Is the Mustang GT for me?
04-23-2010, 02:56 PM
#12
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Hi,
Just a little bit of background here...recently migrated from the Scion forums because I owned a tC for 8 months (first car
) and I recently sold it because it just wasn't fast enough. It was really torquey which I liked but the effect wore off after a while, and I'm deciding to move away from 4 cylinders.
Now I'm looking for a new car and am considering the Mustang as one of my options..my budget is $12k, so I think I can buy a 2004-2006 with that? but I'm wondering how they handle, and how they are generally as cars. Will I really feel the speed? I love the feeling of stepping on the gas pedal and getting pulled into your chair so again I ask,
is Mustang GT the right fit for me? :P
Just a little bit of background here...recently migrated from the Scion forums because I owned a tC for 8 months (first car
) and I recently sold it because it just wasn't fast enough. It was really torquey which I liked but the effect wore off after a while, and I'm deciding to move away from 4 cylinders.Now I'm looking for a new car and am considering the Mustang as one of my options..my budget is $12k, so I think I can buy a 2004-2006 with that? but I'm wondering how they handle, and how they are generally as cars. Will I really feel the speed? I love the feeling of stepping on the gas pedal and getting pulled into your chair so again I ask,
is Mustang GT the right fit for me? :P
No matter what car you get, you will eventually get used to that "feeling" of speed. Why do you think so many mustang drivers modify their cars to go faster?
RWD is definitely harder to control than FWD like your Scion. If you punch the gas a little hard going through a corner in a RWD you will most likely be staring straight at the car behind you in a matter of a second or two (spin out).
They absolutely suck in the rain and don't believe the hype on mileage. Some people "claim" 25+ in their GT's...uh maybe if they're on the freeway for the entire tank and the road has a slight downward slope. In real world driving (city and some highway) you'll be around 18-20mpg. I goose it occasionaly and most of my driving is city and I am lucky to get 17 mpg. (this is calculating by hand)
04-23-2010, 02:56 PM
#13
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: KY, was MA
Posts: 2,797
^ yep
if you're looking for a manual, not only are you dealing with the added power, but also rwd AND if you are not good with a stick in hairy situations it can spell disater
my 04 was my first manual car and got the hang of it real qucik...but i had a 93 V6 tbird (non SC), 94 V8 tbird, and then a 95 Mark VIII...so i was accustomed to the occasional spin out due to ice/wet roads and being a heavy car....or just having fun.
biggest diff of those cars and the stang is the tranny obviously but also the solid rear axle. takes bumps around cornes a little more.....unpredictable lol as it likes to "hop" more under throttle
if you're looking for a manual, not only are you dealing with the added power, but also rwd AND if you are not good with a stick in hairy situations it can spell disater
my 04 was my first manual car and got the hang of it real qucik...but i had a 93 V6 tbird (non SC), 94 V8 tbird, and then a 95 Mark VIII...so i was accustomed to the occasional spin out due to ice/wet roads and being a heavy car....or just having fun.
biggest diff of those cars and the stang is the tranny obviously but also the solid rear axle. takes bumps around cornes a little more.....unpredictable lol as it likes to "hop" more under throttle
04-23-2010, 03:01 PM
#14
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Oh yeah, forgot about wheel hop...god that sucks! I just had a really bad case of it too on my way back from lunch. It goes from asphalt, to pavers, back to asphalt through an intersection and even with just moderate acceleration I still felt my back end bouncing... I need UCAs and LCAs!
04-23-2010, 03:07 PM
#15
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: KY, was MA
Posts: 2,797
No matter what car you get, you will eventually get used to that "feeling" of speed. Why do you think so many mustang drivers modify their cars to go faster?
RWD is definitely harder to control than FWD like your Scion. If you punch the gas a little hard going through a corner in a RWD you will most likely be staring straight at the car behind you in a matter of a second or two (spin out).
They absolutely suck in the rain and don't believe the hype on mileage. Some people "claim" 25+ in their GT's...uh maybe if they're on the freeway for the entire tank and the road has a slight downward slope. In real world driving (city and some highway) you'll be around 18-20mpg. I goose it occasionaly and most of my driving is city and I am lucky to get 17 mpg. (this is calculating by hand)
RWD is definitely harder to control than FWD like your Scion. If you punch the gas a little hard going through a corner in a RWD you will most likely be staring straight at the car behind you in a matter of a second or two (spin out).
