Which GT for me?

[WCGT]

I've been looking for a 2018-2020 GT for a month or two. My current DD is a 2011 Tacoma TRD Off-Road. Love it as a utility vehicle, but as a DD driving 30min to and from work, it sucks. I live north of NYC and drive to Queens for work, so i'm mostly highway and the cars move fast. Driving the Tacoma fast feels like i'm driving on marshmallows. I will keep the Tacoma for winter driving, driving the kids around, going fishing, vacations in the mountains, but want to get a performance vehicle for my DD to and from work.

I've been a mustang guy since i was a kid. Talked my mom into letting me get a 1985 GT 5.0 for my first car. I loved it and had tons of fun......probably too much. Since then, i've had mostly sport utility vehicle due to where i have lived and my outdoors lifestyle. Now, i'm at a point where i can keep the Tacoma and get myself something i will enjoy as a DD. Plus my wife has a Cherokee so we would still have 2 vehicles to drive the kids (5 and 7yrs old) around in.

Anyway, as i said, the car will mostly be a DD, but it will also be something i would take out on the weekend for a spirited drive out in the country as well. Probably also take the kids out on some cruises. I'm pretty much set on wanting a PP as i want a car that i won't have to modify much. I test drove a 2020 PP1 301a AE 6MT and thought it was great. I thought the seats were pretty comfortable and the car drove really well. I haven't had the chance to try a premium or 401a yet. I'm not sure if leather seats are a need to have for me. The other GT i found is a PP2 that has had the SC2s replaced. It is well optioned and low miles. The link to the car is below.

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1FA6P8CF7K5194333

I'm trying to stay within a budget, but could spend a little extra for a well optioned car like the PP2 above. Any advice from those of you who DD a PP1 or PP2? What options do you feel are must have's?

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[Zrussian13]

I dd a pp1 m6. Love it. Mines a base and I like it that way, I prefer the cloth over leather. I drive 60- 100 miles per day and it's comfy. After I bought it I thought I might have made a mistake because I didn't get the digital dash but that feeling faded with in the first month. Really it comes down to what options you feel you need. The pp1 is a good start if your not modding those items past what the pp1 includes.

 

[Cobra Jet]

I've been looking for a 2018-2020 GT for a month or two. My current DD is a 2011 Tacoma TRD Off-Road. Love it as a utility vehicle, but as a DD driving 30min to and from work, it sucks. I live north of NYC and drive to Queens for work, so i'm mostly highway and the cars move fast. Driving the Tacoma fast feels like i'm driving on marshmallows. I will keep the Tacoma for winter driving, driving the kids around, going fishing, vacations in the mountains, but want to get a performance vehicle for my DD to and from work.

I've been a mustang guy since i was a kid. Talked my mom into letting me get a 1985 GT 5.0 for my first car. I loved it and had tons of fun......probably too much. Since then, i've had mostly sport utility vehicle due to where i have lived and my outdoors lifestyle. Now, i'm at a point where i can keep the Tacoma and get myself something i will enjoy as a DD. Plus my wife has a Cherokee so we would still have 2 vehicles to drive the kids (5 and 7yrs old) around in.

Anyway, as i said, the car will mostly be a DD, but it will also be something i would take out on the weekend for a spirited drive out in the country as well. Probably also take the kids out on some cruises. I'm pretty much set on wanting a PP as i want a car that i won't have to modify much. I test drove a 2020 PP1 301a AE 6MT and thought it was great. I thought the seats were pretty comfortable and the car drove really well. I haven't had the chance to try a premium or 401a yet. I'm not sure if leather seats are a need to have for me. The other GT i found is a PP2 that has had the SC2s replaced. It is well optioned and low miles. The link to the car is below.

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/1FA6P8CF7K5194333

I'm trying to stay within a budget, but could spend a little extra for a well optioned car like the PP2 above. Any advice from those of you who DD a PP1 or PP2? What options do you feel are must have's?

The PP2 you linked is nice, but those tires look like they are totally the incorrect size for the rims.

