Extended Test drive

[obgod3]

Yesterday I took an extended test drive of a GT Premium PP. It has the black roof, magnetic color (love it), Nav (not really needed) and rear parking assist.

So I was really looking for a car with the recaro's, cant find one anywhere near Denver. But I was pretty surprised by the seats in this car, very comfortable and had good support IMHO. I do plan to join NASA and track the car along with my son in his Fiesta ST (cool little car and cheap). But Ill also road trip it so comfort is key also, particularly for my wife.

The whole thing was pretty stupid because I wasn't planning on buying anything until the spring, I struggle with buying a car going into winter, I have my truck and Im not getting rid of it. Plus I can put a lot more money down in the spring.

Anyway, car is quick, I liked everything on it, drove it about 40 miles alone. Now Im on the fence because I want the PP but it would also be a daily driver - in good weather, and I do get stuck in a lot of traffic. So I was hoping the 2018's would have a PP option with the new Auto Trans. Plus there are no real incentives on the 17 right now, yeh X plan and Military but no big deals and the financing is ok, already bought a couple cars this year at 0% so 2.9-4.9 isn't thrilling. But dam it is a nice car.

OK so while testing it out I came across my son who has a 16 Fiesta ST, so from about 30MPH we went for it, the Mustang pulls on it of course but I was surprised what his car did, he wasn't disappearing for sure. Found that interesting for sure. I didnt beat on the mustang since it wasn't mine. we hit some back twistys and that Fiesta was on me the entire time. Again I wasn't really pushing to hard because it isn't mine. It definitely needs a better exhuast imho, well I want it to have more sound, the PP I thought worked very well, tried all the different modes, on concrete I could notice the changes more than on asphalt. Shifting is notchy to me, the clutch was weird but I dont drive manuals a lot, so it might be me. Clutch just didn't seem like a smooth engagement to me but neither did the 370Z Nissmo I drove. The Cayman 718 I drove was an auto so I cant compare, but I am opposed to paying that much for a car, even though I could. Same deal for the GT350 - didn't drive it but can get one 2K over and again Im just not sold on spending that much on a car, retirement is my focus .

Whats the 0-60 on this car, I have searched the mags and seen anything from 4.3 to 5.0, is there a real number?

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-ford-mustang-gt-coupe-long-term-road-test-update

Anyway long post but I would like to hear folks opinion on buying a car like this with the upcoming winter, waiting to see better deals as the 18's come into focus in the spring etc. I have read about every thread here and kinda know the answer so if this post is just a repeat of others then we can ignore it but I wanted to put down my impressions and thoughts.

On the fence.

Sponsored

 

[BmacIL]

Couple things:
Acceleration vs. Quick & light cars - The Mustang is heavy, and while it's a very quick car, there are cars that are as quick with far less power. A WRX/WRX STi will most likely take you to 60 mph every time on the road. The difference is having a powerful engine vs. a torquey engine. Go on the highway with your son, and do a pull from 70 mph to 100+. It won't be even close. The most impressive thing to me about the Mustang in a straight line is its ability to build speed past 60 mph. That's power.

Clutch - if you buy one, remove the clutch assist spring and replace with the Steeda version. It is an enormous improvement in feel and you'll be able to shift smoothly. I struggled for a few weeks with mine before removing the spring.

Shifter - Yes it's a little notchy, but absolutely gets better with age. I have 35k on mine and it's extremely smooth when warm. Still notchy when cold in the morning, but that goes away fast. There are a variety of inexpensive and easy mods to improve shifter feel.

Exhaust - Yes, it needs more. Take some advice from someone who's tried a few combos and don't skimp here. Get something good right off the bat. Corsa and Borla are the most expensive, and there's a reason for that. High quality sound without drone and quality construction costs money. I prefer the Corsa sound, but love the Borla S-types (as well as the FRPP by Borla offerings), too. Corsa has zero resonance in the cabin and is only loud outside the car when you want it to be, with dead-silent cruising on the highway.

 

[Twin Turbo]

Sounds like you're buying new?

Personally, I'd wait and see what the '18MY brings. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll get some great deals on the last of the '17s in late Spring.

Otherwise, if you go with the car now........the mods BmacIL has suggested will be spot on

 

[obgod3]

BmacIl what do you think of the MBRP stuff? The other option is to go Ford racing which the dealer said they would get me a great deal on.

Oh and my son said this morning that I would disappear form him very quickly, we were on a local road so not very fast.

 

[obgod3]

Sounds like you're buying new?

Personally, I'd wait and see what the '18MY brings. If nothing else, I'm sure you'll get some great deals on the last of the '17s in late Spring.

Otherwise, if you go with the car now........the mods BmacIL has suggested will be spot on

Thank you, tough call on this one..ha ha

IM not in a huge hurry it just so happened the car I like was there....trying not to feel obligated since they let me test the shit out of it.

One thing that is important, this is a one shot deal...there wont be any buying another one in 4-5 years...Ill keep this for a very long time.