They absolutely suck in the rain and don't believe the hype on mileage. Some people "claim" 25+ in their GT's...uh maybe if they're on the freeway for the entire tank and the road has a slight downward slope. In real world driving (city and some highway) you'll be around 18-20mpg. I goose it occasionaly and most of my driving is city and I am lucky to get 17 mpg. (this is calculating by hand)
the car sucks in the rain/snow as much as you allow it to. if you drive a lightweight rwd car like your on a roadcourse in the rain/snow you deserve to eat a pole. know what you have and drive accordingly (and yes some cars are "worse" than onther in rain/snow but you know what im saying)
and i disagree....week in and week out i can get 22+mpg highway and backroad driving (45min commute each way to and from work everyday) again goes back to the mileage will suck as bad as you want it to lol
04-23-2010, 04:01 PM
#16
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location:
Posts: 3,062
A GT is always going to be a bigger handful to handle than a V6 in rain & snow not just because the GT has more power, but because the GT has a limited slip rear diff. V6'rs have an open diff.. The "bad news" of having an open diff is most guys hate the one-wheel-peel burnout it does when they floor it.
But that's also what will keep you out of trouble on a slick rainy road. Overpowering a corner will make the car less likely to spin out. It's all a learning curve, and yeah sure every 16 year old will be cocky and say they can handle the power, and it's "those other guys" who have the accidents.. Next day their car & picture is on the afternoon news when overconfidence got themselves wrapped around a phone pole.
But that's also what will keep you out of trouble on a slick rainy road. Overpowering a corner will make the car less likely to spin out. It's all a learning curve, and yeah sure every 16 year old will be cocky and say they can handle the power, and it's "those other guys" who have the accidents.. Next day their car & picture is on the afternoon news when overconfidence got themselves wrapped around a phone pole.
04-23-2010, 04:28 PM
#17
Pro. B.S. caller outer
Join Date: May 2004
Location: IL
Posts: 9,644
Or a fwd for that matter. FWD does not and will not ever handle as well as RWD cars. The only reason some people think this is because very few fwd cars actually have enough power to get you in trouble. If they do, you get torque steer and if pushed into a corner hard enough, under steer (where the front just plows to the outside of the turn.
Last edited by JD1969; 04-23-2010 at 04:36 PM.
04-23-2010, 05:47 PM
#18
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: California
Posts: 10,468
Or a fwd for that matter. FWD does not and will not ever handle as well as RWD cars. The only reason some people think this is because very few fwd cars actually have enough power to get you in trouble. If they do, you get torque steer and if pushed into a corner hard enough, under steer (where the front just plows to the outside of the turn.
I love how people always talk about how FWD handles better, but never stop to consider why virtually all performance cars that are made are RWD, with the few exceptions that are AWD, and a few FWD cars.
04-24-2010, 01:32 AM
#20
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: NJ
Posts: 5
Nope, I'm still here 
I'm 18 and yes my insurance was pretty high for the Scion I can't imagine it'll be any cheaper for a Mustang. But buying a V6 wouldn't make me happy at all, there's no point if I'd just sell it in a short while for a V8. If I got the GT from the start I'd keep it for at least 3 years and not lose interest
Nah, not really looking for the Mach's or Cobra's I don't need THAT much power..I'm not going to the track or anything I just like the feeling of speed. I like that the parts are cheap and that it's a powerful engine, but why do people keep saying I'm gonna crash it, is it really that different to control?
I've driven my dad's Grand Marquis a few times which is 8 cylinder and RWD and it wasn't as bad as people are making it out to be. Oh and by the way, the Mustang GT will most definitely be stick shift
Only way to go 
how old are you? If you're a young guy then you might wanna get a few insurance quotes before buying anything. Make sure you're sitting down when you hear the quote.
I suggest you consider getting a V6 with a 5-speed insteaf. Still plenty powerful but cheaper insurance & a bit better on gas too.
I suggest you consider getting a V6 with a 5-speed insteaf. Still plenty powerful but cheaper insurance & a bit better on gas too.
lol you will deff feel a difference from a 4 banger to a V8...these motors are reliable, parts are cheap and everywhere, and are easy to work on with room (assuming you can do your own work)
depends on what body style you like....94-98 or 99-04 or 05+...either way i would look for last year in any generation. that said i went looking for an 04 GT.
but go find one, drive it (even if its not exactly what you want) just to get a feel for it. ive had my 04 for about 8 months now and drove an 08....not impressed. overall i like the 99-04 style for interior and exterior IMO.
careful with going from a 4 banger scion to a 03-04 cobra....you could get in troube REAL quick if you dont know how to handle the power. hell you can get in toruble with just a GT but...
depends on what body style you like....94-98 or 99-04 or 05+...either way i would look for last year in any generation. that said i went looking for an 04 GT.
but go find one, drive it (even if its not exactly what you want) just to get a feel for it. ive had my 04 for about 8 months now and drove an 08....not impressed. overall i like the 99-04 style for interior and exterior IMO.
careful with going from a 4 banger scion to a 03-04 cobra....you could get in troube REAL quick if you dont know how to handle the power. hell you can get in toruble with just a GT but...
I've driven my dad's Grand Marquis a few times which is 8 cylinder and RWD and it wasn't as bad as people are making it out to be. Oh and by the way, the Mustang GT will most definitely be stick shift
Only way to go