Help me!! Car decision gets harder - Your thoughts, anybody know of any reviews?

Gibbo

Gibbo

Gibbo

OcUK Staff
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
38,638
Location
OcUK HQ
Hi there

I've pretty much narrowed my next choice of car down to either a Porsche 911 C2/C4 aged around 1998-1999 with 30k-60k mileage for approx 22k-26k.

However something inside me makes me scream that I want one of these:-
http://www.saleen.com/s281_3v.htm

For 25k-28k I am looking at a new 2005 with sub 2000 miles Saleen tuned Ford Mustang. Check out the link all about them and listen to exhaust and watch the handling videos, also see the more extreme versions and the S7, WOW:-
http://www.saleen.com/s281_3v_performance.htm

Look at these pics of one for sale locally to me:-
Mustang1.jpg

Mustang2.jpg

Mustang4.jpg









Now so do I get one of those or one of these?:-









66136-1.jpg

66136-3.jpg



Performance Comparison
Its a real hard decision, performance wise both are more or less identical. The Porsche has 300BHP with 260lb-ft torque and the Mustang has 330BHP (Approx 345BHP when re-tuned for Optimax), but the Mustang does have approx 80lb/ft (350ish lb-ft torque) more torque which is quite a bit more. Both hit 60mph in sub 5s and the Porsche gets to 100mph about 1s quicker (11.4s). The Mustang does the 1/4 in approx 13.5s with 105mph terminal whilst the Porsche does it in about 12.9 I think with a terminal of 110mph+. The Porsche is definetely quicker into 3 figures.

Styling
I absolute love the retro and aggressive styling of the Mustang and plus the fact it would probably be the only one of its kind in the UK or one of a few. The interior is fab with it 165 colour dash and all leather interior.
The Porsche too looks absolutely gorgeous with the rear view of the car been the best though it looks great from all angles, just a shame the front is not much different from the more common Boxter and even though the 911 is pretty rare you see at least 1 or 2 per day and I've never seen a Mustang yet.

Handling
The Mustang is rear wheel drive with traction control I am not 100% sure but I believe this Saleen version has the entire suspension overworked turning it into a good handling car, however I am unsure, the owner says as good as his wifes M3 and if thats true then that is very good.
The Porsche I'd imagine wins hands down here and the C4 version definetely better suited to UK roads/weather possibly making it safer and easier to cover A-B faster irrelevant of road conditions with its AWD and traction/stability control systems wheras with the Mustang caution maybe advisable.

Reliability
Both should be reliable as the Mustang is pretty basic technology and built very strong so little to go wrong and when it does sourcing parts could take time but a quick visit too Ebay or US probably gets parts quite cheap.
The Porsche too should have great reliability afterall its German though I do imagine if something does go wrong then its a fortune to fix....

Cost & Depreciation
Both cost similar, except one is brand new and one is 6-8 years old....
The Porsche will probably not depreciate much more and when it comes to selling be easy to sell on.
Wheras the Mustang could depreciate lots with it been new and left hand drive, plus selling on could prove difficult due too a very limited customer base and then its left hand drive....

Running cost
At the moment I am used to getting approx 16-20mpg with my driving and my car has been superbly reliable and servicing is cheap. The Mustang I predict will do 14-25mpg depending on driving so similar and again servicing intervals are very far apart with requiring just oill changes in the first 100k miles I believe and its been something you can do yourself. Insurance on a Saleen Mustang could be hard, gotta find somebody who will insure one first and then it could be expensive....
The Porsche should be good on mpg, no doubt 20-30mpg but servicing is required regular and is not cheap, but insurance is OK at approx £900 for myself.


So there you have it, in my view two awsome cars and if I could afford it I'd have both definetely but its gotta be one or the other and its such a tough decision.
If anybody can help with more details on the Mustang it would be appreciated. I need help with things such as does this Mustang truly have a completely new suspension or is it still using that old technology that made them handle poorly before or is this truly a good handling car now? Anybody got any ideas who is good to try on insurance as I take it this would be considered a very highly modified vehicle or would it be consider factory STD as it was produced this way?

I am hoping to test drive the Mustang possibly this weekend!!!!

Can anybody find any reviews/test drives that have been done?

Thanks for your time and any advice you can give!!

Gibbo
 
Doesn't the Mustang have a live rear axle? I think it does, which must surely mean however good the handling is it will surely not compare to an M3?
 
If I were in your position, my head would be saying "Porsche" but my heart would be saying "Mustang"

Follow the heart :cool:
 
I think mustang to be honest, i didnt even know there was a saleen model of mustang, so if you were to ever sell it it would be pretty rare in the uk i think. mustang is also nicer :)
 
[TW]Fox said:
Doesn't the Mustang have a live rear axle? I think it does, which must surely mean however good the handling is it will surely not compare to an M3?
Click to expand...

Not sure m8, I think they do, but have Saleen changed it?


Hate said:
does the mustang also have leaf springs?
Click to expand...

