Advice/opinions = GT 350 VS. GT 350R

[JR369]

I currently own a 2017 GT 350 in lightning blue with all the options you could put on the 350 base at the time. So far I have zero complaints and I love the GT 350. My GT 350 has 14,500 miles on it. I bought it used in January for $ 47,500.00 plus tax and title with $ 11,900 miles on it. I have also invested $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating and vehicle detailing as well. So far like I said earlier, zero problems so far and I love the car. The GT 350 is also ford certified for 12 months as well after the original warranty expires.

Sounds like a nice car.

OK, so the ford dealer that I bought my raptor from just got in a 2019 GT 350R in early July. The general manager notified me that he had received the R and thought I might be interested. Timing could not be worse with me just purchasing the GT 350 in January. I had read a lot of articles about the R and seen a lot of videos on the GT 350 R but had never seen one in real life, so I thought I should at least put my eyes on it for myself. The R is black with the red pinstripe and is fully loaded, $ 73,000.00 MSRP. I have never been a fan of the Recaro seats in other GT 350's, but this 2019's Recaro's are actually more comfortable than my leather trimmed seats in my 2017. Upon visual inspection I was very impressed with the R from a looks standpoint, although I prefer blue or red over black, because in my opinion black is a pain in the ass to keep clean, although it looks great when cleaned. And if I bought it I would put PPF over the entire car and ceramic coating as well.

I have a friend who has the Bullitt with leather seats. While they are softer I just feel like the Recaros fit better at my height weight and are purposed for the R. I can't imagine the leather seating lack of bolstering and support working with the R with it's stiffer more responsive suspension. As for Black. I have a Shadow Black stripe delete R. I've had black cars before and I did swear them off at one point. BUT the R is simply badass looking in Black. And my deal was pretty good. Ihad to have a come to Jesus moment with what i was going to do. I decided to get the 3 stage paint correction and full ceramic coating. I swapped out the stock brake pads fpr Powerstops Z-26 Extremes and that cut down 95% of the wheel dust. I hand wash it once a week. No more but sometimes I can go two weeks between washes because it's dry and hot here in N Texas right now. I try not to obsess a whole lot because I drive my R and I wash it when I feel it needs it. The car doesn't have to look show room new 24/7 to me. If you can't handle that then do not get black or red for that matter.

I have to say after taking it for a test drive, twice, I am very impressed. I can feel the suspension difference and the handling difference between my GT 350 and the 2019 R. The only 2 things I do not like are the back seat delete and no air conditioned seats. This summer has been very HOT ! When I first left the dealership I did not think I would trade in my GT 350 for it, but after really thinking about it after the test drive I can definitely notice the difference in driving dynamics.

Anyone who says there isn't much difference is either dulled in the senses or hasn't driven an R. I can feel the difference whether I'm going slow or fast but obviously the faster is more noticeable. On the track is where the R is no question the better performer. I'm a novice and i felt it right away.

The dealer has offered me $ 46,500.00 for my GT 350, which means that with him wanting $ 73,000.00(MSRP) for the R I would be paying $ 28,000.00 tax and title as a difference. KBB lists a 2017 GT 350 with 14,000 miles at a trade in value of $ 43,500.00. I did not think this was a bad price. I actually think it is very fair. Although I have $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating on the 2017 that I would be eating.

That's a great trade value. probably couldn't squeeze much more out of them. Sounds like they want to move metal and not collect it. The after market add ons will typically not be recovered. Unless it's a Harley...with Harley after market parts.

My feeling is when you consider that for 2019 and 2020 ( last year of the GT 350) ford is only producing 400 GT 350 R'S per year, less than that of the GT 500. When you go online and look for used R's even 2015-2018 with miles are being sold at MSRP, I am feeling like the R might be worth the price of admission.

You pay more but it holds better. I drive mine. I have an 18 R bought back in Oct of 18. I have 4100 miles on it and I will continue to drive it because i enjoy it. As far as an investment goes... I didn't buy it to look at. The car loves to be driven.

