r00st

I am in the dilemna on what car to buy... I may be getting a new job with a pretty good bump in pay (well its in retail, so a good bump in pay is slightly above POVERTY levels).

I have a 2003 svt focus that is a pretty good commuter but she is showing her age. I also have a 2001 s10 4x4 I use for small jobs in the summer and driving in the worst snow in the winter (I have snow tires for the focus but nothing beats 4wd when your busting through 2 foot drifts on the way to work!)

I get on average 23mpg in my car that is mostly city driving. What I call city most would probably consider "mixed" as its some 30mph stuff then a lot of 5-6 mile stretches @ 45-55mph.

This new job would be a 25 mile one way commute @ 55mph cruising.

I would LIKE To be down to one vehicle but I guess that depends on how well a mustang + dedicated all season/snow tires does in the winter (I have heard not too hot) which would mean keeping the svtf or s10 4x4 for the winter.

Base wrx 26k - all season performance (Would only have one vehicle) Good performance but you have to kill the drivetrain to get the 4.7-5.0 0-60 the magazines claim (so call it a realistic 5.5 0-60) but mpg is 19/25 which is not great mileage at all. Respond fairly well to mods but mods tend to create issues in these cars (and most dealerships are NOT mod friendly, ie: warranty gone)

Base mustang v6 23k - pretty good performance (5.1 0-60), 19/31 mpg...insurance probably not bad? Would maybe need to keep a second car for the winter??

Base mustang GT 29k - amazing performance but 17/26 mpg. Insurance probably the most of the 3. Would probably require me to keep winter car/truck?

Seems like ford is ok with mods for the most part...never had problems at my dealerships and I have seen some wicked nice (blown motor, headers you name it) in the service bays for warranty repairs motor related.

I would have a flash, intake and exhaust on any of the 3 almost immediately. Seems all 3 gain quite well from those mods. I would of course want to do more later on down the road which would be easy on the v6 and GT (more so the GT) to gain extra power where I would be fearful to do Turbo back exhaust or intercooler on the wrx for warranty issues.

For those with the v6...what is your real world mpg? What types of roads and what style of driving? AT/MT?

Also, for those who are tuned (with any bolt on's) what is your dyno? How did it affect MPG? I know typically when you do mods or tune your gas mileage goes down mostly because your foot is in it more often to feel the new found power gains.

Thanks in advance for any insight! Sorry for the long winded thread...

6+6 Stang

My V6 stock, 25 miles a day 50 to 75 mph, 6 spd standard, jump on it at times, 24 mpg...cool factor HIGH....easy to work on and mod, cake!.......insurance.....telling you this from real time...2 cars, over 50 years old, good driving record...cost is low.....and to give yoou better idea...I was hit from behind drivinf a toyota corolla, had muscle car itch 3 months before my toyota got totalled...was good time to move on a new car, bought a 5 spd '10 GT...INSURANCE was less than the corolla....the new mustangs are so much safer in the insurance comp. eye they told me why rates are lower than a small death trap...WRX Cool car, good in winter though I think...

JimmyM

so what happened to your '10 GT?

OP, if you want MPG, decent performance, cool looking car, mod friendly - I'd say the V6.

Or you can buy the 5.0 and learn to keep the pedal light when commuting. More power, but cost at least $6000 more.

Up to you.

Tex-stang

Stock V6 AT with flowmaster axelback mufflers.
I have hit the 31 mpg at 75 crusing on the highway.
In the city (which is most of my driving) between 19 and 20 with a few traffic lights on the way to work 20 miles a day.
FYI my foot is a little heavy.

Joenpb

Around town which is 60%y hwy driving (75-80 mph), I average 23-24 mpg with my base 2011 V6.

KonaStangPete

if your concerned about fuel econ then i'd say the v6, going off your estimate(25m @ 55mph) you will get 30mpg with either AT/MT, on that part of the trip anyways.
i've got the v6 stick and get roughly 28/29 cruising at 70/75, city is a different story, 22 with a slightly heavy foot on accel.

I too considered the wrx a few months ago before getting my 3.7, but the power and fuel econ drew me to the stang, plus it was cheaper. tho buddy of mine did just get an sti and that thing is pretty badass

6+6 Stang

The '10......where I had to stop every 4 days for gas, now stopping every 8 days...the power is about same in the V6 as the GT, I like the 6 spd. the lack of power steering pump, the MCA Look.....seems like it more fun driving the V6...IMO...was able trade get $100 month less payment, same time left on loan...now that gas has gone to 3.11 GAL. FOR regular...glad I did....

LostBoyz

if you are making slightly above the poverty level maybe you shouldn't be buying a new car

Cal26Stang

The wrx's turbo'ed boxer 4 cylinder is a pretty solid engine, subaru makes a good car, but I've heard from several people that they ride extremely bumpy and they don't handle as well as you'd think...but if your looking for a mustang, why consider a wrx? they are very different...

also, like lostboyz said, why are you buying a new car and getting rid of two cars that work fine? Why don't you hang on to the focus and put a little into it to freshen it up?

wrxified

I've owned a 2002 WRX and a 2005 STI. You hit the nail on the head with one point you mentioned about the times that each magazine gets with the WRX. You need to perform a bone crushing blow to the drivetrain to get a 5 second 0-60 time. Typically it's rev to 5k rpm's, come up 20-30% on the clutch, then dump it. Every time you do it you're sweating bullets wondering if you're going to be leaving a pile of parts in a puddle of oil behind you. It's not that it's a weak drivetrain, it's just what happens when you get all your wheels to hook up like that.

I loved my Suabru's but am really loving the Mustang. With the performance package it's shocking how the car handles. Don't let anyone feed you the solid rear axle bs. The car handles incredibly well. The WRX plows like a pig with understeer characteristics that can be corrected with about $600-750. Sway bars, anti lift kit and springs completely change the cars dynamics on the track. The only thing I would say I'd put in favor of the WRX is the aftermarket potential. It's huge. You can add 50-100 hp for half the cost of adding it to the 3.7 V6 Mustang. Actually probably for a lot less than the Mustang because you'll never get an additional 100 hp out of the Mustang without going with FI. (Minus nitrous). The WRX could pick up 100 hp with $1500-2000.

Mileage, I get 27.4 mpg with my Mustang on the highway, 21-22 with my STI.

EDIT: Insurance, you'll be a ton less with a V6 vs the WRX. Have your agent quote it but the STI, WRX and EVO are some of the most expensive cars to insure when compared to their replacement values. Meaning you pay a boatload compared to what most cars in the $30k range would cost.