Suspension modifications include Saleen Racecraft springs, shocks and anti-roll bars. Huge and handsome seven-spoke alloy wheels are stuffed into the wheel wells, wearing low-profile performance rubber and covering optional 14-inch brake rotors, which are the same size as those found on the Ford GT supercar.

I guess not from that?

But it would be nice to know if it still has this "live rear axle" which I believe hinders handling? Even if it still does will the Saleen modifications drastically improve it or is the car still gonna be very twitchy?
 
I'd actually go with the Mustang - I bet it'd be so much easier to live with, cheaper to run and more comfortable as a daily drive.

And it's more interesting - I barely give any Porsches a second glance on the road....the Mustang also handles excellently, but compared to a Porsche - then again, I've driven neither - so I couldn't say really.
 
Last edited:
Depreciation
Handling
Individuality
and your heart!

Those are the four main issues. And the Porsche wins hands down on the first. The Saleen obviously on the third. handling and your heart I do not know.
But WHAT MATTERS MORE?

Do you care about depreciation? Handling you will only truly know by driving it yourself, as there isn't the pedigree behind it in terms of "supercar" or benchmark hadling sports car as the Porsche has.

Personally the wise choice is the Porsche. The hey look at me, damn i'm cool, but in 5 years this thing will have depreciated a lot and will be in that section of Autotrader everyone just glances over (LHD).

Up to you mate. But lets face it you cannot really go wrong!!
 
I think I'd be tempted by the Mustang even though it won't handle as well as the Porsche. I'm not sure why but..... I get the impression pin sharp handling just isn't the point with the Mustang - it isn't designed for eating your favourite moorland road, it's designed for laying two thick stripes of rubber on the tarmac and just looking.... damn cool.
 
The Porsche is about driving, and function over form.

The Mustang is about the way it makes you feel when you look at it, and when you're driving it.

I'd have the Porka anyday over the Mustang.
 
I stuck it in google - here's the consenus on the (standard) 2005 Mustang.

A new-from-the-ground-up chassis and careful attention to vehicle dynamics give the all-new Ford Mustang GT world-class ride and handling. The starting point is an all-new, purpose-built, muscle-car platform with exceptional body stiffness and a very high strength-to-weight ratio. Engineers carefully examined the BMW M3, a car believed by many to deliver just such qualities, before they laid out the Mustang's suspension. They used lessons learned from the M3 and the Lincoln LS to create the new Mustang's chassis design. Mustang engineers settled on using a coil-over MacPherson strut front suspension with reverse "L" lower control arms made of lightweight I-section steel. For 40 years, Mustangs have featured ever-improving solid rear axle designs. To combat wheel hop, engineers opted for a three-link architecture with a Panhard rod that provides precise control of the rear axle. Constant rate coil springs and outboard shocks are tuned for a firm, yet compliant, ride. The GT version of the car incorporates a separate rear stabilizer bar to reduce body lean further.
Click to expand...

Having a solid bar hold up your back wheels isn't the best formula for handling either, especially when those back wheels are also the powered wheels. Hit some bumps in the middle of a fast turn and the tail will step out. That's fact, not theory, and it will happen to the Mustang under the right circumstances. But since I stayed somewhat close to street-legal speeds, it was hardly an issue for me. The live axle got a full redesign anyway (a new Panhard rod keeps side-to-side movement in check), grip from the tires (now Pirellis instead of Goodyears or Firestones) is forceful, and the Mustang has some decent limits before understeering. It all goes to show how much of the former car's faults were due to its aging bones. With a 53% front weight bias, this is also the best-balanced Mustang ever.
Click to expand...

t doesn't look it, but the new Mustang has a wheelbase that is a full six inches longer than the outgoing model, and that makes all the difference. The ride has smoothed out, and the remaining harshness is of a completely different order. The new rear suspension uses coil springs and a lightweight three-link design with a Panhard bar and other locators to keep things constant.
Click to expand...

t doesn't look it, but the new Mustang has a wheelbase that is a full six inches longer than the outgoing model, and that makes all the difference. The ride has smoothed out, and the remaining harshness is of a completely different order. The new rear suspension uses coil springs and a lightweight three-link design with a Panhard bar and other locators to keep things constant.
Click to expand...

I'd just drive it, and see :D
 
Which Saleen is it? Presumably the S281, but there are 3 versions. If its the extreme version then I would go with that :) as much as I love Porsches, a 550bhp Mustang would fill a void!
 
Wouldnt touch a LHD car in the UK, poor residuals & limited audience when it comes to sell - as you say. Plus they're dangerous for overtaking.

Porsche please :cool:
 
It depends what you want from the car. The Porsche is as common as muck and although it is a technically wonderful car, it's about as exciting to look at as a Ford Mondeo. People won't look twice if they see the Porsche fly past.

The Mustang on the other hand, will have heads turning everywhere. The sound, looks and the Saleen badge will make people like me cream themselves.

I'd have the Mustang without a second thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom