First Impression Poll

[StangBANG]

Waaaaaaaa... shush. This car is gonna rule. You can't please everyone on a budget! Sure it's 40k but anything else for the money won't be the total package as the mustang is. Never mind the aftermarket capabilities that absolutely CRUSH anything else... problem is people whom are negative in aspect tend to have bigger mouths. I for one am happy with the overall package. We all want fire breathing hover crafts that can massage your privates and travel at the speed of light...but if we where able to travel at the speed of light, if we turn those cool led headlights on ...would they work?.

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[Sterling Archer]

In all reality I think a lot of people are going to find it has a much better user experience than the outgoing model. Keep in mind that 90% of users will never even touch a track (statistic is clearly hyperbole), and even the small subset that do will go once every month tops.

So what does that mean? It means you really should consider just how many leagues (the unit) it is ahead of a traditional pony car it is in interior quality. This new mustang is something you not only will want to show off to your girl friend, but she'll no longer be lying when she says she likes riding in it.

 

[Sterling Archer]

The thing I still like to point out though is that marketing should be held directly culpable for the performance let downs. Is a 4.4 0-60 time bad? No; if anything it's actually pretty good for a car that starts below $35k base.

But the simple fact of the matter is that they could have been a lot more transparent and save people the disappointment by letting them know that this launch is all about improving the user experience. Let's face it, a huge part of this launch was globalizing the mustang. The whole interior and much of styling was aimed at hitting international markets - which is by all means the smart thing to do. But if that's the case, be nice to your customers. Give them a heads up saying "hey, you guys will absolutely love driving it, but you probably won't see too many performance gains."

Had they done that, I think there would be a lot fewer disappointed people, and a lot more people today excited about just how impressed the reviewers are with the new cockpit-styled interior.

 

[2yankeesoldiers]

:ban: Whoever voted to buy a camaro!

 

[dwaleke]

The thing I still like to point out though is that marketing should be held directly culpable for the performance let downs. Is a 4.4 0-60 time bad? No; if anything it's actually pretty good for a car that starts below $35k base.

I'm shocked to read that anyone thought the car would go faster 0-60 than 4.4 seconds or do the 1/4 mile is anything less than 12.8-13.0 seconds.

I don't recall reading any marketing stuff that implied this would be the case. The performance numbers are exactly what I though they would be. Because that is what the research I did told me (marketing, forums, etc).

 

[Sterling Archer]

I'm shocked to read that anyone thought the car would go faster 0-60 than 4.4 seconds or do the 1/4 mile is anything less than 12.8-13.0 seconds.

I don't recall reading any marketing stuff that implied this would be the case. The performance numbers are exactly what I though they would be. Because that is what the research I did told me (marketing, forums, etc).

There were quite a few on here hoping to get close to 4.0 to compete with the new m4. I'm just saying in general there was a lot of hope that the numbers would get better than last year because there was nothing tangible to go off of.

And for what it's worth, more than 1/3rd in the poll listed as the reviews being a let down. I'm just saying, all of this could have been solved if they didn't refuse to give out any numbers when the revealed the car.

 

[likeaboss]

I'm shocked to read that anyone thought the car would go faster 0-60 than 4.4 seconds or do the 1/4 mile is anything less than 12.8-13.0 seconds.

I don't recall reading any marketing stuff that implied this would be the case. The performance numbers are exactly what I though they would be. Because that is what the research I did told me (marketing, forums, etc).

When they said beat the Boss that means around the track, 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc...

At the very lease I expected non-LS Boss numbers.

Glad I snagged my GT500

 

[Macstang]

To be honest, I'm disappointed. In my heart, I wanted this thing to destroy it's competition in EVERY metric. I was hoping that all the technology and modernization baked into this car would pay off - big. However in my head I knew it would be incrementally better than the previous model - if that.

The thing is, the car is great for what it is and what it costs. My problem is I want an option for more. I want the GT350 now so that it can fill the void. It's not fair to compare the new Mustang to the ZL1 or the Z/28 or the C7 or the M4 but life's not fair. Ford needs a car which can compete albeit at a higher price point.

For the money, the new Mustang is a steal but it's audience is limited by it's lack of higher end options and models. Hurry up with that GT350 Ford!

 

[Sterling Archer]

When they said beat the Boss that means around the track, 0-60, 1/4 mile, etc...

At the very lease I expected non-LS Boss numbers.

Glad I snagged my GT500

Well, to give the engineering team credit, they always said it would beat the boss on a track - never stated anything about straight line performance. But you really have to try to understand just how difficult it is to get management to approve a single dollar in cost increases. Styling was already getting a huge bite of their development budget, so it's not as if they could deliver a whole new GT power train on top of the ecoboost engine and fit it within the budget.

Again, I honestly think the engineering team did a phenomenal job, especially when you factor in sneaking things like linelock past legal (#yolo). The people at fault with the missed expectations are the marketing guys that let the hype fester, rather than just launching a good set of targeted ads/reviews shortly after the product was revealed.

 

[Reds197]

The more I think about it the car is pretty impressive. It ties the Boss in the figure 8 at 24.7 and pulls a higher G rating. If you think about 0-60 times, track and weather is worth a couple tenths. I bet it beats a Boss on any road course.

Basically Motor Trends comments are what blow, not the performance.

My money says it will beat the Boss!

 

[dwaleke]

I guess we all get out what we want to see and believe.

From what I understand the IRS was really the only unknown with the car and it performs as well as expected when the car is turning. Ford delivered here. It doesn't do much for straight line performance. And the tiny power increase the 5.0 received wouldn't either.

If you need something faster than this just slap the Ford Racing supercharger kit on it and straight line speed is no longer a concern. The potential is enormous.

 

[Taneras]

Not sure which to pick, the initial responses were as expected (the mustang being a solid car) but I'm disappointed because I was expecting something more than just a solid car. I'll vote once I see some comparisons between the S550 and specific cars in its class.

 

[oyitsagreen]

We all want fire breathing hover crafts that can massage your privates and travel at the speed of light...but if we where able to travel at the speed of light, if we turn those cool led headlights on ...would they work?.

Steven Wright reference?

Also I totally agree with what you said.

I still haven't seen one in person. Aghhh

 

[G-train]

To the average Joe this car will be fantastic and none of the potential blemishes will be apparent, however, but no one who reads mustang6g is an average Joe. The reviews should not surprise us given the weight gains.

As others have said the bang for the buck is amazing and the price point is perfect. Most can afford a version of this car and we will be proud to nod to a fellow S550 owner at a stop light.

 

[Trackaholic]

I voted "As Expected"

I am not quite as enthusiastic as I was before, but that's mostly because I was hoping that all the reviews would be talking about handling that was completely dialed in. Instead, we have some reviewers who love the handling and others who say it's great on the road but leaves something to be desired on the track (which is what I plan to do with the car, and why I am waiting for the GT350).

As far as pure performance numbers go, I think there weren't really any surprises. Given power to weight, it should be about the same as the previous generation.

When the C7 numbers first started appearing, some people were pretty bummed because the straight line performance was about the same as the C6 (with more data it seems that the C7 is a few tenths faster in the 1/4). Also, while some of the track times provided by GM were very good, they were still not as good as the C6 Z06.

However, the subjective reviews were unanimously positive.

For the most part it seems we have a similar situation with the Mustang. The subjective reviews maybe aren't quite as glowing, but at the same time it does seem that the on-track performance certainly rivals the Boss, while still allowing a comfortable ride.

I suspect that the chassis will be a much better platform for mods as well, with maybe just shocks and swaybars allowing a more track oriented setup with only a moderate impact in drive-ability.

I hope the GT350 provides a more track oriented suspension tune, a bit more power (really want something that revs out like the roadrunner), and a bit less weight without totally breaking the bank. I am looking for something more like the previous Boss or Camaro 1LE than Z28. It will be interesting to see where Ford goes with the GT350. Based on what we've seen so far, it may be even more of an improvement than I was hoping for (and maybe more than I am willing to afford).

I think the new GT is close to the Boss and 1LE, but maybe not quite there in terms of balance and control. Still, it is a great first step. Remember how poorly the Camaro SS was received, and now how well the 1LE is. I was hoping Ford was going to really nail the tuning on this first release, but maybe they'll need to refine it a bit. They should give the Mustang to the guys that develop the Focus RS/ST and Fiesta ST and see what they come up with.

Overall it still looks to be an excellent car. Really looking forward to some more in-depth reviews and comparisons.

-T

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