Need input from 'mature' drivers ('19 GT Premium, MT86, AE, B&O, 401A, black pckg)

[Elp_jc]

Hey gang, looking to get a sporty, fun to drive car. Needs to be comfortable on trips so the wife goes with me, meaning a decent ride, decently quiet, comfortable, etc. So performance options are out. The only 'semi-performance' option I'm adding is the black package, since the stock wheels are ugly as hell, and the tires puny. The 255/40/19s are a good compromise IMO. For comparison, I use now my 2018 F-150 Platinum FX4 for trips, and my wife is happy with the seats, noise levels, and ride quality (although barely on that, since a live-axle truck unloaded doesn't ride that nicely). I basically want to row my own gears, much prefer a V8, and want it to be decently fun in the twisties. I had to sell my beloved 2016 Cayman GTS loaded to the gills ($100K+), with every luxury and performance option available, because it was awful on trips, and it just sat in the garage. I work from home, so I basically don't drive except for trips.

So how good is the Mustang GT premium as a travel car? If not good enough, then I'd have to look for a 6-cyl European or Japanese manual car next. Then a 4-cyl turbo. And finally, a luxury sedan if can't find a sporty car that can be quiet when you want it to. Here are my questions about the Mustang:

1. The Active Exhaust is actually quieter inside the cabin than the stock exhaust when in quiet mode, correct? If that's the case, which it should be, then AE is a must-have option, and the best of both worlds, since I can turn it loud when I want to.

2. Is the MT82 tranny that bad? I'd never rush shifts, so don't need that. BUT I like precise shifting, and a mechanical 'snick, snick' feel, to know what the shifter is doing. Hondas have that. My Porsche was precise, but lacked feel, due to a cable linkage. Is the MT82 cable or rod linkage? If not a great shifter, can just adding a weighed shift knob (options welcome) improve it enough to be enjoyable? If a new shifter is needed, which options are recommended, and do they increase the probability of grinding gears? And what's the 'clutch spring' mod I keep reading consists of? And why it's needed? Curious about that. Also about clutch effort needed. And how about reliability without abuse? Synchros? The Tremec on my last Vette had a defective 2nd gear synchro right off the bat (a weird 'sideways' design still present today, so a Tremec for me would be a deal-breaker). Finally how about the clutch feel and effort? Elaborate all you want on this issue, please. Haven't been able to test-drive a Mustang yet.

3. Those who own a '19 or newer (or older if exactly the same), who have done long trips on their Mustangs, please comment on all (good and bad) aspects of that. I live in TX, so usually travel at 80+ most of the time. Roads are horrible, so A/S tires are a must, which the black package has, although not great at all (Zero Neros). Are the ventilated seats effective? How about the A/C? Please comments on all aspects of travel comfort.

4. Any suggestions to make the car quieter, please discuss it here. Heard there's a 'tube', which I imagine is an intake tube to pipe engine sound to the cabin. Where is it? And how easy is to remove? And how much noise it eliminates? I HATE intake noise, so I'd definitely remove that. If I want to hear the engine, that'd be the job of the AE in sport mode. Are the front windows double-pane, like on my truck? With the window open, you can easily see the 'sandwich' if so equipped.

That's it for now folks. And if some young guys also enjoy a relatively quiet car, and have a car similarly equipped like I specified at the beginning, please jump in. But the majority are only interested in making them noisier and quicker, hence calling for 'mature' drivers. Ha ha. I'm 58, so not into that anymore. And battling cancer for 5 years, I can't have multiple cars anymore, so it has to be a jack of all trades. Thank you all in advance for your help.
JC

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[Bluelightning]

I live in Texas as well. I had an '18 PP1 premium car and it was great on trips. The non-pp car will ride a bit better due to different spring rates, but either is super comfortable for long-trips. I drove mine from Houston up to the north side of Lake Superior and back, and it was a great ride. Heated and cooled seats are great, and I use them often (especially the cooled option in Texas). Mine was an MT-82 car, and while it wasn't as smooth shifting as my GT350, I had no complaints with the transmission. Removing the intake tube is super easy, lots of vids on YouTube to show how it is done, but something that you can do in under an hour. Mine came off when I put the Whipple on it, but honestly before that if you hadn't told me it had one, I wouldn't have noticed it.

 

[Ken Po]

My quick two cents. I have that exact car even down to the black accent package (race red).

1. The active exhaust is quieter in the cabin than the other modes but, at cruising speeds on the highway, even the regular exhaust mode is fairly quiet.

2. I have no dislikes about the transmission, in fact I like it. But some have complained that it does not stand up to harder shifting/driving.

3. I have only spent 4 hours on one trip in it and it was very comfortable. However, I have not even tried the ventilated seats yet because I bought it in November and it has not gotten hot yet in Kansas. Gas mileage was about 23mpg at 70mph burning 93 octane (w/ 10% ethanol). I have found that it quickly gets worse as you go up in speed. I have been averaging about 19 cruising at 80. Luggage might be a concern for more than two people.

