Ford Mustang review and call for car suggestions

rharshberger said:

Almost everything is going the way of automatic transmissions now, for a couple of reasons. Automatics no longer have worse fuel economy than manuals, they now have better fuel economy when paired with modern ecu's. Maintenance autos are easier on the rest of the drivetrain especially when inexperienced drivers are behind the wheel. More and more people like autos for the convienence of put it in drive and forget about it. Even big trucks and trucking companies are switching more and more to Automatics and Auto-shifts (not so fondly referred to as auto-sh$%ts by myself), we just got two new dump trucks with Eaton Fuller 10 speeds that are a type of automatic using a manual type tranny with a xy auto shifter and computer controlled clutch. Personally I prefer manuals in all my vehicles, but currently only my semi's have them.

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My brother tried to teach both of his kids (now in their early 20's) how to drive manual transmissions. Neither one of his kids enjoyed the experience. I think manual transmissions are similar to rockets and that younger people don't appreciate or enjoy them like us older guys.

I had manuals until I bought my latest car 6 years ago. I decided that the fun of a manual wasn't worth the hassle of constantly clutching in bad traffic.

We are headed to Ireland for vacation this year. In the past we have rented (or should I say hired) the smallest car we can as the roads are narrow. The last time we went (25 years ago) that meant we got a manual transmission. I wonder if that will be true this time. Shifting with the left hand as we navigate roundabouts! Fun! My wife made me shift for her when she drove because she had trouble shifting with her left hand. Your natural tendency is to try and shift with your right hand, but that means you are trying to open the door.

It will likely be a manual. On my one trip to Ireland we hired a car to drive from Dublin to Kenmare and around the southwest of the country. I found shifting with the left hand in the Opel we drove to be fairly straightforward most of the time. Downshifting was harder than upshifting. And I did knock a front wheel cover off once in a roundabout in Dublin - this being in the first couple of hours of having the car.

We managed to teach four of the five kids to drive manual transmissions and they all profess to prefer it. We laugh at the occasional story about attempted car thieves giving up on a target because they don't know how to drive a manual. However one of the kids just got a Honda Fit with a CVT.

Last available stock color in the running - Magnetic Metallic with aftermarket gloss black racing stripes:

Peartree said:

I had no idea that the Probe was supposed to be a successor in any way to the Mustang. Whenever I saw it, all I saw was a more stylish Escort/economy car. None of the advertising at the time (that I saw) ever have me reason to rethink that perception.

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It was a Mazda MX6/626 with a different body. I don't think it was intended as replacement for the Mustang, just as an alternative. I vastly preferred everything about it that was important to me which included driving quality, comfort, appearance of both the interior/exterior, and gearbox over the Mustang. I couldn't stand the look of the Mustang interior or exterior at that time.

mpitfield said:

I worked as a business manager in the automotive industry for a number of years in my early to mid 20s and I drove almost everything including a Probe GT. It was one of my favourite cars and even though it was based on the MX6 platform, which I also drove, I liked the styling and drive much more.

Funny story now, but not so much back then. My girlfriend at the time was parking the car while I ran into a store. She revered into the spot but drove too far back and the rear bumpber-skin hooked over the rebar that wasn't quite driven all the way into one of those portable parking lot curbs. This wasn't the bad part, after she drove over the spike she heard a noise and instead of stopping to get out to have a look, she decided it would be better to pull forward.

Needless to say when I came out of the store there she was standing beside the car crying. At first I had no idea what she was crying about then I saw the rear bumper-skin laying about 2 feet behind the car. This was a 2 week old red Probe GT.

I have fond memories of the car, the girlfriend not so much.

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Someone backed into her in the parking lot? Never had any such problems with mine. Speaking of rear ends, I once pulled my very low front end Probe GT up close behind a very cute gal at a stoplight who was driving a Camaro with a slightly jacked up rear. Honestly, it was strangely erotic...

Only stops the stupid and unprepared ones, of course...

Kids Try to Steal Pizza Delivery Car, Thwarted by Manual Transmission
The two children, aged 12 and 14, almost had a free ride
March 30, 2018

https://www.thedrive.com/news/19766...-delivery-car-thwarted-by-manual-transmission

Teens' attempted car theft foiled by stick shift
June 22, 2014

https://komonews.com/news/local/teens-attempted-car-theft-foiled-by-stick-shift-11-20-2015

Is a Stick Shift an Anti-Theft Device?
January 25, 2016

https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/is-a-stick-shift-an-anti-theft-device

Winston said:

Last available stock color in the running - Magnetic Metallic with aftermarket gloss black racing stripes:

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Not a silver fan, but this car looks nice. Needs a shaker hood scoop... :blush:

jd2cylman said:

Not a silver fan, but this car looks nice. Needs a shaker hood scoop... :blush:

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Silver is a lame color.
Especially for a sports car.
Especially for a car with a well sculpted exterior that deserves to be seen and enjoyed, not hidden and camouflaged.

