Ecoboost Rental Impressions from a long time SN95 owner.

[Rogues Gambit]

Cant wait for my car now, reading this makes me want it more

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[Kevin08]

I liked your review. I have a loaded ecoboost premium auto with the shaker sound with the sub. It's a better system than the standard shaker which doesn't include the sub. I'm guessing you had the standard shaker? It sounds good to me but of course a custom sound system is going to sound better.
I don't have any of the issues that supposedly plague the s550. I guess I got lucky because I didn't even research the s550. I just bought one on a whim. Now that I know about the "widespread issues" I looked my car over and found none of those.
I am a little older (probably) than you? I'm 34 and like having a drivers license and cheap insurance. Call me crazy. So to me it wouldn't matter if it made 310 hp or 420hp. I drive the speed limit 99% of the time. I think the ecoboost has plenty when I need or want it.
After having read so much here about the GT being the greatest car ever I test drove one recently. I've owned my ecoboost for about 10 months and know the power well. So getting into the GT I was expecting a ton more power. It was louder and sounded better. Then again there's the age thing coming back and I realize I don't want a louder car. It was faster. But it wasn't that much faster. I was expecting a lot more. The ecoboost makes a ton of torque down low so where the gt does shine in the top end you never really get to enjoy it unless you like speeding tickets. So for day to day stoplight to stoplight the difference is very small. And also I had been babying the ecoboost since the last reset on the trip odometer. I was averaging 30mpg and when I got to the lot and saw the epa ratings for the GT I wanted no part of that.

The rental just had the Shaker 500, no sub. I'm glad you didn't get any of the QC issues, I know it would drive me slightly nuts over time (mostly when detailing the car and being reminded of it every time). I'm 25, but I know where you're coming from, and I agree. In city traffic, if I had to quickly get five lanes over before I missed the exit I could drop it down a gear or two in the EB and be up to 60 before I had any idea what's going on "uh oh time to brake!" It's zippy and feels alive in traffic. It's power band is a bit higher in the RPMs than I'm used to, even coming from the 3.8L v6, which feels like it falls on its ass after 3K rpm. It felt like I was almost too high in the RPMs at time, but I know that's just the standard for small displacement four cylinders. It definitely has enough power for what most of us will be doing on the road.

My desire for the GT is just simply to swap ends of the spectrum, see what life is like on the other side -- and I'm not the kind of person who changes out cars often (I've been driving my '00 V6 since 2005), I figure a 435hp V8 may still have some relevance in ten years, maybe not. Nothing to do with being the fastest, or because I want a "5.0" badge (it kind of irks me when people refer to their car as "the 5.0," it's a GT, people). I know the gas mileage will be shit, but I currently average 18MPG in my car, so it'd be a lateral move at worst. And when I quoted the additional car to my insurance plan, the difference in the 6 month premium was only $30 from EB to GT, so it just seems like a 'this is my chance!' opportunity. My '00 will be sticking around, as it's only worth about...maybe $2,500 retail. Might be a fun track car one day if I do an engine/trans swap, or just be a back up for when the S550 needs inevitable warranty work.

Cant wait for my car now, reading this makes me want it more

Haha, you'll love it. Two days without now and I still look for the push button start and the steering wheel media controls when I fall into my car. Sad day. Another thing I had immediately taken a liking to on the S550 - those blind spot mirrors, so useful. The side mirrors on the SN95 are about the size of a slightly oval-shaped hockey puck. Shit sucks.

 

[A7mad]

Cool write-up!

I know exactly the feeling! I moved from a 2003 New Edge to an S550 (Both Premium GTs). Improvement in all aspects is immeasurable, but I still miss that sweet sweet exhaust note of the 2v 4.6L !

 

[Rogues Gambit]

Well Kevin, before you know it, you'll have a S550

Just remember, a base Shelby with tech pack is $56-57k basically, last I specced it

 

[73MachI]

Great write-up! Thanks.

No issues with build quality (e.g. panels, rear view mirror) on my GT, but it's still new and low mileage. However, I can say that it's the nicest car I have ever driven, and brings joy to my heart whenever I am in the drivers seat.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

After driving an Audi for 2 years, be nice to have something completely different (minus the turbo 4)

I still will have plenty of time to cruise with it, and then there's Florida this october

 

[willmkent]

try driving a SN95 terminator Cobra and then gimme a review lol

 

[Rogues Gambit]

try driving a SN95 terminator Cobra and then gimme a review lol

Anyone got that review?

 

[Endokendal]

My rear view mirror was shaking unacceptably after I installed my radar detector hanging from it too... Those little Starbucks green sticks that they use to stop up the lid of your coffee work great... Cut a piece about 1" long out of the middle one wedge it up between the mirror mount and the windshield... Problem solved! And you can't really see it at all.

 

[Carzzi]

My rear view mirror was shaking unacceptably after I installed my radar detector hanging from it too... Those little Starbucks green sticks that they use to stop up the lid of your coffee work great... Cut a piece about 1" long out of the middle one wedge it up between the mirror mount and the windshield... Problem solved! And you can't really see it at all.

Would you mind posting a cell phone pic of the exact location/fix please?

 

[JohnDoe]

Great write up! Read the whole thing and smiled throughout.

My rear view mirror is solid with no issues and the main reason it sounds like a hairdryer is due to the extremely restrictive mufflers. After I deleted mine, it sounds like a total beast during idle, especially during a cold start.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

Great write up! Read the whole thing and smiled throughout.

My rear view mirror is solid with no issues and the main reason it sounds like a hairdryer is due to the extremely restrictive mufflers. After I deleted mine, it sounds like a total beast during idle, especially during a cold start.

Definitely deleting mine asap

 

[ilkhan]

I currently have a 2000 V6 Mustang auto (my first car) with some fair suspension/brake/drive line mods, no engine stuff. It does not accelerate - at all, rides fairly rough (H&R super sports/Bilsteins), brakes okay (13" Bullitt/Cobra brakes - no ABS), and it's a product of the '90s so the interior is god awful and things squeak etc. It looked pretty much like all other modded SN95s- Mach 1 grille delete and chin spoiler, smoked clear corner headlights, tinted tail lights, gloss black deck-lid between the tail lights, FR-500 wheels. Clean looking car, and quite modern for its time, even today its design looks quite relevant (due in no small part to the cosmetic mods) and is probably why I liked the S550 design so much, it's kind of the SN95's younger, cooler brother.

Coming from an '01 V6 (5 speed), I know exactly how you feel.

Good read.

 

[willmkent]

Anyone got that review?

Lol I was being facetious cuz I'm on a cobra kick all on the sudden, but the OP has owned a v6 sn95 and then got to drive an S550.

Great review for sure, very detailed and great points were made, but he's comparing a brand new MacBook Pro to an apple II IMO, so of course it's going to be pretty impressive. I've been on this damn kick lately of wanting the raw driver back. These new cars are so and sometimes way to refined and just don't feel like the older ones feel. No cables, everything is electronic, there is dampening all over the place to reduce sound from anything possible, *not sure if it's true but then there is the amplified engine sound that comes in the cabin through the speakers*

When I read that lady's review on the mustang from that Internet blog someone posted where she was all uptight because she thought the mustang wasn't luxury enough for the price, made me want to drive my car through her house. This is THE most luxurious with tons of options mustang I have ever owned, I've had a few at this point, and as far as options this one impresses me the most...but I've been thinking lately, I'd rather have the ole SVT cobra

 

[Syracuse315]

*not sure if it's true but then there is the amplified engine sound that comes in the cabin through the speakers*

Not in the GT (although there is a "sound tube" channeling some engine noise into the cabin).

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