5.0 review.
11-15-2012, 11:06 PM
#11
Woah. I don't mean to sound rude but there are a ton of reviews on YouTube. However, what the forum members here have is a little more in depth. So we have to ask, what are you looking for? Common problems? Common gripes? Fuel economy? Cold weather drive ability? Rear axle reviews? I mean really, this is a topic that's beyond broad so I'd suggest a starting point... Are you looking for a DD or weekend car? If a DD, what's your commute like and what's the main couple of reasons you're in the market for a 5.0?
11-16-2012, 01:17 AM
#12
You're asking a very odd question and while I don't own a new 5.0 I have driven one, along with a new GT500, and I've owned a lot of Mustangs and driven all of them from Foxbodies up so I'll give you the best advice I can.
Firstly, let's look at the S197 generation in general.
The 5.0 lays down over 400 bhp right out of the factory and is capable of running high 12s all day at the track with the right driver. The suspension isn't bad, you will notice the car will have a little bit of top sway when negotiating tight turns however the back end sits firmly with the road. The suspension and general design of the car severely dampens the feel of the power. Meaning, you really never get that seat of your pants feel like you do some older Mustangs. The cars are amazingly quick, you just don't feel it as much. The stereo is pretty easy to work, but if you get a premium model with the shaker and you care to use the blue tooth, make sure they show you how to sync the car to your phone. It's tricky the first time. Also, the interior, while better in some ways over Gen 1, is still a bit plain on basic models. The Premium models do look better. The seats on Ge1, in my opinion, are much more comfortable than the seats of Gen 2, the inability to adjust the head rest on gen 2 (10-present) causes pain in my lower back if I drive the car too long. Keep in mind this is my opinion, but my 08 is more comfortable on the inside than my 11 to me. Aside from this basic review there isn't much more to specifically say.
Now lets compare the S197s to more common well known Sn95 platform.
The Sn95s were a nice leap over older Mustangs, especially towards the end of their reign so I'm gonna compare an S197 to one of these which is a better ground for comparison.
Horse Power Sn95
3.8L Essex V6 145-150 bhp gen 1
3.8L Essex V6 190-193 bhp gen 2
5.0L Windsor H.O. - 215 bhp
5.0L Windsor SVT - 240 bhp
5.8L Windsor SVT - 300 bhp
4.6L Modular 2V - 215-225 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 2V - 260-265 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 4V - 320 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V S/C - 390 bhp gen 2
S197
4.0L V6 - 210 bhp gen 1/early 2
3.7L V6 - 300 bhp gen 2
4.6L 3V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L 3V - 315 bhp gen 2
5.0L 4V - 412-420 gen 2
5.4L 4V S/C - 500 bhp gen 1
5.4L 4V S/C - 540-550 bhp gen 2
5.8L 4V S/C - 650 bhp gen 2
Obviously the edge goes to the S197s
Now lets compare suspension/brakes in stock form. Now anybody that's driven both generation of cars can tell you suspension is night and day.
Sn 95s - suffer massive over steer when making hard turns, rear end wants to walk out under even modest loads of power, the brakes on anything but the Cobra/Mach 1 leaves a lot to be desired, as they are a little under sized for the car. In relation to power the suspension makes these cars feel very "alive" the car seems extremely snappy with any motor as the car seems set up to let the driver feel the car and the engine more. When modified these cars can handle extremely well, brake well, and still allows the driver to feel and enjoy the car.
S197 - brakes are much improved over previous generations, suspension is also drastically improved, the car has a noticeably better turning radius, and feels much more smooth when making turns. These cars still notice a bit of top sway when navigating tight turns, but that can easily be reduced with shock/spring kits. Down side to the suspension is, it's too good, the suspension really dampens the drivers feel of the car compared to older Mustangs so you're not going to get that seat of your pants feeling you get in older models, that's not a bad thing though as these cars are proven to perform better on auto x tracks than older models.
Now lets look at reliability and quirks with these cars.
Sn95 - very reliable cars as most are still on the road today, however as time has worn on some have had some odd ball issues. 99 Cobra were defective and recalled right out of the factory. All 94-04 Mustang V6s can suffer head gasket issues, however most are limited to 94-96 models. Wiring harness that goes from the door to the firewall is prone to shorting out after around 10 years due to door opening/closing. The famous "speedo gear" seems to break universally at 120-150k on the odometer. Power windows seem to kick the bucket at 100-120k. Those are most of the oddball things I can speak of.
S197 - some models have the famous "water problem", pumping gas always seems interesting as with some pumps the gas tank design will cause the gas pump nozel to shut off, 05-06s had a bad PCM issue with water.
Edge - even, the S197 is still too new to see the long term problems.
