Keep or ditch my S550 Mustang

[StealthStang]

Hmm, here in Australia, there seems to be minimal issues, if any, with the Mustang. i have a 2017 GT with no issues. my friend has 2015 GT with no issues.
Your oil leak could be from abuse perhaps?

Erm...the timing chain cover leak is a KNOWN problem with the turbo Mustang, theres a Ford TSB for it. SO maybe next time why don't you go do some actual research before accusing me of abusing my car...which has only 9000km on the clock.

And my car is not GT so why are you even comparing it to yours ? The engine isn't even the same.

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[IronG]

Yikes, this thread is a mess!! OP, it sounds like it comes down to two main things. 1. Money (it is always about the money :-) ) 2. Your peace of mind. I think you really just need to look at it and decide what is worth more to you. Abandon the Mustang, clear your head, take the hit to your wallet and start over or stick it out, pay some money to get it fixed or (the Roush tune) and see where you go. I do think dwelling on it too much will just eat you up. There were some really good opinions here to help you see some of the future for you. Now just make a call and do it. I really see no good or bad decision. You are in a pickle either way. Tomato or tomato.

 

[StealthStang]

@IronG yes there were some very good opinions, but its still quite divided between run or stick.

I think for now ill probably stick since ive already had to sort all these issues out already.
Also I may have found a good deal that allows me to stick with the Mustang and get the Roush conversion done...AND get another new high'ish performance by trading one of my older cars.
I hope it goes through, ill let you guys know what it is once i seal the deal, dont want to jinx it by saying what it is. If this happens it will really have been an awesome ending ! Fingers crossed.

 

[IronG]

@IronG yes there were some very good opinions, but its still quite divided between run or stick.

I think for now ill probably stick since ive already had to sort all these issues out already.
Also I may have found a good deal that allows me to stick with the Mustang and get the Roush conversion done...AND get another new high'ish performance by trading one of my older cars.
I hope it goes through, ill let you guys know what it is once i seal the deal, dont want to jinx it by saying what it is. If this happens it will really have been an awesome ending ! Fingers crossed.

Ok yeah, that was my point. You should not be debating any more. Just pick one option and do it. I hope it all turns out for the best for you.

 

[StealthStang]

Okay so ive made the final decision !

Mustang is staying, ive had another dealership look at it and they told me they think I wont be having too many issues now. These were the main known ones, and its now sorted. Im also deciding to take Ford Performances offer of the Roush Level 1 upgrade which I will get for a good price.

And while i was searching around for a replacement for the Mustang I came upon a VERY good deal on a new 2018 Volvo S60 Polestar Carbon Final Edition. It has AWD and makes 362HP and 347 Lb-ft.
I know its an outgoing model, but that was the reason I got it cheaper. The lower price allowed me to trade my second car in (also a Volvo) and keep the Mustang and still have money left to do that Roush conversion.

Overall im very happy, Im glad i listened to what you guys had to say first before making a rash decision. Especially the input from @Magnetto, @Fatguy and @Blue_Thunder, it was very informative and was actually instrumental in my final decision.

Cheers guys !

 

[The_Phantom]

Sounds like you made two great deals! Congrats on the new purchase AND keeping the Mustang!

Cheers!

 

[NHEcoboost]

OP, wondering how you like the Polestar. I've had my eye on this car recently as a replacement for the Ecoboost…..impressions?

 

[StealthStang]

OP, wondering how you like the Polestar. I've had my eye on this car recently as a replacement for the Ecoboost…..impressions?

Well i have the 2.0L 4 cylinder Twin-charged S60 Polestar, there was a 3.0L straight six turbo before this. The 3.0L makes more torque, the 2.0L makes more peak HP.

Compared to a stock ecoboost, its easily the better performer in a straight line. Though the twin-charged engine suffers badly from non premium fuel. On regular fuel its about as fast a BMW 335i, if you had premium then it should be closer to a BMW M2 or Audi S4.

My Ecoboost was recently converted to a Roush Stage 1, which brings it to the same power as the S60 Polestar (both cars around 360HP).
In a straight line on the same fuel the cars are close, the Volvo is maybe a tad faster due to its AWD and 8 speed transmission with launch control, but ive got nowhere near its 4.5s 0-60mph claimed time, best im getting is around 5s. I haven't really timed the Roush tuned car yet, but it seems to be in the low 5s as well.

The S60 Polestar is also quite heavy despite being lightened and not looking as big, i think its about 50KG heavier than the Ecoboost, but its handling is better, very stable and flat while cornering and very agile, feels light on its feet even though it isn't. It has tons of grip. Its a bit squirrelly under heavy braking though (probably because it only has the big Brembos up front, rear brakes are like a normal S60 T6)


Engine wise, they are both kinda similar, S60 has that nice supercharger whine at low RPM, kinda sounds like a mini Shelby GT500, but at high RPM it sounds like any other modern turbo 4 (Think Golf R or Mercedes A45).
With the Roush intake and exhaust I think the Mustang Ecoboost sounds a bit better, its bassier and burbles and makes a lot of crackling and whoosh noises, sounds more like an old JDM car (Nissan 200SX or Mitsubishi Lancer EVO). There is very little lag noticeable on either car, both pull very hard to redline, but the Volvo will pull right upt o 7000rpm, the Ecoboost seems optimal below 6000, but it has a much better sensation of torque. The Mustang is easily the better freeway cruiser, its wheel+tyre combo not as hardcore and the suspension is better tuned for normal roads. Sure the S60 has Ohlins fully adjustable dampers...but they dont help much with ride quality, the tyre profile is just too low.

Overall they are closer than i would have expected (on paper the S60 seems like it would be a different league...but its not), really it would come down to what you prefer in terms of practicality and driving style. Im glad i have them both, i wouldnt say you could replace one with the other.

