GT or EB

[99Zeus99]

Probably better to get the EB if you listen to some here. According to some, my car at 9k miles should explode any day now.

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[ice445]

I spent a good amount of time test driving a Base manual 2020 GT and it was great fun. I see the appeal. I do. But my driving doesn’t involve drag or track time. And I know I won’t modify my car (other than having the dealer remove the silver hood stripes I didn’t care for.) I wanted something distinctive, fun to drive out of the box. I haven’t seen another HPP on the road. I wonder if it has been a sales success for Ford? Then again not a lot of new cars have been sold lately.

The HPP with the handling package was tailored made for me. I had never driven a turbo before the EB Mustang and it was very responsive to me. I hit the gas and it moves smartly. I mostly enjoy driving the Wasatch canyons where the handling package and manual transmission is so much fun.

I drove an EB convertible rental on the Big Island in Feb 2019 for two weeks and really enjoyed it, even though it was a rental (premium without the 201A). It’s when I got the Mustang virus. Did a ton of research and ordered what I wanted.

Only one person has given me the “Why didn’t you get a V8?” question. She drives a Infiniti Q30.

Oh I didn't realize you were a Utah local. The V8 loses a bit of power at our altitude whereas the HPP really doesn't lose much at all, so that's another good reason for the choice. I bet it feels really fun in the canyons, I know mine does even though it's heavier.

Also I see now I misstyped "I've" for some reason, not sure what my brain was doing there. I meant that it seems like quite the upgrade over the normal Ecoboost, haha, I wasn't comparing to the GT.

 

[Dave2013M3]

I just want to say the 2.3HiPo motor is so much better than the standard EB. Power under the curve is much better and the car actually doesn't run out of steam at redline like the regular EB. I almost bought one...just hearing 4 cyl. noises (even though the RS sounding Mustang was kind of cool) coming from a Mustang just was weird to me. Ford never should have gotten rid of the 3.7 V6.

 

[Vicr]

Test drive both then mortgage your house and buy a Porsche Carrera 4S.

 

[StealthStang]

My last car was a 300 (crank) hp Mazdaspeed3 that I had for 11 years. It weighed 3,140 lbs with almost a full tank of gas. I don't think I could go up in 500 lbs with only a 30 hp increase and have been satisfied - my Speed3 had a better power to weight ratio than the HPP Ecoboost, and it handled great as-is (it's a sporty Mazda) and esp. for a Hatchback. That car was ahead of its time in 2007, IMO. It was the best hot hatch to come out by that time, and 13 years later would still fit in with the likes of the current or more recent hot hatches.

Sorry if you already know this, but id figure id mention it anyway. Did you know the Ford Ecoboost 2.3L is a derivative of Mazda's 2.3L DISI engine ? Theres a bunch of changes such as upgraded head and more forged components but its very very similar. Always liked those cars and yes they were ahead of their time, they did have a bad habit of blowing a hole through the rear of the block (Just like the Ecoboost Mustang too!) but i think towards the end Mazda mostly sorted out the tuning and they didnt have too many issues if kept stock.
I used to own a Volvo C30 T5 Polestar which shared a lot of the chassis and suspension components with the mazdaspeed 3 except it used Volvos 2.5L Turbo 5, which was also used in the Ford Focus RS Mk2. Also a great engine with huge torque when tuned.

Anyway to answer the OPs question, GT vs Ecoboost, honestly i dont think you can go wrong with either TBH. If money is no object then yeah go for the GT, if you want to go fast cheaply then the Ecoboost is what you want. Having driven them both I can tell you the Ecoboost front end DEFINITELY feels lighter. In the beginning i used to think it was a big advantage and it probably is if you do a lot of tight track driving, but over the years ive started to feel that it feel maybe too light for the way i like to drive.
When i stomp on the gas and the weight shifts to the rear the front feels super light and its difficult to feel whats going on with the steering and its caught me out a couple times where i was to fast with the steering (cause it was so light) and i caused a fish tail. Im not sure if the GT has this problem too under the same conditions but im guessing the extra weight upfront plants it down a bit better.

