2011 Mustang V6

[Jez]

I managed to fit two full size holdalls with wheels and two rucksacks into the boot - just.

wonderfull

Be careful with this advice. I think there is a discrepancy as to what constitutes a full size bit of luggage. I could JUST fit one of our cases in the boot, the other had to go over the back seats. This single case only just went in, with having to force the boot lid closed on it.

If you plan to get 2 sets of luggage in there, then squishy holdalls will be all that will fit. Hard shaped cases you will never get 2 in.

 

[ChrisJSY]

£35,000 for a Mustang GT Premium imported to the UK with 19's, underseal and Xenons.

Or the same as a Porsche Cayman. Or only £10k less than a BMW M3.

Hardly half the price!

I never said it was double/half the price, I said almost and that I wasn't sure the facts I read were entirely true. Like I said I'm going around the net looking at prices I see, they all seem a bit wrong.

As for "only being £10k less than a BMW M3"....

I don't know if the facts are true about the costs, I am converting from american prices but with even 10k you've got a lot of room to improve.

I'm seeing 35k for v8 mustangs new, just like you but the m3 prices are ranging from 47-55k, look how about we both call it here and realise I have no real point and was just musing

 

[Jez]

This is such a silly argument. The argument was a used one. The fact is that over here, WITH our ludicrous used market, they make no sense, as you can buy much better premium german metal for the same outlay.

I brought up the example of an M3 as a premium german machine which can be bought at the same USED price point, which would match the power requirement originally set out (at 300bhp in this instance). The other machinery brought up by Fox (the 335i for instance) further in-forces this point.

 

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Double post fail

 

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Be careful with this advice. I think there is a discrepancy as to what constitutes a full size bit of luggage. I could JUST fit one of our cases in the boot, the other had to go over the back seats. This single case only just went in, with having to force the boot lid closed on it.

If you plan to get 2 sets of luggage in there, then squishy holdalls will be all that will fit. Hard shaped cases you will never get 2 in.

Shouldn't have packed soo many heals then jez.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Be careful with this advice. I think there is a discrepancy as to what constitutes a full size bit of luggage. I could JUST fit one of our cases in the boot, the other had to go over the back seats. This single case only just went in, with having to force the boot lid closed on it.

Only a fool would take a hard case and expect to get it into a convertible, so obviously, as stated, we took large wheeled holdalls instead.

 

[Jez]

Only a fool would take a hard case and expect to get it into a convertible, so obviously, as stated, we took large wheeled holdalls instead.

Which is why this advice needs to be taken carefully, as we do not know who may be taking it. Not many people use holdalls these days, that part very much needs emphasising as a crucial type of luggage to take if the luggage space is important. The boot is small, and will not fit 2 normal modern cases in it.

 

[JRS]

Great review Fox. Though I do have to take issue with one bit:

like you’d expect from anything with cart springs

*nngh!*

Last time I checked, the Mustang had coils on each corner and has had those for a fair old while now. It does, however, retain a live axle out back - mostly because it's a lot cheaper than IRS, and partly because if you locate it right it will get pretty close to being just as good as IRS while being a lot more robust. The only Mustangs to feature IRS so far have been the Cobra Rs from the previous (4th) generation - they generated some pretty impressive skidpan numbers, but if you tried to fit all Mustangs with that setup and still keep production numbers the way they are now you'd end up raising the production cost up to a point where you'd start hurting the business.

You say the auto 'box was a bit crap. This is true of most modern FoMoCo automatic gearboxes, which is a hugely irritating given that they've built some pretty decent ones over the years. Presumably they've got it set to change up through the box at low RPMs to get it past the California hippy brigade and their emissions control nonsense. Or they're just thick. Either way, most of my experience with American auto 'boxes stops at about 1983 (leaving aside Project Bentley, given that the boys from Crewe used GM 'boxes for a very long time) and back then they weren't as witless as you found the 'stang one.

 

[[TW]Fox]

What I don't get is why Ford still have crap boxes. They are capable of making decent boxes. The box in the Ford Falcon I drove last year was excellent - and the engine was less powerful. Why don't they simply use that box? It was a great box, smooth, shifted when you wanted to, had a proper Sport mode and a tiptronic function!