4. No problems hearing music and road noise can be minimized even further with simple mats. I believe one vendor has a mat for the trunk that helps a bit on exhaust too.

All in all, it was not designed as a luxo highway cruiser, but as a sports car (I've had a few) it is very good for travel.

 

[BoomBoy]

Honestly, I'd get a GT350 with heated and cooled leather seats. The transmission is a step above and it comes with an active exhaust. The magneride dampers are a must for comfort ride. They come standard with the GT350 and option for the GT. You should add them if you decide to go with the GT. You could switch out the tires for more streetable tires in the GT350.

 

[z6cyl]

It's not that loud in stock form.

For transmission do an MGW shifter to get that solid top-loader feeling, and you're set.

I can't comment about traveling, but they are grand touring cars so they are quite comfortable in stock form.

 

[lew]

I have a 19 GT 400A, A10, non active, stock exhaust, bought new last April. I had a 16, V6, A6. Having driven the 16 on many road trips I was not at all reluctant to set out on a road trip with the GT. The stock exhaust is very quiet without any drone at highway speeds and above. I am 64 years old and still enjoy a 1/4 mi. run and usually never back down from a pull. The wife and I made a month long road trip last year from June through August. We traveled from STL to the Keys, then to Portland Maine, returning to STL to regroup/reload then headed to Seattle Washington on a northern route very similar to the one Lewis and Clark did. The return trip took us down through Oregon and into California on route 1 along the coast. I put over 8000miles on Ruby and was ready to do it again once we returned back home. The GT is a cruiser, the seats were comfortable. We drove about 8hrs/day when traveling to planned destinations. The heated and cooled seats were welcome and they do work well. What was amazing was the gas mileage. For the entire trip i averaged 30+MPG.
Going through Yellowstone I observed 36 MPG in the high altitudes at relatively lower speeds of course. The road up Rainier was very mountainous with some extremely sharp hairpins that begin as a high bank going into the curve. Traction was great diving into the turns, the car did not understeer or lose grip when pressed into these molded turns. I did read a 1.5G on a left hand turn at about 40MPH that had me and my wife almost into the dash. I did not do that again, considered us lucky.
The trunk space and rear seat provided ample storage for the trips. I know the pirellis are not a favorite with many but did perform well for us and held up nicely with little noticable wear. Once home I changed the oil, it was about 1 qt low from the Western trip and seemed pretty clean.

We had a road trip planned for this summer to take a southern route to CA via New Orleans-Texsas but the COVID has changed those plans.
OK done rambling. Good Luck JC!

 

[Elp_jc]

Hey guys, thanks a million for all your help. Sounds like it's definitely worth trying to find one to test drive. For what I'd use the car, a GT350 makes no sense at almost double the price, and then new (expensive) tires. Plus wider tires are noisier, so not exactly more touring friendly. Even the tranny sounds like it's good enough right out of the gate for people like me, who are not going to abuse it in any way. Maybe a weighted knob, or an MGW shifter if at all, but sounds like it's not necessary, fortunately. You guys described the GT as exactly what I expect it to be: a decently comfortable and capable GT sports car, with the right amount of luxury and technology when equipped as described. Now will try to find one to test drive . Thanks again for all the great comments; greatly appreciated.

 

[scober]

^ Test drive a MagneRide car if you're able

 

[Elp_jc]

OK done rambling. Good Luck JC!

Hey, that wasn't rambling; it was an awesome report. With that report, I'm fully convinced a GT would be the car I'm looking for. I also like to drive/ride (have a Yamaha MT-10) aggressively when given a chance (and wife not on board, obviously. Ha ha). Have done many track schools with both cars and motorcycles (most recent last year at Laguna Seca), so probably a little above average driver/rider . And glad to read even with the Pirelli A/Ss, the car can handle 1.5Gs; that's pretty good. Hey, before letting you go, since you have (or had) an F-150 too, may I ask you how is the ride quality and cabin noise on the Mustang compared to the truck? Many thanks.

 

[Elp_jc]

^ Test drive a MagneRide car if you're able

You know, for what I read, on regular GTs you supposedly cannot change MagneRide individually. And since I almost always drive my vehicles in sport mode (due to the nicer throttle response, steering, etc), without individual adjustment, that means suspension would be in sport mode, which is a no-go for me (and I'm sure my wife), since I only want sport suspension when tackling twisties. Unless something changed, that makes it a deal-breaker. But in addition, seems too complex too, and obviously much more prone to issues, especially out of warranty, so unless it was really necessary, and individually adjustable, I'd just pass on it.

Having said that, can somebody compare MagneRide with stock GT Premium suspension? How many modes in MagneRide? It used to be just 2, which sucks for the price. But please position the stock GT-P suspension with MagneRide, just for comparison purposes. I'm sure it should be in the middle of both settings (if still just 2), but curious if smack in the middle of both, or more towards sport or comfort. Thank you.

