Possible First Mustang!?

[Jdenkevitz]

I will state in advance that this thread is more of a 'feeling' out. I understand there might not be much of a 'point' but it feels good to vent to those who have a car that has intrigued me quite a bit.


I have never been a Ford fan. Well, that's a lie. I wanted an F-150 when I was a boy, but the older I grew, the more they just became crap to me. I understand that might offend quite a few, but don't take it that way. My first car I owned was a Chevy, and that pushed me much, much farther away from American cars. The only redeeming thing was the manual gearbox, beyond that, it was boring, sedated and lackluster.

Thankfully, a childhood friend of mine hooked me up with an unbeatable offer on a BMW, and I now own one. I love it, but I can't help but feel it is missing something. Comfortable? Absolutely. Refined? Definitely. It just never feels insane. I'm 24 years old, engaged (wedding in the next two years) and babies in a (near) distant future. I want something 'fun' before the future wife knocks me down.

I first saw in the Mustangs (the S550) a couple months ago, a premium GT and spent about 20 minutes in it. I didn't drive it (dealership wasn't open!) and was just floored by the interior. Infamous for being cheap, it felt nice, it felt more personable than my own BMW (I own a 3 series, nothing too crazy).

So, on to my point. Months passed. Reviews read. Posts stalked. Hours upon hours spent on YouTube watching opinions. Finally, I want one. EB or GT, is completely undecided but I want one. I want the exhilaration. I have personally always wanted an M3/M4 and I feel like, the Mustang, mainly the GT is probably the closest I will ever get to that. (If any of you have experience of the two, please do share).

Can anybody relate? The old lady told me she is okay with me getting it (mainly to keep me happy) but I am hoping, something like this would? I have an accident settlement coming up, as well as a new, much better paying job, that is making me question taking a HUGE leap of faith.

Just looking for some opinions. Feel free to share (or blast me).

/Rantover

I have an EB. I have considered recently doing a trade in for a GT and recently test drove several GT's. I was both impressed by the GT experience and a little underwhelmed compared to my expectations going in. I think the GT is a more powerful/fun vehicle, but I'm not sure its worth the 7 grand difference plus the huge difference in MPG over the life of the vehicle.

I recommend you try out both.

The EB is a much more practical car for daily driving purposes. I regularly get 30+ MPG highway, and on long trips have seen sustained 35.

If I drive in a very spirited fun fashion I get around 22-24 MPG.
Driving the GT in the same manner, I was getting 13 MPG. Its a considerable difference.

The GT has a great sound, and its power band seems to start much later and last longer. In my test drives of the GT, I was actually underwhelmed by the power until about 3000 RPM. The power band on the EB is in the 2000-4500 RPM range. Power drops off considerably after 5000 RPM.

As such, the EB pulls better in lower RPM ranges. The EB has a lighter front end and is therefore more nimble in tight corners.

The EB can be extremely exhilarating with the turbo in the 2500-4500 rpm range. Its a blast to drive on curvy roads in 3rd gear. To get that same exhilarating feel in the GT, I felt like it was necessary to keep the engine in a higher rev range. That said, the GT feels fantastic in those upper regions.

The EB is prone to heatsoak due to a poor stock intercooler. The stock is fine for everyday driving, but if you want the most from that engine its worth getting a $500 aftermarket intercooler. The car is also extremely responsive to tunes.

For either car, get the PP package. The Base GT felt very front end heavy in turns without the PP package.

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[Litfury]

Sorry if this is lengthy, but Original poster please read since I was in a very similar situation.

I am a little older, and actually expecting a second child. I have no brand loyalty so I could have cared less about ford/chevy/dodge etc. I have ALWAYS wanted a sports car for many many years. However I am typically a very frugal person and try to be more practical. After years of desire I finally settled that I was going to get a corvette stingray. After months of exhaustive research I realized I would never fully get to enjoy that car because of the two kiddos. I wanted something in 3-4 years when they are older we could all go ride in, go get ice cream in, go to the toy store in etc...

So I began a completely new search. I test drove and looked at BMW and several luxury brands. Unlike you I was continually disappointed with the European 2 row market. I quickly realized I had no desire for a "luxury" car. I hated cars that were fast and had good numbers, but when I turned them on it sounded like I was in a Honda accord. What I wanted was MUSCLE and for the car to FEEL like it had power.

