Need Advice: 19-20 GT350 or 19-20 GT350R?

[Mach 307]

I was in a similar position as well, got a ride in a regular one, loved it, got a ride in an R and it was game over - had to have it. The R is an absolute bargain for all the extra goodies and benefits.

I bought my 1-owner 20k mile 2020 R on BaT in January for $80K. I was in the market for 12-15 months trying to avoid modifications, too many owners, wrong color etc. Didn't really want the HEP but did consider buying one for the right price. Takes patience to find one that ticks all the boxes. You could say I slightly overpaid for mine but I got a brand-new front splitter and 2 spare carbon wheels included. I can't complain, did an oil analysis, engine is healthy, got a 6-year Ford ESP. Driving the hell out of it

I think you got a great price honestly, wouldn’t say you overpaid at all! She’s a beauty at that. Congratulations. I remember awhile back you had a different 350 if I recall correctly. Out of curiosity what made you switch?

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[Big Business]

just read more of your thread, I'm the same age as you, my 2019 GT350R was like $120/month when I was 23 and owned it if I recall, it was totaled in a garage flood a month after I got it ... 3 years later, my new 2020 R is only like $81/month, my 2024 Subaru Outback is like $94 LOL. Then again, there are so many factors to insurance, and also they don't even distinguish the difference between base/R for me from what I can tell. I wasted the Summer of 2023 on the phone with the insurance company having to explain to them the difference for the total loss claim

Back in my original search, I was originally thinking "I'm going to daily the 350" - this was such a stupid idea and I'm glad I never did it, having an appliance beater you don't care about is 1000% the way to go and go balls-out on the 2nd fun car

 

[Big Business]

one more since you mentioned it as well: bought the Ford ESP for $5800, 6yrs/50k miles. They've definitely gone up a lot since 2023 when I originally was gonna buy it - but car was totaled the Friday before the Monday inspection visit ... Anyway 6yrs/50k miles probably overkill mileage wise but the delta between the 40k and 50k miles was like $500 and then I knew the others were never gonna happen. To me, a bargain, all factored into my plan. I had factory extended warranty on an Alfa Romeo and it was totally worth it and paid out just like the normal warranty

Anywho we all know buying $80K cars at our age is usually stupid but part of my justification was we have like 3 years left to ever own one of these things with a warranty backed by Ford. I like all different types of fun cars, everything else I'd like to buy is not possible to have a warranty anymore. The stars all aligned for me as far as I'm concerned

 

[Mach 307]

@Big Business That's kind of where I'm at too.

It feels like this is one of the last chances to own one of these cars before they become:

A. Modified by a previous owner
B. Out of warranty
C. Out of my price range

Your insurance cost is actually reassuring. My Mach 1 HP is about $200/month through American Family. I carry $1,000 collision and comprehensive deductibles, $250k/$500k liability limits, plus OEM parts coverage. I probably over-insure a bit , but after hearing what you're paying, I'm not too worried that a GT350 would be dramatically more expensive. I also have a clean driving record with no accidents or tickets.

On the warranty side, I came to the same conclusion you did—the 6-year/50k PremiumCARE plan seems like the sweet spot. For comparison, I paid $4,815 for a 10-year/100k, $0 deductible PremiumCARE ESP on my Mach 1. For the GT350, a 6-year/50k PremiumCARE plan with a $50 deductible would be around $7,200. So it's definitely more money for less coverage, but I understand why. It's an older car, and Ford knows exactly what they're covering with the Voodoo.

That's really what started changing my mindset. My Mach 1 HP is an incredible car, but when I bought it, I thought there was a chance it might eventually become my daily driver. Now that I have a dedicated daily, there's essentially zero chance of that happening. If this is going to be a weekend car, I want something that gives me a bigger emotional experience every time I drive it, even if it costs a few thousand dollars more. Like someone else said earlier in the thread, you can't take it with you when you check out.

I am sorry to hear about your 2019 as well. That couldn't of been fun, though the world works in mysterious ways and you ended up with this beautiful 2020!

 

[Gregdd]

Am I the only person who thinks it's strange to ask for other people's help to pick out a car ? My advise is slow down. Drive your current car to at least 2030 bare minimum. Rushing to buy an older car for more money is an impulse buy. I have as much fun driving my 03 as I do my 23.

 

[0wen]

Having read (and appreciated) a lot of your Mach 1 threads / posts I have a feeling you need to get the R from the outset.