The tires seem to have excessive bulge to them as seen in the closer up pics of the wheels. If you go for it, I'd negotiate proper sized tires AND make sure they have the front rims on the front and rear set on the rear since they are a staggered setup..... you just wouldn't realize how many shops f-up with staggered wheels and try to rotate them...

The other thing didn't really like is the transformer head on the start button - wondering if prior owner played with As Built settings using Forscan...

 

[Roger Blose]

Test drive any A10 automatic in sport plus mode and never look back. It also comes with the terrific remote start feature. In bumper to bumper traffic, you will love the auto and it is the faster GT by a good measure. The premium heated and cooled seats are another must have option as you sit in heavy traffic. Good luck.

 

[BEERCHAMP]

Did the owner change the OIL himself or not even do it since new?
No oil changes shown on Car FaX for 12+K miles
10qts every time, My '19 GT/CS just turned 12k and I've had the oil changed 3Xs
1000 miles, 5000 miles, 10k miles. FORD app is pretty accurate,

 

[WCGT]

The PP2 you linked is nice, but those tires look like they are totally the incorrect size for the rims.

The tires seem to have excessive bulge to them as seen in the closer up pics of the wheels. If you go for it, I'd negotiate proper sized tires AND make sure they have the front rims on the front and rear set on the rear since they are a staggered setup..... you just wouldn't realize how many shops f-up with staggered wheels and try to rotate them...

The other thing didn't really like is the transformer head on the start button - wondering if prior owner played with As Built settings using Forscan...

Yeah, i thought the tires looked incorrect as well.

 

[WCGT]

Did the owner change the OIL himself or not even do it since new?
No oil changes shown on Car FaX for 12+K miles
10qts every time, My '19 GT/CS just turned 12k and I've had the oil changed 3Xs
1000 miles, 5000 miles, 10k miles. FORD app is pretty accurate,

Good catch. Maybe the owner didn't know what he had or what he was doing. From the looks of the tires that may be the case.

I'll probably give the dealer a call tomorrow and ask about the car to see what they know.......or what the will tell me.

 

[ice445]

301A PP GT is the sweet spot of value if you're on a budget. Moving up to a 400A or 401A car will cost significantly more, and it's mostly just luxury features. The A10 is fast, and you may want to try one to see if you like it. But if you want this as a weekend car to do spirited runs, I highly recommend sticking with the manual for the experience factor.

 

[NoVaGT]

This is absolutely the wrong time to try and buy a Mustang.

Prices are through the roof.

 

[WCGT]

This is absolutely the wrong time to try and buy a Mustang.

Prices are through the roof.

When is the right time? How long from now will that be?

I know you don’t know the answers to those questions and that is my point. What if it is several years from now? Should everyone wait until then to buy a Mustang?

 

[NoVaGT]

When is the right time? How long from now will that be?

I know you don’t know the answers to those questions and that is my point. What if it is several years from now? Should everyone wait until then to buy a Mustang?

Almost any time other than right now. Especially right now. Yes, everyone should wait.

 

[MustangorCamaro]

When is the right time? How long from now will that be?

I know you don’t know the answers to those questions and that is my point. What if it is several years from now? Should everyone wait until then to buy a Mustang?

Once the housing crash comes, then buy. He is right though, it is a terrible time to buy a Mustang. But, that's probably not going to change any time soon. Nor will the virus situation. Hell, you know it's bad when Koons has shitty pricing.

You may get lucky with an end of the month deal. But even that's unlikely as dealers are doing OK now. Probably no need to give a big discount to hit their numbers.

Goes without saying, waiting for the right time sucks too.

 

[3rdRGR]

301A PP GT is the sweet spot of value if you're on a budget. Moving up to a 400A or 401A car will cost significantly more, and it's mostly just luxury features. The A10 is fast, and you may want to try one to see if you like it. But if you want this as a weekend car to do spirited runs, I highly recommend sticking with the manual for the experience factor.

I'll have to disagree here. Stick + Traffic = Life SUCKS. Once you learn how to wring the right responses out of the A10 and using the paddle only mode, there is no honest person who can say you can't drive this setup "spiritedly." My understanding is this is a DD. I also understand you are in NY. NY can be very different places. If you are anywhere near the large population centers, it's a ton of gridlock. No way I'd have a manual in that traffic. No. Way.