A few THINGS I was wondering for GT 350 owners who have experience with both vehicles , am I imagining things when I feel like I notice the difference in performance or is it in my head ? Next is do you guys feel the price difference is FAIR ? Will the low production numbers of the R make it a more valuable GT 350 in time ?Does it make sense to own both GT 350's, or if I get the R will the 2017 GT 350 just sit in my garage ? And does the R really hold it's value that much better than a base GT 350 ?

You're not imagining anything. The R accelerates, brakes, turns quicker. More responsive than the Non-R. That's what you pay for. Oh and it sounds better too. Why do think all the Non-R owners are cutting out there resonators? It's be more like big brother.

Would appreciate some advice/input from mustang owners who have owned both and or have experience with both.

Thank You.

Good Luck. Get the 19R and enjoy it. The 20 R price increase is a bit much in my opinion. My .02

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[Abg123]

I currently own a 2017 GT 350 in lightning blue with all the options you could put on the 350 base at the time. So far I have zero complaints and I love the GT 350. My GT 350 has 14,500 miles on it. I bought it used in January for $ 47,500.00 plus tax and title with $ 11,900 miles on it. I have also invested $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating and vehicle detailing as well. So far like I said earlier, zero problems so far and I love the car. The GT 350 is also ford certified for 12 months as well after the original warranty expires.

OK, so the ford dealer that I bought my raptor from just got in a 2019 GT 350R in early July. The general manager notified me that he had received the R and thought I might be interested. Timing could not be worse with me just purchasing the GT 350 in January. I had read a lot of articles about the R and seen a lot of videos on the GT 350 R but had never seen one in real life, so I thought I should at least put my eyes on it for myself. The R is black with the red pinstripe and is fully loaded, $ 73,000.00 MSRP. I have never been a fan of the Recaro seats in other GT 350's, but this 2019's Recaro's are actually more comfortable than my leather trimmed seats in my 2017. Upon visual inspection I was very impressed with the R from a looks standpoint, although I prefer blue or red over black, because in my opinion black is a pain in the ass to keep clean, although it looks great when cleaned. And if I bought it I would put PPF over the entire car and ceramic coating as well.

I have to say after taking it for a test drive, twice, I am very impressed. I can feel the suspension difference and the handling difference between my GT 350 and the 2019 R. The only 2 things I do not like are the back seat delete and no air conditioned seats. This summer has been very HOT ! When I first left the dealership I did not think I would trade in my GT 350 for it, but after really thinking about it after the test drive I can definitely notice the difference in driving dynamics.

The dealer has offered me $ 46,500.00 for my GT 350, which means that with him wanting $ 73,000.00(MSRP) for the R I would be paying $ 28,000.00 tax and title as a difference. KBB lists a 2017 GT 350 with 14,000 miles at a trade in value of $ 43,500.00. I did not think this was a bad price. I actually think it is very fair. Although I have $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating on the 2017 that I would be eating.

My feeling is when you consider that for 2019 and 2020 ( last year of the GT 350) ford is only producing 400 GT 350 R'S per year, less than that of the GT 500. When you go online and look for used R's even 2015-2018 with miles are being sold at MSRP, I am feeling like the R might be worth the price of admission.

A few THINGS I was wondering for GT 350 owners who have experience with both vehicles , am I imagining things when I feel like I notice the difference in performance or is it in my head ? Next is do you guys feel the price difference is FAIR ? Will the low production numbers of the R make it a more valuable GT 350 in time ?Does it make sense to own both GT 350's, or if I get the R will the 2017 GT 350 just sit in my garage ? And does the R really hold it's value that much better than a base GT 350 ?

Would appreciate some advice/input from mustang owners who have owned both and or have experience with both.

Thank You.

Stick to the base 350...R is for cry babies who think they are superior.

