my blind spot...Driver's ED 101

 

[traxiii]

I posted this in another thread a while ago but it seems appropriate here...

I've been doing this since I heard about it on the radio. It makes blind spots smaller, but people freak out when they can't see their own car in the side mirror.

To adjust your mirrors correctly, tilt your head against the drivers side window, and adjust that side mirror so you can just see the side of your car. Then lean towards the passenger's seat and do the same, adjusting the right side mirror so you can just see the side of your car. Your mirrors are no adjusted correctly.

If you really need to see something right next to your car you can lean and see it, but when driving in your normal position you can see cars in your side mirrors until you see them in your side vision. Hence no real blind spot. It's kind of cool because you can follow cars from your rear view mirror to your side mirror and back again without loosing sight of them.

 

[15GTBEN]

I've been doing this since I heard about it on the radio. It makes blind spots smaller, but people freak out when they can't see their own car in the side mirror.

To adjust your mirrors correctly, tilt your head against the drivers side window, and adjust that side mirror so you can just see the side of your car. Then lean towards the passenger's seat and do the same, adjusting the right side mirror so you can just see the side of your car. Your mirrors are no adjusted correctly.

If you really need to see something right next to your car you can lean and see it, but when driving in your normal position you can see cars in your side mirrors until you see them in your side vision. Hence no real blind spot. It's kind of cool because you can follow cars from your rear view mirror to your side mirror and back again without loosing sight of them.

Yup it works. I learned it all the way back in drivers-ed and have been doing it ever since. I adjust the mirrors like that in my wife's car and she hates it saying it feels scary..

 

[nrc]

Yeah, I don't like not seeing at least part of my car in the mirror as a point of reference. I adjust them as noted and then pull them back until I see at least of a bit of my car. I check it against objects at stoplights. By the time a car moves forward enough to not be in my mirror they're far enough that I can see them in my peripheral vision when I check the mirror.

 

[activeGT]

Hey I'm not denying the camaro has worse visibility, but again it just hasn't been an issue for me personally. The “gun slit,” “periscope,” and “cave” are all real attributes that I'm okay with but can understand it isn't for everyone.
My 9 and 5 year old's are the only one's that ride in my back seats and they cant tell a difference between the mustang or camaro back seat space. Adults could sit relatively comfortable in mt 2012 and 2014 gt's however :shrug:

Neither the stang or camaro are perfect and each have their positives and negatives.

Yeah, I like looking out my rear 'gun-slit' at the ugly nose on the Mustangs...:headbonk:

 

[mustang1]

Chevy should make blind spot detection standard, or at least sell it separate from the $5000 2SS trim. Dodge sells their blind spot detection for $1000. What they call "Driver Convenience".

Price is similar now between Mustang and Camaro. Base car, with Active Exhaust, MSRP $38,3 . Ford wants to up-sell the 301A electronics and adds that with either Active exhaust or Magneride.

Although it appears that Chevy sells their 1SS with run flat summers. On the build page, if you click the icon next to the line item for the tire description, it says ""Do not use summer-only tires in winter conditions, as it would adversely affect vehicle safety, performance and durability." Does this mean the dealership will want to sell you A/S tires if its cold outside?

 

[15GTBEN]

Chevy should make blind spot detection standard, or at least sell it separate from the $5000 2SS trim. Dodge sells their blind spot detection for $1000. What they call "Driver Convenience".

Price is similar now between Mustang and Camaro. Base car, with Active Exhaust, MSRP $38,3 . Ford wants to up-sell the 301A electronics and adds that with either Active exhaust or Magneride.

Although it appears that Chevy sells their 1SS with run flat summers. On the build page, if you click the icon next to the line item for the tire description, it says ""Do not use summer-only tires in winter conditions, as it would adversely affect vehicle safety, performance and durability." Does this mean the dealership will want to sell you A/S tires if its cold outside?

I think blind spot monitoring and back-up cameras should be standard on all cars personally.

Not sure about the a/s option but I drive with my summer tires in freezing temps without issue. Tires do spin a lot in second gear from 40-50 up to redline in 2nd at wot on cold roads which can be surprising if not expecting it.

 

[ngiotta]

The back seats in the s550 are also horrible and not much better than the camaro's. The s197's back seats were actually quite usable.

The back seats in my '16 are quite usable. I have an 11 year old and a 14 year old that sit back there regularly. While my 14 year old grumbles about getting in and out, once he's there, there's plenty of room. He did comment that the seat "feels" smaller than the '08 that we had before. That said, I'd say you have 1 year, 2 years tops, before your kids outgrow a Camaro back seat. It's just a smaller area.

 

[mustang1]

... Not sure about the a/s option but I drive with my summer tires in freezing temps without issue. Tires do spin a lot in second gear from 40-50 up to redline in 2nd at wot on cold roads which can be surprising if not expecting it.

this type of tire spin hints at compromised stopping distance.

 

[15GTBEN]

The back seats in my '16 are quite usable. I have an 11 year old and a 14 year old that sit back there regularly. While my 14 year old grumbles about getting in and out, once he's there, there's plenty of room. He did comment that the seat "feels" smaller than the '08 that we had before. That said, I'd say you have 1 year, 2 years tops, before your kids outgrow a Camaro back seat. It's just a smaller area.

My son has complained about foot room sitting behind me in the 15 gt and ss. I agree the the camaro is a little worse but the stang isn't great either sitting behind the driver.
There is plenty of room in the back of both cars on the passenger side if the front seat is moved forward.
My 6ft brother regularly used to car pool with me back in the day sitting in the back of my 12'GT without much issue. Good luck with that in the s550 or ss..

Anyway, I could care less really as my kids rarely need to ride in the camaro.
We usually take our 17' Honda Pilot for the family stuff.

this type of tire spin hints at compromised stopping distance.

Possibly but have noticed anything like that yet. I daily commute my SS 80 miles a day without issue.

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