Traded my 2010 SS for a 2011 GT
01-11-2011, 12:45 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 21
Traded my 2010 SS for a 2011 GT
Hello to all, just wanted to check in. I just traded in my 2010 SS for a 2011 GT a few weeks ago and am trying to find a good site for info/mods/etc. and it appears this is the place.
Just for background, Ford was always a bad word in my house growing up so I have always had Chevy's and have never even driven a Mustang until I drove this 2011 GT. Sadly, if the Mustangs have been as good as this one is, then I have been missing out. I have decided brand loyalty is no longer a wise thing to have so from now on, whoever puts out the best I can afford is going to get my business. And right now, there is absolutely no question in my mind, the new 2011 GT is the best by a mile.
From the day I drove my new Camaro off the lot, it just never "wowed" me. Sure, it was pretty fast and it looked awesome but it was just missing something. And then the rattles and squeaks and pops started in the interior and the cowl buzzed like crazy when you hit 70mph or so and then the wind noise from the passenger side window in a crosswind sounded like you had a Hoover in the seat next to you. All of this along with the terrible front suspension that booms ungodly loud when you hit any bump at slow speed and I was starting to really get frustrated with my SS. And then after a year and about 7200 miles, I was backing out of my garage and the suspension bushings squeaked like an old pickup truck as I went over the little bump from the garage to the driveway and I had had enough. So off to the Ford dealership I went and the rest is history. Don't get me wrong, the Camaro is a good car, it is just not great yet - GM has a lot of issues to take care of before it gets there - primarily on build quality but I also think they have serious design issues to reconsider. But what do I know?
I had been reading about the new Coyote engine for a long time and was just fascinated by the design and technology. I am a mechanical engineer by degree and I am a sucker for high tech. And then when the new Coyote engine hit the street in the new Mustang, it certainly delivered the wow factor according to every single review I read. I don't take too much stock in magazines' opinions or internet gossip but when every single review I read said the same thing on how good the new Mustang is and how much better it is than the Camaro, you have to take a moment and consider that they could be on to something. And, after driving my new GT, I have to say that they are right.
So I got a 2011 GT with the 6-speed manual and 3.73's - Kona Blue Metallic with the Brembo package and all the goodies I couldn't get on the Camaro like touchscreen navigation, auto climate control, rear camera, power passenger seat and I freakin' love it! Lower payment and a lower rate to boot, lol. Sure, I have heard a pop or two in the Mustang's interior here and there but nothing like the Camaro and I am sure I will find some things I don't like about the Mustang as well (no Homelink!) but overall, the build quality is way ahead of the Camaro and the interior is so much nicer in my opinion, in material and design/functionality - I can actually see the tach and speedo through the steering wheel, for one thing. The only other complaint about the Mustang is that the ride is a bit bouncy for my tastes going down the interstate but I think a nice set of Koni's will take care of that. The Camaro is like a Cadillac on the interstate, very smooth, but you pay for that in handling and feel/agility.
And I haven't even got to the best part about this new Mustang - that amazing powerplant under the hood. What an engine this thing is - unlike the LS3 in the Camaro, this thing "wows" the hell out of me every time I put my foot down. The rush is indescribable - unlike any car I have every driven and by far the most fun car I have ever driven. There is something to be said about 4 cams, 32-valves and independent cam timing, you can't get that kind of power band with a single cam in block design - at least not in anything I have driven. The power under the curve for this engine is just amazing. The difference between the 5.0 and the LS3 is night and day - the LS3 is a great engine and is the best thing about the Camaro but the 5.0 is flat-out sensational. I don't know any other way to put it, but to me it is just that good. They seem to perform really similar in real world times/numbers but the fun-factor for the 5.0 is off the charts for me and it feels sooo much faster. Ford hit a homerun - a walk-off.
But enough blabbing, that is my opinion - I though people might like to hear a long-time Chevy guy's take on the new Mustang. There you have it - I love it - Chevy has a lot of work to do to win me back, a whole lot.
Just for background, Ford was always a bad word in my house growing up so I have always had Chevy's and have never even driven a Mustang until I drove this 2011 GT. Sadly, if the Mustangs have been as good as this one is, then I have been missing out. I have decided brand loyalty is no longer a wise thing to have so from now on, whoever puts out the best I can afford is going to get my business. And right now, there is absolutely no question in my mind, the new 2011 GT is the best by a mile.