 

[Gibbo]

The new ones still seem excellent value considering the 5.0 V8 you get in the 2011 Mustang

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1645112.htm

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1910223.htm

Those prices are shocking, seriously unless they are giving you a full warranty like a regular car dealership the profits they are making are pretty scary.

Plus those cars are poverty spec and AUTO, oh dear.

Go onto the US Ford website, spec your own Mustang and then ship it over yourself, it works out a lot more cheaper, obviously there are some issues regarding warranty when you do it yourself but their are some US dealers who deal with a lot of UK customers, so its advisable to speak to those dealers and shop around.

Or be sensible wait 12 months, buy the same car for 25k region with a few miles on the clock and 12 months old.

 

[Gibbo]

Great review Fox. Though I do have to take issue with one bit:



*nngh!*

Last time I checked, the Mustang had coils on each corner and has had those for a fair old while now. It does, however, retain a live axle out back - mostly because it's a lot cheaper than IRS, and partly because if you locate it right it will get pretty close to being just as good as IRS while being a lot more robust. The only Mustangs to feature IRS so far have been the Cobra Rs from the previous (4th) generation - they generated some pretty impressive skidpan numbers, but if you tried to fit all Mustangs with that setup and still keep production numbers the way they are now you'd end up raising the production cost up to a point where you'd start hurting the business.

You say the auto 'box was a bit crap. This is true of most modern FoMoCo automatic gearboxes, which is a hugely irritating given that they've built some pretty decent ones over the years. Presumably they've got it set to change up through the box at low RPMs to get it past the California hippy brigade and their emissions control nonsense. Or they're just thick. Either way, most of my experience with American auto 'boxes stops at about 1983 (leaving aside Project Bentley, given that the boys from Crewe used GM 'boxes for a very long time) and back then they weren't as witless as you found the 'stang one.

JRS

Correction their when the S197 was released it out handled in the Cobra IRS Mustangs in test simply because the S197 chassis was so much superior to the outgoing SN95 Mustangs and was proof a decent live axle setup is superior to a poor-average IRS setup which the Cobra Mustangs was.

 

[Gibbo]

What I don't get is why Ford still have crap boxes. They are capable of making decent boxes. The box in the Ford Falcon I drove last year was excellent - and the engine was less powerful. Why don't they simply use that box? It was a great box, smooth, shifted when you wanted to, had a proper Sport mode and a tiptronic function!

This is probably just a wild guess m8 but the guys in the US love the AUTO box for the drag strip.

Supposedly it makes the car launching hard from a standstill with a lot of power quite easy and the American seem to love it for that and I am sure you must be aware that 90% of Americans are far more interested in drag racing than actualy drivability or daily use. This is just me stating what I've read US side on how they preferre the AUTO for drag racing and at that it fairs well. But I must add again that nearly all US owners are changing the gearbox settings via remaps/settings etc.

Though the Europeans have managed to give automatic designs that can do it all.

 

[Phate]

Or be sensible wait 12 months, buy the same car for 25k region with a few miles on the clock and 12 months old.

Sounds like you got your plan sorted then

 

[Gibbo]

Sounds like you got your plan sorted then

Dunno gotta admit I absolutely love the EVO, its an absolutely devasting weapon on the road, its like a Mini-GTR, love it.

 

[[TW]Fox]

It just makes no sense, Ford appear to have 3 completely seperate operations in 3 continents all making totally different products. Surely there are huge diseconomies of scale here?

We've got Ford Australia churning out the closest Ford I've ever driven to a premium product in the Falcon. Fantastic car, well built, well specified, brilliant 6 and 8 cylinder engines, great gearbox.

Then we've got Ford America who instead of simply using the excellent Falcon as the mid-size Sedan insist on designing a completely new one with a completely different engine and a completely different gearbox, which no doubt sucks, and also various cars like the Mustang with the same sucky gearbox when they've got a perfectly decent gearbox available from the other side of the Pacific. Then they fill them with absolutely godawful cheap build quality. Why? Ford know how to screw a car together pretty well - the Mondeo is not badly built, the Falcon is not badly built heck even the new Fiesta is better than the Mustang. How can they do it so well and so bad at the same time?

