2015 GT PP vs. 2013 M3

[Dave2013M3]

Anyone here a past owner of a 2013 M3? If so, would love to hear some of your feedback on this car.

Hey Todd...as you know I have a 2013 E92 M3 Coupe...I am suppose to see a Triple Yellow GT PP this week at my local dealer. I will give you a sitrep.

Until then...another shot for you..

I have owned 2 E92 M3s the last 4.5 years now. A 2011 ZCP and my 2013 which is identical to my 2011. Both cars have been absolutely flawless as far as warranty concerns.

Dave

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[Dave2013M3]

While you're considering other cars, take a look at my thread on which car is the most fun to drive. We've got a good conversation covering everything from ecoboost mustang to GTI.

Right now I'm absolutely loving the FiST I just drove. I can only describe it as complete sense of controlled mania, where the car is a diabolical villain laughing at your pathetic attempts to tame it.

I concur on the FiST, absolutely love my FiST. I use this as a DD and I so look forward to driving it to work in the morning. The amount of fuel I save driving my FiST to work actually pays for itself vs. driving the M3.

The M3 btw gets fuel economy equal to a large SUV. Keep that in mind.

My FiST.

 

[Dave2013M3]

I think it all boils down to the experience you want. The M3 will be a race car you can take on the streets. Sure BMW might use more "soft touch materials", but when you really look at the interior it's super bland. I don't know who their dashboard designer is, but he must have been born in a cereal box - and I'm talking the high fiber kind.

It's hard to say whether the new mustang will be faster on the track or not until reviewers have actually timed it, but I do know that it'll be a better city car (especially the ecoboost). Until you've actually seen an S550 in person, you don't really recognize just how nice it looks and how much went into the cockpit-styled user experience.

Agreed that the E9X interior is rather un-exciting, but its functional and simplistic which I actually liked. That being said its not just about more soft touch materials, its better materials. The leather is of a much higher quality than what is in the Ford, if its of the same quality that is in the Escape and such. I am interested to find out..

The new Mustang dash is quite attractive, but once again until I sit in one I reserve judgement. I really want to like it.

Dave

 

[JoeDogInKC]

I own a 2013 Escape Titanium with every single option available and believe me, the interior quality of the 2015 Mustang with the 50th package or Premiere Trim is WAY better. None of that lower-grade plastic/waxy leather. It's really soft and supple leather. The soft touch materials, leather with stitching on the dash and center console is fantastic. The seats are ridiculously comfortable, like your favorite "Archie Bunker" recliner at home.

 

[Trackaholic]

I love the E92 M3 and was strongly considering buying one, but the poor highway fuel economy made the decision very difficult as I have a longish highway commute.

The new M3/M4 doesn't quite do it for me, mostly due to the turbo engine.

I am really liking what I see and hear from the Mustang and the C7 Vette. Once the GT350 is known, I will probably choose between one of those two vehicles. It's nice to see the US MFRs start to make cars that handle a corner as well as a straight line. I do really enjoy how they tend to throw a bit of fun and silliness in the cars, and don't take themselves too seriously.

I also have a GTI (it's what I ended up getting instead of the M3) and find it to be a bit less involving than I'd like. That is part of what is preventing me from loving the new M3 the same way I loved the E92 version.

There's no denying that the both the E92 and the new M3 are great cars, though, and the M2 will be revealed soon. Then you have the ATS-V, the new Camaro, maybe some additional special versions of the C7....The next few years are looking very promising for enthusiasts IMO.

-T

 

[Dave2013M3]

Just went to go see a 2015 Mustang GT PP with 50th anniversary package, 6spd MT. The car was DIB with raven interior. It was fully loaded other than the Recaros. I am comparing the interior of the E92 M3 vs. the 2015 Mustang GT premium and as far as build materials go the BMW has it all over the Mustang to my disappointment.

I have been waiting for a while now for a local dealer to get one here in Los Angeles. Airport Marina Ford finally got one and I bee-lined down there to take a look at it before it sold.

There were a few posts that the leather was a high quality leather equal to that of BMW, in which it is not. The main disappointment to me is the cheap hard plastics on the center console and the glove box area as well as the back seat. This plastic is the same plastic that is in the Fiesta, Escape as well as my previous generation Focus (2007), it scratches so easy that it is ridiculous. You can scratch it with your fingernail without hardly any pressure.

Now I do understand that the Mustang MSRPd for just over $40K and the BWW M3 when new was just under $70k. I just can't see why Ford can't use better materials than what they are using, how much more could it cost? There is a reason why people are going to choose a BMW 4 series over this car and this is going to be the reason why. The performance difference on the street is not going to be that different yet the perceived quality is going to be quite a bit better than the Mustang.

Would this stop me from buying a Mustang? At this point I would have to say yes...I am getting old and these things do matter to me. I would rather keep my 2013 E92 M3 than move on to a Mustang GT no matter on how much money I save.

Now when the GT350 comes out I will review it later and see if that will change my mind.

Dave

 

[Dave2013M3]

I own a 2013 Escape Titanium with every single option available and believe me, the interior quality of the 2015 Mustang with the 50th package or Premiere Trim is WAY better. None of that lower-grade plastic/waxy leather. It's really soft and supple leather. The soft touch materials, leather with stitching on the dash and center console is fantastic. The seats are ridiculously comfortable, like your favorite "Archie Bunker" recliner at home.