 

[firestarter2]

I currently own a 2017 GT 350 in lightning blue with all the options you could put on the 350 base at the time. So far I have zero complaints and I love the GT 350. My GT 350 has 14,500 miles on it. I bought it used in January for $ 47,500.00 plus tax and title with $ 11,900 miles on it. I have also invested $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating and vehicle detailing as well. So far like I said earlier, zero problems so far and I love the car. The GT 350 is also ford certified for 12 months as well after the original warranty expires.

OK, so the ford dealer that I bought my raptor from just got in a 2019 GT 350R in early July. The general manager notified me that he had received the R and thought I might be interested. Timing could not be worse with me just purchasing the GT 350 in January. I had read a lot of articles about the R and seen a lot of videos on the GT 350 R but had never seen one in real life, so I thought I should at least put my eyes on it for myself. The R is black with the red pinstripe and is fully loaded, $ 73,000.00 MSRP. I have never been a fan of the Recaro seats in other GT 350's, but this 2019's Recaro's are actually more comfortable than my leather trimmed seats in my 2017. Upon visual inspection I was very impressed with the R from a looks standpoint, although I prefer blue or red over black, because in my opinion black is a pain in the ass to keep clean, although it looks great when cleaned. And if I bought it I would put PPF over the entire car and ceramic coating as well.

I have to say after taking it for a test drive, twice, I am very impressed. I can feel the suspension difference and the handling difference between my GT 350 and the 2019 R. The only 2 things I do not like are the back seat delete and no air conditioned seats. This summer has been very HOT ! When I first left the dealership I did not think I would trade in my GT 350 for it, but after really thinking about it after the test drive I can definitely notice the difference in driving dynamics.

The dealer has offered me $ 46,500.00 for my GT 350, which means that with him wanting $ 73,000.00(MSRP) for the R I would be paying $ 28,000.00 tax and title as a difference. KBB lists a 2017 GT 350 with 14,000 miles at a trade in value of $ 43,500.00. I did not think this was a bad price. I actually think it is very fair. Although I have $ 6500.00 in PPF and ceramic coating on the 2017 that I would be eating.

My feeling is when you consider that for 2019 and 2020 ( last year of the GT 350) ford is only producing 400 GT 350 R'S per year, less than that of the GT 500. When you go online and look for used R's even 2015-2018 with miles are being sold at MSRP, I am feeling like the R might be worth the price of admission.

A few THINGS I was wondering for GT 350 owners who have experience with both vehicles , am I imagining things when I feel like I notice the difference in performance or is it in my head ? Next is do you guys feel the price difference is FAIR ? Will the low production numbers of the R make it a more valuable GT 350 in time ?Does it make sense to own both GT 350's, or if I get the R will the 2017 GT 350 just sit in my garage ? And does the R really hold it's value that much better than a base GT 350 ?

Would appreciate some advice/input from mustang owners who have owned both and or have experience with both.

Thank You.

That's 35k to go from a gt350 to a gt350r... I couldn't justify that price.

 

[VoodooPower]

I traded my 2016 Base GT 350 for a 2018 R. I am very happy with my decision. I have black and it is hard to keep clean but is awesome when cleaned. My other complaint...cup 2 tires are terrible for the street because they pick up every fine rock on the road. Definitely need paint protection in front of rear wheels. The R is fine on the street in sport or normal mode. The R is amazing on the track and the cup 2 tires are too although they wear pretty fast. I’m 10 seconds faster at Pittsburgh International Raceway in the R than my old 350 on a 2.7 mike Track. 4-5 seconds is contributed to the tires because I have a friend that picked up this much with changing to cup 2 from the pilot sports. I’m really glad I went with the R over 2020 GT 500 at 4225lbs and no manual transmission. I think the R will always be a better track car. Trade the 350 and bring home the R!

 

[RedRaptorME]

Sounds like a nice car.



