2019 Roush Stage 3 Review by Matt Farah

[ihc95]

Ouch.

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[Ronin5.0]

Yep. He was not impressed. On most points (especially gearbox noise) I don't blame him. Also 79K seems ludicrous if you can grab a 350R under that. Like way under that? anyway, to each his own.

 

[TricarboNate]

Sounds about right. Basically he says it's no better than a regular GT and if you want a better Mustang, get a GT350.

Roush cars are a joke....not sure who really buys them.

 

[NYDP77]

Sounds about right. Basically he says it's no better than a regular GT and if you want a better Mustang, get a GT350.

Roush cars are a joke....not sure who really buys them.

This was the same as his review of a 2016 RS3.

I got a great deal on a used one. I can speak from experience there is a big difference between my 2016 RS3 and a 2017 GT with the Performance Pack and Power Pack 2, both in power and handling. I think Matt has it out for Roush, his reviews have not been kind and He's in love with the GT350. His final basis is that he can't use the extra hp in his daily life. He then says "it's like a normal driving car"...yeah but with a lot more hp it's called muscle...The GT, GT350 and RS3 are all very different cars.

 

[Boston23]

I’ll offer my opinion being fortunate enough to have driven the 17 GT350, 17 Roush RS3 and an 18 Jackhammer. I enjoyed them all! There is something visceral about the 350 almost from the instant you sit in it though all three share a very similar interior. The sound of the 350 is very seductive. The TR transmission has a significantly better feel than the MT82 though the Jackhammer was the best MT82 transmission I’ve driven. Ringing out the gears on the 350 definitely puts a smile on your face and the handling makes the car! If I had the ability to pick the 350 over my 17 GT without going into debt, it wouldn’t have been a difficult decision and I could have easily been swayed in that direction. Common-financial sense prevailed and I can honestly say I’m happy with the GT though there’s always that voice in the back of my head that says, do it. The same voice that says add a TVS supercharger to my GT and I think that voice gains traction when I’m drinking. The RS3 was a real chance occasion. I was at the dealership for an oil change looking at an RS3 in the showroom and had a lengthy conversation with the head of the Roush team there. Very nice guy and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about the Roush / Ford Performance R&D relationship and that to Ford. He was gracious enough to offer me the key to the RS3 and I was off. Five minutes later, I was back in the office and I guess there was a slight look of disappointment that came from getting a key to an RS3 with an automatic transmission. That disappointment was quickly resolved with a new key and I was off again. The interior of the RS3 was obviously familiar and intuitive and I was pretty excited to be driving my first supercharged S550. It probably wasn’t an ideal weather day with the temperature in the 40’s and the Cooper tires broke traction easily and often. Once warmed up and getting a feel for the car, I enjoyed it. The car pulled hard throughout the range and I was stupid happy to be entrusted with the car. I don’t car for the graphics, decals and badges and much prefer a cleaner looking car. If I was going to go this route, I’d just get a Roush Charged GT and mod it to my liking. I wasn’t crazy about the stripes on the 350 either but that’s just me. The dealership also has an Avalanche Grey 350 without stripes and a black roof that screams buy me when I look at it. My first drive in a SC 550 was a lot of fun and I can see myself being drawn back to the dark side of FI. Fast forward to last Saturday and I was back again for an oil change for the F-150 and the GT. We were talking about the Tail of the Dragon/Ponies in the Smokies and the upcoming 55th anniversary of the Mustang and the new museum. That was followed by an invitation to drive a Jackhammer and what does any car enthusiast say? Hell yes! The start has the typical Roush growl and into Sport mode we go with the steering wheel control buttons on the right rather than left. At low RPM, the car was a lot like my GT though the transmission shifter was so much better that I had to ask if it was still stock. Not sure if I got the gem and the OP got the typical MT82 but I was impressed. After letting the oil temp come up, we were on the highway with the windows down and we were singing along. Third and fourth gear are awesome pulls! The car felt planted and stable and even with 710 HP (also being told it’s underrated), the car didn’t intimidate like I thought it would. I felt comfortable to push it and minus the graphics and badges, I like it! I’m very appreciative to have had the opportunity to drive all three and for that matter, to own my GT. Do I see myself spending $70K, no. Do I see a TVS supercharger in my future, possibly. I think if you take the price tags off and strip the graphics, you can find something to like in each car. I like cars! As much as this is a Mustang forum, if someone offered you a key to a ZL1, would you say no?

 

[Ronin5.0]

The same voice that says add a TVS supercharger to my GT and I think that voice gains traction when I’m drinking.

LOL. What a great quote! That happens to many I'm sure.
I think I got spoiled. Years ago I had a 67 vert. Last year a 70. So I was looking around for a newer car as the old school carb etc experience was not making me happy. I found a one owner 16 , 8500 miles w/ Roush S/C, bra, Borla and ceramic. Good price and I was smitten. I have never even driven a stock Mustang. So it's my "Roush" complete with a bit of badging etc. I'm a fan based on how well the blower works with the car. Personally, Roush, Saleen, Calloway whatever means very little to me as it's just a mod sheet and I don't see where it adds any value to the car whatsoever. So paying 79K for one seems just nuts. What is it worth day 2- 50k? Get the GT and mod it or if you have deeper pockets than I do, a Shelby. Shelby seems to me to be the only real upgrade option. The Roush is just a very expensive modded Mustang and I can easily understand why many are not impressed with the package and overall value proposition. I love my car and the performance. I am impressed (mostly) with a few calls I have made to Roush. Would I buy a vehicle direct from them- heck no. GT350 or 500 (used).

