Mustang GT configuration questions

[DonVitoCorleone]

Hi all,

I´d like to ask you a couple of Mustang configuration related questions.

I do live in Europe, but decided to go for US Mustang instead EU one. It will not be an individual import – there is a quite reputable dealer specialized in US cars import in my town. I´m talking to them about Mustang´s configuration right now and would like to hear the real-life experiences of US Mustang owners. I´m trying to get the total car price as low as possible because since the car is coming from USA/Canada to European Union country, I´ll have to pay VAT and customs from the total car price. So, the lower car price, the lower VAT and customs indeed.

I´m getting GT version, coupe, automatic gearbox, 401A and PP1 packages. This is a minimum I simply want to have, but there is a couple of things I am not sure about:

Magneride suspension
Is it worth the extra money? Dealer says NO adding that it´s better and cheaper to replace the stock springs by Pedders eXtreme XA Adjustable Coilovers.

https://www.pedders.com.au/kits/sportsryder-extreme-xa-adjustable-coil-overs/

https://www.turnology.com/tech-stor...ilovers-has-this-mustang-clawing-at-the-road/

Could you please advise here? I have ZERO experience in this topic, so I really have no clue. I do not plan to take my Mustang to track (perhaps once a year for some sport driving lessons/practice), it´s planned to be more weekend fun cruiser on twisty roads and highways with occasional speeding on German highways. Not sure I need to lower the whole car for that. There are also bumpy roads in my country which I won´t be able to avoid. Pedders seems to me more a track option (which is not what I plan to do with the car very often), so I am not sure if it´s a good option for what I plan to do with the car...I am not sure about how Pedders adjusting works either…Magneride on the other hand is being set automatically via choosing driving modes (Normal, Sport, Track) in the car, right?

Enhanced Security Package
Does it make sense to pay extra money for that?

Vehicle Security System — Ford Perimeter Plus
Does it make sense to pay extra money for that?

Onboard cameras – front and rear
Are the ones offered by car manufacturer any good? Do they come installed to the car? Or is it better to opt for some third-party product later and let the dealer install it together with radar detector for instance?


That´d be all for now. Is there anything I´ve missed and you would recommend to opt for based on your experiences please?


Many thanks in advance.

EDIT: Not sure I have chosen a correct forum section. If not, please feel free to move it.

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[Soulja4187]

Hi all,

I´d like to ask you a couple of Mustang configuration related questions.

I do live in Europe, but decided to go for US Mustang instead EU one. It will not be an individual import – there is a quite reputable dealer specialized in US cars import in my town. I´m talking to them about Mustang´s configuration right now and would like to hear the real-life experiences of US Mustang owners. I´m trying to get the total car price as low as possible because since the car is coming from USA/Canada to European Union country, I´ll have to pay VAT and customs from the total car price. So, the lower car price, the lower VAT and customs indeed.

I´m getting GT version, coupe, automatic gearbox, 401A and PP1 packages. This is a minimum I simply want to have, but there is a couple of things I am not sure about:

Magneride suspension
Is it worth the extra money? Dealer says NO adding that it´s better and cheaper to replace the stock springs by Pedders eXtreme XA Adjustable Coilovers.

https://www.pedders.com.au/kits/sportsryder-extreme-xa-adjustable-coil-overs/

https://www.turnology.com/tech-stor...ilovers-has-this-mustang-clawing-at-the-road/

Could you please advise here? I have ZERO experience in this topic, so I really have no clue. I do not plan to take my Mustang to track (perhaps once a year for some sport driving lessons/practice), it´s planned to be more weekend fun cruiser on twisty roads and highways with occasional speeding on German highways. Not sure I need to lower the whole car for that. There are also bumpy roads in my country which I won´t be able to avoid. Pedders seems to me more a track option (which is not what I plan to do with the car very often), so I am not sure if it´s a good option for what I plan to do with the car...I am not sure about how Pedders adjusting works either…Magneride on the other hand is being set automatically via choosing driving modes (Normal, Sport, Track) in the car, right?

Enhanced Security Package
Does it make sense to pay extra money for that?

Vehicle Security System — Ford Perimeter Plus
Does it make sense to pay extra money for that?

Onboard cameras – front and rear
Are the ones offered by car manufacturer any good? Do they come installed to the car? Or is it better to opt for some third-party product later and let the dealer install it together with radar detector for instance?


That´d be all for now. Is there anything I´ve missed and you would recommend to opt for based on your experiences please?


Many thanks in advance.

EDIT: Not sure I have chosen a correct forum section. If not, please feel free to move it.

I bought my 2020 GT Premium with PP1 back in April 2020 as so far it has over 14,000 miles. If it wasnt for the MagneRide I dont think I would have enjoyed the ride quality as when I borrowed a PP1 without MagneRide the ride was very harsh. So I say they are worth it.

For Enhanced Security Package it looks your center console and your trunk when you put it on valet, worth it. I dont think so I never used it.