Keep silver for the mini-van!

a

BEC said:

It will likely be a manual. On my one trip to Ireland we hired a car to drive from Dublin to Kenmare and around the southwest of the country. I found shifting with the left hand in the Opel we drove to be fairly straightforward most of the time. Downshifting was harder than upshifting. And I did knock a front wheel cover off once in a roundabout in Dublin - this being in the first couple of hours of having the car.

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Whenever I need a car in Europe, I always rent a manual.
The selection is vastly richer, rental rates are far cheaper, you get to drive funky cars that are not on sale in the US.
Shifting with the left hand (Ireland, UK) is a surprisingly easy transition. Remembering what side of the road to exit on after a round-about is far trickier, especially when tired, or coming back form a pub. Statistically, I only get it right ~95% if the time ;-)

BEC said:

We managed to teach four of the five kids to drive manual transmissions and they all profess to prefer it. We laugh at the occasional story about attempted car thieves giving up on a target because they don't know how to drive a manual. However one of the kids just got a Honda Fit with a CVT.

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I'm approaching that very same challenge right now.
My kids race karts (clock times within 0.01's of each other), and the older one wants to start driving the real cars.

Funny thing is - the smallest and safest car I could consider putting him into is an EV - just one gear for each direction (forward/reverse)!
You think slush-boxes are slow-response floppy paddles are too easy and too boring ?
Visualize learning to drive on a car with no gears!
:wink:

a
P.S.: And yes, I will, eventually, force them through a regiment of 6 spd training as well.

jd2cylman said:

Not a silver fan, but this car looks nice. Needs a shaker hood scoop... :blush:

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By chance, it also happens to be pretty much the color of my pickup, just the Toyota version.

afadeev said:

Funny thing is - the smallest and safest car I could consider putting him into is an EV - just one gear for each direction (forward/reverse)!
You think slush-boxes are slow-response floppy paddles are too easy and too boring ?
Visualize learning to drive on a car with no gears!
:wink:

a
P.S.: And yes, I will, eventually, force them through a regiment of 6 spd training as well.

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As I mentioned early in this thread, I have an EV (a Kia Soul EV). With the added dimension of regenerative braking it is almost too easy to drive. One seldom has to even use the brake pedal, never mind that there's no clutch.

That said, we get a kick out of the instant on torque and the general responsiveness of it. Fun in a different sort of way.

Going back and forth between the two (the other car in the driveway is a 2013 Mazda3 hatch with a six-speed manual) can be entertaining from time to time.....

Heck, even Batboy on Gotham now has a Mustang. Looks to be matte black.

Hmmm, not so good...

2020 HENNESSEY GT500 VENOM 1200

https://hennesseyperformance.com/vehicles/ford/mustang/2020-shelby-gt500-ford-mustang/venom-1200/

POWER:

1200 bhp @ 7,000 rpm (E85 fuel or 109 octane unleaded race fuel)
1000 lb-ft torque @ 4,800 rpm

INCLUDES:

Twin Turbo system
Upgraded intercooler system
Fuel system upgrade
Stainless steel exhaust system
Upgraded pistons & rods
Transmission upgrade
High-flow air induction system
Hennessey embroidered headrests
Hennessey & Venom 1200 exterior badges
Serial numbered dash plaque signed by John Hennessey
Serial numbered engine compartment plaque
Includes professional installation
Chassis dyno testing before and after modification
Vehicle to be test driven up to 150 miles
Limited 1 year / 12,000 mile warranty [Why so short? LOL! I know why... lead foot owners... why else have 1,200 bhp? - W]

Winston said:

Hmmm, not so good...

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The dangerous part is the idiot driving it.

pontiac g8 gxp or chevy ss. hard to find manual trans in either but both are wicked fun to drive.

It sounds from posts above that part of "fun to drive" is engine noise and manually shifting gears. If that's true, then this may not be applicable. If not though, I'd encourage you to take a test drive in a Nissan Leaf. We have a 2013. It's super-fun to drive, accelerates well off the line, corners nicely, and is a fantastic commuter car.

In our area at least, the cars coming off leases have relatively few miles and are pretty cheap. It's also super-cheap to run. Ours costs about 2 cents a mile to drive, though we do have some of the cheapest electricity in the country here. The only real maintenance costs are tires and the cabin air filter. Because of regenerative braking, it doesn't use up brakes much.

I'm generally conservative on the gas pedal but have tailgated a couple of sports cars off the line when they were revving engines and otherwise being stupid at traffic lights.

boatgeek said:

It sounds from posts above that part of "fun to drive" is engine noise and manually shifting gears. If that's true, then this may not be applicable. If not though, I'd encourage you to take a test drive in a Nissan Leaf. We have a 2013. It's super-fun to drive, accelerates well off the line, corners nicely, and is a fantastic commuter car.

In our area at least, the cars coming off leases have relatively few miles and are pretty cheap. It's also super-cheap to run. Ours costs about 2 cents a mile to drive, though we do have some of the cheapest electricity in the country here. The only real maintenance costs are tires and the cabin air filter. Because of regenerative braking, it doesn't use up brakes much.

