V6

[Cobra Jet]

I love when the "true Mustang enthousiasts" come out in these threads stating that Ford ruined the Mustang by offering engines other than a V8 for the first time ever in the S550. These people obviously know nothing about Mustangs and are happy to show it by being blind to the fact that the Mustang has always had multiple straight six, V6, and 4 cylinder options it's entire run. I get that complaint all the time with the Ecoboost, yet it's much faster than my GT Fox body was.

What I find even more interesting on this site is that some don't even know the original Mustang prototype of 1962 never had a V8 at all. The Mustang started life from design/concept as a 4cyl.... a potent one at that of the time. The other thing too - the SVO, another 4cyl was far more advanced than any V8 Mustang of its time and those that came after 1986. The SVO was capable of hanging with it's V8 counterpart down the 1/4 and out handled the V8 on the road too.

Many of the SVO's major components didn't even get carried over onto a production Mustang V8 platform until the 1993 Cobra was introduced.

SVO had many Mustang "firsts" that the V8 version didn't, but the uninformed folks want to thump the V8 bandwagon making it as being THE one and only Mustang platform.

The only reason the original SVO platform failed was due to uneducated Ford Sales Teams.

Me - I don't favor one over the other as far as engines. I've owned many V8 Mustangs, 3 SVOs and the prior 2016 EB PP and my current 94 Cobra and 2018 EB PP. Each platform brings its own technology and performance to the table.

In the end all that matters is that it IS a Mustang and that's why ALL of us are here.

Those that don't own a REAL Mustang need depart and join the MockE toy fandom.

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[T.O.Bullitt]

Those that don't own a REAL Mustang need depart and join the MockE toy fandom.

Oh, oh, now that the EB is safe looks like it’s the Mach E’s turn to get slapped around…

 

[Cobra Jet]

Oh, oh, now that the EB is safe looks like it’s the Mach E’s turn to get slapped around…

It’s not a Mustang so it can be slapped around, and sideways…

 

[Dave2013M3]

Funny how often a thread that’s about how the V6 gets no respect ends up dissing the EB.
I’ve never driven a V6 but came to the Mustang “family” after enjoying 3 Mustang convertible rentals, two of which were EBs, the other a GT.
And while I enjoyed the GT hugely and ended up buying a Bullitt, the rental I remember most fondly was a loaded red EB I had in Vancouver.
The engine was decent and it had a lighter, more balanced feel to it than the GT I rented before that in Florida.
And that’s because, well, it was lighter and more balanced than the GT, with almost 200 pounds less under the front end of the car.
Maybe there’s a similar, more balanced feel to V6 Mustangs - I don’t know, and I’ll leave it to someone else to comment about that.
My point is just that there’s no reason to rag on the EB while trying to point out the qualities of the V6: an EcoBoost-equipped Mustang is a damn fine sports coupe or convertible, a car with a decent engine that is fun and that has a nice feel on twisty roads, maybe even a better feel than some or even most of the V8s.
It deserves respect, too.

I am not dissing the Ecoboost. For me the V6 would be more appealing as it checked the boxes more than the Ecoboost for the drivetrain. The thread is about the V6. I never would have bought a EB car, hence my 2020 GT PP car. My brother owns a 2017 V6, I was actually trying to get him into the EB PP car. He wanted the V6. I pushed him toward the EB car because you can get goodies on the car.

 

[ice445]

I'd prefer a v6 over an ecoboost as well. Not because the ecoboost is bad though. It's just that the cyclone v6 is absurdly bulletproof. I've heard of too many stock "ecobooms" to be comfortable with one long term personally.

 

[MD18EcoStang]

I'd prefer a v6 over an ecoboost as well. Not because the ecoboost is bad though. It's just that the cyclone v6 is absurdly bulletproof. I've heard of too many stock "ecobooms" to be comfortable with one long term personally.

Are there a lot of 'stock "ecobooms"' documented online? I've not read of very many at all. There are some issues documented over at mustangecoboost.net, but I'd venture to guess all, or quite nearly all, are associated with tuned engines... folks trying to squeeze too much from the stock block.

Also, to return to the topic of this thread... I once saw a Mustang coming up in my rear view mirror and really dug the sound of the exhaust as it passed. The note was perfect, IMO. I was shocked to glimpse a 3.7 badge as it zoomed on by.

 

[ice445]

Are there a lot of 'stock "ecobooms"' documented online? I've not read of very many at all. There are some issues documented over at mustangecoboost.net, but I'd venture to guess all, or quite nearly all, are associated with tuned engines... folks trying to squeeze too much from the stock block.

Also, to return to the topic of this thread... I once saw a Mustang coming up in my rear view mirror and really dug the sound of the exhaust as it passed. The note was perfect, IMO. I was shocked to glimpse a 3.7 badge as it zoomed on by.

The most common EB failure I've seen on here is head gasket at higher miles. I'm sure most of the engines that actually explode have been tuned. But I still consider that a fairly major failure, even if it's relatively easy to repair in the grand scheme of things.

With that said, my opinion isn't solely based on reliability. I like turbo engines, but I like rev happy engines just a bit more. Flooring it feels like more of a theatrical event.