I have a friend who has the Bullitt with leather seats. While they are softer I just feel like the Recaros fit better at my height weight and are purposed for the R. I can't imagine the leather seating lack of bolstering and support working with the R with it's stiffer more responsive suspension. As for Black. I have a Shadow Black stripe delete R. I've had black cars before and I did swear them off at one point. BUT the R is simply badass looking in Black. And my deal was pretty good. Ihad to have a come to Jesus moment with what i was going to do. I decided to get the 3 stage paint correction and full ceramic coating. I swapped out the stock brake pads fpr Powerstops Z-26 Extremes and that cut down 95% of the wheel dust. I hand wash it once a week. No more but sometimes I can go two weeks between washes because it's dry and hot here in N Texas right now. I try not to obsess a whole lot because I drive my R and I wash it when I feel it needs it. The car doesn't have to look show room new 24/7 to me. If you can't handle that then do not get black or red for that matter.



Anyone who says there isn't much difference is either dulled in the senses or hasn't driven an R. I can feel the difference whether I'm going slow or fast but obviously the faster is more noticeable. On the track is where the R is no question the better performer. I'm a novice and i felt it right away.



That's a great trade value. probably couldn't squeeze much more out of them. Sounds like they want to move metal and not collect it. The after market add ons will typically not be recovered. Unless it's a Harley...with Harley after market parts.



You pay more but it holds better. I drive mine. I have an 18 R bought back in Oct of 18. I have 4100 miles on it and I will continue to drive it because i enjoy it. As far as an investment goes... I didn't buy it to look at. The car loves to be driven.



You're not imagining anything. The R accelerates, brakes, turns quicker. More responsive than the Non-R. That's what you pay for. Oh and it sounds better too. Why do think all the Non-R owners are cutting out there resonators? It's be more like big brother.



Good Luck. Get the 19R and enjoy it. The 20 R price increase is a bit much in my opinion. My .02

Thank you very much for your input and detailed breakdown responding to particular points in different paragraphs that I wrote( bad English). Your ANSWERS to my questions are very helpful.

One question I have for you is, if you are not a track rat or somebody that is going to track the R say, once per month, do you find the R to much or overkill for daily driving, weekend driving, or just spirited driving ?

The other question I have for you is, how are the carbon fiber wheels holding up ? If they get a lot of road rash is there anything you can do for them ? Fords wheel and tire package really is not a lot of help.

 

[RedRaptorME]

I made the switch from a 2018 Lightning Blue GT350 to a 2019 Performance Blue GT350R. It was substantial enough for me to make the jump. I would not pay over sticker for the R. The R will always be more highly sought after in the future than a standard GT350. Irregardless of investment status, you're paying more, but you're also retaining more value on the vehicle. If you love the R, go for it because the dealership has made your decision a lot easier by offering you a very strong trade offer.

Thank you. Do you miss not having a rear seat or air conditioned seats when its hot in the summer ?

 

[I am Jeff]

Thank you. Do you miss not having a rear seat or air conditioned seats when its hot in the summer ?

I'm still on the quest to look for rear seats. I thought that I would miss the air conditioned seats in my 2018, but the recaros in the R is so much more supportive and comfortable. The only issue is the increased effort to egress/ingress due to the seat bolsters. I use the rear seats because my toddlers love riding in the "racing car".

 

[JR369]

Thank you very much for your input and detailed breakdown responding to particular points in different paragraphs that I wrote( bad English). Your ANSWERS to my questions are very helpful.

One question I have for you is, if you are not a track rat or somebody that is going to track the R say, once per month, do you find the R to much or overkill for daily driving, weekend driving, or just spirited driving ?

The other question I have for you is, how are the carbon fiber wheels holding up ? If they get a lot of road rash is there anything you can do for them ? Fords wheel and tire package really is not a lot of help.

