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GT350: Caveat Emptor

460Fred

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Just to change direction a little.
I had a problem within the first 1K. Had an issue (twice) where I had minor difficulty going into reverse. Eased out the clutch and problem solved. It did happen twice back while I was breaking in the car. Now approaching 4K and everything has been perfect.
Oh, weā€™re finally getting some rain in the Central Valley California today.
Iā€™ll keep my smiles per miles ā€˜19 GT350 thank you very much.
BTW... My logical self read all about the engine issues ā€œbeforeā€ I bought, I was so concerned I didnā€™t even buy an extended warranty.
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Joe Mac

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Well he wouldn't buy a C7 or 1LE simply because of all the issues they have.
Hey
Well he wouldn't buy a C7 or 1LE simply because of all the issues they have.
Rocketman
I see you don't even own a Shelby
So I guess you didn't appreciate the Kia comment sorry if I hurt your feelings
 

nicosuave1

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I sold my 17' 350 recently...
Tired of the oil consumption, the sideways dipstick, the pocket contents ending up under the seat every time I get in or out of the car, scraping on every mild incline even at angles, the insurance, and the depreciation.
No race track near me, and even if so, no excess gobs of money to blow on track days.
Hitting 80 in 4th gear halfway through the revs then having to slow down to merge... just...
I do not miss it AT ALL. I thought I would, but I honestly do not.
Cheers they are beautiful but not practical at all at least not for me.
 

Lorne34

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I sold my 17' 350 recently...
Tired of the oil consumption, the sideways dipstick, the pocket contents ending up under the seat every time I get in or out of the car, scraping on every mild incline even at angles, the insurance, and the depreciation.
No race track near me, and even if so, no excess gobs of money to blow on track days.
Hitting 80 in 4th gear halfway through the revs then having to slow down to merge... just...
I do not miss it AT ALL. I thought I would, but I honestly do not.
Cheers they are beautiful but not practical at all at least not for me.
...
Thanks for your comments, as they might provide some insight to guys looking to purchase this car. Not everyone is going to find this car to their liking or it may not be a good fit.
Here are some thoughts/comments based upon my experience....

Oil Consumption/Dip Stick- yes you do have to watch your oil on these cars and some did have that issue. It seems that some are ok, but others consume at various levels. It's been debated on these forums whether that is normal, but feedback from other sports car owners say it's a reality for many brands.
The dipstick takes some getting used to but you can read your oil level if you follow the guidelines and use some patience. It could be better. I've never owned a car that didn't have a wonky insertion and a challenge to read cleanly at times.

Pocket contents- the recaros are slanted seats and will do that, they are also not for wide hipped guys... I test drove one and decided on the comfort seats.

Scraping- depending upon where you live and your driveway angle this is an issue with any lowered vehicle not on bags... sliplo and other products can help with this.. also stay away from lowering springs... I don't have an issue all the time but it does happen- It's just a plastic splitter it can be replaced...

insurance and depreciation- Not sure of your age, but the insurance is actually not that bad unless you are younger or have a bad driving record. Values are holding pretty steady... of course if you buy new its going to depreciate more out of the gate... I shopped around at used 17-18 models before buying my 2019 used.... it was a 5k difference in price going from a 2018-2019...