Unfortunately the plastic on the glove box and center console were of low line Ford quality, its a shame. The leather isn't better than my wifes Titanium Escape, still the same. The leather in the Escape is of a different texture than the Mustang. Yes the Mustang feels more supple but it is still a low quality leather.

Dave

 

[Flak]

Dave, have you seen some of the base interiors from MB/BMW? I think they are fairly similar now to the '15 GT, between 2/3/4 series and comparably priced. They have some hard plastic in their new cars too to make them 'more attractive' price wise.

 

[Dave2013M3]

Dave, have you seen some of the base interiors from MB/BMW? I think they are fairly similar now to the '15 GT, between 2/3/4 series and comparably priced. They have some hard plastic in their new cars too to make them 'more attractive' price wise.

Yes there is some hard plastics but of a much better quality. Also the center console on the Mustang is just one large piece of plastic. At least if they would have just covered it up with some soft feel material it would go along way. My brother has a 2013 BMW 328i and the interior is much nicer than the Mustang, once again all manufacturers use some plastic in their interiors its just the level of quality of those plastics. In the Mustang it is the bottom of the barrel. My E92 M3 has some plastic, not at the level of the Mustang but once again the quality of the plastic is so much better. I have the fingernail test, if your finger nail can scratch it, its at the bottom of the barrel.

Its just when you get to the $40K price point of this vehicle you start to expect a certain level (at least for me) of material quality. They offer a premium trim Mustang..problem is it should really be a premium trim.

Dave

 

[Todd15Fastback]

Sounds like that car didn't have the premier trim accent package? Here is a pic of a car that has it and the center console has soft touch materials.

 

[Dave2013M3]

Sounds like that car didn't have the premier trim accent package? Here is a pic of a car that has it and the center console has soft touch materials.

It had the Premium Trim. I'm talking about the center console where the shifter is. That is just one large piece of pliable platic.

Not to mention on how bad the back seat area is...which is just huge amounts of plastic. While the BMWs get fully done rear seat area including leather on the side panels.

Dave

 

[susko]

Dave, sent you a PM.

 

[Dave2013M3]

Dave, sent you a PM.

replied..

 

[w3rkn]

Just went to go see a 2015 Mustang GT PP with 50th anniversary package, 6spd MT. The car was DIB with raven interior. It was fully loaded other than the Recaros. I am comparing the interior of the E92 M3 vs. the 2015 Mustang GT premium and as far as build materials go the BMW has it all over the Mustang to my disappointment.

I have been waiting for a while now for a local dealer to get one here in Los Angeles. Airport Marina Ford finally got one and I bee-lined down there to take a look at it before it sold.

There were a few posts that the leather was a high quality leather equal to that of BMW, in which it is not. The main disappointment to me is the cheap hard plastics on the center console and the glove box area as well as the back seat. This plastic is the same plastic that is in the Fiesta, Escape as well as my previous generation Focus (2007), it scratches so easy that it is ridiculous. You can scratch it with your fingernail without hardly any pressure.

Now I do understand that the Mustang MSRPd for just over $40K and the BWW M3 when new was just under $70k. I just can't see why Ford can't use better materials than what they are using, how much more could it cost? There is a reason why people are going to choose a BMW 4 series over this car and this is going to be the reason why. The performance difference on the street is not going to be that different yet the perceived quality is going to be quite a bit better than the Mustang.

Would this stop me from buying a Mustang? At this point I would have to say yes...I am getting old and these things do matter to me. I would rather keep my 2013 E92 M3 than move on to a Mustang GT no matter on how much money I save.

Now when the GT350 comes out I will review it later and see if that will change my mind.

Dave

FYI:
The few posts about the Mustang's interior quality, equaling that of a BMW, ..was that of a 2-series BMW.. not a $70k M-car..

Go sit in a New Mustang, then in a new M235i, or a 135is @ $52k. Then remember, the Mustang sells for $26k.



The SVO, Mach, or GT350 will up the quality of materials Ford's offers. Your opinion is noted, but obviously moot.

 

[Dave2013M3]

FYI:
The few posts about the Mustang's interior quality, equaling that of a BMW, ..was that of a 2-series BMW.. not a $70k M-car..

Go sit in a New Mustang, then in a new M235i, or a 135is @ $52k. Then remember, the Mustang sells for $26k.



The SVO, Mach, or GT350 will up the quality of materials Ford's offers. Your opinion is noted, but obviously moot.

How is my opinion moot? Don't get defensive. Truth is the best policy. The M3/4 share the same interior as the regular 328i and 335i. How do you know what the Mustang is going to have interior wise with the GT350 and such? In fact if Ford follows what they did with the Boss 302 the interior will be even more spartan. The OP didn't ask about a 2 series, it was regarding the E92 M3 vs. the new S550 Mustang. In case you didn't see what the title of the original post was about. In this particular case even the older E9X M3s have it all over the new Mustang when it comes to interior quality of materials. Yes I do think the new Mustangs interior is more exciting to look at, as the E9X M cars had a minimalist approach.

Now if Ford does decide to up the quality of the interior I will jump for joy. I love Mustangs, have had Mustang all through my youth and want to see Ford really make it right with the Mustang. As it is right now with the cars that are released at this moment in time, they missed the mark, for me anyway. I would buy a BMW 435i before I buy a S550 as of right now. When the GT350 comes out I will revisit my thoughts.

If you think I am anti-Ford you are wrong..I am the one that backed you up when you defended Ford and the bailout post on bimmerpost.com

Dave

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