BubbleStang

Hopefully this is in the right forum...

Hi Mustang community!

I'm new here, just registered. I thought it would be a good idea to stop in and see some Mustang experts and ask a few questions as a potential new owner. Hopefully it's all right to just fire away with some questions here. I appreciate any feedback, even if it's only to part of this. So without further ado...


1) A little background, I'm a "young married" that is looking to purchase his first new car. I've always had older used ones. I am not a car enthusiast by any means, nor do I intend to be. I got to drive some Mustangs very briefly recently and just thought it was pretty fun, and could add some enjoyment to an otherwise boring commute! I have no intention of racing this thing or anything like that.

I love the Mustang for what it delivers off the lot, stock, and for its appearance as-is. Is it silly to buy one with no intentions of buying aftermarket stuff and doing a lot of tinkering?


2) Building off #1, I'm looking for a "daily driver" car. It's going to see miles. It's going to see the road. And it's going to see it through all seasons. I'm in Michigan. There's snow here. This will be my car, and if I go somewhere, it would be in this. Is this just plain stupid of me? (My wife owns and drivers a larger 'regular' sedan)

3) I've focused primarily on the v6. The GT is a little more expensive than I'd like to drop on a first car. with the greatly improved models, has the negative connotation with the v6 been shaken? Does it still push you into your seat when you hit the pedal?

Thanks all!

ninefooter

No it's fine, but good luck not buying aftermarket stuff. You may not buy a lot as I haven't, but I did buy a shorty antenna, tinted it with CXP and some better rims / tires and will lower it but that's not necessary.

Mine is my daily driver also. I was deciding between this and a bmw and honestly I preferred the fully loaded v6. I don't think it's stupid at all, but I will suggest getting the rubber trunk liner and all weather floor mats.

The younger GT red light fan boys still talk a lot of crap about v6's, but it has a lot of go-power in my opinion. I was in the same situation as you.. I wasn't going to track it, I could give a **** about red light retards, wanted solid gas mileage, but still enough kick to get going if I needed and this provides all of that.

I got the v6 premium with comfort and pony package and am loving the hell out of it. No regrets.

You wont regret it.

BubbleStang

ninefooter, thanks for the response. Lots of good info there.

Looks like you're in NC? The "daily driving" situation there is a little different than in MI, so I'm still a little nervous on that front...

A few other questions...

- How about the whole 2013 vs the new 50th anniversary? (2014/2015?) Would it be silly to buy now with a major redesign possibly around the corner?

- When you buy a new vehicle, I heard there is a break-in period. What does this consist of? Should I avoid "gunning it" for a while?

- And of course, how long does a new order generally take? I haven't seen any with my preferred specs on any lots. Any idea?

jdmcbride

The 2013/14 model will always be remembered as one of the best looking S197 Mustangs, so you shouldn't regret buying one now IMO.

For what you described as your use for the car (lots of miles, conservative driving), the V6 will completely satisfy your needs. It is a great performer and still gets great highway mileage (as long as you don't start modding it with MPG-reducing mods like lower gears and performance tunes).

You will probably want to buy a set of winter tires if you live in Michigan. I hear your winters can be brutal up there!

I don't think the break-in period is as important as it once was with the new technology in building these new engines, but I would still avoid WOT runs for at least the first 500 miles.

Try several different dealers as many do not communicate with each other when looking for cars with specific options. Also try finding a Ford dealership that specializes in Mustangs - they usually have more stock and know where to find one optioned out the way you want.

HTH!

BubbleStang

Cool thanks for the info. What is a "WOT Run"? :\

Regarding winter tires, I guess I'll have to do some digging to find out the best thing to do there. If I could do "All-season" I'd really like that better.. a lot less hassle. I'm not sure I have the equipment to change all the tires myself. And they wouldn't exactly fit in the trunk to take somewhere either.

crazyassracer

Get the winter tires, and put some weight in your trunk. You can fit 4 stock tires in the trunk and back seat with it folded down, trust me. I drive my Mustang year round on the street and at the track. Tires make all the difference.

BubbleStang

Any winter tires you recommend for a regular joe like me?

JimC

I live in SE Michigan and have a 45 mile one way commute. My 2006 Mustang I drove every day, year round, through sun, sleet, hail, rain and lots of snow. Never had a problem and that was on the Pirelli Pzero Nero tires and no added weight. My subdivision is the last one in the area to get plowed and I've never been stuck.

It really isn't that tough to drive in the winter.

Something else to consider with those who recommend adding a bunch of weight to the trunk.
Have you ever had something sitting on the seat and hit the brakes hard?
Notice that the article on the seat keeps moving forward?
What do you think happens to the bricks, sand, and whatever you load into the trunk for that extra weight? With the coupe there isn't much stopping the continued forward motion of that stuff; the seat backs that fold down aren't designed to withstand a lot of force by their nature (with the convertible at least I have a metal bulkhead separating the trunk from the interior).

And as far as seeing a lot of miles. My 2006 (the black and white in my sig, need to update for the 2013 I picked up a week ago) was a 4.0 V6 - had nitrous on it for two years and at 90,000 miles I pulled that and put the Xcharger on it. When I sold the car last month it had 203,000 miles on it and was still running 12's at the drag strip and not burning any oil.

theczar

I drove my 07 v6 year round. it was my first new car and at the time couldn't afford 2 cars. only suggestion to you is to make sure you change the tires when they need changing... don't try to get a few extra miles out of them...especially since you are going to be driving in snow.

crazyassracer

Winters in Michigan have been mild lately, there hasnt been as big a need for snow tires, but there were still days when I was glad I had them on.
As for weight in the trunk, that is a tried and true method for increasing traction. I pull the spare tire out of the well in the trunk and drop a couple 60 lb bags of sand in there. Then I replace the cover and bungee the spare tire to the inside of the trunk. No weight slides around during heavy braking.
Until I moved last year, my commute was 85 miles one way, from Eaton County to St. Joseph County, including 2 miles of rarely plowed dirt road. Everyone has to consider their own situation, but for me, winter tires and some weight in the trunk was the way to go.