 

[mustanghammer]

Actually, none of the SVO's features were ever carried over to V8 fox bodies. Yes the SVO had 4 wheel disc brakes and those were a feature on the 93 Cobra. But none of those parts are the same between the SVO and a 93 Cobra

The SVO's brakes - front and rear - came from the Lincoln Continental (also a Fox Body) and were not used on any other Mustang. In fact the SVO has bigger rear discs than the Cobra and completely unique front spindles and control arms. The K-Member was also unique to the SVO.

Besides the brakes, the best parts that were unique to the SVO were the Koni shocks and struts. Those, unfortunately, never appeared on another Mustang in the era.

For the record I have owned 3 85 Mustangs. Two GTs and an SVO. I still have a low mileage GT (with an auto) in my garage.

OK - back to the topic at hand - V6 Mustangs.

Prior to my 2017 GT I owned a 2012 Pony Package car with the 3.7. I loved the car and the engine. Had Ford offered the V6 with the same level of equipment as my non-premium GT or better yet the stuff I had in my Pony Package car, I would own one with a manual trans. But they didn't and I have a GT with a manual instead.

3.7's are pretty cheap in salvage yards and have thought about swapping one into my 85 GT but don't think it would be worth the effort.

 

[T.O.Bullitt]

It’s not a Mustang so it can be slapped around, and sideways…

You know it’s just a matter of time before an electric Mustang will be the fastest, quickest and best-handling Mustang ever built.
Hoping that car will be a two-door and not an SUV, and I think there’s a good chance of that (or of even both a super quick electric SUV and super quick, fast and great-handling sports car) as I believe Mustang is likely to evolve into a brand as opposed to remaining a single platform or (now) two sold under the Ford banner.
Whether we like it or not (you are clearly more not) it’s already partway there.
Once fully there it will join Avanti, Jeep, Mini, Polestar and Genesis, among others, as vehicle lines that more or less successfully became their own brands.
Hummer, interestingly, is going the other way, and Imperial went back and forth before that nameplate was retired (for now).
Provided the brand is good - and the Mach E is a decent start - I think we should consider it an honour to be part of the new brand’s history.

 

[Nagare]

I test drove my first V6 and an EcoBoost back-to-back, and the V6 won out for sound, feel, and what I think is better looking upholstery. Remote start a V6 and an EcoBoost sitting next to each other....there's no comparison. But on the other side of my garage is an EcoBoost A10, which will smear my V6, and sounds like a hand mixer doing it. Give and take. I'm slowly making the V6 into the car it should be. Thinking about a tune to get rid of rev hang, and some Katzkins.

I did the same back to back test driving. Knowing what I know now, I'm wondering how much of the difference and why the EB test drive sucked is because of dealers loading it up with 87 gas instead of 93? With 87 it'll have the same or worse power than the V6 on 87 and sounds worse doing it.

For a tune, I'd always recommend MPT but Ortiz Performance is getting a lot of love now as well, don't recommend Auto Mafia's tune though.

 

[Rick#7]

I did the same back to back test driving. Knowing what I know now, I'm wondering how much of the difference and why the EB test drive sucked is because of dealers loading it up with 87 gas instead of 93? With 87 it'll have the same or worse power than the V6 on 87 and sounds worse doing it.

For a tune, I'd always recommend MPT but Ortiz Performance is getting a lot of love now as well, don't recommend Auto Mafia's tune though.

Yup, EB owners learned quickly back in 2015 that running 87 pump gas made a dramatic difference in power, and gave the advantage to the 3.7 which was quite happy on regular gas.

 

[dirtwarrior]

The mpg saving with the EB is a wash when you have to run 93 octane. You save nothing

 

[Toretto]

Ohhh the good o'l debate of V8 vs V6 vs Eco =P

I've owned an '08 v6, '17 Eco and now '21 GT, and all have their pro's and con's which I don't need to re-emphasize here since it's been broadly covered.

The 4.0 V6 in my '08 was from the Ranger, and while it was slow at best, it sounded great when paired with the right exhaust setup I had (H pipe with MAC Boom Tubes) so I loved that car for the 9 1/2 years of ownership. The cyclone (3.7) is far more efficient than the 4.0 so I definitely should've opted for that one.

The Ecoboost was quick and wasn't as much of a hog on gas, and the deal I got at the time was right for what I wanted, plus I wanted to be "different".

I've always wanted a GT since I was a kid, and finally got the right deal at the right time to pull the trigger. It's every bit as good as I've imagined, and not because it's "GT or nothing".

All I can say is, whatever floats your boat man. I totally understand why Ford is pushing the Eco platform, and I've had fun with it the past 4 1/2 years before getting into the GT. Personally, I don't like FI cars as my driving style is better suited for NA motors, and I"m all about sound vs. speed, so if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably take a '17 V6 over the Eco based on my personal taste.

The GT is great, and we all know it's a gas guzzler, but man it hurts a little when you see that you're visiting the gas station a lot more than before haha

 

[groove93]

The mpg saving with the EB is a wash when you have to run 93 octane. You save nothing

If you "act a fool" in an EB and run 93 Octane, then it definitely is a wash.

Coming from an I4 2.0 Turbo Camaro, this was definitely my case. If I drove normally in the Camaro, I can get 5 days (95 mile commute) worth out of my tank. In the Mustang with the V8, it's 4. If I ran the Camaro like crazy, it was also 4 days.

 

[bluebeastsrt]

The 3.7 was a dandy like the show friends. But like friends. That show is OVER!

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