Next thing I would consider is comfort and not so great roads. NY also has a lot of those. My Roush RS2 came with 20" Summer Tires. For winter, I put on 19" All Seasons (but I'm in southern Indiana), in NY I'd probably opt for a Summer and true Winter Tire setup, plenty of discussion on that, but beware of "strong" opinions. There was a very noticeable difference in ride comfort when cruising. Where the 20's you definitely feel the road imperfections, with the 19's and 40's vs 35's yes it is more squirmy, but that's the tradeoff. You can still have tons of fun with less of a hard edged Mustang that is built for the track. I like the PP1 and with the right wheel/tire setup it's still fine for DD duty.

I don't have Magnaride, so I can't speak to that but I'm sure many here can. My advice would be to take plenty of highway test driving before pulling the trigger. I think you'd be best with a GT Premium or PP1 and don't opt for over 19's. You'll need 19's (in most cases) to fit over the Brembo brakes if you go PP1. I'd try to drive a GT Premium with 18's back to back with a PP1 setup on 19's. See what you think of the ride difference and decide (realistically) what you are prepared to live with when DDing is going to be the 80% seat time. Not the 20% killing twisties. Good luck!!

 

[NoVaGT]

Stick + Traffic = Life SUCKS.

This is patently false.

I drove my 2019 in D.C. traffic for several months. The twin-disc MT-82-4 clutch is light as a feather, so traffic is no problem. And if you want a manual, you'll get over that trivial little issue for the larger enjoyment of driving.

 

[ctandc72]

The auto vs manual is a personal preference. Stock for stock the A10 car is faster than the M6. If you live to run the 1/4 mile, the A10 is for you. I've been daily driving a stick shift for so long now it's second nature. Stop and go traffic is not a bother. It didn't bother me in a lifted 4x4 truck and it doesn't bother me in the Mustang. I don't even think about it.

For me personally, shifting gears is part of driving. Winding out 2nd on back roads, downshifting into corners - it's something I personally enjoy.

Replace the factory craptastic shifter with a MGW like I did - and it's THAT much better to drive everyday.

As for pricing - HORRIBLE time to buy USED. Look for a new 2020 on the lot. My dealer is hassling me about trading in my '19 GT and his offer is higher than Carmax (cash offer - no trade in) and Carmax is literally almost $6K more than I paid for the car (including TTL) new in September of '19. The ONLY way I'd even consider it is if I could get the 401A package (I really like the digital instrument cluster and honestly plan on upgrading my '19 to it) AND the Recaro seats. The Performance Pack would be nice too...

That being said - there are actually four cars optioned like I would want (Performance Pack, Recaros, 6 speed, 401A) within an hour of me. Each car stickers for around $50k. Each one is being priced around $43K. With $6K of equity to play with - it's actually making me think about it.

The only reason I've haven't been to a lot to drive one - to make a decision either way - we're doing a refi on our house and I can't do anything credit wise until after we close. So if they still have these cars - I might take a look. The other thing for me is purely personal preference - I'm leaning towards wrapping my Silver '19 GT in a dark grey (Destroyer Grey color for '19 Challengers / Chargers), adding 4.09 gears and the digital cluster. If I had already done any of these three, I wouldn't even think about getting a new Mustang.

I don't know what road conditions are like for you - but I would definitely drive a non PP GT then drive a PP equipped car. They do have different ride characteristics. The base GT is no slouch - and with the addition of 19" wheels it rides / handles great. The PP car for me has a few major attractions - spoiler (I've already added a color matched PP1 spoiler to my current car), 3.73 gears and the brakes.

I haven't even looked at '21 Mustangs (pricing wise) so I couldn't tell you what dealers are doing. I do know here in central VA - used car / truck pricing is NUTS right now. We got a cash offer on our '12 F150 FX4 5.0 truck (only 63K miles) and it was more than we paid for it used a couple of years ago. Problem is we'd have to buy (a likely overpriced) another used truck to replace it.

So yeah, no way I'd buy used right now. Prices are stupid. But dealers are pushing 2020 models hard (not just Mustangs).

HTH

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