GT v. What's Really Comprable

[Old 5 Oh]

There are a lot of threads in this topic about the GT versus cars costing $5,000 to $30,000 more money, and while those can be interesting conversations, they are not very relevant to a lot of us (me included) who are stretching to buy a $40,000 daily driver.

I'm sure an M4 is an exciting drive. At $75,000, it should be. And ZL1 Camaros and Hellcat Challengers have their attractions (I wouldn't want either one, frankly) but at $60 grand, they are competition for a Mustang that hasn't yet been introduced.

Just for fun, I went looking for what I could buy for the same $39K MSRP as my car on order. The list isn't very encouraging, and the Mustang looks pretty darn awesome in comparison.

BMW? A fairly stripped 228i is the best you can do. Almost any M235i is nearly $50 grand. The 3-series and 4-series start in the mid 40s and head quickly north. Strike this brand.

Audi? A stripped A5 is $40K even. With a few options and an AT, it's $45K. Wow. I guess I could get an A3 into the budget, but why?

Chevrolet? A Camaro SS1 with a load of options similar to mine (except missing the leather and heated/cooled seats which are not available) comes in at $38K. But . . . it's a Camaro . . . from Government Motors.

Dodge? A Challenger R/T Plus is the model. Can be optioned to be pretty similar to the Mustang at $38K. But this is the 5.7L, 375 HP Hemi, a long way from the Hellcat, and a handling pig.

There are a double-handful of FWD sedans that can be had for this price, including Ford's own Fusion ($33K loaded) and Lincoln MKZ ($38K comparably equipped.) But . . . those are sedans! Family cars!

And I am running out of options. If I really chose to not buy a Mustang, I would probably get a Fusion or something like that. I am stretching to get what I really want (I don't want an EB, even though I thought really hard about going that way) and it looks like the 2015 GT is about the best deal going.

I have absolutely no regrets!

Did I miss something?

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[5.0GT]

392 485 hp scatpack starts at 39k i think..

 

[Nitro]

s3, Golf R, Evo X, sti and 370z come to mind, although I only cross shopped the S3 and 370z

 

[ChefBorOzzy]

Pointless rant. There are only two real competitors. I drove my girlfriend's A4 again tonight.. There is no way that a Camaro or Mustang come close to the refinement. I've always talked crap about German cars, but wow. The car would be an absolutely great daily driver.

Still, like you and rest of the people on here, I'd take the rwd v8.

 

[Old 5 Oh]

s3, Golf R, Evo X, sti and 370z come to mind, although I only cross shopped the S3 and 370z

I think the two you cross-shopped are worth looking at. The others are a little minimalist for me. I had a 2009 GTI, and it was simply too small and uncomfortable, neither of which would be addressed by the Golf R.

The S3 looks like it runs about $46K, so over my budget. You can get a really nice 370Z Touring for 40K, so right on budget, and I enjoyed its older cousin Infiniti G35 coupe for several years, but the Z is a two-seater and that's a limitation for me.

Biased or not, I come away thinking the Mustang is a really great choice.

 

[Fenderaddict2]

I'm cross shopping, not on price, but what will be the most fun for the buck. The cars I'm considering as a possible replacement for my Boss are the Porsche 911, Jag F-Type, Mazda MX-5 and the Mustang. It will be interesting to see which one, and which trim level ends up in my driveway for next summer. Or will the Boss stay comfortable in the stable?

 

[1320']

The Challenger most will cross shop will be the Scat Pack R/T.
485hp/475tq with either a M6 or A8. With a $100 TreadLightly membership you can get it for invoice minus 1%..Roughly $37,000 for the 6M or $37,500 for the Auto. Both will obliterate a GT in a straight line and will not go down without a fight in turns with a non PP GT.

 

[Ghostface]

The obvious competitor as it has been for decades is the camaro. I'm sure we'll be seeing several comparisons from the car mags, especially of the 1LE vs the GT PP (which I have a feeling the stang won't do too well, but we'll see). Challenger RT is too big, floaty, and underpowered. With the new design and suspension, this new stang will bring in customers who would normally shop for the sti and golf r... All very close in price range and probably in track times, although how they go about doing it is very different. If we bring in used cars, endless possibilities... But most obvious would be a e92 m3... Very similar stats just like the 11-14, but now price wise also for a slightly used m3 will be similar to a new GT.

 

[Ghostface]

The Challenger most will cross shop will be the Scat Pack R/T.
485hp/475tq with either a M6 or A8. With a $100 TreadLightly membership you can get it for invoice minus 1%..Roughly $37,000 for the 6M or $37,500 for the Auto. Both will obliterate a GT in a straight line and will not go down without a fight in turns with a non PP GT.

First time hearing about the scat pack, pretty awesome u can get that much engine for under 40k!

 

[HalfMoon]

I was looking at the Scat pack Challenger since I too was cross shopping. The bigger problem for me is that it has terrible fuel ratings. The EPA numbers are 14/23 with a 17 mpg combined rating. A member on another forum had the superbee charger and said he never got more than 15mpg over a tank of gas.

If you're not driving a lot its no big deal, but I'm putting about 800 miles a week on my daily driver and want to be at least in the 20mpg+ numbers.

There really is not much for a RWD non-turbo option in the price range that I can find. Mustang, Camaro or the price goes up or you give up too much and get a FR-S/BRZ.

 

[OppoLock]

The Challenger is just too big for me to even consider it. Great for guys that like straight line romps while cruising in comfort, and I'm sure the Scat Pack gives it some better rubber and other handling improvements, but it's still a big b*tch that doesn't sound appealing to drive on anything other than a highway.

 

[HalfMoon]

The Challenger is just too big for me to even consider it. Great for guys that like straight line romps while cruising in comfort, and I'm sure the Scat Pack gives it some better rubber and other handling improvements, but it's still a big b*tch that doesn't sound appealing to drive on anything other than a highway.

Yep, that too. ;)

Plus going back and forth from my C7 to it would be culture shock for sure.

 

[thaext]

s3, Golf R, Evo X, sti and 370z come to mind, although I only cross shopped the S3 and 370z

This.... The only thing is a fully loaded s3 is about 49k, as much as the LE :eyebulge:. The Golf R is going to be around 40k ish I think. Evo X is dead, and between the Evo and STI, I think its pretty clear which is the winner. These sedan's and hatchbacks are kinda hard to compare though because, someone might be looking for a 2 door.

 

[w3rkn]

The Challenger most will cross shop will be the Scat Pack R/T.
485hp/475tq with either a M6 or A8. With a $100 TreadLightly membership you can get it for invoice minus 1%..Roughly $37,000 for the 6M or $37,500 for the Auto. Both will obliterate a GT in a straight line and will not go down without a fight in turns with a non PP GT.

:doh:

Doesn't the Challenger weigh 600lbs more..?

 

[908ssp]

Good post Old 5 Oh. I don't see anything close except the Camaro. If you throw in used then yes there are more options but new...no way. I owned a 67 Camaro in 1970 so I should have weak spot for them but I hated the dash in 70 and hate the new dash as well. The rest of the car is just ok while the new Mustang is playing way over it's head performance, styling, and value.

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