Fast forward after researching and driving Camaro/charger/challenger/mustang. I decided the Camaro was just as poor a buy as the corvette cause the backseats are UTTERLY useless, I could never have fun with my family in that car. I finally decided on the mustang GT because rear facing carseat fits fine behind my wifes seat. I see quite a few S550s around here, I HARDLY EVER see any GTs. So I feel my car is unique enough, I have only had it 3 weeks and I have zero buyer's remorse. I am completely thrilled with the car. Plus my color/stripe combination is unique enough that I love it, and I have never seen an S550 in person with my color scheme.

I actually let my dad drive it to his work today so he could show it off to his co-workers. It's a great car.

 

[Aarron_M]

If I drive in a very spirited fun fashion I get around 22-24 MPG.
Driving the GT in the same manner, I was getting 13 MPG. Its a considerable difference.

I can haul ass on twisty roads and my gas mileage for the tank will drop from my normal 21-22 to 18-19mpg. That's with about 50 miles worth of back roads. The car makes so much power, I don't need to be in the upper reaches of the rev limit to reach the tires/chassis handling limits.

 

[slythetove]

get a GT manual with performance pack, do some choice mods, and you will have an awesome car that I promise you'll love to drive every chance you get.

This right here is your answer.

 

[BeauxXL1200]

This right here is your answer.

I agree. StopLightWarrior's answer is a good one. That's exactly what I did, and a list of my mods are below.

And here's a little eye candy to help OP with his color selection. :cheers:

 

[Aarron_M]

Yup. GT/PP with some suspension/appearance/exhaust mods, and I can't stop driving it. 7500 miles in 4 months.

 

[dotJake]

I want something 'fun' before the future wife knocks me down.

The old lady told me she is okay with me getting it (mainly to keep me happy)

Dude you're 24, how old can the "old lady" be? Lol. I waited until my towing boats and buggy days were over to get my midlife crisis car ('17 GT). And for good reason. Kids fit like shit in these cars. I'd dread any kid toting for more than a few miles.

 

[jrsimon27]

This is my first mustang ever and ford also. Had bmws mitsubishi evos and lexus. I tell you its a great car!

 

[Sda3]

I think there are a lot of us that stayed away from american cars for a number of years. [MENTION=25269]WarrENDeatH[/MENTION] back before about 2012 I wouldn't have seen myself in an american car ever. Then news of the Focus ST came along and I wanted one. Did my research and drove the other cars in its class and still did. I bought the ST in the first months after release and it was a fantastic car. Then in 2015 when the S550 came out I was in love. I still throughly enjoyed my ST but the price/deal and equity aligned and a month ago I bought a performance pack GT. I love it, my wife loves it and my kids love it (10 and 6). I was worried about the rear seat space but they actually fit quite well back there and they are old enough to get in the back and buckle on their own. I think it was the right time and it has plenty of comforts and lots of power so I am happy.

 

[tcman54]

Sounds you want an GT, great choice.

Just saying though in general the cars wow wherever one goes, I have just an ecoboost but in ruby red, tinted and lowered the thing is a rock star in my sleepy retirement town by the ocean.

Even with just 310hp in sport mode the thing is so fast and fun to drive that it is insane and with my suspension upgrades there is no wheel hop which makes for even faster line starts.

Terry :ford:

Eye candy below, lol

 

[WarrENDeatH]

I honestly was not expecting this response. I was expecting quite a few harsh remarks (perhaps used to the BMW fandom). Thanks everyone so being so kind.

I have an EB. I have considered recently doing a trade in for a GT and recently test drove several GT's. I was both impressed by the GT experience and a little underwhelmed compared to my expectations going in. I think the GT is a more powerful/fun vehicle, but I'm not sure its worth the 7 grand difference plus the huge difference in MPG over the life of the vehicle.

I recommend you try out both.

The EB is a much more practical car for daily driving purposes. I regularly get 30+ MPG highway, and on long trips have seen sustained 35.

If I drive in a very spirited fun fashion I get around 22-24 MPG.
Driving the GT in the same manner, I was getting 13 MPG. Its a considerable difference.