The torque on the tuned ecoboosts is really nice for daily driving but you lose a lot of power up top which doesn't happen on the GT, but for sure the car feels way more torquey at lower RPM than the prefacelift GT does. Im guessing its due to a combination of similar torque less weight and shorter gearing on the Ecoboost but it really does feel gutsier in the 1800-3000RPM range.
With an NX2 Turbo you can solve the higher RPM power issues and make more power than a GT with less money spent but of course youll open yourself up to warranty issues. Modding wise youll hit a wall at around 450HP on the ecoboost and its going to cost a lot of money and effort to go further than that, so if 500HP is your target go for the GT plus you dont need any block work until you are well into the upper 700s i think.

As for engine sound, Im one of those people who's never cared much about it my cars have always had high end aftermarket audio systems installed so its rarely something i take into consideration since i cant hear it anyway most of the time.

 

[ice445]

Good point.
While I think that V8s in general are still going to be with us for quite some time, this may be the last call for a 'clean', pure V8. A couple of luxury brands still offer V8 engines and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future, but those are turbocharged, plagued by abominations like stop&start, or systems that turn off some of the cyllinders when the ECU thinks you don't need them, on the outside they sound like a straight four that's a bit sick, and inside they play fake sound through the speakers. The difference between those and a Coyote is like watching Charlize Theron on television versus having sex with her. There's no replacement for the real thing.
Besides the RS thing I mentioned above, this was another reason why I chose the GT instead of the more rational EB - it could be my last chance.

Don't forget the best part of the Mustang, no skip shift on the manual. I absolutely abhor that feature.

 

[NickZ]

First I'm hearing about the eye thing. You have a good source on that?

But yeah, government response has been shit across the board.

Well, mine was heard some guys talking as well...

 

[NickZ]

I'd have to read this a few times to fully digest it. Deep stuff!



Interesting observation about the "itch" and lease connection. I can see how it wouldn't be the same as owning the car. The feeling is amplified when you own the car outright (no loan!).



The mask is designed to keep things underneath the mask of the wearer, to protect others from yourself. It's like covering your mouth when you cough. It's not necessarily to keep yourself safe from others. I'm no liberal, but I do respect others around me, so wearing a mask is more about the whole collective, rather than an individual. If someone sneezes or coughs near me, I really hope they are wearing their mask right now.

Totally agree, I will DEFINITELY wear mask as a member in a community should do.
But my point is that these things aren't efficient, and governments (especially the lefts) are never on our side...

 

[NickZ]

Don't forget the best part of the Mustang, no skip shift on the manual. I absolutely abhor that feature.

skip shift? Sorry newb here

 

[NickZ]

Here I thought it was the Ecoboost that went Ecoboom.

Yep, another concern of mine is that how reliable is a tuned EB? assuming some where 380hp is enough?
Definitely heard some Ecobooms but never GTboom... Aside the 350 engine failure, Shelby will be too much for me, on attention wise and $$$

 

[ice445]

skip shift? Sorry newb here

The Camaro and the Challenger both force you to shift from 1 to 4 on low throttle to improve the MPG. It's infuriating. You can disable it with some work but still, the principle of it is stupid. Manual means I shift how I want to, not in some arbitrary way.

 

[Maggneto]

If you have to ask which car to get then you are a GT guy.

 

[NickZ]

If you have to ask which car to get then you are a GT guy.

Emmm, maybe...
Anyway these replies have given me more thirst for a V8, just like its thirst for gas...

 

[Maggneto]

Emmm, maybe...
Anyway these replies have given me more thirst for a V8, just like its thirst for gas...

 

[ivantwilliams]

Let me add my two pence worth:

A few years ago, I purchased a V6. I was scared of the V8, both from a speed perspective, and a financial perspective (cost of the car, and insurance).
But, after 6 months or so, I test drove a V8, and have not looked back since. Plus, my Missus reminded me that I am a responsible individual and would not just be burning tyres and being silly with it.

All that to say, make the best choice for you. Alas, think about how you would use the car daily, even more so including comforts (Premium, SiriusXM, Leather, Active Exhaust, etcetera).

Emmm, maybe...
Anyway these replies have given me more thirst for a V8, just like its thirst for gas...

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