I'm generally conservative on the gas pedal but have tailgated a couple of sports cars off the line when they were revving engines and otherwise being stupid at traffic lights.

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Even my truck has a manual transmission. I like doing something more while driving.

rharshberger said:

Almost everything is going the way of automatic transmissions now, for a couple of reasons. Automatics no longer have worse fuel economy than manuals, they now have better fuel economy when paired with modern ecu's. Maintenance autos are easier on the rest of the drivetrain especially when inexperienced drivers are behind the wheel. More and more people like autos for the convienence of put it in drive and forget about it. Even big trucks and trucking companies are switching more and more to Automatics and Auto-shifts (not so fondly referred to as auto-sh$%ts by myself), we just got two new dump trucks with Eaton Fuller 10 speeds that are a type of automatic using a manual type tranny with a xy auto shifter and computer controlled clutch. Personally I prefer manuals in all my vehicles, but currently only my semi's have them.

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Things are going the way of the 6-cylinder....alas. I have been American V-8, manual transmission to the bone since high school...then I drove the Cadillac. My expectations were low - a 3.6l automatic?! Well, they get over 300hp out of that little six banger, and manually shifting the 8-speed auto - I can take my 4 door caddy sideways though 3 gears.

I believe!

Don't get hung up on the old rules - they are still cranking out hot rods.

I say Subaru Imperza STI! But then again, I'm a rally car guy.. I'd rather have something quick & nimble over brute HP.. And manual of course, with a tuned handbrake for corners!

Corvette is the Ticket! Domestic bred exotic! Mustang owners hate Corvettes because they always get beat...

My favorite (okay I'm biased since my Dad owns it) 4-Speed Manual Transmission ride.

boatgeek said:

It sounds from posts above that part of "fun to drive" is engine noise and manually shifting gears.

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to me its more than that. fun to drive is being able to take winding roads and not a worry about the car pitching and rolling. i have an 08 grand prix. just the 3800 but its peppy and its real fun on winding roads.

I love mustangs.....they taste like chicken

Scott Hala said:

My favorite (okay I'm biased since my Dad owns it) 4-Speed Manual Transmission ride.

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My Vette... Took picture with phone of printed photo, don't have a scanner...

1994 C4 LT1 330hp Auto. The cheapest Vette model you can buy, but still fun!

Any reason you folks aren't posting in a Corvette thread instead of in a Mustang thread?

tomsteve said:

to me its more than that. fun to drive is being able to take winding roads and not a worry about the car pitching and rolling. i have an 08 grand prix. just the 3800 but its peppy and its real fun on winding roads.

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If that's what you like, take a test ride in an electric next time you're in the market for a car. A low center of gravity from the batteries and instant torque make winding roads lots of fun.

C'mon guys! ICEs are dead. Don't know what you are paying for these dinosaurs but EVs are the way to go and, of course, Tesla is the only way to go EV.

Here is my current dream. Can't (really "won't) afford a new one so it will probably be a 2016 - in this case a Model X P90DL. Not sure my wife will let me go Ludicrcous and maybe that is a little much for a 71 yr old geezer. But hey, I gotta start ticking off those bucket list items - the clock is ticking.

So here is my suggestion for all of you who want a hot, beautiful vehicle that will kick the ass of just about any ICE (at least at 1/4 mile), will help assuage / mitigate the guilt you have (or should have - I have a ton) about continuing to pollute our beautiful, probably unique, home in this vast universe. You would also be able to look your kids, grand kids in the eye and know you have done something to help save their future.

And you will be driving one of the most beautiful, ass kicking vehicles on the planet!


My vehicular evolution if any cares but it was interesting to jot down for me:

- 1973 Toyota Landcruiser F40 New, $3800 out the door (rolled it), never the same
- 1974 " " " Pre-owned, after moving to the country, traded a guy at work for,
- 1976 Chevy 3/4 ton farm truck, Chevy wore out,
- 1989 Ford 3/4 ton Diesel 2WD new,
- 1969 Toyota Landcruiser FJ 40 w/289 Chevy conversion, fell in love with this baby sitting along side the road with a for sale sign,
- 1977 Jeep Cherokee Sport (2 kids in college vehicle)
- 2002 Ford Mustang GT Convertible (of all the Mustangs this was the body style I liked most) - Forest Green, Camel top
- 1989 VW Westphalia Van (always wanted on after my parents had a 1872 Westy)
- 2004 BMW X5 - Until the vehicle pictured below, the most appealing vehicle ever, especially in Silver
- 2010 Dodge 3/4 Cummins Turbo Diesel 4WD (been everywhere and recovered at least 150 rockets at Black Rock) - current
- 2017 Subaru Forester (my wife's car but I love it) - current

It looks like an egg on wheels. I'll keep my Stinger.

boatgeek said:

If that's what you like, take a test ride in an electric next time you're in the market for a car. A low center of gravity from the batteries and instant torque make winding roads lots of fun.

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ive seen some teslas around metro detroit at traffic lights. they are seriously fast off the line,too.