redass02gt

And the coyote would never wear out or lose power with mileage because it's made of elf farts and pixie dust, am I right?

According to edmunds, the cost of ownership is slightly higher for the 5.0 by a few hundred bucks over the first 75k miles. Any ideas about engines wearing down at this point are just speculation.
http://www.edmunds.com/ford/mustang/2015/st-200699858/cost-to-own/

Intrepid175

I was thinking about this post of yours after responding the first time. That friends GT I talked about was set to sport mode. She told me to play around with that but I had so much fun with the car, it never occurred to me to try the other driving modes. I'm wondering if the car you were in might have been in normal mode? These days, cars are set to get to the highest gear possible as quickly as possible and then resist downshifts all in an attempt to maximize fuel economy. The delay you mention seems excessive but might not be out of the ordinary given the obsession to save a little fuel these days.

Just a thought?

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

Intrepid175

I have no idea about cost of maintenance but all engines will eventually start loosing power with mileage. It has nothing to do with cylinder count. Accessories like turbochargers do add another element to the maintenance schedule and wear and tear issues but I've heard of turbocharged engines making it well into six digits on the odometer with no significant problems. What it all boils down to is first, how well it's maintained and second, how it's driven.

Spork3245

This was my exact thought. In sport/sport+ or track mode, the auto trans will out perform the best driver using the manual transmission for the 0-60 and 1/4-mile (especially when a tuner is used). It's that good. However, I fully understand preferencing a manual transmission

To semi-answer the OP's questions about the 0-60; I'm not sure, but (and this should help) the also important 1/4-mile time of the EcoBoost drops all the way down to ~12.9 seconds with simply a CAI and a tune, this is very comparable to the GT's stock 12.7-12.8 1/4. However, I'm unsure what this may (or may not) do to the engine's life.
It's also worth noting that just a tune on the stock GT brings it down to a ~12.3 second 1/4. (the topic of a CAI actually adding real-world performance for the GT (ie: outside of dyno HP numbers) has been hotly debated here, but from what I've seen/read a proper tune alone brings people down to the aforementioned 12.3 second 1/4 time)

bluebeastsrt

I'd get the 6 if I was on a budget. If I have to pick between an EB and a GT is a no brainer.

mojo2008

Some time ago I had a rental that was an Eco. It had more power than the Fusion I had at the time, but it was very underwhelming. The difference between that car (even in sport or track mode) and my GT is night and day.

I agree with many of the previous posts...GT or bust!

Intrepid175

Yes, automatics have improved by leaps and bounds in terms of efficiency in the past 20 years. When I was growing up, most automatics were no more than three speeds and didn't have lockup torque converters. Anyone with the most minimal of skills on a manual transmission could out perform and get way better fuel economy than the same car with an automatic would do but that's certainly not the case anymore. Even with all that, I'd still opt for the manual in the Mustang. Personally, I don't give a hoot if the other guys car is faster. I quit worrying about that stuff a long time ago.

Chromeshadow

Well said. I drive a 3.7 305 HP manual shift because I want to. I could own any car I want, I drive this car because it is the car I want to drive.
Having said that, manual transmissions have fewer losses than automatics, and are often faster in cars up to 300/350 HP, and you can certainly make the case that manual transmission cars (which are 50-100 lbs lighter) are faster and more predictable in corners.

Spork3245

Which is why I also said:



I was commenting on his "the auto had terrible lag" statement. It's simply not true when in Sports/Sports+/Track mode.

Intrepid175

I've heard nothing but good things about the current V6 in the Mustang. The only thing that keeps me from looking at it is they don't offer it in a premium version. There are certain options that I definitely want but can't get on the V6. I don't have anything specific against the Ecoboost and am seriously looking at them but turbos do add a level of complexity that brings the possibility of added repair costs down the road. Is that a big deal? Depends on how it's driven and maintained. The 5.0 is by far, an excellent engine and I can't offer any arguments against those with the "5.0 or bust" mentality but GT's are also at the top of the price structure and given the options I'd want and the fact that I'd buy the rag top, we're talking between $45 and $50k retail. That's "really" pushing my finances. I'm sure I could work a deal that takes a bit off of MSRP but it would still be a significant chunk of change. I'd have to save up a large enough down payment to compensate and that'll take a while, but I'm sure it would be worth it.