Would a 1999-2004 mustang be a good first car?
02-23-2010, 10:29 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: MA
Posts: 28
Would a 1999-2004 mustang be a good first car?
I am planning on buying a car within the next month or 2. I am looking to get something fun because I am sick of driving around my moms slow accord. I am looking to into either a stang or a gtp.
02-23-2010, 10:58 PM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Iowa
Posts: 248
Mustangs are pretty good beginner cars. The 3.8L really aren't as powerful as a lot of non-Mustang people would like to believe. A lot of people just assume they're all V8 monsters, but in reality they have like 190hp, which is a lot less than many current family sedans. Meaning, your moms Accord is probably just as likely to get wrapped around a tree just as fast. If you're looking at the GT, it's another story, most of those are going to have pretty decent power, but it's sorta gray territory here, but I'll get into that in a second.
The problem with Mustangs isn't that they go fast, because in truth every car can go just as fast to some degree, but the fact that many teens feel they need to go fast to fit a specific look. Sure we all say we'll obey the speed limit, but it's tempting and when your buddies are in the car and you want to show off just how "fun" your ride is, you start to cause problems. At the same time though, 16 year old Joe Blow in his Mercury Sable is going to fly down the street just as fast most of the time, because in the end, young drivers are above the law of road (so we liked to think). Sometimes, actually owning a nicer car is a smarter move, because you'll tend to take even more care of it. Sure it's nice to have a car you don't care about dings and dents with, but sometimes having a car you do care about will be the difference between doing or not doing something that you shouldn't.
If you're looking for a GT, then of course you're stepping up the power, which again is just a matter of how you can control it and how responsible you are. Again, the same laws apply as mentioned early about being tempting to speed, and it's just that much more. However, I've also found that sometimes having more power seems to make you feel less likely to speed, because you already know what you have under the hood and you don't have to make up for it by flooring it around, if that makes sense.
Generally, what'll happen though, is a young person will get the V6 and think it's awesome, just because they finally have a Mustang, but it doesn't take long for that V8 itch to come along. Mustangs are actually rather affordable right now, so if you have an extra grand or so to purchase the V8 do it. Also prices seem to vary widely, so you can find the same exact car down to mileage (save maybe color) for widely different prices in the same area. Just search around and you're bound to find good deals. This is a buyers economy...people are getting rid of stuff they don't need.
Insurance isn't terrible. Put in perspective, I'm 21 through State Farm, the car is completely in my name as I purchased it and pay insurance, etc...you know the goods, and it's an 01 Cobra Convertible. Cost me roughly 90 bucks a month for full coverage. I store in the winter, so it goes on storage then, but really, that's not much worse than what I was insured as a student driver under my parents car (Chevy Impala) which was like 70 or something. So for 20 more bucks (the price of maybe a dinner or movie), you get a much better car. It's just priorities and financial abilities that come into play.
Long story short, they're a good car, but a lot of owners give them a bad rap from poor responsibility, hence why they have a reputation for not being good starter cars. But if I remember correctly, and I'm not slamming V6s at all, they're were probably about 8 girls and 5 guys in my high school who had 94 (140hp) to 04 (190hp) 3.8Ls. A couple had the 302 with 210hp and a couple had GTs with the 240hp. So there's a large range of performance there, and cost of course, so I suppose the rest is up to you.
The problem with Mustangs isn't that they go fast, because in truth every car can go just as fast to some degree, but the fact that many teens feel they need to go fast to fit a specific look. Sure we all say we'll obey the speed limit, but it's tempting and when your buddies are in the car and you want to show off just how "fun" your ride is, you start to cause problems. At the same time though, 16 year old Joe Blow in his Mercury Sable is going to fly down the street just as fast most of the time, because in the end, young drivers are above the law of road (so we liked to think). Sometimes, actually owning a nicer car is a smarter move, because you'll tend to take even more care of it. Sure it's nice to have a car you don't care about dings and dents with, but sometimes having a car you do care about will be the difference between doing or not doing something that you shouldn't.
If you're looking for a GT, then of course you're stepping up the power, which again is just a matter of how you can control it and how responsible you are. Again, the same laws apply as mentioned early about being tempting to speed, and it's just that much more. However, I've also found that sometimes having more power seems to make you feel less likely to speed, because you already know what you have under the hood and you don't have to make up for it by flooring it around, if that makes sense.
Generally, what'll happen though, is a young person will get the V6 and think it's awesome, just because they finally have a Mustang, but it doesn't take long for that V8 itch to come along. Mustangs are actually rather affordable right now, so if you have an extra grand or so to purchase the V8 do it. Also prices seem to vary widely, so you can find the same exact car down to mileage (save maybe color) for widely different prices in the same area. Just search around and you're bound to find good deals. This is a buyers economy...people are getting rid of stuff they don't need.
Insurance isn't terrible. Put in perspective, I'm 21 through State Farm, the car is completely in my name as I purchased it and pay insurance, etc...you know the goods, and it's an 01 Cobra Convertible. Cost me roughly 90 bucks a month for full coverage. I store in the winter, so it goes on storage then, but really, that's not much worse than what I was insured as a student driver under my parents car (Chevy Impala) which was like 70 or something. So for 20 more bucks (the price of maybe a dinner or movie), you get a much better car. It's just priorities and financial abilities that come into play.
Long story short, they're a good car, but a lot of owners give them a bad rap from poor responsibility, hence why they have a reputation for not being good starter cars. But if I remember correctly, and I'm not slamming V6s at all, they're were probably about 8 girls and 5 guys in my high school who had 94 (140hp) to 04 (190hp) 3.8Ls. A couple had the 302 with 210hp and a couple had GTs with the 240hp. So there's a large range of performance there, and cost of course, so I suppose the rest is up to you.
Last edited by dastangman; 02-23-2010 at 11:02 PM.
02-23-2010, 11:02 PM
#7
I had an eclipse when I was 16 (was a little bit of a ricer) I realized I wanted something with more power and more respectable and got my gt when I was 18... if I had got my gt when I was 16, I would have killed myself in it, I drive my mustang like I'm 80 yrs old though bc I know what it's capable of
02-23-2010, 11:28 PM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 27
Same i started with a 1996 V6 stang and eventually the V8 and modding bug gets to you so really its just up to as what u wanna start with. V6 is less HP, less insurance money, less gas money so I'd say start with that and really see how u like it, plus it wouldnt be bad to drive one in the snow a little and see how u like it haha