 

[Idaho2018GTPremium]

You know, for what I read, on regular GTs you supposedly cannot change MagneRide individually. And since I almost always drive my vehicles in sport mode (due to the nicer throttle response, steering, etc), without individual adjustment, that means suspension would be in sport mode, which is a no-go for me (and I'm sure my wife), since I only want sport suspension when tackling twisties. Unless something changed, that makes it a deal-breaker. But in addition, seems too complex too, and obviously much more prone to issues, especially out of warranty, so unless it was really necessary, and individually adjustable, I'd just pass on it.

Having said that, can somebody compare MagneRide with stock GT Premium suspension? How many modes in MagneRide? It used to be just 2, which sucks for the price. But please position the stock GT-P suspension with MagneRide, just for comparison purposes. I'm sure it should be in the middle of both settings (if still just 2), but curious if smack in the middle of both, or more towards sport or comfort. Thank you.

This isn't true in the Mustang GT PP1 w/ MagneRide and the 10 speed automatic. There's a setting on the shift knob called "S". Normal mode is D. When you shift it into S it changes the throttle mapping, but doesn't affect MagneRide. You actually have to select the toggle to change the MagneRide. I have a PP1 with MagneRide and would not consider it harsh at all whatsoever in normal mode. It gets a little stiff in track mode on bouncy pavement.

I think there's four distinct settings for MR IIRC: Normal, Sport+, Track, and Drag.

 

[lew]

Thanks JC for a non-confrontational response, as I was attempting to describe without embellishment a first hand point of view.
I would not be ready to claim the Pirellis could hold even close to a 1.5G at high speed on a groomed track. Some circumstances may present a opportunity to dive into and then momentarily hold substantial G force. Personally I am reluctant to test the tires at speed on a highway curve.

My STX 150 rides extremely well and quiet inside the cab. My only gripe with the 150 is the seats. They are not bolstered, nor tall so the hugging effect is non-existent. My truck has split bench seats. The GT no doubt rumbles and can push out an audible exhaust note, but to me it is welcome and since there is no drone at highway speeds it is a non-issue, or perhaps a bonus. The ride quality in the STX is way softer than the GT. The GT's suspension is stiffer of course so you will feel the expansion joints and cracks in the highway, but at higher speeds the car absorbs more. I would not want to drive my STX at the speeds some of the western highways allow. 80MPH is a common speed limit out west with traffic usually in the 85-95MPH range. My STX even with the A10, 2.7 would never compete with the GT for MPG's at those speeds. The GT however seems to be right at home above 90 and into the 100s with little reduction in fuel consumption as compared to the STX.

 

[GT 550]

Agree with everything said here re the GT from my own experience travelling long distances in Australia. Comfortable and plenty of boot space for 2 people unless you take the kitchen sink. Sounds like shift feel is important to you so the manual might be initially underwhelming as they're not known for their smoothness or feel. This is the reason Barton and MGW shifters are so popular as is the BG Synchro fluid which makes a huge difference alone, either way they are solid remedies.

The clutch spring is something you might be drawn to when you first drive it, it does have a strange high and somewhat vague take up but my spring is sitting on the shelf from 2 years ago as I just got used to it and no longer see the need. There's quite a bit of discussion on here about them so a quick search will deliver.

The noise tube is located on the driver side and goes from the intake to the firewall. Fiddly but easy to remove, again there's a fair bit of discussion on here.

Suspension is a well trodden and relatively cheap path compared to Euros and Japanese if you get the urge to tinker but I'd really suggest trying Magneride for your intended purpose.

Also don't discount the A10, if I was buying another Mustang I'd take one for an extended test by all accounts they're a very good thing. Might be worth trying before you settle.

Beyond that I don't think you can really go wrong with one of these.

 

[Elp_jc]

Good to hear there're 4 modes now. What I'm curious about is where lies the stock suspension among the MR modes. Anybody? I'd guess between normal and sport, just like the stock exhaust lies between normal and sport too, but curious.

Hey, can't find any manual GT to test drive, other than several '19 Bullitts. What's the deal with those cars? Which tires does it come with? Only found 19" wheels, but not even width specified. Hopefully A/Ss. Those come already loaded with what I want: MT82, basically 401A (called 500A), 19" wheels, B&O, AE, and even MagneRide. And in addition, Brembo calipers, which sound GREAT.. but as long as it's not part of a performance package that will make the car ride harsh. Although maybe with MagneRide in normal, it wouldn't be worse than a stock GT-P, which would be perfectly fine with me. Oh, and is the shifter weighted? Or just different? I read that somebody makes the R lockout in billet; maybe that gives it enough heft that it feels weighted, no? Thx.

 

[Schwerin]

Regarding how quiet the car is. In quiet mode its BARELY louder than the 2018 Infinity Q50 I had previously. It's extremely quiet.

A BULLITT is generally just a GT Performance Package 1, but Green with 20HP extra.

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