 

[NHEcoboost]

Thanks StealthStang for that very detailed impression! I actually took a test drive of an '18 V60 Polestar yesterday and I have to say that I can see how you have made these observations. While the car seemed quick, it really didn't seem to have anything on my mustang with its current set up. However, acceleration was effortless and linear. The handling seemed pretty even with my car as well. Not sure if this is a knock against the Polestar that the cars are close of if it's just that the Ecoboost with some mods can really be a pretty solid performer. I did really enjoy driving the Polestar though. Really enjoyed it. And I'm not sure if the car had 87 octane in it which, like the ecoboost, can really be felt. If so, I'd be interested in experiencing it with 93. I personally found the exhaust very good. Much more so than my Eco. I loved how the it barked at the downshifts as I came to a stop. The fit and finish is great, save for the outdated multi media system, but to me that's not a deal breaker. The seats are amazing. I'm not sure what the shocks were set at, but I found the car very smooth and not too stiff at all. To me it was perfect, firm but compliant. The sound system is also much better than the Shaker. The practicality, all season performance and uniqueness really has me interested, especially in that Polestar blue! Oh, and all that carbon fiber..... Still, at $50K, gotta put some thought into it.

 

[StealthStang]

Personally i think its not a knock saying that the Polestar S60/V60 is not significantly better than the tuned Ecoboost Mustang. I think the ecoboost 2.3 mustang platform (reliability aside) is just a lot better performance wise than people give it credit for. I tested a lot of cars trying to find a replacement for the Mustang (even upto to the Porsche Cayman GTS) and i can honestly tell you in the 4 cylinder class of cars, theres nothing THAT much better that a mildly tuned ecoboost mustang. In fact even though the Cayman GTS is fast, i think if you had to take that 2.5 4-pot motor and put it in a Mustang, they wouldnt be much faster compared to the tuned Eco, same if you put the Polestar Volvo motor in, or a Merc A45 for that matter. The reason for that is the Mustang is a heavy car, and it responds better with torquey engines. The Porsche and Volvo may have much more HP, but a lot of that is at high RPM, and I suspect they would also feel lazy in the Mustang since their torque outputs across the range arent as high as the peak HP makes it seem.

So, if what i believe is true, its actually not that shocking that the 362HP Polestar doesn't feel much faster than the tuned Eco, because its also heavy and has a AWD system to feed as well.

As for the things you mentioned, yes seats in the Polestar are really good, but the side bolstering is too low for track use. The barks on shifts in sport mode is quite cool, Mustang doesnt do that, the Porsche 718 GTS, Merc A45 and Golf R do though.
The ride is fine on most roads if the surface is reasonable, but even on a slightly bad road the Polestar gets very unhappy.
Harmon Kardon Premium sound system is good, though my Mustang audio system is fully upgraded (Alpine PDX-V9 amp, MMATS 12" Sub, Focal Flax 3 ways front) so the Volvo's setup doesnt impress me that much, its still nice though.
I like the old school media system, since i hate touch screens so it was perfect for me, plus its very similar to my old Volvo C30 T5 so im already very used to using it.

I have to be honest and say, the Volvo is disappointing compared to other cars with similar power output, like the ecoboost mustang its hampered by its mass and hunger for high octane fuel. Though its awesome in so many other ways, its handling is superb, its gorgeous IMO with the carbon fibre kit and that Cyan/Rebel Blue paint, its such an odd combination of safety and go faster bits, most people actually adore it, i had a guy in a bad new 911 Carrera 4S going crazy when he he saw my car in the parking lot, its really something special. Honestly you could pitch up at a party for Hollywood A listers with one of these and it wouldnt even seem out of place, its just got an exotic feel about it.

 

[racrguy]

Get the Cayman.

That timing cover oil leak will not go away and this bothers women the most beacause of the smell but guys don’t mind as much cause we are gear heads. You would have been better off with the V6 but that was probably not exported to your country.

My motto is not to trust what big corporations say I should want. So when they pushed the Ecoboost and maligned the V6 with no options and an active anti-purchase campaign. Well I got the V6 and couldn’t be happier. No oil leaks and not one rattle, nothing! This car has now surpassed all my previous Mustang 5.0s in reliability. There is a reason this is a rental car icon. The thing is bullet proof. So my argument stands. Don’t do what large corps want you to do - they are full of shit! Do what you want to do and in this case get the Porsche!

BTW: I’m also active in the music industry (what’s left of it) and the V6 is the only S550 without sound augmentation. That’s a plus for me like it is for you!

The 5.0’s have no sound augmentation, wutchootalkinboutwillis.

 

[Fatguy]

The 5.0’s have no sound augmentation, wutchootalkinboutwillis.

Sound tube.

 

[racrguy]

That’s not augmented, that’s the natural sound the engine makes.

Edit: incoming snark. They didn’t do anything with the v6 because they knew there was no way to get those things to sound good. Lol

 

[Fatguy]

That’s not augmented, that’s the natural sound the engine makes.

Edit: incoming snark. They didn’t do anything with the v6 because they knew there was no way to get those things to sound good. Lol

Now I did a test playing the V8 through the speakers in the V6 and by accident had the normal V6 sound some in at over 4500rpm - it sounded better than the V8. Actually sounded like an F1 engine. So for me V8 below 4500rpm and V6 above 4500rpm. This was a complete surprise to me and you have to be hearing the V8 and then the engine kick down and the V6 compete at the same time to hear the difference. Was a complete shock for me!

 

[StealthStang]

The 5.0’s have no sound augmentation, wutchootalkinboutwillis.

The V8 does have active noise cancellation though, and that really affects the signal input on the aftermarket amps and processors. I think the V6 has no sound symposer or active noise cancellation.

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