 

[morgande]

Matt has never liked the Roush cars. I've seen him give positive reviews to Mustangs, but never a Roush Mustang.

I think the big thing is with any Roush car your paying for the branding. They are good about producing their own parts: the exhaust system in their own, the CAI and tune is all Roush, the supercharger is theirs. So while it is a branding exercise at least its not as superficial as a Shelby branding exercise. Your getting a lot of real performance upgrades all directly from Roush. The issue is probably with the tune used on the Supercharger. I have no doubt its that tune that is effecting Matt's perception of power. I know Roush makes the blower, but I just am not 100% certain if that is a Roush tune or a Ford Performance tune. And that is prob what Matt is complaining about the most. 30K for a car that doesn't feel like a 700 hp car should. I wouldn't like it either.

 

[NYDP77]

I understand people may not be into the looks of an RS3 it's a bold design. Does everyone think people are paying MSRP for an RS3? You get them lower than that. Same can't be said with the GT350. I can speak from experience that the 2016 used RS3 I purchased was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than a used GT350 base with the same milage.

BTW his $79k must be for every Roush option. A base GT plus RS3 for 2019 with just the supercharger and coilovers is about $60k

 

[Guard5.0]

I’ve only ever seen one Roush car that was bought with the intention of truly making it fast. That was a white 2016 RS3 from Brenspeed that eventually went low 9’s but all the TVS stuff minus the SC had been replaced by better stuff and a custom tune. You could do that with the 15 and 16’s but the latest versions are throttle body and heat exchanger limited. They’re certainly not comparable to the 350’s on a road course or simply hustling on a curvy road. Most are bought just to have a “Roush” Mustang.

 

[Bullitt0819]

Ouch.

I have a Bullitt with an MT82. It's never 'clunked' going into first, nor has it grinded going into second (it does, however, sometimes grind a little going into third). Driving an MT takes 'touch' and I don't care if he's an internet celebrity, I don't think he has it.

 

[Noggles]

I have a Bullitt with an MT82. It's never 'clunked' going into first, nor has it grinded going into second (it does, however, sometimes grind a little going into third). Driving an MT takes 'touch' and I don't care if he's an internet celebrity, I don't think he has it.

I haven’t watched the video but I’m assuming the car he has is a press car so it’s been beat on like a rented mule. That probably has as much to do with the shifting issues as does the mt82 being a massive hunk of bean counter garbage.

 

[Epiphany]

The rear window covers are absolutely hideous, even more so on early models. They reek of JC Whitney.

Note to Roush - THEY LOOK AWFUL. LET IT GO.

Roush has the capability to put together the best Mustang drivetrain package out there. They can OEM calibrate and pick parts to really bump the 5.0L engine properly. The MT-82 transmissions should be yanked upon delivery from Ford to Roush. Sell them for scrap or as take-off's. Then a well designed clutch should be fitted to this car along with a TR-3160 - no questions asked.

Roush also has the capability to design and manufacture some cutting edge aero pieces (they don't have to be fiber either). A decent brake package and some mild but well chosen suspension pieces and you're done. Shitcan the gaudiness that only bumps the price up to a level that has true Mustang enthusiasts laughing. Had I my druthers, the Roush would be a Boss 429-like exterior theme. Minimalist with the balance being far more towards reasonable performance and far less like an old fart car for gramps to drive a car full of toddlers down Main Street in some parade.

Roush has so much potential but for whatever reason, year after year, they consistently fail to get their shit together and better reflect the capability they possess.

 

[Twin Turbo]

They should produce this (minus the window covers, of course )

 

[Schwerin]

I don't really get the hate on the MT-82 (shift forks aside) the 3650 got lots of hate and called Trash a lot too, and I beat the snot out of one with a full bolton Mach1 for 10 years. It never gave me issue.

He keeps pointing out that it's "Chinese". Sure, but its built to Ford Specs and requirements. If that's not good enough then that's Fords fault. Now if they are delivering sub par inventory then Ford QA should also be catching that after finding issues in tear downs of failed transmissions.

 

[Epiphany]

He keeps pointing out that it's "Chinese". Sure, but its built to Ford Specs and requirements. If that's not good enough then that's Fords fault. Now if they are delivering sub par inventory then Ford QA should also be catching that after finding issues in tear downs of failed transmissions.

Have you ever torn one down and compared the internals to that of the TR3160? There is no comparison. Not saying anything about "fault" but it is what comes with the car. Want to show you are serious about producing and integrating parts that work together to make an even better car? Then yank the MT82, asap, and move on to the next hurdle. Nothing to get stuck on but rather something to address.

With respect to MT82 failures or TR3160 failures, I think it is clear that the TR3160 has been designed to shift extremely well at higher rpm levels or better than the typical MT82. The Bullitt should have come with the TR3160 (along with GT350 knuckles and brakes) but Ford held back and wasn't willing to allow that car to creep up on the GT350, hence keeping it in the slot they wanted it to be confined to. Roush doesn't have those types of limitations.

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