From the day I drove my new Camaro off the lot, it just never "wowed" me. Sure, it was pretty fast and it looked awesome but it was just missing something. And then the rattles and squeaks and pops started in the interior and the cowl buzzed like crazy when you hit 70mph or so and then the wind noise from the passenger side window in a crosswind sounded like you had a Hoover in the seat next to you. All of this along with the terrible front suspension that booms ungodly loud when you hit any bump at slow speed and I was starting to really get frustrated with my SS. And then after a year and about 7200 miles, I was backing out of my garage and the suspension bushings squeaked like an old pickup truck as I went over the little bump from the garage to the driveway and I had had enough. So off to the Ford dealership I went and the rest is history. Don't get me wrong, the Camaro is a good car, it is just not great yet - GM has a lot of issues to take care of before it gets there - primarily on build quality but I also think they have serious design issues to reconsider. But what do I know?
I had been reading about the new Coyote engine for a long time and was just fascinated by the design and technology. I am a mechanical engineer by degree and I am a sucker for high tech. And then when the new Coyote engine hit the street in the new Mustang, it certainly delivered the wow factor according to every single review I read. I don't take too much stock in magazines' opinions or internet gossip but when every single review I read said the same thing on how good the new Mustang is and how much better it is than the Camaro, you have to take a moment and consider that they could be on to something. And, after driving my new GT, I have to say that they are right.
So I got a 2011 GT with the 6-speed manual and 3.73's - Kona Blue Metallic with the Brembo package and all the goodies I couldn't get on the Camaro like touchscreen navigation, auto climate control, rear camera, power passenger seat and I freakin' love it! Lower payment and a lower rate to boot, lol. Sure, I have heard a pop or two in the Mustang's interior here and there but nothing like the Camaro and I am sure I will find some things I don't like about the Mustang as well (no Homelink!) but overall, the build quality is way ahead of the Camaro and the interior is so much nicer in my opinion, in material and design/functionality - I can actually see the tach and speedo through the steering wheel, for one thing. The only other complaint about the Mustang is that the ride is a bit bouncy for my tastes going down the interstate but I think a nice set of Koni's will take care of that. The Camaro is like a Cadillac on the interstate, very smooth, but you pay for that in handling and feel/agility.
And I haven't even got to the best part about this new Mustang - that amazing powerplant under the hood. What an engine this thing is - unlike the LS3 in the Camaro, this thing "wows" the hell out of me every time I put my foot down. The rush is indescribable - unlike any car I have every driven and by far the most fun car I have ever driven. There is something to be said about 4 cams, 32-valves and independent cam timing, you can't get that kind of power band with a single cam in block design - at least not in anything I have driven. The power under the curve for this engine is just amazing. The difference between the 5.0 and the LS3 is night and day - the LS3 is a great engine and is the best thing about the Camaro but the 5.0 is flat-out sensational. I don't know any other way to put it, but to me it is just that good. They seem to perform really similar in real world times/numbers but the fun-factor for the 5.0 is off the charts for me and it feels sooo much faster. Ford hit a homerun - a walk-off.
But enough blabbing, that is my opinion - I though people might like to hear a long-time Chevy guy's take on the new Mustang. There you have it - I love it - Chevy has a lot of work to do to win me back, a whole lot.
01-11-2011, 01:11 PM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 535
Welcome Dnet to MF and THE BLUE OVAL 
This is a great site to look for info on your new purchase...although, it sounds like
you're already 'crazy-happy' with the 5.0!
It's great to hear the excitement in your review...
Now let's get some pics of that bad-boy up in the forums here
...we'd love to take a look at it!
Enjoy the MF...there's lots of nice folks here
Larry
This is a great site to look for info on your new purchase...although, it sounds like
you're already 'crazy-happy' with the 5.0!
It's great to hear the excitement in your review...
Now let's get some pics of that bad-boy up in the forums here
...we'd love to take a look at it!
Enjoy the MF...there's lots of nice folks here
Larry
Last edited by Larry Warcup; 01-11-2011 at 01:18 PM.
01-11-2011, 01:30 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 21
Thanks, Larry - I would love to post some pictures but it appears I am not able to post attachments - maybe because this is my first post? And I don't have any kind of hosting account so I don't know what to do on that front but thanks for the welcome.
01-11-2011, 02:42 PM
#5
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 4,256
But welcome to the site. Glad to hear you're enjoying your 5.0
01-11-2011, 06:27 PM
#8
Welcome to the board!
Great to see a fellow Texan join!
And I see we have turned another to the dark side, Welcome. my apprentice, LOL!
As for the independent cam phasing, oh yeah, having a variable LSA is great, helps put more area under the torque curve and thus, the power curve too!
Great to see a fellow Texan join!
And I see we have turned another to the dark side, Welcome. my apprentice, LOL!
As for the independent cam phasing, oh yeah, having a variable LSA is great, helps put more area under the torque curve and thus, the power curve too!
