Should I Buy a 3.7l Mustang?

"HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles" (hondasfordsvolvo)
10/31/2019 at 21:37 • Filed to: None

In my constant quest for my next car I had a thought today. “I wonder how cheap 3.7l Mustangs are getting?” Turns put they are fairly reasonable. The only manual ones I found were this 10, 000 one with 87k miles and a 8,000 dollar one with 130,000.

The things I’d like out of my mixt car are

1 more fun, 2 cheaper fuel, and maintenance costs, 3 something smaller.

My 3 series is feeling very sluggish. Woth it’s AWD it’s really only fun in snow, Altho that problem will be taken care of soon enough. It also costs quite a bit to fuel, the 3.7l Mustang gets about the same fuel economy but takes regular, or even e20 if I’m feeling extra cheap. On the size side, I just don’t like big cars and to me the e90 Feels big. I’m used to 90s mid sized and compared to that it’s huge. Great family Car, but I don’t need a family car.

The real question is how is the 3.7l? Has anyone had a Mustang or f-150 with one? I sold one when they were new and it seemed like a cool enough car, sounds decent, and 300ho would make it far and away the fastest car I’ve ever owned.

It would also be the first time I’ve lived up for the F in my user name lol. Unless II count the MX6 I owned for like 4 months.

DISCUSSION (16)

CB > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 21:53

I bet the V6 would be fine. Most people will give you crap for not buying a V8, I wouldn’t. Give it a test drive, see how you like it.

Also, that year is the best year of Mustang in recent memory based on looks.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 21:58

I...wouldn’t. E90 to a n/a V6 Ford seems like a rough transition .

ranwhenparked > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 22:00

Sure, I had one as a commuter car for years (ca 500 work miles a week, I wasn’t feeding a V8), the only issues I noticed was that the leather seats seemed to wear too quickly, and the hood and trunk lid both corroded and blistered the paint off just out of the warranty period.

Otherwise, decently practical (moved house with it 3 times, brought home lawnmowers from Home Depot and the like), fine in snow with 4 good snow tires, not bad to drive at all, and perfectly reliable.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 22:02

If you're gonna downgrade on the interior game, I would do it for a obvious trade-off: like bigly power or high revving whatever. I would get a V8

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 22:27

The mustang is bigger in dimensions than your E90.

I’m guessing it’d fulfill number 1, more fun, just by nature of being RWD. As for Number 2 less cost and maintenance- it would probably be cheaper but not so much it would justify making the swap on its own.

But it’s also less practical and probably won’t feel as nice on the inside. And even though right now they don’t feel like priorities; I’m guessing they’re things you’d notice down the line.

All that said, go and drive one. As you point out this was when the 3.7 was no joke; making over 300hp. And at 87,000 miles and under $10k it seems like it would have plenty of life left for not a lot of money.

Montalvo > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 22:33

As someone with both a Mustang and a E92 335ix I would hold out for a V8 at least. Otherwise there isn't much point in switching and it would only be a downgrade.

subexpression > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 22:35

Even the older V6 Mustangs were pretty fast for average roads , and ( at least on paper) the 3.7L is pretty close to the V8 they used a couple generations back . I’d say it’s worth the time to take a test drive.

Though I’m not sure how smal l Mustangs really are . They’re pretty close to the same size and weight as a 3-series .

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Montalvo
10/31/2019 at 22:52

My e90 is a 328. It’s about an 80hp bump to the 3.7.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > CB
10/31/2019 at 22:53

I’d prefer to get a ‘13 looks wise. Even just for the sequential blinkers lol

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
10/31/2019 at 22:54

That funny that the Mustang is bigger than my 4 door BMW from the same era.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 23:31

I drove one when they were new. It’s one of those cars that is nicer on paper than in reality. It is decently quick but doesn’t really feel it. It handles pretty well but isn’t all that much fun to actually steer through twisty roads. Partly because of the live rear axle and par tly because it’s not exactly a small car - only 100 lb. less than your E90 with a wheelbase only an inch less and overall length less than a foot shorter. It’s actually wider. With the V6 I just remember it feeling like a chore to actually drive fast. It’ll do it but it isn’t really fun. I never drove the V8 but the V6 left me feeling like it needed it. If you’re in that price range and the E90 feels big I’d be looking at the BRZ, GTI and maybe Abarth. They are slower but more fun - even the FWD ones. If you’re more interested in something like pony car the Camaro V6 of that era is a little heavier than the Mustang but has a more playful chassis. And the windows aren’t as bad in reality as internet commenters want you to believe.

RacinBob > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
10/31/2019 at 23:38

FYI. V6 a popular car for SCCA ITS class. Also Ford killed it because at a lower price it basically outperformed it’s turbo 4. Drive it and see if you like it.

SmugAardvark > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/01/2019 at 00:17

If it was me, I’d wait until the EcoBoosts came down in price more. But the V6 isn’t bad. I n my memory, the power is really only noticeable on the top end, north of 4k RPMs. But that also makes putzing around town worry-free, even if the weather isn’t cooperating.

I’d run the VIN to just be certain that it isn’t a former rental. While fleet cars aren’t always problematic, it’s at least worth considering that people often treat rentals with less care than they would their own vehicles.

Ultimately though, the 3.7 isn’t a bad motor, and the Mustang isn’t a bad car. If it’s pulling daily duties, there’s nothing wrong with a reliable vehicle that is RWD, has 300hp on tap, and gets respectable fuel mileage.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/01/2019 at 00:42

The 3.7 mustang is a fine sports car, in the S550 chassis. In that chassis, it’s a pig going down the road with 300hp. Seriously, an early S550 with the V6 isn’t much more money, and it the only thing it has in common with the earlier car (in term of driving dynamics) is that the engine is sitting the same direction under the hood and they have a horse on the back.

i86hotdogs > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
11/01/2019 at 07:18

V6 with a stick would be fun. But I guarantee you you will get crap for not getting the V8, a lot of crap . So if that will never bother you, go for it.

CobraJoe > subexpression
11/01/2019 at 09:30

Even the older V6 Mustangs were pretty fast for average roads, and (at least on paper) the 3.7L is pretty close to the V8 they used a couple generations back. I’d say it’s worth the time to take a test drive.

I have only test drove a 3.7L once, but I know that they have a very different feel to the 300hp 4.6s. (Especially compared to the Mach 1 I used to own).

The power delivery is completely different. The 4.6s are a little doggy at low RPM, but have a fat middle range that pulls until redline. Hitting that torque curve can be really entertaining.

The 3.7 is a far more linear power delivery until it maxes out near redline. That makes it rather tame at normal speeds.

Of course, that is more in line with other sporty NA offerings from europe or japan, but it just doesn’t feel like a Mustang to me. Not a bad engine, just not for me.