Longwinded Review of the Ecoboost Mustang

[RemoteSenses]

Great writeup, but I'm curious - how in the hell did you manage to get the price down to $23k for an Ecoboost!? I gotta commend you for that one. I don't think I had the patience to finagle enough to work the price down that low.

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[15wile]

Great writeup, but I'm curious - how in the hell did you manage to get the price down to $23k for an Ecoboost!? I gotta commend you for that one. I don't think I had the patience to finagle enough to work the price down that low.

A month of haggling and walking away from lesser deals, pitting dealers' offers against one another... Starting with the Truecar.com value on the one hand and CarMax's value of my trade on the other as my negotiation starting points (so the dealer couldn't hose me on either end). Finally found a dealer who said yes. Believe me it was hell, and they kept trying to sell me v6s at that money, but I was set on the EB. That was what I could afford, so it was a fight for that deal or walk situation. You'd be surprised what dealers will offer you the next day if you walk out on them.

Also cash buy may have helped. Although I don't know, these days. Some dealers seemed genuinely weirded out by cash buyers these days. I just can't do payments. Hate debt too much.

 

[RemoteSenses]

A month of haggling and walking away from lesser deals, pitting dealers' offers against one another... Starting with the Truecar.com value on the one hand and CarMax's value of my trade on the other as my negotiation starting points (so the dealer couldn't hose me on either end). Finally found a dealer who said yes. Believe me it was hell, and they kept trying to sell me v6s at that money, but I was set on the EB.

Yeah, that is pretty incredible. I paid more than that for my V6 even with A-Plan pricing.

Then again, I paid about the average price for a V6 according to TrueCar, so I wasn't complaining. Being from a more rural area, I also didn't have the luxury of having a Ford dealership on every corner - there's only about 3 or 4 within 60 miles and I wasn't about to drive an hour to go to more dealerships or spend a month dealing with salesmen.

Anyway, props to you man. Great review, too!

 

[MustangMark83]

Great writeup, but I'm curious - how in the hell did you manage to get the price down to $23k for an Ecoboost!? I gotta commend you for that one. I don't think I had the patience to finagle enough to work the price down that low.

I wanna know what dealer he went to. Probably brandon ford. They're known for having good prices.

 

[15wile]

Yeah, that is pretty incredible. I paid more than that for my V6 even with A-Plan pricing.

Then again, I paid about the average price for a V6 according to TrueCar, so I wasn't complaining. Being from a more rural area, I also didn't have the luxury of having a Ford dealership on every corner - there's only about 3 or 4 within 60 miles and I wasn't about to drive an hour to go to more dealerships or spend a month dealing with salesmen.

Anyway, props to you man. Great review, too!

Thanks! And yeah, between Tampa and nearby Orlando, there were tons of high volume dealers to play off one another. And honestly... I don't really want to haggle that much again either. Wasn't fun.

 

[15wile]

I wanna know what dealer he went to. Probably brandon ford. They're known for having good prices.

I went to Brandon Ford. Dealt with Tee there, their internet fleet manager. He got me an offer at 24k. I almost went for it, but he didn't have the deep impact blue. So I went over to veteran's ford who did have one in blue and told them I'd buy if they could beat Brandon Ford. Obviously they did.

I should note that of all the dealers in my area, only brandon ford and veteran's ford were decent and honest. I'd buy from either in the future. Brandon ford only lost because I liked the blue over the guard metallic.

 

[TJP719]

Great review, and totally on point with the V8 envy. Occasionally I wish I had the GT instead. And that's no slight towards my EB, I love it. Just knowing the GT exists and I don't have it sucks sometimes.

With that said, I'm in the same boat as EcoSwag1990 (is that your birth year btw? Mine too!). Personally I'd rather have a Premium EB than a base GT and thats the exact situation I was in. The premium GT was out of my price range, and I wanted the luxury.

Can't wait for the tune either, your view on the warranty makes me feel better as I don't feel like waiting 3 years just in case something happens. From all of the positive things said, it's worth it to me.

 

[wildsailor]

Okay, I'll raise my hand, I am an Ecoboost buyer that can afford a GT. Why did I go Ecoboost?

1. Anyone can make a GT go fast without much skill.
2. I enjoy a spirited drive but have no need for that much acceleration anymore. The difference between 0-illegal is about 1 second or less.
3. I do not race but if I did:
a. I would buy a 2011-2014 GT if I drag race.
b. I would buy a GT350R if I road race.
4. I have already owned 2 GT's so I have been there already. Everyone should have a GT Mustang at least once in their life.

This is my DD and In that duty the EBM does a very good job.