The GT has a great sound, and its power band seems to start much later and last longer. In my test drives of the GT, I was actually underwhelmed by the power until about 3000 RPM. The power band on the EB is in the 2000-4500 RPM range. Power drops off considerably after 5000 RPM.

As such, the EB pulls better in lower RPM ranges. The EB has a lighter front end and is therefore more nimble in tight corners.

The EB can be extremely exhilarating with the turbo in the 2500-4500 rpm range. Its a blast to drive on curvy roads in 3rd gear. To get that same exhilarating feel in the GT, I felt like it was necessary to keep the engine in a higher rev range. That said, the GT feels fantastic in those upper regions.

The EB is prone to heatsoak due to a poor stock intercooler. The stock is fine for everyday driving, but if you want the most from that engine its worth getting a $500 aftermarket intercooler. The car is also extremely responsive to tunes.

For either car, get the PP package. The Base GT felt very front end heavy in turns without the PP package.

I think cost wise, the EB probably speaks more to me. I've found several that match my wants, including PP and premium that are in a decent range.

Really depends on how intoxication the GT is.

I can haul ass on twisty roads and my gas mileage for the tank will drop from my normal 21-22 to 18-19mpg. That's with about 50 miles worth of back roads. The car makes so much power, I don't need to be in the upper reaches of the rev limit to reach the tires/chassis handling limits.

That's definitely not too bad. My 3 does pretty well, but it's 'somewhat' quick, definitely lacks higher end speed. It will jolt pretty good around 3k RPM but that's about it. Interstate driving, at 75 I can get around 36.

I agree. StopLightWarrior's answer is a good one. That's exactly what I did, and a list of my mods are below.

And here's a little eye candy to help OP with his color selection. :cheers:

Definitely on my list of wants. And beautiful car!

Yup. GT/PP with some suspension/appearance/exhaust mods, and I can't stop driving it. 7500 miles in 4 months.

Beautiful car. 7500 miles is a lot. That's what I want, a car I can just drive and drive.

Dude you're 24, how old can the "old lady" be? Lol. I waited until my towing boats and buggy days were over to get my midlife crisis car ('17 GT). And for good reason. Kids fit like shit in these cars. I'd dread any kid toting for more than a few miles.

A playful joke on the woman. She is the same age as myself. So, nothing bad.

No kids anytime soon (another three years, perhaps).

I think there are a lot of us that stayed away from american cars for a number of years. [MENTION=25269]WarrENDeatH[/MENTION] back before about 2012 I wouldn't have seen myself in an american car ever. Then news of the Focus ST came along and I wanted one. Did my research and drove the other cars in its class and still did. I bought the ST in the first months after release and it was a fantastic car. Then in 2015 when the S550 came out I was in love. I still throughly enjoyed my ST but the price/deal and equity aligned and a month ago I bought a performance pack GT. I love it, my wife loves it and my kids love it (10 and 6). I was worried about the rear seat space but they actually fit quite well back there and they are old enough to get in the back and buckle on their own. I think it was the right time and it has plenty of comforts and lots of power so I am happy.

Yep, I've avoided American cars since my first. My Fiancee has a Ford Focus and it is garbage. Cheap. Plastic. Transmission is terrible. The clutch went out at about 29k miles (on an automatic).

The only ST that has grabbed my attention is the Fiesta ST, but my size doesn't make it an optimal choice (6'4 with size 19 shoes).

Sounds you want an GT, great choice.

Just saying though in general the cars wow wherever one goes, I have just an ecoboost but in ruby red, tinted and lowered the thing is a rock star in my sleepy retirement town by the ocean.

Even with just 310hp in sport mode the thing is so fast and fun to drive that it is insane and with my suspension upgrades there is no wheel hop which makes for even faster line starts.

Terry :ford:

Eye candy below, lol

I have the 320xi. I made the mistake of driving several cars before ultimately 'settling'. I say settling for a few reasons, buyers remorse? Maybe. The 335 I drove before that had ridiculous pull (330hp) and whipping around corners was ridiculous. Just looking for that feeling again.

It was also black, not silver, which made a huge difference.

Beautiful car as well

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