Ok finally drove an '05 Mustang. It was a V6 with auto.

Welllll..........

I thought it looked pretty sharp (I actually like those Halibrand-like V6 wheels with knock off caps), but couldn't help feeling alittle bit disappointed with certain aspects of the car.

The interior looks nice, but it sure is cheap! The door rattled when I closed it...didn't like that too much. Everything you touch feels so flimsy,you're almost afraid pieces are going to fall off. I was pretty shocked by that.

The V6 puts out good power and low end torque, but it really feels and sounds rough and coarse. The higher you rev, the thrashier it gets. I don't know if I could handle driving that everyday, it was the least satisfying aspect of the car. I think the 3.5 Duratec that Mustang will supposedly get is a MUCH nicer motor.

As for the chassis, it sure feels an awful lot like my 3rd gen (SURPRISE!)....as does the driving position. It feels more structurally rigid than my IROC though. But if I didn't know about cars, and someone told me this was a rebodied '82 Camaro....I'd believe it....that's how similar the driving experience is. And before anyone asks me -YES - there is no doubt that you can feel that live rear axle under your butt. It's a well controlled live rear axle ...but you know it's there. If you're craving more sophisticated chassis dynamics, you probably won't find your fix in a V6 Mustang. Sorry.

If you want a GT, you'll have to wait till '06. The dealer I went to, had only V6's. Apparently, the V6's seem to be piling up at dealers ( due to Ford's 50% V8 production limit).....you could probably get a decent deal on them.

This might be a nice $20K daily beater...but IMHO....it is not a car to covet, unless you do it for the styling. Although distinctly styled, the '05 Mustang sort of felt like a mid cycle enhanced 3rd gen Camaro. I sure hope for much, much more polish in the next Camaro.

BTW, when I hopped back into my 86,000 mile SVT Contour......in comparison, mechanically...it felt like a BMW. I wasn't expecting that either.

 

You've got the right idea. For $20K, the new 2005 Mustang make a brilliant "door stop." If you're the sort of commuter that's just going to leave a car in a parking lot all day, you might as well commute in style in a Mustang V6. It's a better looking car - and a better value - than a comparably priced Cobalt.

 

I'd really like to hear a coparo about the V8 car's suspension, get it closer to apples to apples.

From my own personal perspective, the most disapointing thing is the way people go 'ga-ga' over the retro styling.

 

Flimsy? No so sure. But I'll agree with the cheap part. Hard plastic everywhere. Not good, even though redzed wondered about my "infatuation" with soft feeling interior parts. I didn't even bother answering that one.

As for the door rattle, I suspect you are talking about when you open & close the door. The power window that drops and raises a 1/4 inch when you open or close the door. From the inside, when you close the door, it sounds like something's loose in the door (I thought the same thing the 1st few times). That's one feature I'm not a fan of, regardless as to how much wind noise it eliminates.

It's been 5 days since I wrote my observations on the V6, and I turn in the car tomorrow (a full week with it! ). I don't think the V6 is any rougher or courser than my LT1. But that low end kick IMHO makes up for it.


I agree that you won't mistake it with IRS. But unless you are actually looking for it, it's shortcomings are very subdued compared to my Camaro. I'd love to drive a IRS Cobra to compare.

That's the point that's really impressive. It IS such a good daily driver, and that's why they're selling like gangbusters.

It's easy to drive, the V6 is faster than 90+% of the ricers you'll encounter, it has a huge trunk, handles very very well, looks great, and you can pick one up cheap & there's already alot of aftermarket & factory based performance & personalization parts. That's exactly the old pony car formula.

If Camaro follows this formula they will also do extraordinarily well too. Guys our age used to move up to Cougars and GTOs.

 

For the full effect, drive a CTS.

 

Not that I don't doubt your being able to tell that the Mustang had a live rear axle, but...

1) Your a car expert
2) You were looking for it
3) You don't like live rear axles
4) You're a car expert (worth repeating)

The average person looking at the V6 Mustang will not know what a live rear axle is. They will be looking for a good looking daily driver with above average performance. As for the notion that it handles like your IROC, I too would like a comparison of the GT to the IROC. I have driven V6 3rd gens and their handling is , so it's not fair to judge a peformance model by its cheapest variant.

I definitely agree that the interior is very cheap. Just like you said, it felt flimsy. IMO, this car would be a great deal at $24,000 (for a GT), but once you get closer to $30,000 a GTO is a much better deal.

For the Camaro, I would like to see a higher quality interior than that of the Mustang. I would also like to see better handling - although I think it's totally possible to get this even without an IRS.

 

A little out of my $$$ target range, my friend.

 

You don't need to buy one....just drive one.

 

i don't know, having a car drive like my 3rd gen...
imo, that might make for a bit of fun
it might not stick too well, but it's atleast fun to throw around corners

 

IROCs handled alot better than 3rd gen V6s. So much so, that some people think they handled better than 4th gens (though we know the truth ).

I think that puts the V6 Mustang's handling into better perspective.

If the next Camaro has interior quality, materials, & design detail levels equal to that of the Cobalt, I don't think there's anything to worry about.

 

That would be an interesting comparison....comparing an 1989 IROC with a new 2005 GT.

Just for the record, the V6 handled nowhere near my IROC. What it felt like was a 3rd gen RS, with an LG4/L03.......but with lots less body flex.

 

Funny you should say that b/c I just saw a chick in a red-white '05 Stang with 30-day tags, take down a Civic with a wing..

Also in regards to handling, I'm not sure how many tire/wheel combo's there are fro the Stang, but that also greatly affects the Ride and Handling...as with the winter 215/65/15 Blizzaks I ran on My Roc...felt almost like an RS.

Better, well....at least as good if not better. (biased, maybe )

 

Yep, I know it's not a fair comparison. All I was saying is that it's really not fair to judge the car by the handling of the base V6. I have heard and read that the GT handles MUCH better, if for no other reason, because it has far superior tires.

 

Actually, I do think it would an interesting comparo. I'd bet it would be closer than alot of people think. I would need new rubber though, I still have the 16 year old, factory Gatorbacks.

 

agreed that the average person will not know what a live axle is however; most average car buyers will consider IRS to be a better suspension.

*Salesman talking to porspective 5th gen v6 buyer*
"This Camaro has a standard 2**HP V6 engine, 6-speed manual (wishful thinking on my part) or a 4-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel Independent suspension. You know, The Ford Mustang doesn't have as powerful of an engine or an independent rear suspension on the V6 model and the Camaro starts at the same price (more wishful thinking)."


Perception is reality!