Engine Debate

[Barrel]

***Disclaimer*** I have not read all 6 pages. After reading the first page hearing about the 5.0/GT being God and everything else is being a "wannabe", what do you GT owners say when a car with a snake on the side pulls up? Legitimate question.

You bow before it. :hail:

Seriously, though, I respect all cars as long as they're well kept. But I will always give a little bit more to the monsters that roam amongst us.

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[Rob00GT]

This will be my fourth Mustang and all have been V8's. I could use logic and mention how non-V8 cars fail to hold much value over time compared to the V8's but the truth is I was raised on American V8 cars and it's my preference. Yes the insurance is more expensive, and yes is drinks more fuel. But when I start it up the sound makes me smile in that "I can't explain it but suddenly I feel happy to be alive" kind of way. It's probably cultural, but it's there nonetheless.

 

[Malikona]

A V6 owner, perfect!! Perhaps you can help me!

Please tell me, how is it? Is it a high-revving car, does it like the higher rpms? How are the 3.55 gears? I haven't a clue how the gearing options work(3.31 vs 3.55 ect)? Is the clutch too light, does it feel? Also, someone told me that the new cars were very prone to understeer, can you confirm?

I haven't got one yet, but I'd love to have one by next year. And once I have one, I'd love to be able to mod it some to get a little more juice out of it.

The V6 is definitely a high revving car. You have to drive it over 3000 RPM in my experience if you want to get good torque and power. It's kind of like a mini-V8 in the way it drives IMO, and it loves to be wound out.

 

[Papaya]

I don't know, that's just how I grew up I suppose.

I know that there's a BIG difference between a flat-6 and a V6, we've got both kinds at my house haha. I just love the way a 6-cylinder sounds, regardless of engine configuration.



:ford:

I marked the point what I think is important here. Coming from Germany, I did get in the beginning headache when someone offered me a V8. V8 means big engine, means a lot of fuel getting burned. Fuel means expensive. (Around $8-$9 a gallon in Germany) Never had a V8. In North America people have different rules. Big=Good. Small=very bad. That's why 2008 happened in the USA. It was all too big.

Now to the engines. I4/V6/V8? Really nobody cares. You like the V6? Get one. I like I4 because it is more a European stile to drive. For a DD the power is by around 2,000 RPM, mid-range, what is good. I drove a DEMO V8. But I didn't hear the V8 sound inside because the car is quite anyway (or I am not use to it?). Standing in front of the exhaust - yes it is a nice sound. But again, I am not sitting in the driveway to listen to the exhaust. I have my radio on. Much nicer!

Are there some guys saying: V6 :lol: or I4 :lol: for sure! But now are people also looking at the gas station to the V8 like the V6 :lol: and the I4 guys. :lol::lol:

Mostly people look at the Mustang like to any other car. Can I pay for it? I mean I can't be sure if I never own a V8 -V16 before I die. Maybe I put one on my bucket list? My S197 convertible was "only" a V6 but I liked her very much.

 

[Branden]

I've been in the same boat, although I have been on numerous test drives and always drove a GT and EB back to back (these dealers have to hate me by now).

On one drive, the GT felt more enjoyable and the EB felt like it need a bit more power. On a different drive, different dealer, different town, the EB felt much better and I didn't feel the extra ~7,000$ between it and the GT was worth it. The difference was the driving environment.

The point? You should honestly drive both in the type of driving environment you do on a regular basis. That will tell you whether the 7,000$ +insurance +gas is worth it. I plan on going on one more test drive of both before making a decision.

 

[Renaultfool]

I don't agree that you have to drive it over 3,000 to get any power. I can easily more than keep up with traffic shifting from first to third, to fifth, then sixth. Most of my time is spent below 2,250 rpm. When I feel frisky I will take it to 4 or so, but by third gear you are already to 80 mph, and that is before you are at the end of the on ramp.
The V6 will cruise at 2,000 rpm in sixth on the highway had I have never felt that I had to down shift to pass someone, except to show off! I do have the 3:55 rear gear, and that might help.

 

[Malikona]

I don't agree that you have to drive it over 3,000 to get any power. I can easily more than keep up with traffic shifting from first to third, to fifth, then sixth. Most of my time is spent below 2,250 rpm. When I feel frisky I will take it to 4 or so, but by third gear you are already to 80 mph, and that is before you are at the end of the on ramp.
The V6 will cruise at 2,000 rpm in sixth on the highway had I have never felt that I had to down shift to pass someone, except to show off! I do have the 3:55 rear gear, and that might help.

I don't mean that it has NO power below 3K, it's just that if you really want to get put back in your seat you need to downshift this engine. Not necessarily the case for the V8 or the EB.