No Race track/Hwy On Ramp Driving- if you really want to push this car and get everything out of it, yes you are going to have to go to a track.. if you don't have one local or cannot afford track days then you can be in a frustrating position.... for some spirted driving and cruising is enough... even with a 700hp GT with a super charger on it.. some guys just like the fast pull to the stop light or the quarter mile.. and that's ok. This vehicle is higher revs and is built differently...
I personally have owned a regular GT (2016) and found the fun is over very quickly in those cars as well.... it was very unsatisfying driving my GT fast on the highway, coming up on ramps..etc... looking down and seeing I was going very fast (not going to say how fast)... the car was super smooth... almost too smooth... like a cadillac... it's one of the things that drove me toward the 350.. it still has that "raw, violent" sensation/experience to it, which I personally think is lost on the GT's...they feel too civilized (this is my opinion, GT owners don't pile on). I probably would have enjoyed the 2018 refresh more as the direct injection gave it some boost but still most of these cars feel too refined.
I watched a review by savage geese on the GT500 (which they really liked) and in comparison they said the C8 corvette is very comfortable but uninspiring with no end user engagement..I have not driven the new corvette but I was not surprised by that statement... it's true of a lot of sports cars these days... most cars take away the drivers engagement and experience with the process.
I was driving my 350 on a country road the other day and it was like a wild stallion.. I had to hang unto the steering wheel and watch what I was doing as I accelerated in 2nd/3rd gear to the speed limit which was approx 45-55mph in various places. I initially was a bit disappointed in the experience as I just wanted to go for a cruise.. but after thinking about it I felt more alive and engaged in that experience than I ever would be in my Mazda CX-5.
The amazing thing about this car is that you can get on the highway for a long road trip or after you are done with some spirited driving, drop it in 6th, turn on cruise control and the thing drives like a caddy... super quiet, smooth, comfortable with the leather heated and cooled seats.. I looked at my wife when we were coming back from a 2 hour joy ride which included some spirited driving.. and I said "how can this thing be so rowdy one moment and refined the next?"
I plan on taking a trip down south to the tail of the dragon this summer and some other winding roads in SE WI which should allow me to experience more of what the car has to offer from a handling perspective. I would think that in your area of CA there would be some winding roads for you to enjoy the car. I do get it though.. I've seen guys sell there's when they moved to a major city, etc where they couldn't stretch the car out. I don't know how you would enjoy a car like this in LA traffic, unless you had time and $ to take and trailer it somewhere for track days, etc..
Track day costs-
I also plan on doing a couple track days a year... which I will budget in... If you are spending 50k on a car you need to be able to afford maintenance, repairs, insurance, etc... I am not ultra wealthy, but spending 2-3k for a few track days each year is a pretty affordable hobby.. I don't hunt, fish, golf, etc.. .if you rack up the costs for those hobbies they can get expensive as well...

Anyway, all this to say it's a great car, but it comes with some caveats and a price tag.
Along with that is the risk of things going wrong. If you want to be covered, buy an extended warranty for as long as you plan on keeping the car.
I truly feel bad for anyone (and I know guys personally who have had issues) who has had a bad experience, but life is full of risks. this can be a great vehicle and a great experience for most.
 
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nicosuave1

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...
Thanks for your comments, as they might provide some insight to guys looking to purchase this car. You bring up some good points...

Oil Consumption/Dip Stick- yes you do have to watch your oil on these cars and some did have that issue. It seems that some are ok, but others consume at various levels. It's been debated on these forums whether that is normal, but feedback from other sports car owners say it's a reality for many brands.
The dipstick takes some getting used to but you can read your oil level if you follow the guidelines and use some patience. It could be better. I've never owned a car that didn't have a wonky insertion and a challenge to read cleanly at times.

Pocket contents- the recaros are slanted seats and will do that, they are also not for wide hipped guys... I test drove one and decided on the comfort seats.

Scraping- depending upon where you live and your driveway angle this is an issue with any lowered vehicle not on bags... sliplo and other products can help with this.. also stay away from lowering springs... I don't have an issue all the time but it does happen- It's just a plastic splitter it can be replaced...

insurance and depreciation- Not sure of your age, but the insurance is actually not that bad unless you are younger or have a bad driving record. Values are holding pretty steady... of course if you buy new its going to depreciate more out of the gate... I shopped around at used 17-18 models before buying my 2019 used.... it was a 5k difference in price going from a 2018-2019...

