ETMLI5: Major differences between the GT and Ecoboost

[Peon]

So I have a manual 2016 ecoboost w/ PP, no mods. After having some issues with my car I have started looking into swapping to a GT. Long story short, I found some '17 GTs near me with crazy low mileage ( >8000) for around 27k-30k w/ PP and a couple w/ premium/PP. I just really started getting into cars and as far as HP/TQ numbers are concerned I am happy with a stock GT. I love the way the ecoboost drives so I wanted to see if you guys could explain some major driving differences between the two trims. I feel that the eco is nimble enough for me so I am a little concerned that I might lose out on some "canyon" style driving experiences if I were to get a GT. I love the ecoboost so far but I know I want a little more out of the car. I see the GT as a car I can lightly mod and still be extremely happy with. I get the feeling that I would have to heavily mod the ecoboost to get it where I want. Sorry for the shitty grammar, had to type this quickly. Thanks in advance for all the feedback

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[Peon]

PS I dont autoX or drag race, just some spirited driving on back roads and around town.

 

[Bull Run]

Here are some pros and cons for you. I've driven GTs and had friends with GTs and GT350 drive mine for comparison in the past.

Pros:

1. FBO EB should pull harder than a stock GT on the low end but it'll start to run out of breath over 5,000-ish RPM.
2. Turbo upgrade will allow you to pull strong until the redline and you should have around the same WHP and noticeably more torque than a pre-18 GT. You'll be at about half the price difference between a GT and EB (new MSRP), provided that you install the mods yourself.
3. Stock for stock, an EB is nimbler than a GT. It's really hard and expensive to lose close to 200 lbs up front, and whatever weight loss you can do to a GT, you can do to an EB.
4. Almost all wheel, suspension, chassis, and brake mods are the same between EB and GT, so you can transfer these mods over if you decide to upgrade later. I don't foresee these type of mods to void your warranty either (at least for an ecoboom).

Cons:

1. Modding is only cost effective if you do the labor yourself.
2. At this point, you've maxed out the stock internals motor. But this may be ok if you are happy with stock GT level HP.
3. Dealers will most likely not honor the warranty if you go ecoboom with all these power mods.
4. Small turbo motors are less forgiving of bad fuel and lugging.

 

[Bull Run]

By the way, what kind of issues are you having? Any CEL or codes?

 

[Peon]

I had a blockage in the frame so water leaked into car and causes some issues. The only other post I have made has all the details but it makes me very nervous about the long term damage of the water inside the car. My car was recently hit my a plow truck and altho it was reported to insurance i just had the feeling of having a new bumper. My car is Comp orange and the paint just doesn't sit so right with me

 

[Bull Run]

Sorry to hear that, I can understand why you want to get rid of your current ride. It may be worth switching to a GT if you can get a good deal as they are noticeably faster out of the box. You should test drive one to see if increased weight in front is noticeable to you.

 

[Peon]

Yea that's what i plan on doing sat. I'm not that experienced with sport/muscle cars so i assume with my level of driving i wont notice so much

 

[Maggneto]

Go rent a GT for the day and see how you like it. The gas mileage on a GT in town is not going to be great. Also, check with your insurance company and see what the difference in cost will be. You will be spending more more across the board for a GT so you should make sure you are really happy driving a GT compared to the EB.

 

[jtmat]

I thought about trading up to a GT... test drove a couple and still left wondering why would I do that.

In my situation and opinion:

1) car feels heavy in GT... obviously. I'm sure that is something you won't notice after driving for a long period of time. I only noticed since I went from an eco directly to a GT.

2) Eco feels quicker/more fun for my driving situation (mix of city, hwy, light to heavy traffic most times)... no country driving).

3) Mpg on GT would be 0 with the way I drive.... 24 with eco... my insurance would go up... although, not by a huge amount.

4) I'd go with a ford performance tune and see if that makes you happy. It transforms the car... great tune. If I needed more than this for your enjoyment, I'd get the GT. My experience with dealers and mods have not been great in my 3 years of ownership... although, I have found a dealer willing to work on my car. My next car will definitely have everything I need from the factory.

5) At the time, the GT did not sound "great" (I would have went with aftermarket exhaust on the GT.... I think the 2018 has a much better GT exhaust from the factory).

After test driving the GT a couple of times, I decided to keep my car. Eco more than enough for my current situation. Now if I lived in the country, I might go with the GT. Not sure...

My random thoughts...

 

[Juben]

That's a lot of what I tell people. If you're around town a lot or similar, the EcoBoost is gonna be more fun because of the way it delivers power. If you do a lot of interstate driving, you might find the GT more appealing where it can stretch it's legs.

When I bought my EcoBoost, I already had other V8 Mustangs for my speed thrills. I wanted a nimble daily that could be modded for some performance but still get good mileage and be fun to drive. For what I wanted to do, the EcoBoost has more than fit the bill.

Every time I've driven a new GT after driving the EcoBoost for a while, they feel so heavy and lethargic. You also really need to wind them up a bit to get them awake. For me, the EcoBoost is more enjoyable for a daily driver. The sound isn't a V8 but I can live more with that trade off than I can with the others. I'm not terribly old but I'm old enough now that I don't ride around with the engine roaring listening to the exhaust bellowing anymore, so the sound isn't a deal breaker like it is for some people, lol.

 

[JeffreyDJ]

I traded an '15 EB/PP for a GT non-PP. I was at the point I was deciding between modding the EB to get more power, or getting a GT. I chose to go the GT route.