 

[obgod3]

Race season is over in two weeks anyway....LOL

 

[BmacIL]

BmacIl what do you think of the MBRP stuff? The other option is to go Ford racing which the dealer said they would get me a great deal on.

Oh and my son said this morning that I would disappear form him very quickly, we were on a local road so not very fast.

The Ford Racing ones are very nice and high quality. It's a good option. I've only briefly heard the MBRP Street, and it sounds decent but heard it drones a bit. You get what you pay for with exhaust. I've learned this.

 

[Mr Snappy]

You are in the exact situation I was in at this time last year. Sounds like we are about the same age and sounds like our sons are about the same age. So lots in common (not that that means we will see eye to eye on cars )

Let's take this one topic at a time:

1. Price.
This is the absolute worse time to buy a car that is not a left-over from the previous year. This is great for having a new car that will "new" for over a year, but you pay for that. I just could not pull the trigger this time last year as I was late for the 0% deals. I highly suggest taking until next August and making sure it's right for you and then jump on the 0% for 72 months AND discounts. I was able to do this on my 2016 GT Premium Convertible and got $5000 off. I watched the inventory of my area and had looked at the cars before hand. The day the 0% deal activated, I had 3 to choose from. Was very happy about the deal. Paying low is key with Mustangs because they don't hold their value well. If you trade often, like I do, this his a huge difference.

2. Mustangs compared to other choices
This is both subjective and factual at the same time. I loved the new design and the value of the car, but it's not the same quality as a Corvette or Cayman. Of course those cars are much more, but if you have expectations of that level, this will be a disappointment. HOWEVER, it's an excellent choice in this price range. I had a C7 that I sold when I bought my sons 2010 Mustang Vert and was intending to "down scale" and go with a new Camaro Vert, but the price was insane and I liked the Mustang style better. I come from BMW, Mercedes, and Corvettes but love my S550 because of the looks and value.

3. Lots of fun with modding the Stang.
I love jacking-around with my cars. Mod here, change there...I love making it "my own". Lots of choices with the Mustang and most of them are very cheap or at least reasonable. Some of the "mods" for Corvettes will cost you 3X what the same part costs for a mustang. And German car mods? FORGET IT.

4. This and That:
I do not agree that the clutch spring needs to be replaced, its fine. I do agree that the notchi-ness of the stick gets better with some miles on the clock. I can not recommend the auto in it's current form. I drove it and just about walked away from Mustangs until I drove the stick, completely different animal.

Also, Ford has more BS than any other dealer I have dealt with. The current frustration is the Android and Apple phone app issue. Their audio/HVAC controls are beyond stupid and the display options on this care are comically bad. You do learn to live with it, but you will scratch your head a lot with this car.

 

[obgod3]

Thanks Mr Snappy thats good advice...makes sense also. Im not going to pay for a cayman, just have a thing about playing more than 40K for a car....

You guys all make sense, think waiting is the right answer.

 

[crs2879]

A WRX STI is AWD so you can dump the clutch at 5K RPM and take off.....can't really do that in a GT....unless you want tire smoke. Buddy had a 911 C4S that could hang with much more powerful RWD cars up to 60 or so and then traction and HP take over and the more powerful car walks away.

 

[Chameleon]

OP, the MBRP street is great for the price and does not drone. I have it.

 

[EJS2016]

Since you are not in a rush to purchase, I agree to wait until there are some clear, uncamouflaged photos and confirmed information from Ford regarding the specific changes and updates for the 2018 Mustang.

You are in great position now to wait and see what the future holds or purchase a leftover 2017 at a huge discount.

 

[bigfoot21075]

Since you are not in a rush to purchase, I agree to wait until there are some clear, uncamouflaged photos and confirmed information from Ford regarding the specific changes and updates for the 2018 Mustang.

You are in great position now to wait and see what the future holds or purchase a leftover 2017 at a huge discount.

I REALLY want a 2017 Convertible GT, but i want a very specific configuration that will have to be a factory order. Rather than do it now and have the car sit in my garage over the winter, I plan to wait until March and order it. By then i should be able to see if the 2018 is THAT much better where it is worth waiting for. I suspect it will not be that big of a change, but it would be nice to know before I plunk down my money

 

[crs2879]

I REALLY want a 2017 Convertible GT, but i want a very specific configuration that will have to be a factory order. Rather than do it now and have the car sit in my garage over the winter, I plan to wait until March and order it. By then i should be able to see if the 2018 is THAT much better where it is worth waiting for. I suspect it will not be that big of a change, but it would be nice to know before I plunk down my money

I recall a co-worker looking to buy a GT Vert in 2010. I told her to wait until '11 for the Coyote engine but she preferred the deep discount on the '10 over the added power available for '11........guess if everyone wanted the same thing cars would be pretty boring.

 

[c-rizzle]

So I have an idea for you.

Get a 2015 Anniversary Edition (yes, one of the 1964 limited editions) with Automatic transmission & Performance Package, for about the same price you're looking at. Still "New In Box" with wrappers.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/172360362652?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

If I hadn't worked out a great courtesy trade deal on my cars, I probably would have bought this instead of my 2017 GT Prem PP.

Sponsored