Driving experience: V6 --> V8

[chris_5oh]

Fact is that the V6 is by far a better daily driver then the V8 from a multitude of different ways to measure. this fact becomes exponentially more factual depending on the climate you live in.

"Better" is subjective to the person behind the wheel

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[brandonsmash]

I've said it before: My butt accelerometer has been recalibrated by a decade of being motorcycle-only.

Going from a V6 to a V8 may be a rush for some. Some may think the Coyote V8 in our GTs is a massive powerhouse.

For me it's pretty meh.

Don't get me wrong, I like the car. However, I'm used to things happening . . . quicker. I think as I modify the car I'll really grow to love it, particularly as I work on handling (and my own driving).

 

[Arsenalslr95]

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[Stormtrooper5.0]

If OP had such a "live once" mentality, he would have already bought the GT in the first place, not his v6 and having to make this thread

"Live once" mentality FAIL

The 2 reasons why I didn’t go for a GT in the first place:
1) I probably would not have gotten approved even though I have really good credit, I didn’t have enough money at the time to put as a down payment so I didn’t even try.
2) I got the v6 not expecting to want a GT, after I got the car I started to watch videos, go on forums, and see GT’s on the road and started to want the v8 sound and rumble.

I have a good secure job, I have good credit, I have money, and aside from making a stupid financial decision on trading-up, I actually do well with money.
The v6 is a great car, coming from a Camry and Sentra, this was the fastest/best looking car I’ve ever owned but after hearing all about the good stories of those with v8’s, I kind of want to experience that.

My mentality is really that you live once and I actually believe it…like a lot. I work hard in my current job and did so in my past ones as well and seeing myself grow old in an office really does me no good, I like to live when I can and experience what I can… Stupidly enough, having a damn v8 muscle car is one of them HAHA. You can be strict with your life or you can live like you’re going to die one day, either choice is fine, we all end up in the grave anyway.

 

[Arsenalslr95]

The 2 reasons why I didn’t go for a GT in the first place:
1) I probably would not have gotten approved even though I have really good credit, I didn’t have enough money at the time to put as a down payment so I didn’t even try.
2) I got the v6 not expecting to want a GT, after I got the car I started to watch videos, go on forums, and see GT’s on the road and started to want the v8 sound and rumble.

I have a good secure job, I have good credit, I have money, and aside from making a stupid financial decision on trading-up, I actually do well with money.
The v6 is a great car, coming from a Camry and Sentra, this was the fastest/best looking car I’ve ever owned but after hearing all about the good stories of those with v8’s, I kind of want to experience that.

My mentality is really that you live once and I actually believe it…like a lot. I work hard in my current job and did so in my past ones as well and seeing myself grow old in an office really does me no good, I like to live when I can and experience what I can… Stupidly enough, having a damn v8 muscle car is one of them HAHA. You can be strict with your life or you can live like you’re going to die one day, either choice is fine, we all end up in the grave anyway.

I have a "Live once" mentality, I have had enough relationships come to an end because I spend money on toys / having fun instead of saving for a future that may never come. I got the V6 anyways so I can buy new wheels and still make it look good, A rifle I wanted, another handgun I wanted, a few thousand rounds of ammo and take a vacation.

If you NOW want a V8 muscle car then get one (I already got that out of my system and had the past 7 years of that with my supercharged HEMI charger), but there is still nothing wrong with the V6 and its not "laughable" by any means.

 

[speedfrk]

The 2 reasons why I didn’t go for a GT in the first place:
1) I probably would not have gotten approved even though I have really good credit, I didn’t have enough money at the time to put as a down payment so I didn’t even try.
2) I got the v6 not expecting to want a GT, after I got the car I started to watch videos, go on forums, and see GT’s on the road and started to want the v8 sound and rumble.

I have a good secure job, I have good credit, I have money, and aside from making a stupid financial decision on trading-up, I actually do well with money.
The v6 is a great car, coming from a Camry and Sentra, this was the fastest/best looking car I’ve ever owned but after hearing all about the good stories of those with v8’s, I kind of want to experience that.