Firstly, let's look at the S197 generation in general.
The 5.0 lays down over 400 bhp right out of the factory and is capable of running high 12s all day at the track with the right driver. The suspension isn't bad, you will notice the car will have a little bit of top sway when negotiating tight turns however the back end sits firmly with the road. The suspension and general design of the car severely dampens the feel of the power. Meaning, you really never get that seat of your pants feel like you do some older Mustangs. The cars are amazingly quick, you just don't feel it as much. The stereo is pretty easy to work, but if you get a premium model with the shaker and you care to use the blue tooth, make sure they show you how to sync the car to your phone. It's tricky the first time. Also, the interior, while better in some ways over Gen 1, is still a bit plain on basic models. The Premium models do look better. The seats on Ge1, in my opinion, are much more comfortable than the seats of Gen 2, the inability to adjust the head rest on gen 2 (10-present) causes pain in my lower back if I drive the car too long. Keep in mind this is my opinion, but my 08 is more comfortable on the inside than my 11 to me. Aside from this basic review there isn't much more to specifically say.
Now lets compare the S197s to more common well known Sn95 platform.
The Sn95s were a nice leap over older Mustangs, especially towards the end of their reign so I'm gonna compare an S197 to one of these which is a better ground for comparison.
Horse Power Sn95
3.8L Essex V6 145-150 bhp gen 1
3.8L Essex V6 190-193 bhp gen 2
5.0L Windsor H.O. - 215 bhp
5.0L Windsor SVT - 240 bhp
5.8L Windsor SVT - 300 bhp
4.6L Modular 2V - 215-225 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 2V - 260-265 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 4V - 320 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V S/C - 390 bhp gen 2
S197
4.0L V6 - 210 bhp gen 1/early 2
3.7L V6 - 300 bhp gen 2
4.6L 3V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L 3V - 315 bhp gen 2
5.0L 4V - 412-420 gen 2
5.4L 4V S/C - 500 bhp gen 1
5.4L 4V S/C - 540-550 bhp gen 2
5.8L 4V S/C - 650 bhp gen 2
Obviously the edge goes to the S197s
Now lets compare suspension/brakes in stock form. Now anybody that's driven both generation of cars can tell you suspension is night and day.
Sn 95s - suffer massive over steer when making hard turns, rear end wants to walk out under even modest loads of power, the brakes on anything but the Cobra/Mach 1 leaves a lot to be desired, as they are a little under sized for the car. In relation to power the suspension makes these cars feel very "alive" the car seems extremely snappy with any motor as the car seems set up to let the driver feel the car and the engine more. When modified these cars can handle extremely well, brake well, and still allows the driver to feel and enjoy the car.
S197 - brakes are much improved over previous generations, suspension is also drastically improved, the car has a noticeably better turning radius, and feels much more smooth when making turns. These cars still notice a bit of top sway when navigating tight turns, but that can easily be reduced with shock/spring kits. Down side to the suspension is, it's too good, the suspension really dampens the drivers feel of the car compared to older Mustangs so you're not going to get that seat of your pants feeling you get in older models, that's not a bad thing though as these cars are proven to perform better on auto x tracks than older models.
Now lets look at reliability and quirks with these cars.
Sn95 - very reliable cars as most are still on the road today, however as time has worn on some have had some odd ball issues. 99 Cobra were defective and recalled right out of the factory. All 94-04 Mustang V6s can suffer head gasket issues, however most are limited to 94-96 models. Wiring harness that goes from the door to the firewall is prone to shorting out after around 10 years due to door opening/closing. The famous "speedo gear" seems to break universally at 120-150k on the odometer. Power windows seem to kick the bucket at 100-120k. Those are most of the oddball things I can speak of.
S197 - some models have the famous "water problem", pumping gas always seems interesting as with some pumps the gas tank design will cause the gas pump nozel to shut off, 05-06s had a bad PCM issue with water.
Edge - even, the S197 is still too new to see the long term problems.
Last edited by jthorn9; 11-16-2012 at 10:55 AM.
11-16-2012, 08:30 AM
#13
I'd like from those who own a 2010 and up Mustang GT or Mustang Boss 302 to give me a review of the car if you don't mind. I'd like to learn more abour this car and eventually be really knowledgeful when the time will come to inspect and buy this particular car. I got my eyes on this car for quite some time now. It would be very appreciated if you could take 5 minutes of your time to give me a quick review.
Your friends here on the forum are going to be a great resource for information. Keep in mind that Ford's Certified Pre-Owned site is an awesome one-stop-shop for finding your perfect Mustang: http://www.ford.com/certified-used/. Do you want to order a Mustang that meets your exact specifications? Your local dealership will be the ideal place to get that party started.