No Race track/Hwy On Ramp Driving- if you really want to push this car and get everything out of it, yes you are going to have to go to a track.. if you don't have one local or cannot afford track days then you can be in a frustrating position.... for some spirted driving and cruising is enough... even with a 700hp GT with a super charger on it.. some guys just like the fast pull to the stop light or the quarter mile.. and that's ok. This vehicle is higher revs and is built differently...
I personally have owned a regular GT (2016) and found the fun is over very quickly in those cars as well.... it was very unsatisfying driving my GT fast on the highway, coming up on ramps..etc... looking down and seeing I was going very fast (not going to say how fast)... the car was super smooth... almost too smooth... like a cadillac... it's one of the things that drove me toward the 350.. it still has that "raw, violent" sensation/experience to it, which I personally think is lost on the GT's...they feel too civilized (this is my opinion, GT owners don't pile on). I probably would have enjoyed the 2018 refresh more as the direct injection gave it some boost but still most of these cars feel too refined.
I watched a review by savage geese on the GT500 (which they really liked) and in comparison they said the C8 corvette is very comfortable but uninspiring with no end user engagement..I have not driven the new corvette but I was not surprised by that statement... it's true of a lot of sports cars these days... most cars take away the drivers engagement and experience with the process.
I was driving my 350 on a country road the other day and it was like a wild stallion.. I had to hang unto the steering wheel and watch what I was doing as I accelerated in 2nd/3rd gear to the speed limit which was approx 45-55mph in various places. I initially was a bit disappointed in the experience as I just wanted to go for a cruise.. but after thinking about it I felt more alive and engaged in that experience than I ever would be in my Mazda CX-5.
The amazing thing about this car is that you can get on the highway for a long road trip or after you are done with some spirited driving, drop it in 6th, turn on cruise control and the thing drives like a caddy... super quiet, smooth, comfortable with the leather heated and cooled seats.. I looked at my wife when we were coming back from a 2 hour joy ride which included some spirited driving.. and I said "how can this thing be so rowdy one moment and refined the next?"
I plan on taking a trip down south to the tail of the dragon this summer and some other winding roads in SE WI which should allow me to experience more of what the car has to offer from a handling perspective. I would think that in your area of CA there would be some winding roads for you to enjoy the car. I do get it though.. I've seen guys sell there's when they moved to a major city, etc where they couldn't stretch the car out. I don't know how you would enjoy a car like this in LA traffic, unless you had time and $ to take and trailer it somewhere for track days, etc..
Track day costs-
I also plan on doing a couple track days a year... which I will budget in... If you are spending 50k on a car you need to be able to afford maintenance, repairs, insurance, etc... I am not ultra wealthy, but spending 2-3k for a few track days each year is a pretty affordable hobby.. I don't hunt, fish, golf, etc.. .if you rack up the costs for those hobbies they can get expensive as well...

Anyway, all this to say it's a great car, but it comes with some caveats and a price tag.
Along with that is the risk of things going wrong. If you want to be covered, buy an extended warranty for as long as you plan on keeping the car.
I truly feel bad for anyone (and I know guys personally who have had issues) who has had a bad experience, but life is full of risks. this can be a great vehicle and a great experience for most.
I was monitoring since new and it would consume about 3/4's of a qt every 1000 miles. Not enough to warrant a claim/engine replacement but enough to be something I had to watch and replace, that was just annoying after a while.
The dipstick was like, yeah, sideways, so on one side it would say it was fine, and the other side low, and I always had to take like 4 readings before feeling confident in what the actual level was, also annoying.
I am 37 and completely clean record, insurance wasn't crazy but it was $95 a month. $95 is $95, for a car I drove what, 3,500 miles a year? So...32 cents per mile driven was my insurance cost? Then 3x $16 qts of oil to get through those 3500 miles, plus a $160 oil change, just silly nickle and diming just to stay on the road...
Then once I got a nail in the sidewall of a rear tire..nice $500 surprise...

I definitely am not wide hipped, skinny fella, just getting inverted in those recaros made everything fall out of my pockets every time! Recaros were standard with the 17's, no comfort/leather seat option as far as I know.

I bought at MSRP and sold 3 years later for a $15k loss, oh well, could have been worse. No tickets or accidents in that time either other than the tire. It was fun to experience the car and yes it had a wonderful dual personality as you describe.

There are 2 things I will miss and always remember. Hyperspace/blackout feeling at 7+k rpm, and rev matching that honey on down shifts, when you synced it right it certainly made me feel connected to the car and made me smile.
 

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Lorne34

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I was monitoring since new and it would consume about 3/4's of a qt every 1000 miles. Not enough to warrant a claim/engine replacement but enough to be something I had to watch and replace, that was just annoying after a while.
The dipstick was like, yeah, sideways, so on one side it would say it was fine, and the other side low, and I always had to take like 4 readings before feeling confident in what the actual level was, also annoying.
I am 37 and completely clean record, insurance wasn't crazy but it was $95 a month. $95 is $95, for a car I drove what, 3,500 miles a year? So...32 cents per mile driven was my insurance cost? Then 3x $16 qts of oil to get through those 3500 miles, plus a $160 oil change, just silly nickle and diming just to stay on the road...
Then once I got a nail in the sidewall of a rear tire..nice $500 surprise...