My mentality is really that you live once and I actually believe it…like a lot. I work hard in my current job and did so in my past ones as well and seeing myself grow old in an office really does me no good, I like to live when I can and experience what I can… Stupidly enough, having a damn v8 muscle car is one of them HAHA. You can be strict with your life or you can live like you’re going to die one day, either choice is fine, we all end up in the grave anyway.

Have you driven the GT? Go drive it and you might be surprised that you don't really need it that bad. I drove the Ecoboost and GT side by side and decided that the GT was certainly faster, but not enough to where I had to have it. I'm a motorcycle guy too, so very few cars seem fast to me. I've had V12 E-Types, Ferraris and wasted enough money on cars that I could be retired in Costa Rica right now. That said, if you need to get it out of your system, go do it. Just realize that the car won't really seem that fast after a couple of months but the payments will be forever!

 

[Stormtrooper5.0]

I agree I have a v6 and don't regret it, it is still an awesome looking car which is all I wanted plus I don't see in why he's asking this question if in his mind he's already made up his choice in going for the gt

Yes the v6 is a very good car. I’m not putting it down at all.

I wasn’t asking if I should.. I just wanted to know how the experience would be if/when I go from a v6 to a v8. This thread just got a bit out of control but that’s ok.

 

[King_V]

I likely would've gotten a V6 model if it were to be a daily driver. But, since it's a weekend car (and given the somewhat unusual nature of the circumstances surrounding my purchase), I went with a GT.

But, I am certain the V6 would still have been notably faster than any of the 20-odd cars I've ever owned.

Think about it - the V6 pony cars outperform even some of the exotic musclecars of the late 60s and early 70s.

When you hit the limits, will the desire for more power be there? Sure. But, as many have said, how often do you get to use it?


If you're in a position to splurge and take the depreciation hit, go for it and enjoy.

Me, I tend to be more conservative about that sort of thing.... I have to be in a position to splurge PLUS have a very hefty cushion of extra money before I'd splurge like that.

It has occurred to me to maybe get a V6 for a daily driver, and then see if the power can be tweaked a bit here and there while using it for commuting duty. But, if I do get a new DD, I'd probably get an economy car with comfort as the key. I've got a 35-or-so mile one-way commute, and a screwy back.

 

[Jon|3.7]

Have you driven the GT? Go drive it and you might be surprised that you don't really need it that bad.

This is the only way to find out lol cause this thread is going nowhere cause it turned to vs thread, YOLO!

 

[Hack]

4.6 was not a poor engine, it just didn't have big power numbers. With a good driver it could do 0-60 in 4.8 seconds stock (Coyote is 4.4). The 4.6 was also reliable, just like the Coyote.

The V6 and the 2.3 Ecoboost can't beat a 4.6 GT with drivers of similar skill level and equal launches. And I'm not trying to say everyone needs a GT, but I just take issue with the revisionist history of the 4.6 just because it isn't a Coyote. Ford squeezed excellent performance out of that thing.

Huh, I could swear the Mustang GT was ~5.5 seconds 0-60 with the 4.6 in 1996. The V6 in the 2011 Mustang I believe was ~5.2 seconds 0-60. I understand they improved the 4.6 later and there were some special models with more power. Maybe you are thinking of the most powerful 4.6 and I'm thinking of the least powerful 4.6. Not trying to revise history. I think my mind closed when the 4.6 first came out and I didn't really look at it later. I would say the new V6 will at least threaten the 4.6 and an owner of an older Mustang GT with the 4.6 should beware.

Fact is that the V6 is by far a better daily driver then the V8 from a multitude of different ways to measure. this fact becomes exponentially more factual depending on the climate you live in.

Disagree 100%. I think the V8 is more fun to drive. And I drive mine year round. And a couple of years ago I had a V6 Mustang that I drove year round. So the comparison is relatively fresh in my mind, and it's not from a single test drive. It's from driving every day.

 

[speedfrk]

Ford should have just come out with one model- the 3.5 Ecoboost they put in the truck. V8 power, still a V6, ecoboost for the ecoboosters. Problem solved. If that car comes out next year, even I'm trading!