It's got plenty of punch on the highway especially. You can go 70-110 in the blink of an eye. Hard for me to imagine the V8's roll-on acceleration to be honest. :shocked:

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

I don't agree that you have to drive it over 3,000 to get any power. I can easily more than keep up with traffic shifting from first to third, to fifth, then sixth. Most of my time is spent below 2,250 rpm. When I feel frisky I will take it to 4 or so, but by third gear you are already to 80 mph, and that is before you are at the end of the on ramp.

Most of my time is spent below 2,000. In my 2011 automatic, the axle ratio is 2.73, so it revs lower than the newer cars in all aspects, but the automatic is very aggressive about upshifting to save gas mileage, something I really enjoy. It grabs sixth gear by the time you're going 35 mph, which makes it real nice for cruising around town at 1,200 rpm. I'm a big fan; there's never a need to get it above 3,000 rpm unless you're merging into fast-moving traffic on a short entry ramp.

 

[Farmundeh]

***Disclaimer*** I have not read all 6 pages. After reading the first page hearing about the 5.0/GT being God and everything else is being a "wannabe", what do you GT owners say when a car with a snake on the side pulls up? Legitimate question.

Precisely why I'll respect any fellow Mustang owner.

I have no issues with the V6 or EB, I just personally prefer the V8.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

***Disclaimer*** I have not read all 6 pages. After reading the first page hearing about the 5.0/GT being God and everything else is being a "wannabe", what do you GT owners say when a car with a snake on the side pulls up? Legitimate question.

I can probably count on both hands the number of times I've had a Viper pull up next to me in my life.

 

[oldlugs]

To the OP, it's mainly the immature punks that will harass you about what you drive. They want to feel superior in some way, so they might as well pick on your car for not being the biggest or baddest or most expensive. Ever since Shelby/Ford upped the Mustang's sporting image with the GT350, any Mustang with less than 8 cylinders, was either a girl's car or economy model - not "cool". Cool sells cars.

I think it boils down to personal choice.

If the smallest/cheapest available engine will perfectly suit you requirements 80% of the time, wouldn't you be foolish to spend more (higher insurance, more fuel, more costly tires, upkeep, etc.)?
Then again, Mustang is often a toy and not always a daily driver for some of us. My daily is a Toyota Sienna minivan (and I like it). We may just want our Mustang to be silly; smoking tires, autocrossing, drag racing, or going to car shows. That's why the Mustang (the steed for every need) gives you choices...all of which profit Ford. If you're satisfied with the base engine, and you should be - it's a good engine, then get that one.

 

[Potrillo]

There are non-motor cosmetics that come with the V8 that to my eye, complete the GT. The vents and badge on the side add so much. I do like the pony on the back of non-GT cars though.

 

[Malikona]

I can probably count on both hands the number of times I've had a Viper pull up next to me in my life.

He was referring to the Cobra.

 

[EcoSwag1990]

There are non-motor cosmetics that come with the V8 that to my eye, complete the GT. The vents and badge on the side add so much. I do like the pony on the back of non-GT cars though.

In 2 months you'll be able to go on AM and get parts/emblems to make a 2015 EB or V6 look just like or better than a stock GT so this isn't really a valid argument in my book considering the amount of spending room u have between the models

 

[OppoLock]

That's another thing that bothers me, whether or not the GT would be too much power for me, or much more than I need, if I could ever have one.

I've only handled three performance-oriented cars:

My dad's '74 911 has 150hp stock, but weighs 2700lbs. It's a relatively light car with a peppy high-revving motor, I LOVE high revving motors and that's something that's very important to me. It'll go when you want it to.

My '84 944 has 150hp stock and weighs 2800lbs. This is my first front-engine and RWD car and I love how it drives. Again, high revs and keeping it alive is what I prefer.

My daily driver is a Focus ST with 252hp and it's the most powerful car I've ever driven. I've pushed it many times and haven't lost control and play it very safe and defensive on the roads; only pushing when necessary or when I want to have some fun on empty roads. I can handle torque steer very well, but I don't like how the fun is in the lower rpms and just dips out and leaves past 4000 revs.

That being said, I think a V6 with 300hp would be plenty, and then maybe I could build it up to somewhere between 300-400hp? Work my way up power levels instead of jumping to a 400+hp beast?

Then again, there are kids my age that already have 400+hp cars as their first cars, I guess everyone's starts differently.

Power to weight ratio. The EB carries an extra 50ish peak ponies and about the same more torque over your ST, but it's carrying an additional 300ish pounds. The difference in acceleration feel won't be as stark as the peak figures suggest.

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