Then we've got Ford of Europe who consistently churn out half decent cars with little in the way of complaints, yet crap autoboxes.

WHY?! There is a bit of sharing - Fiesta is worldwide now and the Focus was for a bit until eventually Ford US got bored and made the US Focus a totally different car, but otherwise what a waste of money.

They seem to reinvent the wheel every time for each market.

 

[Phate]

Dunno gotta admit I absolutely love the EVO, its an absolutely devasting weapon on the road, its like a Mini-GTR, love it.

lol, it's missing 4 cylinders though!

 

[Gibbo]

It just makes no sense, Ford appear to have 3 completely seperate operations in 3 continents all making totally different products. Surely there are huge diseconomies of scale here?

We've got Ford Australia churning out the closest Ford I've ever driven to a premium product in the Falcon. Fantastic car, well built, well specified, brilliant 6 and 8 cylinder engines, great gearbox.

Then we've got Ford America who instead of simply using the excellent Falcon as the mid-size Sedan insist on designing a completely new one with a completely different engine and a completely different gearbox, which no doubt sucks, and also various cars like the Mustang with the same sucky gearbox when they've got a perfectly decent gearbox available from the other side of the Pacific. Then they fill them with absolutely godawful cheap build quality. Why? Ford know how to screw a car together pretty well - the Mondeo is not badly built, the Falcon is not badly built heck even the new Fiesta is better than the Mustang. How can they do it so well and so bad at the same time?

Then we've got Ford of Europe who consistently churn out half decent cars with little in the way of complaints, yet crap autoboxes.

WHY?! There is a bit of sharing - Fiesta is worldwide now and the Focus was for a bit until eventually Ford US got bored and made the US Focus a totally different car, but otherwise what a waste of money.

They seem to reinvent the wheel every time for each market.

Hey m8

Maybe if they had people like me and you running them, they'd make better profits.

Its like why does the UK not get the ECO-Boost engines? Why don't we get cars like the Taurus? Then likewise as to what you say.

At least their getting better, now at least you can spec the 2011 Mustang with Brembo brake package, Sports suspension, different rear-end gears but like you say they do seem to try and reinvent the wheel for each different market.

 

[Gibbo]

lol, it's missing 4 cylinders though!

Yeah agreed it sounds crap, and is rubbish of the mark due to being an in-line 4 cyclinder turbo.

Thats where the RS4 is far superior, better engine, but the RS4 in comparison to me is boring, yeah is far better built interior wise but my fun comes from looning and chucking the car around. The EVO absolutely loves been grabbed by scruff of the neck and thrown around, plus it can pull off some epic big slides.

The RS4's I drove just go all moody on you when you chuck them about, realy shame as the sound, quality is ample, just as long as you get one that produces all 400+ horses.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I can see why the UK doesn't get the Taurus or the Falcon. We are a nation thats obsessed with small cars with crap diesel engines. Hence we buy bucketloads of diesel Fiesta and Focus and nobody would buy a big RWD 6 cylinder auto saloon. No demand. Thats fine.

But America and Australia both buy big 6 cylinder RWD automatic cars. So why is there zero overlap? Why is there no platform sharing?

 

[Gibbo]

I can see why the UK doesn't get the Taurus or the Falcon. We are a nation thats obsessed with small cars with crap diesel engines. Hence we buy bucketloads of diesel Fiesta and Focus and nobody would buy a big RWD 6 cylinder auto saloon. No demand. Thats fine.

But America and Australia both buy big 6 cylinder RWD automatic cars. So why is there zero overlap? Why is there no platform sharing?

I think the Taurus would sell, its like a super mondeo. Its more powerful, its got AWD, hell Ford could market it as safer UK car that has power but won't cost the earth to run as its an ECO-Boost engine that can still deliver 35MPG yet churns out over 300 horses and can power to 60mph in circa 5.5s.

In a way its like an S4 rival and am sure Ford could pitch it 10k cheaper than an S4, as obviously its not same level of quality but in all intents the Ford has the better engine, better MPG and lower running cost for the same levels of performance more or less? Though I see what your saying but I can't stand small engine cars unless its a lightweight driving focused machine, otherwise its just ewwwww.