I definitely am not wide hipped, skinny fella, just getting inverted in those recaros made everything fall out of my pockets every time! Recaros were standard with the 17's, no comfort/leather seat option as far as I know.

I bought at MSRP and sold 3 years later for a $15k loss, oh well, could have been worse. No tickets or accidents in that time either other than the tire. It was fun to experience the car and yes it had a wonderful dual personality as you describe.

There are 2 things I will miss and always remember. Hyperspace/blackout feeling at 7+k rpm, and rev matching that honey on down shifts, when you synced it right it certainly made me feel connected to the car and made me smile.
thanks, sounds like it wasn't all bad, but I do understand your perspective and reasoning for parting with the car.
I do think the oil consumption problem got worse with the 2017's as that year seemed to have an uptick in engine issues. The 2015's and 16's that first came out were solid.
The demand was so great that they started mass producing (5k per year) starting in 2017 and I think that did hurt CQ.
The 2016 model was not available in the combination of leather seats with the coolers, you had to buy the "track pack" version of the car with recaros or you purchased the "tech pkg" which had some overheating issues when guys tried to track or were in extreme heat conditions. Ford quickly resolved that by offering the Leather seats with coolers as standard in 2017.
Maybe someday you will have the opportunity to slide back into a used one as I'm sure there will be stock available.
I will admit that I steered clear of a used 2017-18 myself and went with the gen2 engine for peace of mind. I still fully realize that the risk is there and there is no guarantee. Still lots of stories of guys with 2017-18's with no issues as well. If nothing else this car may go down as one of the most polarizing vehicles in Ford History. So many awards/accolades, but still some unhappy customers.
Bottom line is that none of these cars (bmw, porsche, mustangs, corvette's) are practical cars with low cost of ownership... it's a weird dance between wanting a different driving experience, cost, risk vs reward, etc...
 

nicosuave1

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thanks, sounds like it wasn't all bad, but I do understand your perspective and reasoning for parting with the car.
I do think the oil consumption problem got worse with the 2017's as that year seemed to have an uptick in engine issues. The 2015's and 16's that first came out were solid.
The demand was so great that they started mass producing (5k per year) starting in 2017 and I think that did hurt CQ.
The 2016 model was not available in the combination of leather seats with the coolers, you had to buy the "track pack" version of the car with recaros or you purchased the "tech pkg" which had some overheating issues when guys tried to track or were in extreme heat conditions. Ford quickly resolved that by offering the Leather seats with coolers as standard in 2017.
Maybe someday you will have the opportunity to slide back into a used one as I'm sure there will be stock available.
I will admit that I steered clear of a used 2017-18 myself and went with the gen2 engine for peace of mind. I still fully realize that the risk is there and there is no guarantee. Still lots of stories of guys with 2017-18's with no issues as well. If nothing else this car may go down as one of the most polarizing vehicles in Ford History. So many awards/accolades, but still some unhappy customers.
Bottom line is that none of these cars (bmw, porsche, mustangs, corvette's) are practical cars with low cost of ownership... it's a weird dance between wanting a different driving experience, cost, risk vs reward, etc...
I got a slightly used 2016 bmw 535i with the m sport package and m power adder package and I couldn't be happier
 

Lorne34

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I got a slightly used 2016 bmw 535i with the m sport package and m power adder package and I couldn't be happier
good to hear! This is a Mustang Forum and guys are enthusiastic about their cars, but as "car enthusiasts" we should be excited for and encouraging toward the whole car community. It's what works for you that is important and it's healthier when we all encourage each other and stay positive.
 

lenFeb

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I've just read this post in its entirety and thought, that if I read posts like this before buying any of my cars whether if it's Audi, BMW, Porsche, Subaru or Ford, I would be hesitant to buy any of them. None of any car manufacturers immune to failures(review/research any of owners forums and you find issues like this). It's very important how they handle to mitigate the issue. And I think Ford handle this decently. That being said, it's sucks to deal with this, especially if the car is new.
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