Test Drove A 2015 Mustang GT...

"Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job..." (idiotinthegarage) 12/22/2014 at 18:22 • Filed to: None

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... Manual of course. Don't wanna risk losing my Jalop Card...

Pictured: A 2015 Mustang GT that looks very similar to what I drove.

I own a 2013 Mustang GT, and have been curious about how the new one would drive compared to mine. I only had time for a short drive, so my report will only be the short list that follows:

Power - Felt the same even though there's An Inconceivable 15 HP More!

Clutch - Horrible. There's no resistance AT ALL. Your crippled grandmother would push this thing through the firewall. Getting a feel for the clutch engagement was difficult.

Shifts - Something improved! I've had some issues with mine (2nd feels "grindy") but this seemed good and consistent on all gears. Instead of a smooth saddle horn, now the shifter is a ball on a stick, so if you like that type you'll like this. I'm accustomed to mine, but this felt fine as well.

Reverse - So, on the 2013-14's, you have to push down on the shifter while pushing towards 1st to attain Reverse. For 2015, you now have to pull up on the bottom part of the shifter while pushing towards first. Took me a minute to figure that out. Don't know why they changed this. Maybe to make it even more difficult to accidentally put it in Reverse?

Seats - Maybe a bit more side bolstering? I liked them but I'm a 6'1" beanpole, so if you're an Average American, you'll probably not like this. The seats I tested were not the Recaros, just leather.

Steering Wheel - Seemed slightly thinner.

Those Toggle Switches - ...look like cheap plastic in person too. Ford talked a big game about their improved materials, and while some are, there's plenty of super-shiny, PlastiChrome in here. Lets not even mention the vents, stalks and lighting controls taken from the parts bin of other Ford cars. Nothing to fear Bimmer Peeps - when it comes to interior refinement, you'll still have plenty of nose upon which to look down.

Brakes - You're definitely going to stop.

The Trunk - was about the same dimensions. No spare tire this time. Cost cutting/Added lightness?

Independent Rear Suspension - Did my tester even have it? I know that the 2015's all do, but maybe it becomes more apparent on the track. Again, this was a test drive in Suburbia, so I didn't have the opportunity for corner carving. I did unintentionally get the tail out though. Accelerated away from a parking lot onto the street and spun it about 20 degrees. Traction control was on I later confirmed. Cold day and cold tires? At least I didn't !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Or, a car I didn't own...

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So, I drove the 2015 Mustang GT to get a feeling for whether or not I want to upgrade to the upcoming GT 350. Hmmm. Re-reading all that I've written, it seems like I had nothing nice to say about the redesign (which is, admittedly not the GT 350). I guess I was just expecting noticeable improvements in all areas, when it actually delivers the same thing I already have in a different way. Maybe I'm just gonna have to try some other performance cars.

I've never driven a Porsche before...

dogisbadob > Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... 01/18/2015 at 11:47

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nice Jeep

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... 01/18/2015 at 13:00

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What about the interior? What do you have to say about that?

I'd say wait until 2017-2018 for any major improvements.

Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 01/18/2015 at 16:45

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Seats felt a bit more bolstered than my 2013, I liked them. Fit and finish seemed better, but not as good as BMW or Merc's I've sat in. I liked the aluminum dash panel more than I thought I would. As I said in my post, many of the "chrome" bits felt like the cheap shiny plasti-chrome I knew they were. The toggle switches moved very little and seemed like they would break off.

Design-wise I still think its a symphony of aesthetic dead ends. My 2013 has circles and rounded squares for nearly everything. The 2015, you've got squares, parallelograms, that U-shaped ring around the shifter, the odd shape of the center stack that's supposed to give you more leg room but doesn't really, that severe cut out to house the e brake, etc...

I dunno, you buy a Mustang for the drive, but we're in an era of high expectations for all cars, and Ford talked a big game about the new Stang's interior that I don't think they deliver on.

The only real deal breaker for me was the clutch. I hated it.

Maybe I should just wait and buy the all-aluminum Mustang in 2020...

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... 01/18/2015 at 18:20

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Ford said that wasn't happening though, an all aluminum mustang.

I'll address your other comments in a separate comment because phone.

Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 01/18/2015 at 21:32

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Yeah, I heard that too & was being facetious about an aluminum stang ;)

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... 01/18/2015 at 21:39

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I swear, everyone on the forums has been speaking very highly of this car, and when I sit in them they do look and feel much better than the previous in my opinion. I like all the geometry and whatnot. If you sit in the premium interior, then the quality does improve a lot, but the base interior is no better than the 2011-14 cars.

Have you been in a Focus ST, is the clutch feel in the Stang like that?

To be honest, I've never really experienced a luxury car outside of a dealership, so I'm quite the minimalist, especially with sports cars, I want the least amount gadgets so less things go wrong in the future.

Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 01/18/2015 at 21:58

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I'll try & sit in a manual ST at the show tomorrow & I'll report back!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Idiot In The Garage Needs A New CGI Job... 01/18/2015 at 22:02

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You're going tomorrow? Take me with you!!