To be quite honest, I have an R because I found the right deal for me. I also like having special toys. The R is that special toy for me. Is the R overkill? I drive it and enjoy it for exactly what it is. My expectations aren't unrealistic for it. It's not the fastest car I've owned. But it is the best handling and well balanced car with 500+ HP I believe I will ever own. Opinions on what is overkill vary. Approx 4100 miles and not a single blemish on the CF wheels. Maybe I'm just that lucky so far. I do have a spare set of Signature wheels with Michelin 4S and OEM TPMS mounted up and standing by. I just haven't decided to swap yet. I will soon. Then put new tires on the CF wheels and swap back when the tread is dead on the Signature wheels.

 

[RedRaptorME]

I'm still on the quest to look for rear seats. I thought that I would miss the air conditioned seats in my 2018, but the recaros in the R is so much more supportive and comfortable. The only issue is the increased effort to egress/ingress due to the seat bolsters. I use the rear seats because my toddlers love riding in the "racing car".

Do you actually use the back with no actual seats and just the " frame of seats " ? One thing I did not notice when I test drove mine was whether the front seats were fully power adjustable like they are in a loaded GT 350 base, meaning are the front seats power adjustable moving back and forth in the R ?

 

[RedRaptorME]

To be quite honest, I have an R because I found the right deal for me. I also like having special toys. The R is that special toy for me. Is the R overkill? I drive it and enjoy it for exactly what it is. My expectations aren't unrealistic for it. It's not the fastest car I've owned. But it is the best handling and well balanced car with 500+ HP I believe I will ever own. Opinions on what is overkill vary. Approx 4100 miles and not a single blemish on the CF wheels. Maybe I'm just that lucky so far. I do have a spare set of Signature wheels with Michelin 4S and OEM TPMS mounted up and standing by. I just haven't decided to swap yet. I will soon. Then put new tires on the CF wheels and swap back when the tread is dead on the Signature wheels.

Thank you.

 

[RedRaptorME]

Thank you for the lead. Beautiful R, but a few posts into it the dealer said he made a mistake with the listing and it was/is intended to be selling at MSRP. Still a fair deal.

 

[I am Jeff]

Do you actually use the back with no actual seats and just the " frame of seats " ? One thing I did not notice when I test drove mine was whether the front seats were fully power adjustable like they are in a loaded GT 350 base, meaning are the front seats power adjustable moving back and forth in the R ?

I'm planning on purchasing rear seats. I have toddlers who love being in the car. Right now, the back is just used for throwing bags back there. The Rs seat is full adjustable, just not powered. All the adjustments are manual.

 

[RedRaptorME]

I'm planning on purchasing rear seats. I have toddlers who love being in the car. Right now, the back is just used for throwing bags back there. The Rs seat is full adjustable, just not powered. All the adjustments are manual.

Thank you.

Question I have for you is it sounds like you had a loaded gt 350 base like I currently have. Do you regret giving up some of the creature comforts that are in the base gt 350 for the performance of the R ?

 

[MikeR397]

I'm still on the quest to look for rear seats. I thought that I would miss the air conditioned seats in my 2018, but the recaros in the R is so much more supportive and comfortable. The only issue is the increased effort to egress/ingress due to the seat bolsters. I use the rear seats because my toddlers love riding in the "racing car".

Butt first! Then swing in legs. Learned that with my 360 that has stradale seats (and I’m 6’6” tall).

I have the FP rear seats in my R, very happy with them but frankly I use them much less for my 1&4 year olds than I thought. I do a lot of track days and the car seat shuffle is a pita. Would consider selling but then would need a delete insert as I sold mine for nearly what the seats cost.

 

[I am Jeff]

Butt first! Then swing in legs. Learned that with my 360 that has stradale seats (and I’m 6’6” tall).

I have the FP rear seats in my R, very happy with them but frankly I use them much less for my 1&4 year olds than I thought. I do a lot of track days and the car seat shuffle is a pita. Would consider selling but then would need a delete insert as I sold mine for nearly what the seats cost.

If you're selling, I'll trade you my delete. :-)

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