Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

I'm looking to get a 2006 Mustang 4.0L V6 (hopefully with the Pony Pkg) and I wanted to hear some opinions on the good AND the bad. I've read plenty of reviews of people who were happy with the performance, and a few who detested it. It took a while to track down one good spec sheet- but I think the performance coupled with the HWY MPG makes this engine a pretty good bet.

What do you guys and gals think about the engine now that you've had it for a while? Would you have opted for the V8 for better performance? Are you happy passing the GTs sitting at the gas pump while you cruise by? Would you have gone with a lower end Euro car with similar specs if you could have? Is the handling everything you wanted- or was that the first thing you upgraded?

Thanks in advance.

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

The 2005+ v6 is a great car. I still like the performance on mine. I don't regret not getting a gt.. The only thing you will have to put up with is the people saying should have got v8 blahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

I love the V6, i dont regret getting it either! no trouble, some awesome mods you can do ide do it!

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

I would go for it! I love my V6 and I had a GT before. Use less gas and almost as much power as the older 5.0's I have a 2007 non pony package 5 speed and in 4th at approx 4000 rpm I was going 100mph and still had 5th to go. How much more do you want??????

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

You wont regret it for a second. trust us.

I'm not a fan of the pony package though. but to each his own.

As for performance, unless you take it to the dragstrip against a v8 you realy wont notice a difference. put the FRPP dual exhaust on it and you'll be all set.

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

The pony package is great, imho the 2006 was the best one stock for looks. 2007 and 2008 changed the color of the painted wheels. You get the pony package (at least in 2006 I haven't researched for 07 and 08) if you want an all in one package with: abs w/ traction control, suspension upgrade (people claim it handles better than the standard v6), pony grille of course, and I believe the spoiler and tape stripe are standard but you can remove the tape stripe, you'd have to order the car with the spoiler deleted if that is the case so the trunk wouldn't have holes if u don't want the spoiler. I like the 06 spoiler a lot more than having no spoiler.

Some people on the v6 section don't like ABS, I don't even try to find out why. I like ABS. It is a safety feature. I think in 05 and 06 you could get ABS as a $1000 option, but in 06 the pony package was a $1000 option and came with better looking wheels and grill so that was a no brainer.

Yeah sometimes people ask why not a GT but it hasn't actually happened to me in real life. I get compliments on my car a lot, there are barely any v8's here most people drive v6 mustangs. also from being a non-mustang owner for a long time, as the car gets old I pretty much only pay attention to the styling and not really what engine is under the hood especially since the previous pony package looked like a GT to me I didn't know. I've been reading around and that GT can be quite a gas guzzler, so if you want a GT use it just for weekends not commute in heavy traffic.

v6 has a very strong dependable engine and uses less gas. it is not based on the gt engine as far as I know, the gt uses an aluminum block, this one uses an iron block. but there is also a 4.6L iron block. you can look up a lot of engine history on wikipedia. basically the v6 engine is an overhead cam, so it is very fuel efficient and gives better power than a lot of pushrod engines. likewise the v8 is overhead cam as well.

I suggest test drive both models also. I only test drove the v6, fell in love with it. it was a base model, I bought the pony and the pony sure is a quieter smoother ride.

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

If you are gentle with the throttle, mpg is nearly the same for both cars. But the 4.0 is a GREAT car! Looks great, great TQ down low, less than 1k in mods will have it solid in the 14's, which is damn quick, and faster than a lot of old muscle cars from back in the day.....in stock form of course.

Plus, the 4.0 is a stout block, can easily run high 11's reliably with a turbo. 12's and 13's are in the bag all day long. Even reacts well to the juice and makes boat load of TQ with a safe tune.

Hind sight 20/20, I would have went for the PP FTW.

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

i was one of those who originally wanted the GT but settled on the sxr after test driving both. it was a deal i couldnt refuse, had the features/color i wanted and i was VERY impressed on the torqiness of this 4.0. obviously not at the GT level of performance (stock) but plenty of guts for my needs. and one more thing, its sure fun as hell to mod! ;)

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

Pros

Awesome styling, and I like the color of mine. The shaker 500 sound system sounds great and the engine has enough get up and go for daily driving and for a little fun as well. The auto tranny is very smooth in shifiting and just keeps on pulling. Traction Control is great for snowy and slick days, and it can be turnned off with the push of a button. Lots of trunk space.

Cons
Shaker 500 skips alot, I wish I had a manual at times, stock rims are a bit too small. Tons of plastic on the interrior, and I mean TONS.

I get the V8 thing from my friends sometimes (one of them has an 04 GT) but they're doing it just to bust my balls. I haven't met a stranger that has said that to me, because they're all too busy complimenting the car to care anyway.

Bottom line, compared to the other cars out there for the same money, this is the best car buying decision you'll make if you go with it. Take a look at this.

Car & Driver Link


EDIT: I shortened your link to make the thread easier to read - 28HopUp

RE: Thinking about the getting the 4.0L v6
 

The 4.0 is a decent engine. It's nice and torquey. There's good aftermarket support for the V6 with this generation, as well.

I recommend the Pony package, because it comes with front/rear sway bars, whereas the base V6 only has a front (translation: understeer). The 17" wheels w/ P-Zero Nero's are Z-rated, whereas the stock tires on the base V6 aren't.

All in all, the S197 V6 mustang is a great car for the price+cost of ownership.