I think if you're asking the question on spec you probably know the answer.

In my experience unless you know you definitely don't want the 'higher' spec car, you'll spend more time wishing you'd bought one and that can spoil the enjoyment of the car you bought, regardless of how good it actually is...
I've had plenty of examples of doing just that and only one of deliberately opting down and staying happy!

-0wen.

 

[Mach 307]

Am I the only person who thinks it's strange to ask for other people's help to pick out a car ? My advise is slow down. Drive your current car to at least 2030 bare minimum. Rushing to buy an older car for more money is an impulse buy. I have as much fun driving my 03 as I do my 23.

I can definitely appreciate your point of view, and I agree there's probably an element of impulse to this. I won't dispute that.

That said, I've spent a lot of time researching these cars and what they have to offer. Eventually, I got to the point where there wasn't much new information left to find through articles, reviews, or videos. That's when I figured the best resource left was people who have actually owned and lived with them.

It's probably pretty obvious at this point that I'm already 99% set on the 2020 Heritage GT350. It checks every box I'm looking for, whereas the 2019 GT350R I'm considering leaves me with a few question marks.

I also think that, with any major purchase, there's value in hearing other people's experiences before making a final decision. I wasn't looking for strangers to decide for me—I wanted to hear from people who've actually owned one or both of these cars. It's easy for me to watch videos and think, "They're both incredible." But when two cars are only about a second apart on a road course and share so much of the same DNA, it's the long-term owners who can explain the nuances that you just can't get from a spec sheet or a YouTube review.

 

[Mach 307]

Having read (and appreciated) a lot of your Mach 1 threads / posts I have a feeling you need to get the R from the outset.

I think if you're asking the question on spec you probably know the answer.

In my experience unless you know you definitely don't want the 'higher' spec car, you'll spend more time wishing you'd bought one and that can spoil the enjoyment of the car you bought, regardless of how good it actually is...
I've had plenty of examples of doing just that and only one of deliberately opting down and staying happy!

-0wen.

Owen, I actually agree with your insight wholeheartedly.

If money weren't a factor, I'd be buying one of the delivery-mile Heritage GT350Rs for $150k–200k without a second thought. Objectively, the R is the better-performing car. Not by a huge margin, but it is.

Where I find myself in a weird spot is that, through owning my Mach 1 and looking at GT350s over the past few months, I've realized I value the individual car just as much as the model itself. I remember reading a post on one of the GT350 forums that said something along the lines of, "You can't go wrong with one of these cars. If you get the chance, buy the nicest example your budget allows." That really stuck with me.

My budget is realistically around $70,000. I bought my Mach 1 for about $63,900 and have been very comfortable with it financially. The $73,500 Heritage GT350 is a stretch, but one I'm completely comfortable making. I could probably even save a little money and buy a non-Heritage 2019–2020 GT350, but I think I'd always wonder if I should have stretched a little further—within my comfort zone—to buy the exact car I really wanted. Once I start looking at $80k–85k for an R, though, it becomes a different conversation. That's where my comfort level starts to end.

The only R that's even close to my budget is this 2019, and it comes with a few compromises that matter to me: three owners, the stripes have been changed from original, a few modified exterior pieces, and an ownership history I don't really know. With these cars, provenance and originality mean a lot to me.

You may very well be right that I'll bring the GT350 home and occasionally wonder what the R would've been like. But I also think the comparison is different than what I went through with my Mach 1. When I bought my non-Handling Pack Mach 1, I regretted not spending the extra money because both cars were comfortably within my budget, and the Handling Package is a substantial change from the standard Mach 1.

This feels different. The 2019–2020 GT350 and GT350R share the same engine, transmission, brakes, and much of the same engineering, with the gap between them being significantly smaller than it was before the 2019 updates. So my dilemma isn't really GT350 vs. GT350R—it's whether I should stretch well beyond what I'm comfortable spending, and compromise on the individual car, just to own the higher-spec model.

At the moment, I think I'd rather own an exceptional Heritage GT350 than a GT350R that leaves me with questions every time I open the garage.

I guess, in a way, writing all of this out has helped me realize where my priorities actually are. Maybe that's what this thread has really been about. It was never about asking other people to decide for me—it was about hearing from people who have lived with these cars and using those experiences to challenge my own thinking.

 

[Raffro]

Either way you can’t go wrong.