 

[lowatts]

I drove all three, and if money were no object I would've bought the V8. But the V8 was going to be about $8k more after tax, both being base models which is what I wanted. For me, the extra fun isn't worth the extra $8k plus gas right now. I had a Fox body GT with the manual back in the day, and this Cyclone manual is a lot better car, and just as fast, pushes me against the seat just as hard, and the Cyclone factory exhaust makes the new V6 sound much better than the factory exhaust made that GT sound. Which one to buy is a personal choice, there's no single right choice.

For me, I'd enjoy the GT more than the V6, but for now not as much as I want to put more money away in my retirement fund so I can keep enjoying things when I get older. We all live once sure, and I might die before I get old(er), but if I do get old and can't work anymore I'd like to at least have the money to keep enjoying the things I enjoy now. That's just my choice, it's not necessarily better than another choice. Like the saying goes, "you pays your money and you take your chances." Reminds me of what Dirty Harry once said, "do you feel lucky punk, well do you?!" ; )

 

[113]

Huh, I could swear the Mustang GT was ~5.5 seconds 0-60 with the 4.6 in 1996. The V6 in the 2011 Mustang I believe was ~5.2 seconds 0-60. I understand they improved the 4.6 later and there were some special models with more power. Maybe you are thinking of the most powerful 4.6 and I'm thinking of the least powerful 4.6. Not trying to revise history. I think my mind closed when the 4.6 first came out and I didn't really look at it later. I would say the new V6 will at least threaten the 4.6 and an owner of an older Mustang GT with the 4.6 should beware.

I'm talking about the later 4.6 in the S197 (300hp/300Ib-ft). I owned the one in my sig for 7 years. In recent years the Ford engineers have been really good at squeezing every bit of performance and efficiency out of their engines.

Coyote is the latest example of that. Comparing manual-to-manual it's only going to be a tenth of a second slower to 60 than the 6G Camaro that has 15 more horses, and 55 more pound-feet, and weighs less. That's damn impressive, and to get the performance they did out of the 4.6 in the later years was equally impressive.

 

[MagneticA]

I drove all three, and if money were no object I would've bought the V8. But the V8 was going to be about $8k more after tax, both being base models which is what I wanted. For me, the extra fun isn't worth the extra $8k plus gas right now. I had a Fox body GT with the manual back in the day, and this Cyclone manual is a lot better car, and just as fast, pushes me against the seat just as hard, and the Cyclone factory exhaust makes the new V6 sound much better than the factory exhaust made that GT sound. Which one to buy is a personal choice, there's no single right choice.

For me, I'd enjoy the GT more than the V6, but for now not as much as I want to put more money away in my retirement fund so I can keep enjoying things when I get older. We all live once sure, and I might die before I get old(er), but if I do get old and can't work anymore I'd like to at least have the money to keep enjoying the things I enjoy now. That's just my choice, it's not necessarily better than another choice. Like the saying goes, "you pays your money and you take your chances." Reminds me of what Dirty Harry once said, "do you feel lucky punk, well do you?!" ; )

Yep. I buy insurance because I just might need to use it. I buy into retirement savings for the exact same reason. The only time I decline insurance is when I play the tables. No thanks. Just hit me.

 

[jhenley17]

Ford should have just come out with one model- the 3.5 Ecoboost they put in the truck. V8 power, still a V6, ecoboost for the ecoboosters. Problem solved. If that car comes out next year, even I'm trading!

TBH, I know it's dumb, but my next purchase will either be a Mustang GT or F-150 XLT 4x4, and I want the 5.0 in either, even knowing the Ecoboost is the top motor in theF-150 lineup. Why, knowing the EB has slightly more power and a better power curve? I won't be tracking it, so my enjoyment of the V8 noise takes priority. I'd still be interested in the Mustang if they only offered a similar EB to the Fiso, but I'd be more inclined to look at the competition much more closely, especially used M3s. For primarily street-driven vehicles, it's all about the experience, not hard numbers.

Also, what is that sexy thing in your avatar? I guess that's getting off-topic.

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