Vehicle Security System is an alarm that to be honest I would rather get an aftermarket one that has a 2 way page so I get notice. Not worth it.

Onboard Cameras are cameras that you could buy and install yourself. They are not integrated into the car or the sync system like what other manufacturers do. Not worth it.

Below is the window sticker for my 2020 GT Premium. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[Soulja4187]

Ohh I forgot to add that the replacement MagneRide would probably run you between $250 to $300 per side which to be honest is not that bad. I seem many ebay post that has then for $199 per side with only 1 to 3k miles on them.

 

[Pronichkin]

I would say, why do you want PP1 if you're not planning to go on track? What I wanted is basically the same as you described, i.e. fun cruiser for country roads and highways. I don't plan to track either. I never had a MagneRide car myself, but I looked around this forum, and it sounds like MagneRide would be great for that, even though it's not designed specifically for those purposes. So I decided I'll go with MagneRide, which requires PP1. (I'm still waiting for my new car to be built and delivered, so unfortunately I cannot yet tell you how good or bad it is.)

But if you want to keep the costs down, and are willing to sacrifice some comfort, then perhaps you can get away without MagneRide. But in this case, if I were you, I would also pass on PP1, and save even more. (Also note that PP1 comes with summer-only tires. Which means even more expense later if you want to drive in the winter, too. If you remove PP1, the car comes with all-season tires which IMO are good enough for cruising.)

Maybe to help us better understand your situation, why don't you want an EU spec Mustang? What's so special in US models which makes you think it's worth all the hustle (long waits and VAT, at least)?

 

[Pronichkin]

The choice of security package and security system basically depends on how safe you think you are in your neighborhood. (Or wherever you plan to park.) But please note that both Vehicle security system (which is basically an alarm) and the cameras are in fact bolt-on accessories. They're not installed at the factory, even though they're sold by Ford. Instead, the dealer is supposed to install them. (And you may be asked to pay extra for the work.)

I also opted in for those features because I am ham-fisted and won't be able to nicely install anything myself. But once again, if you want to keep the cost down, and are not afraid of some work (or know a good local mod/repair shop) you could probably go with any aftermarket brand for those options.

Unlike the above, the Enhanced security package is an actual manufacturing option, installed at the factory. And you're not supposed to be able to add it later. So, if I had to choose one of those three, I would take it. I just want to feel safer. But again, probably not the most necessary option, depending on your environment.

 

[DonVitoCorleone]

@Soulja4187

Thanks for sharing your experience. Seems to me you are having the same configuration I´m planning to get.

When it comes to MagneRide – do you notice any differences in comfort/car handling when changing the driving modes? And how about in high speed<

Well, I´d very much prefer to avoid any significant changes on the car once I have it, so I´ll either get MagneRide and keep it (unless it really sucks) or not and ask dealer to replace the stock stuff by Pedders (or something else) before getting the car.

Any experiences with Pedders or something else please?

@Pronichkin

So, you are getting PP1 with MagneRide if I´m not mistaken? And when is your car to be delivered?

The reason for PP1 is I like the look of its components (for instance rear spoiler and wheels) and also that I have been advised the car handling is better with this package.
When it comes to tires, I actually like the summer-only option because I do not plan to drive this car during the wintertime. It will be in garage November – March as the roads in my country are quite crappy during the winter – a lot of snow, salt etc. So, it´s not a good idea to drive powerful V8 rear-wheel in such weather condition…and a lot of salt is not good for the car either.

There are various reasons for preferring US version over EU one. Some are aesthetical only (such as red rear lights in US version versus white in EU version or different mirror and hood shapes) and some are more practical – US version has more powerful engine with no GPF (Gas Particular Filter), you can´t get some very useful features in EU version such as remote start, memory driver seat and mirrors (3 positions) or Blind Spot Monitoring which is a deal breaker for me personally. The only advantage of EU one is a factory guarantee. But the dealer I´m planning to buy US one from is offering quite fair guarantee of their own.

The point is that even with transport fees, VAT and customs fees is the price for US version very similar to EU one…this is simply reality of US cars prices versus EU car prices.

And long wait-not really in this case. Both versions are to be delivered between 3 – 4 months from the day of order.

I´d say our neighborhood is pretty safe. The car will be parked either in a locked garage or in the parking lot (with a roof) behind the solid fence next to the house and one more car is to be parked in front of Mustang. What worries me more is parking anywhere else indeed – trips, vacations, travels etc.

It´s rather surprising the Vehicle security system in NOT installed in the factory. I´d expect this in case of cameras, but alarm? Seems to me better to skip this then and get some aftermarket one with GPS locator instead etc. I´m not a handy person when it comes to such stuff unfortunately, so I´ll have to ask someone to do it. But as I plan to get radar detector, the car will require a skilled professional anyway.

OK, thanks. I´ll see if I opt for the Enhanced security package. Not a cheap option from my point of view, to be honest. I am just thinking whether a good alarm with GPS locator (sending the information in case of car moves via SMS to my phone) wouldn´t be enough.

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