BWX

Hi, just a few questions. I have never owned a Ford, ever, first of all.. I will be going to a local Dealer who has an 07' V6 in Silver w/ 27k miles on it and it's a 5-speed too .

I was wondering if there is anything I should really look out for on these cars while test driving it besides all the normal stuff, I mean things specific to this car than might be a common issue, etc.

After looking at a bunch of different types of cars in that price range I think the V6 Mustang is one hell of a bargain for what you get. I can't wait to test drive the thing. They also have an AUTO in orange with 36k miles, but I don't think I want to stick out that much, or drive a sporty RWD car with an AUTO trans.

How is the reliability of these cars in general? If there are some issues, what are they? I have heard about the battery drain issue.. but that's about it so far. I definitely need to do some more research.

Thanks for any advice on this purchase..

48prerunner

battery drain comes from if you leave the radio on with the shakers I always turn mine off and run a battery tender in the winter when the car is stored. Check out the front edge of the hood like the underside some had problems with corrosion. Also listen for noise in the standard tranny if the car was run hard it will show there first. I think the grabber orange is awesome was my first choice but could not find one so I got black. hwo far upsate?

lundefinedl

I think in general mustangs are very reliable because the engine is usually over-engineered. Also, the rest of the car is pretty simple as far as suspension and drivetrain. I would listen for any kind of suspension noise or rattle over bumps.

48prerunner, what do you listen for in tranny noise? I have found that while my car is in gear it is quiet; however, in neutral at stoplights you can hear a rattle that goes away when you stick it in gear. The rattle is independent of if the clutch is in or out, just in neutral.

red07Pony

I have an '07 with manual tranny(MT) and my car has been very reliable (@35k). I bought it brand new. But I'd consider the MT the weak part of our car. It's noisy and clunky meaning it's hard to shift and notchy. I have the exact same problem of being in neutral at stoplights and can hear some type of a rattle or like a humming noise that goes away when I push the clutch in. I have no idea what that is whether it's just the nature of the beast or a lurking problem.

My advice is test drive it listen for what we're speaking of and know that it could be nothing or something that we're all experiencing. Use that as part of your nogotiations. Have them throw in an extended warranty at no cost to you or something like that.

Mine is my daily driver and it's been one of the absolute best cars I've ever owned...I traded my honda civic in on mine - no regrets!

red07Pony

Crap...one more thing to look out for....after you BUY the car....there is this thing called the mod bug!! If you catch the mod bug it will suck all your spare money from your wallet and these mods will start appearing all over your stang

jdphillips73

The auto will cost you more...

on a side note... i bought my wife a 2004 kia optima v6/auto sportamatic yesterday.

that thing has a auto tranny and a clutchless shifter if you want to shift manually.... the best of both worlds, i wish they would put that in a mustang.

BWX

Great info, thanks for replies. That's exactly the kind of thing I was
wondering about- little noises etc... that might be an issue.

The Orange one has a few more miles, (36k) than the silver (27k), but they
are both the same price. who knows, by the time I get there they might
both be gone for all I know.. but this dealership is big, and they can
probably find me one similar to those in mileage if those sell before I am
ready to buy.

Plus this dealer has great prices compared to anywhere else I have seen,
on the internet or local.

BTW, I live on the lower border of upstate right next to PA. I used to live
near Buffalo NY where there is a lot more snow. Down here in Elmira we get
snow, but not as much or as often.

I hope some sandbags in the back and some winter tires will allow me to drive
the thing in snow.. I won't be putting 18's on it or anything, so I will have
the stock sized all season tires on there, maybe that will suffice in the snow.
Then maybe I can get some summer tires that are bigger and mount them on
some nice wheels just for the summer months.

Yes I imagine I will catch the upgrade bug. It happens to me with my PCs,
my Mountain bikes, etc,.. just about anything I can improve on I like to do
it. I may think about just leaving everything completely and totally stock
though, just to increase the re-sale value in the future-- I plan on not putting
a lot of miles on it. It will be hard to leave it stock though.

BWX

Srry for double post but that was getting long..

The other fairly young used cars with low miles that I saw
at this particular dealer are:

2005 Subaru Legacy, 5-SPEED, 27k miles, Drk Blue

2007 Dodge Charger SXT, AUTO, 33k miles, blue

2005 Saab 9-3 ARC, (I think it's a 2.0L Turbo), AUTO, 32k miles,
red, Leather, Sunroof, etc..

2007 Chrysler 300, AUTO, 23k miles, Gray

EDIT- forgot these:5 of these to chose from-
VW Passat 2.0L turbo, all 2006, four 6-SPEEDS, one AUTO, 29k to 38k mi.
Silver or Blue, one "Bright Blue"

A few 06' to 08' Chevy Impala LT's (not the LTZ) with low miles
(I doubt I would by one though)

2007 Honda Accord V6 4dr, (too much $$ for me though)

....even more boring but might test drive:
2005 Buick Lacross CX, AUTO, 34k miles, Champagne

2007 Ford Fusion SE, AUTO, 20k miles, Black

So you can see why the rear wheel drive 4.0L V6 mustang would be better.
It's probably the fastest right out of the box, and with some tuning could be
even more powerful. I love the low end grunt of a big V6. A supercharger
would be awesome.

BWX

So are these horrible in the snow or do they do "OK"? That is a pretty big concern for me.
EDIT-
My co-signers are worried about it.

Avalanch3

I hear people put sand bags in the trunk along with a nice set of winter tires you should be fine. I would not know first hand because I live in California.