- In PP form the EB felt more planted, while the stock GT was "loose." I've fixed some of that, and will be fixing the rest of it soon. If you get a GT PP you should mostly be fine.

- The GT definitely has more power, and even around town I feel it; It doesn't feel lethargic to me. I do have the FP Power pack 2. Without the FPPP2, I had to put it in Sport to get the throttle response I expected. As someone else mentioned, the GT has legs though.

- I guess the EB feels more "nimble" but it's still a large car. My son has a Focus ST and it "feels" more nimble being thrown than even an EB just around town. The point I'm making is the difference between an EB/PP and a GT/PP will be there for sure, but it isn't as noticeable as some make it out to be. And I am comparing a non-PP GT to a PP EB.

- Gas Mileage *is* worse in a GT. In the EB I averaged ~22 combined. In the GT I average around 18.

- Comparing stock comparable year EB's sound to a stock GT sound doesn't make much sense. The GT sounds "fine" stock, just quiet; It sounds better than a stock EB regardless. The EB sounds "fine" but I chose to never upgrade the exhaust because I couldn't find one I liked that sounded great. I have upgraded the GTs exhaust now, though. And it does sound worlds better. And, changing the exhaust can be done on a budget.

- Insurance was $6 more a month for me.

- The argument a modded EB can be as quick as a GT, while obviously true, isn't an argument for or against a GT. You can modify a GT as well.

The EB is a great car, and I wouldn't mind another as a second Mustang. If I had it to do again back in 2014, I'd have gotten a GT. But, that's just my opinion of what was the best fit for me - it's no more valid than anyone else's.

 

[Bull Run]

- I guess the EB feels more "nimble" but it's still a large car. My son has a Focus ST and it "feels" more nimble being thrown than even an EB just around town. The point I'm making is the difference between an EB/PP and a GT/PP will be there for sure, but it isn't as noticeable as some make it out to be. And I am comparing a non-PP GT to a PP EB.

The problem is that Focus ST's a FWD. I had lightly modded turbo FWD car in the past and it's major drawbacks are that:

1. Torque steer
2. Can't go with wide tires up front
3. Trying to accelerate during the turn causes major understeer since the front tires and trying to turn and accelerate at the same time

Also, the weight difference is significant enough that spring upgrades usually have different front rates for V8 and V6 vs. EB. And as I mentioned before, it's not cheap to drop close to 200lbs from the front. Think drag racing brakes, suspension, k-member, and steering rack.

The argument a modded EB can be as quick as a GT, while obviously true, isn't an argument for or against a GT. You can modify a GT as well.

Except for that MSRP difference is almost $10K between the base EB and GT. (yes, no one pays sticker but I use it as a starting point since prices can vary greatly depending on the location and demand.) Spending around $1,500 in IC, DP, and Pro-tune for EB results in close to 400 WTQ that starts below 3,000 PRM. The question is, is the OP willing to mod his EB? Does he prefer a wall of torque down low or high revving HP?

 

[JeffreyDJ]

The problem is that Focus ST's a FWD. I had lightly modded turbo FWD car in the past and it's major drawbacks are that:

1. Torque steer
2. Can't go with wide tires up front
3. Trying to accelerate during the turn causes major understeer since the front tires and trying to turn and accelerate at the same time

Also, the weight difference is significant enough that spring upgrades usually have different front rates for V8 and V6 vs. EB. And as I mentioned before, it's not cheap to drop close to 200lbs from the front. Think drag racing brakes, suspension, k-member, and steering rack.



Except for that MSRP difference is almost $10K between the base EB and GT. (yes, no one pays sticker but I use it as a starting point since prices can vary greatly depending on the location and demand.) Spending around $1,500 in IC, DP, and Pro-tune for EB results in close to 400 WTQ that starts below 3,000 PRM. The question is, is the OP willing to mod his EB? Does he prefer a wall of torque down low or high revving HP?

I don't disagree with any of the above. But, to call the EB Nimble isn't exactly accurate, which was my point. You can't throw it around like a smaller car. It still feels like a bigger vehicle. I guess if we're talking handling, throw the RS in there instead.

And, yes, MSRP is more. I can't argue that. I think you're right, it comes down to how much the OP wants to modify. I've owned both (my EB for 3 years), and liked both. The GT just gave me more of what I wanted.

 

[Bull Run]

I don't disagree with any of the above. But, to call the EB Nimble isn't exactly accurate, which was my point. You can't throw it around like a smaller car. It still feels like a bigger vehicle. I guess if we're talking handling, throw the RS in there instead.

And, yes, MSRP is more. I can't argue that. I think you're right, it comes down to how much the OP wants to modify. I've owned both (my EB for 3 years), and liked both. The GT just gave me more of what I wanted.

S550 is indeed bigger but heavy OEM wheels (both EBPP and GTPP wheels are 32+lbs) doesn't help either. I swapped them out with 20lb wheels and it's very noticeable. RS will make a good canyon carver, but that's $40K+ car and it weighs almost same as the EB.

My guess is that if the OP doesn't want to mod much, he'll be happier with the GT since PP parts for it has more to offer than EBPP parts. I noticed a huge difference when I swapped out EB PP dampers and sway bars. In some ways, I wish I went for the non-PP version since I'll probably swap most of the parts out anyways.

 

[Regs]

Why RS is a 40k car blows my mind. Minus the 4 wheel drive and the slightly beefier intercooler and compressor, it does not equate to the 15-20k difference. I guess its just the novelty and scarcity of the model.

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