Questions? Just shoot me a PM and I'll see how I can help.
Awesome power that is completely satisfying even 100% stock engine with 3.31's and just mufflers. can spin 295/30/20 michelin pilot supersport tires on a 2nd gear roll on at 30-50 mph on some roads. I dont think there is a more fun car for the money. Handling is awesome with my current setup too (aftermarket shocks struts springs wheels and tires)
You're asking a very odd question and while I don't own a new 5.0 I have driven one, along with a new GT500, and I've owned a lot of Mustangs and driven all of them from Foxbodies up so I'll give you the best advice I can.
Firstly, let's look at the S197 generation in general.
The 5.0 lays down over 400 bhp right out of the factory and is capable of running high 12s all day at the track with the right driver. The suspension isn't bad, you will notice the car will have a little bit of top sway when negotiating tight turns however the back end sits firmly with the road. The suspension and general design of the car severely dampens the feel of the power. Meaning, you really never get that seat of your pants feel like you do some older Mustangs. The cars are amazingly quick, you just don't feel it as much. The stereo is pretty easy to work, but if you get a premium model with the shaker and you care to use the blue tooth, make sure they show you how to sync the car to your phone. It's tricky the first time. Aside from this basic review there isn't much more to specifically say.
Now lets compare the S197s to more common well known Sn95 platform.
The Sn95s were a nice leap over older Mustangs, especially towards the end of their reign so I'm gonna compare an S197 to one of these which is a better ground for comparison.
Horse Power Sn95
3.8L Essex V6 145-150 bhp gen 1
3.8L Essex V6 190-193 bhp gen 2
5.0L Windsor H.O. - 215 bhp
5.0L Windsor SVT - 240 bhp
5.8L Windsor SVT - 300 bhp
4.6L Modular 2V - 215-225 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 2V - 260-265 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 4V - 320 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V S/C - 390 bhp gen 2
S197
4.0L V6 - 210 bhp gen 1/early 2
3.7L V6 - 300 bhp gen 2
4.6L 3V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L 3V - 315 bhp gen 2
5.0L 4V - 412-420 gen 2
5.4L 4V S/C - 500 bhp gen 1
5.4L 4V S/C - 540-550 bhp gen 2
5.8L 4V S/C - 650 bhp gen 2
Obviously the edge goes to the S197s
Now lets compare suspension/brakes in stock form. Now anybody that's driven both generation of cars can tell you suspension is night and day.
Sn 95s - suffer massive over steer when making hard turns, rear end wants to walk out under even modest loads of power, the brakes on anything but the Cobra/Mach 1 leaves a lot to be desired, as they are a little under sized for the car. In relation to power the suspension makes these cars feel very "alive" the car seems extremely snappy with any motor as the car seems set up to let the driver feel the car and the engine more. When modified these cars can handle extremely well, brake well, and still allows the driver to feel and enjoy the car.
S197 - brakes are much improved over previous generations, suspension is also drastically improved, the car has a noticeably better turning radius, and feels much more smooth when making turns. These cars still notice a bit of top sway when navigating tight turns, but that can easily be reduced with shock/spring kits. Down side to the suspension is, it's too good, the suspension really dampens the drivers feel of the car compared to older Mustangs so you're not going to get that seat of your pants feeling you get in older models.
Now lets look at reliability and quirks with these cars.
Sn95 - very reliable cars as most are still on the road today, however as time has worn on some have had some odd ball issues. 99 Cobra were defective and recalled right out of the factory. All 94-04 Mustang V6s can suffer head gasket issues, however most are limited to 94-96 models. Wiring harness that goes from the door to the firewall is prone to shorting out after around 10 years due to door opening/closing. The famous "speedo gear" seems to break universally at 120-150k on the odometer. Power windows seem to kick the bucket at 100-120k. Those are most of the oddball things I can speak of.
S197 - some models have the famous "water problem", pumping gas always seems interesting as with some pumps the gas tank design will cause the gas pump nozel to shut off, 05-06s had a bad PCM issue with water.
Edge - even, the S197 is still too new to see the long term problems.
Firstly, let's look at the S197 generation in general.
The 5.0 lays down over 400 bhp right out of the factory and is capable of running high 12s all day at the track with the right driver. The suspension isn't bad, you will notice the car will have a little bit of top sway when negotiating tight turns however the back end sits firmly with the road. The suspension and general design of the car severely dampens the feel of the power. Meaning, you really never get that seat of your pants feel like you do some older Mustangs. The cars are amazingly quick, you just don't feel it as much. The stereo is pretty easy to work, but if you get a premium model with the shaker and you care to use the blue tooth, make sure they show you how to sync the car to your phone. It's tricky the first time. Aside from this basic review there isn't much more to specifically say.
