BigFloyd

I'm in the market right now, attracted to the S550 Mustangs and trying to figure out which one is best for me as a daily driver. A friend and I decided to spend a bit of time checking them out at the local dealer earlier this week. He's bought a few F150s from them over the years, so they'll pretty much give us the keys to whatever we want to test. I asked for one EB and one GT, both in Premium, both AT (getting lazy in my 50's).

I initially had most of my attention focused on the GT, but wanted to see what the 2.3L Ecoboost had to offer and decided to drive that first. My friend (who had driven the GT before and loved it) was thinking that we were wasting time on anything other than the GT, but kindly went along since I'm the one shopping.

After checking out the cockpit (quite nice), I started the EB model thinking "I'm probably not going to like driving this car much, but need to satisfy my curiosity". Funny thing was that, once I got the EB out on the road, started playing with the different modes, taking some corners and getting a feel for what it would do, the more the darn thing was putting a grin on my face. While it didn't have the raw power of the GT (or the 6.2 Camaro SS I drove today) the overall driving experience was quite enjoyable and much better than what either of us had expected. About 30 minutes into the drive, my buddy got behind the wheel and remarked that he had previously thought that the EB Mustang was a piece of sh**. No longer. That drive lasted about an hour and was an enlightening experience.

Dropped off the 4-banger and picked up the GT Prem. That drive was, of course, thoroughly enjoyable in a different way than the one before. It's easy to fall in love (or maybe lust) with the Coyote 5.0 and the way it moves that car both from the line and when at highway speed. In track mode, the thing is a beast. It cornered well, but felt like it had a bit more understeer compared to the EB from the more forward weight distribution. The GT did not disappoint.

I've not gotten close to making a final decision yet. I had a lovely time with each of these girls on the first date, but want to spend some more time with both versions before saying "I do" to either. I'm thinking that a couple of days of normal, everyday driving with each one may be in order. Gas mileage isn't much of a factor in this decision, nor is the extra $6-7K cost for the GT over the EB in similar trim. I only put about 8k miles a year on my car (got an '01 F150 for hauling), so a few mpg less isn't a big deal.

I'd appreciate the opinion of anyone else who has actually experienced both of these cars. Afterwards, what did you end up getting and why? Thanks!

Camster

I look forward to the responses,as I in the same mode with regard to annual mileage and finances.As much as I like V8 umph and sound, the four may be the one..

BCisme

well the EB is a great option for many reasons, one i'll point out is that you can things on the EB that the 5.0 offers, like the track pack. wich is a great option if you really want to drive and enjoy the car. i chose it for my 5.0 because i love the look of the black staggered wheels (even though i'd prefer a slightly wider rear, it can still hold a 305 tire) and the 3.73 gears. so there's 2 big mods i dont have to bother with aftermarket. not to mention the suspenion enhancements, the gauges, bigger radiator....

the EB will always be a sleeper. if you love being underestimated and blasting some fool at a stoplight, the EB is a perfect choice. you can tweak it a bit and make great power and have a 12 second car that everyone will take for a 14 second car. especially if they dont know what an EB is and you tell them it's the new 4 cylinder.

the 5.0 is more for the it's a 5.0 and i dont care who knows it, wich is my style, but more because of my undying love for the feel and sound of an american V8.

you can get pretty much everything mustang has to offer on either model and have no problem finding one on a dealer lot. so if the idea of a sleeper with all the luxury offered on the GT model and a potentially lower price tag is appealing, and you're not a die hard, has to be a V8 guy like me, the EB is for you. if you simply cant let go of the V8, and you dont mind spending closer to 40K, get the GT. mine is a base coupe track pack, sticker 36K i got it for around 32,650.

Yours Truly

IIRC, stuck with premium fuel on the EB? Or is that wrong?

proeagles

That really is a tough decision because the EB actually handles better because of less nose weight. The jury is still out on the reliability of the EB in the long run however. IMO, the GT 5.0 is the way to go (since I went that way) purely because of the sound and power of the good old American V8. You just can't beat it. I'm of the opinion that if you ring the neck of the EB trying to produce those V8 numbers and feel, your gas mileage won't be significantly better. My EB F150 doesn't get any better gas mileage than my son's V8 F150, maybe 1mpg.

C6 VETTE

Holy smokes!! You were test driving the car for up to one hour? They must be selling new cars with 200 miles on the OD LOL!!

C6 VETTE

The PP wheels you mentioned come with 275's in the rear, I have heard of going an additional 10 to 285's on the PP wheels, but 305's require a rim/wheel change right?

BCisme

niito makes an NT05 tire in a 305/35/19 that should work. its says 10-12 inch for approved wheels, but at 9.5 it should work fine. 275's call for a 9 inch wheel, slapping them on 8 inch wide pony wheels is a pretty common occurrence so i dont see why it wouldnt work.

movielover40

I would drive the v-6 before making a final decision.

The EB still scares me long term. Turbo replacement is not cheap.

Spork3245

If that's a concern you could always just go with a GT Convertible then as it has nearly a 50/50 weight distribution due to the added weight in the back