But if you’re in the market for a 2020 silver R with no stripes and all goodies with only 7k miles then msg me.

 

[Big Business]

I enjoy this thread because I feel like I went through much of the same thinking (overthinking ) as well at a similar place in life. The other comments here are good advice, you need to buy exactly what you truly want otherwise you'll always be wishing it had some option or some trim etc. That's an expensive game to play. Buy once, cry once! I sat there b-tching about the wrong seats in a previous car for over 6 years, knew I was never making that mistake on seats again. BTW - my search in 2023 originally started with the base GT350, of which I found finding a '19-20 with Recaros next to impossible, they practically all had the comfort seats it seems, which ironically drove me to looking closer at the R

My first '19 350R had a black roof I didn't like, some aftermarket stripes in the wrong blue, tires that were 10mm wider that I didn't like, preferred 2020 vs 2019, etc. Still, awesome car. But there's unlimited money in this world and unlimited ways to make it, if you can't swing what you really want now, save up for another year or two or whatever it takes. The longer it takes, the bigger the budget can go and the better the car you can get. I was a lot more rigid/unwavering in my 2nd 350R search in terms of spec, previous history, etc, I didn't care how long it would take or what it would cost, I was getting exactly what I wanted

 

[Raffro]

Very true… all great points to consider when looking for a toy.

 

[CorralesR]

Not sure what I can add to this thread. I currently own both, a 2017 R model and a 2018 non R. The R model definitely feels a touch lighter on its feet. There's a "cool" factor to it no doubt. But I really enjoy getting in the regular one for a drive. Especially around town. It sits a bit higher, the spoiler is smaller and you dont have to worry about the wheels! And it is still an amazing driving car. If you don't care about the possible future collectability I'd probably stay with the non R. I know a lot has been said about Gen 1 and Gen 2 cars. Gen 2 cars can have the same issues as the early cars regarding failures. Remember that Ford built 4 times as many 16 to 18 cars compared to 19 and 20. So the failure rates will seem worse for the early cars. Whatever you get, do your due diligence and get the best car you can buy which you are already doing. But I wouldnt be afraid of an early car. Especially with low owners and good maintenance history.

 

[grandpa ray]

It was interesting reading these responses. I went a different route. I’m turning 70 and recently gave up motorcycle road racing so wanted a new toy to get around on the track. I went
Completely different approach than you - probably due to my age. I wanted a GT350 I can play with and enjoy and not worry about preserving for the next guy. I bought a 2017 base with numerous owners, been in a wreck, had engine replaced a year ago. Got for $46k with 39k miles. Came with remaining Premium warranty. I love it and will do my first track day at Barber in August the day after I turn 70.

 

[Inthehighdesert]

If your finance’s are in order at your age, which it sounds like your solid, buy the car that speaks to you. I wouldn’t worry about the base over the R, the caveat there being if you realistically think you’ll keep the car very long term, then R all day long. They’re all low, even your Mach, so rubbing is a driving mindset and adjustment. I don’t rub my splitters, but to be fair I’ve had lowered and lifted stuff my whole life so it’s second nature to avoid it. Even if I bought a Heritage base it’d get FP springs, did the same on my old 20 base(bmr’s actually). The stance on the R is just so much better to me personally, regardless of the handling jump. The good thing, and bad for buyers, is the nice cars regardless of base or R aren’t going down in value, especially the R’s. Is what it is. Great for those of us that have these cars. As for insurance, if you have a garage, call Hagerty or one of the others. Stated value is the only way to go. Hagerty has the best rates for me. Enjoy the search, it’s a very unique opportunity at your stage in life, and very cool. These cars are soo special and worth the price of admission all day every day of the week.

 

[HoldenSSVandGT350]

Dissenting opinion here on the R, based on your stated use case. If you’re not going to be tracking it at all then the statement about it being better performing seems, possibly, misguided, though technically accurate. You can’t realistically touch a 350 or 350R’s limits on the road, so, I think performance is kind of off the table. The R is louder in stock form for certain, and, with the reduced unsprung mass of the CF wheels it feels sharper too. Lower, louder, stiffer. Be prepared.

Get a Heritage and swap in an R midpipe for the resonator delete. Or, do it cheap like others and get a $250 MBRP xpipe installed.

Or, I’m totally full of shit and R owners who have/had both will gladly bring me around to a concurring opinion.

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