Now lets compare the S197s to more common well known Sn95 platform.
The Sn95s were a nice leap over older Mustangs, especially towards the end of their reign so I'm gonna compare an S197 to one of these which is a better ground for comparison.
Horse Power Sn95
3.8L Essex V6 145-150 bhp gen 1
3.8L Essex V6 190-193 bhp gen 2
5.0L Windsor H.O. - 215 bhp
5.0L Windsor SVT - 240 bhp
5.8L Windsor SVT - 300 bhp
4.6L Modular 2V - 215-225 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 2V - 260-265 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L Modular 4V - 320 bhp gen 2
4.6L Modular 4V S/C - 390 bhp gen 2
S197
4.0L V6 - 210 bhp gen 1/early 2
3.7L V6 - 300 bhp gen 2
4.6L 3V - 300 bhp gen 1
4.6L 3V - 315 bhp gen 2
5.0L 4V - 412-420 gen 2
5.4L 4V S/C - 500 bhp gen 1
5.4L 4V S/C - 540-550 bhp gen 2
5.8L 4V S/C - 650 bhp gen 2
Obviously the edge goes to the S197s
Now lets compare suspension/brakes in stock form. Now anybody that's driven both generation of cars can tell you suspension is night and day.
Sn 95s - suffer massive over steer when making hard turns, rear end wants to walk out under even modest loads of power, the brakes on anything but the Cobra/Mach 1 leaves a lot to be desired, as they are a little under sized for the car. In relation to power the suspension makes these cars feel very "alive" the car seems extremely snappy with any motor as the car seems set up to let the driver feel the car and the engine more. When modified these cars can handle extremely well, brake well, and still allows the driver to feel and enjoy the car.
S197 - brakes are much improved over previous generations, suspension is also drastically improved, the car has a noticeably better turning radius, and feels much more smooth when making turns. These cars still notice a bit of top sway when navigating tight turns, but that can easily be reduced with shock/spring kits. Down side to the suspension is, it's too good, the suspension really dampens the drivers feel of the car compared to older Mustangs so you're not going to get that seat of your pants feeling you get in older models.
Now lets look at reliability and quirks with these cars.
Sn95 - very reliable cars as most are still on the road today, however as time has worn on some have had some odd ball issues. 99 Cobra were defective and recalled right out of the factory. All 94-04 Mustang V6s can suffer head gasket issues, however most are limited to 94-96 models. Wiring harness that goes from the door to the firewall is prone to shorting out after around 10 years due to door opening/closing. The famous "speedo gear" seems to break universally at 120-150k on the odometer. Power windows seem to kick the bucket at 100-120k. Those are most of the oddball things I can speak of.
S197 - some models have the famous "water problem", pumping gas always seems interesting as with some pumps the gas tank design will cause the gas pump nozel to shut off, 05-06s had a bad PCM issue with water.
Edge - even, the S197 is still too new to see the long term problems.
Crystal
11-16-2012, 10:01 PM
#15
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: WA
Posts: 1,514
if you don't know where to start... start on Ford's website and read about the car, the models/packages/options. figure out what is important to you, pick how you want your mustang built. read this forum, see what people are talking about, what they are complaining about etc.. this should generate enough knowledge to come up with specific questions and concerns.
11-16-2012, 10:10 PM
#16
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: WA
Posts: 1,514
to give you a super brief and vague review.. I have a diverse car history (68 Camaro, a couple of accords, 04 350z, 10 Camaro SS, 11 WRX, 12 stang GT ..) - I've been searching for a car like the Stang. it handles wonderfully and predictably and inspires a lot of confidence. the braking is superb (brembo package). it has gobs of power, but it is easy to manage and use power. it gets good enough mileage and has just enough utility for me to squeak by.
no real regrets after owning it for a year, unlike the Camaro that I sold within 3 months and the WRX that I sold after a year. no real 'gotchas' or things to look out for imo. based on your location alone, a RWD performance car would not be high on my radar, I'd be looking at STi's and Evos.
keep in mind as you read up - many people come to voice their complaints online but rarely do people post randomly that they are happy or love their car.
no real regrets after owning it for a year, unlike the Camaro that I sold within 3 months and the WRX that I sold after a year. no real 'gotchas' or things to look out for imo. based on your location alone, a RWD performance car would not be high on my radar, I'd be looking at STi's and Evos.
keep in mind as you read up - many people come to voice their complaints online but rarely do people post randomly that they are happy or love their car.
11-18-2012, 03:26 AM
#19
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: WA
Posts: 1,514
11-18-2012, 04:37 AM
#20
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Delaware
Posts: 193