"Nonster" (noahnic)
10/16/2015 at 13:50 • Filed to: None
6
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"Nonster" (noahnic)
10/16/2015 at 13:50 • Filed to: None | 6
| 11 |
A buddy just recently bought a brand spanking new 2016 Mustang GT. We went to lunch today and he asked if I wanted to drive it on the way back. Naturally I responded with a big ‘ole HELL YEAH!!!
sorry for crappy pic, and yes this is the official mustang corner of the parking lot
It’s my friend’s first real sporty car and first car with a manual transmission. Since I regularly do autocross races and track days and I taught him how to drive stick in preparation a while back he thinks I’m practically the Stig. That obviously is no where close to being true, but it would be rude to correct the fellow. I should point out I drive a 1985 Toyota MR2 with probably around 150 hp. So this big blue wonder makes nearly 3 times as much power. It also weighs a lot more but yeah it’s pretty quick. Shocking news I know...
Anyways, here’s my opinion of the new Mustang GT now that I got to take it for a spin.
Appearance: Real Purty
I love the styling on the new stang and the fit and finish were as good as I could ask for. Granted I usually play with vehicles older than myself so most new cars seem really nice to me.
Acceleration: Real Quick*
The car only had 500 miles so he wanted me to treat it gently since he claimed it wasn’t broken in yet. He was kind enough to let me drive it so I wasn’t gonna argue. I gave it WOT but didn’t reel it out to the fun zone on the tach. However, even in the low rpms there was something I noticed that I hadn’t really felt in a long time...Something that my MR2 lacked....
TORQUE! Good god it was sooo easy to go fast. It doesn’t matter what gear your in. You put your foot down and it just goes. You have to keep the 20-valve 1.6 in the MR2 between 5500 and it’s 8400 rpm redline if you want go fast. You can pick any gear in the Mustang and keep a good pace on a winding road. If you pick the wrong gear for a corner in the MR2 then you could get passed by Prius.
Braking: brb need to see a chiropractor
I was proud to see that my buddy got the GT Track pack with the good tires and huge brakes. They were kind of sensitive, but jesus tap-dancing christ this thing can drop an anchor.
Handling: Surprisingly Agile
For such a heavy car the steering felt good when we put it in sport mode. Feeling the steering weight change while switching modes is a little weird. I personally would just leave it in sport mode all the time.
Again, I didn’t get to drive it long or really push it, but the car felt very sure footed. Much better than the other mustangs I’ve driven. I’m going to convince him to take it to autocross with me come springtime so hopefully he’ll let me codrive.
Sound: mmmmmm V8
He had Ellie Goulding playing on the stereo, no offense to her but I had more sexual things to listen to. Radio off, windows down, and let that sweet music of that 5.0 V8 fill you with love.
Conclusion
Yep, I still want one. However, the GT is still pretty pricey. I need to see how it is on the track or at autocross. I still largely prescribe to driving a slow car fast and this reaffirms that. The GT felt bored while I was driving it. This thing can get you in trouble by flexing your big toe. You really can’t legally make use of its capability on regular public roads. It wants to rear up and run, but it can’t. So it seems like a lot of money for a car if you don’t intend to really stretch it’s legs.
nerd_racing
> Nonster
10/16/2015 at 14:17 |
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How did the steering compare to your MR2? Was it as direct feeling as the AW11? Could you feel the road texture in the wheel?
Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
> Nonster
10/16/2015 at 14:21 |
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I was kind of thinking about how we’ve become spoiled in recent years with some of the vehicles that have come out. I know you just drove the GT which is even quicker, but I hear people complain the Ecoboost Mustang is too slow. It’s still plenty quick in my book, and will get you to illegal speeds in quite a hurry too. While I dig the fact there are some seriously powerful vehicles out there, how many people will actually take the car somewhere to use all that power up? Would I like a new Mustang? Sure would. But for most of my driving my Civic will do just fine.
Saracen
> Nonster
10/16/2015 at 14:29 |
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I think a base GT with PP and Recaros is a friggin steal.
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Nonster
> nerd_racing
10/16/2015 at 14:34 |
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Its really not fair to compare it to the MR2’s manual rack or any sports car with manual steering for that matter. Compared to the Two, the mustang’s steering had very minimal feedback and felt kind of artificial and numb. It was direct and precise and comfortable, but if I ran over a quarter in the MR2 I could tell you whether it was an American or Canadian one. I’m exaggerating a bit, but in my MR2 you can feel every little imperfection on the road for better or for worse
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Nonster
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
10/16/2015 at 14:40 |
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I had the same thought. Driving the GT really drove it home though. On the fun winding roads where I live, I can have a blast in my MR2. I reel it out to the redline and have to shift a lot to keep it in the power band, but that makes it super rewarding to drive. The Mustang could easily keep up by putting along in 4th but wheres the fun in that?
Brian, The Life of
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
10/16/2015 at 15:26 |
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I test drove an EcoBoost; they are definitely not slow.
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Brian, The Life of
> Saracen
10/16/2015 at 15:27 |
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For what you get? Absolutely yes!
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nerd_racing
> Nonster
10/16/2015 at 15:40 |
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I can feel the same in my MR2. The 128i isn’t quite as much feedback but I can feel the road texture and tell when it changes. i’m wondering if that is it or not. The last mustang I drove (2014 V6) felt like a truck as far as steering feedback went.
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Nonster
> nerd_racing
10/16/2015 at 15:48 |
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I’ve driven a 2012 GT before and I remember it feeling very truck-like too. The new one is definitely worlds better than the previous generation.
BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
> Nonster
10/16/2015 at 15:58 |
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That is a gorgeous color blue.
Blacked out vinyl appliqué on the hood, and possibly the roof too. Roush style hood scoop, also in black. Also blacked out front air dam/chin spoiler.
matte gold and reflective white side stripe on the side (from just ahead of the rear wheel arch, spanning across the front wheel arch, ending just below the side of the headlight.)
Perhaps matte aluminum window surround trim, instead of black.
matte gold or bronze aftermarket wheels, preferably 5-spoke or Y-spoke wheels with a little bit of concave, if possible.
Mach 1 graphic in the stripe on the front fender, and in a circular badge on the tail panel, in place of GT. small 5.0 logo on the sides of the hood scoop.
Black interior, possibly with a nice reddish-brown leather on the two front seats and door card inserts.
Maybe a side scoop if one becomes available and looks good... and a black pedestal spoiler, but only if it looks just right with the 2015’s lines. I might also be tempted to relocate some good fog or driving lights into the side segments of the upper grille.
2015+ Mustang is begging to replicate the 1969 Mustang Mach 1, with the slight forward-shift on the side stripe location.
Garrett Davis
> Stapleface-Now Hyphenated!
10/16/2015 at 16:38 |
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Anyone claiming that the Ecoboost ‘Stang is slow either has never driven it, or is incredibly jaded. It’s a quick car for sure. Hell, even in my Focus ST, there pretty much isn’t an on ramp that exists that you can’t get to illegal speeds on.
People are forgetting how fast cars have gotten even just in the past 10-15 years. I drove a 2014 GT, and it is a damn fast car.