 

[15wile]

Personally I'd rather have a Premium EB than a base GT and thats the exact situation I was in. The premium GT was out of my price range, and I wanted the luxury.

Can't wait for the tune either, your view on the warranty makes me feel better as I don't feel like waiting 3 years just in case something happens. From all of the positive things said, it's worth it to me.

Some folks do. What I was trying to get at is that the V8 is a great motor and a visceral driving experience. If you've met all of your other buying parameters and still have the money... go for it. If not, the Ecoboost is a fair compromise. Having a mid-range option is great.

For me... coming from base model trucks and old clunkers, because of my inherent cheapness, basic trims are downright luxurious compared to what I'm used to. I mean, HIDs, Push-button remote start, gauge computer screen, power seats, LED fog lights... it doesn't feel like a basic car to me. The thing of it is, I wouldn't buy a Premium trim even if I had the money -- again, because I'm a cheap-ass. But the Performance Package and a bigger motor? Yeah, if I had the money, I'd go there.

I could have financed it, but the way I am, I'd regret owing money to the bank far more than I'd miss the sound of a V8. I took a car loan once and it ate me up inside. I wound up selling it just to get rid of the note.

In any event, buying cars is always an art of compromise (or else we'd all own Shelbys). But Ford did a great job in making the compromise more palatable.

As for the tune -- reflash to stock when you go in to get service. The dealer could make an issue out of it (they can tell if you've messed with it, if they really want to), but most won't unless whatever tune you put on there is responsible for actual motor damage. Anyway, the way I put miles on my car, I'll be out of warranty before a year and a half is up.

 

[CriticalmassGT]

I do the same thing you do when buying a car. Which is why I hate buying a car. It's a 2nd job. I plan on keeping my 2014 Mustang GT Premium/Brembo/Blah Blah Loaded for a very long time.

I despise the car buying experience because it REALLY is a second job if you want the best deal. And yeah, not all dealers like cash buyers because they get kickbacks from the loan companies. They make more profit that way. (I paid cash too).

It's so easy to just walk in and pay what they want you to pay, but if you value your money, you'll do it the hard way.

And to be totally obnoxious. It sure is fun when you get to watch your wife "bounce" around in the seat next to you when you hammer the throttle and she squeals with laughter.

 

[15wile]

Okay, I'll raise my hand, I am an Ecoboost buyer that can afford a GT. Why did I go Ecoboost?

1. Anyone can make a GT go fast without much skill.
2. I enjoy a spirited drive but have no need for that much acceleration anymore. The difference between 0-illegal is about 1 second or less.
3. I do not race but if I did:
a. I would buy a 2011-2014 GT if I drag race.
b. I would buy a GT350R if I road race.
4. I have already owned 2 GT's so I have been there already. Everyone should have a GT Mustang at least once in their life.

This is my DD and In that duty the EBM does a very good job.

1. Yup.

2. I'm a kid in a candy store, even with the Ecoboost. But I had to invest in a radar detector, for obvious reasons...

3. Absolutely agreed. And those GT350s are pretty...

4. Someday I will own one. In the meantime it's kind of like... if this driving experience is as awesome as it is, how much better, then, is the 5.0 in the same car? You wonder from time-to-time, but you're still smiling when you punch an EB and it throws you back into your seat.

I really think the Ecoboost may be the best "spirited daily driver" option on the market right now. The 5.0 is faster, but costs more to operate and to purchase. I mean at $23k, what else can you get? A loaded Civic? A basic Camry? Lulz.

 

[Strokerswild]

I bought a GT, which I love, but thought long and hard about buying an EB Premium with PP for something different (more akin to my '79, which was a turbo and modded). My thoughts were to mod it to be able to run with a stock GT, and reap the benefits of benefits of better balance and handling, not to mention gas mileage.

I think the EB is a great car personally.

 

[Stam616]

While I think the Ecoboost is a great addition to the Mustang, when I was ready to buy one I went with the V6 for several reasons and have not looked back. First off the V6 is less expensive which is great because I am on a budget. I got mine with the 051A pkg, A/T and spoiler delete for $23,750 (sticker was $26,725) so I got a great deal. Second, when I heard the Ecoboost it just didn't sound right to me. I've had two V8 Mustangs (fox bodies) in the past and the V6 sounded closest to them IMO. While I would've loved the Premium package I just couldn't afford it but I WANTED a 2015 so waiting til 2016 and saving more money wasn't really an option- plus the fact of not liking the eco'so exhaust sound.

I've had my car since the end of March and have zero complaints. I get 30 plus MPG on highway runs and about 21-24MPG around town so it's good on gas, the engine is less complex so it's good for longevity (I intend to keep this car a very long time) and the interior is great. She's quick enough for me, handles and rides beautifully, and turns heads wherever I go. I have heard the "should've bought a V8" comments but they've been from people who don't even have a Mustang so I just smile and say "well it's a Mustang" which is usually enough to end that little conversation lol.
I think anyone would want a V8 if they could afford it but having an Eco or V6 only means you are still part of the Mustang family. That's the appeal of this car- you can have either engine and still drive away happy that you have a nameplate that has so much meaning in the car world. She instills a sense of pride as you get behind the wheel and push the starter button to hear your engine roar to life. Watching others around you with lesser cars stare with envy that you choose to go in a different direction in your life. So I ignore the occasional comments and prefer to focus on what a beautiful, fast, reliable and competent car I own. A car I can't walk more than ten paces from without turning around to look at her and smile. Everyone should be as lucky!

 

[TJP719]

Some folks do. What I was trying to get at is that the V8 is a great motor and a visceral driving experience. If you've met all of your other buying parameters and still have the money... go for it. If not, the Ecoboost is a fair compromise. Having a mid-range option is great.

For me... coming from base model trucks and old clunkers, because of my inherent cheapness, basic trims are downright luxurious compared to what I'm used to. I mean, HIDs, Push-button remote start, gauge computer screen, power seats, LED fog lights... it doesn't feel like a basic car to me. The thing of it is, I wouldn't buy a Premium trim even if I had the money -- again, because I'm a cheap-ass. But the Performance Package and a bigger motor? Yeah, if I had the money, I'd go there.

I could have financed it, but the way I am, I'd regret owing money to the bank far more than I'd miss the sound of a V8. I took a car loan once and it ate me up inside. I wound up selling it just to get rid of the note.

In any event, buying cars is always an art of compromise (or else we'd all own Shelbys). But Ford did a great job in making the compromise more palatable.

As for the tune -- reflash to stock when you go in to get service. The dealer could make an issue out of it (they can tell if you've messed with it, if they really want to), but most won't unless whatever tune you put on there is responsible for actual motor damage. Anyway, the way I put miles on my car, I'll be out of warranty before a year and a half is up.

I'm used to leather seats from my old Lexus, the seatwarmers, stuff like that. For that reason I wanted the premium trim. But you're right, the base trim is still pretty damn luxurious. I wasn't that obsessed with having a V8 that I'd be taking on the extra cost of the premium trim on the EB PLUS the cost of having a GT, for a base model at that. Don't get me wrong, if I had the money of course I would've went with it but sometimes you have to compromise.

As far as the tune, this will be the first car I've ever tuned so I have no experience with getting service work done on a tuned car. I can go to ANY Ford dealer for service right, not just the one I got the car from?

 

[EcoSwag1990]

While I think the Ecoboost is a great addition to the Mustang, when I was ready to buy one I went with the V6 for several reasons and have not looked back. First off the V6 is less expensive which is great because I am on a budget. I got mine with the 051A pkg, A/T and spoiler delete for $23,750 (sticker was $26,725) so I got a great deal. Second, when I heard the Ecoboost it just didn't sound right to me. I've had two V8 Mustangs (fox bodies) in the past and the V6 sounded closest to them IMO. While I would've loved the Premium package I just couldn't afford it but I WANTED a 2015 so waiting til 2016 and saving more money wasn't really an option- plus the fact of not liking the eco'so exhaust sound.

I've had my car since the end of March and have zero complaints. I get 30 plus MPG on highway runs and about 21-24MPG around town so it's good on gas, the engine is less complex so it's good for longevity (I intend to keep this car a very long time) and the interior is great. She's quick enough for me, handles and rides beautifully, and turns heads wherever I go. I have heard the "should've bought a V8" comments but they've been from people who don't even have a Mustang so I just smile and say "well it's a Mustang" which is usually enough to end that little conversation lol.
I think anyone would want a V8 if they could afford it but having an Eco or V6 only means you are still part of the Mustang family. That's the appeal of this car- you can have either engine and still drive away happy that you have a nameplate that has so much meaning in the car world. She instills a sense of pride as you get behind the wheel and push the starter button to hear your engine roar to life. Watching others around you with lesser cars stare with envy that you choose to go in a different direction in your life. So I ignore the occasional comments and prefer to focus on what a beautiful, fast, reliable and competent car I own. A car I can't walk more than ten paces from without turning around to look at her and smile. Everyone should be as lucky!

Probably the most annoying thing about owning an EB is ppl suggesting that because it is newer and FI that it is automatically not reliable. The EB is built to last.

Anyway aren't you the exact same guy who just commented about Ecoboost buyers coming into threads about the V6 and commenting about the EB? lol the V6 wasn't even mentioned in here

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