Mustang GT vs Mustang GT: Is a Fully Loaded Car Worth the Extra $12,000?
A base Mustang GT is a heck of a performance bargain, and the automatic transmission makes a strong case for itself.
The S650 Mustang GT is a fantastic car in any guise. There are not many naturally aspirated V8-powered cars left in the world. Throw in the fact that you can get one of these with a manual transmission and that makes it even more of a rarity in 2024. So, in a comparison test between a new Mustang GT Premium with the GT Performance Package and a base Mustang GT without the GT Performance Package there are no losers. But which one is more of a winner? It would be easy to say the one with all the performance goodies. But nothing in life is free, and that includes Ford Mustang options. The loaded-up car will cost over $12,000 more than the basic car with a few nice options. Is that price increase justifiable?
Well, that is what the folks at The Fast Lane Car attempt to find out in a new video posted to their YouTube channel. They have a base Mustang GT with a few options such as the Active Valve Performance Exhaust and an automatic transmission. And they are comparing a loaded Mustang GT Premium with the GT Performance Package. The base car has an MSRP of about $47K as configured and the GT Premium has an MSRP just shy of $60K. You could buy yourself a decent SN95 Mustang GT for that price difference. Is the more expensive car worth it?
The Transmission
The base car is equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission and the GT Premium has the 6-speed manual transmission. To many people, that is the end of the discussion right there. If you are buying a Mustang, you should get the manual. The bigger brakes, nicer wheels, blacked-out look, and Torsen diff are all nice. But the manual transmission is what really puts the more expensive car out in front. Except it doesn’t. In fact, the cheaper, lighter-equipped base car with the automatic absolutely stomps the manual car. You may not care, and we understand that. But from a dig or from a roll, the automatic proves to be significantly faster every time. If speed is what you are after, you need to stay with the automatic.
GT Premium Advantages
The more expensive car looks like the more expensive car. Not exactly a revelation. But the larger, better-looking wheels, the blacked-out features, more aggressive rubber, the larger rear spoiler, and the larger brakes, all give the car a more upscale and sportier look. Step inside and it is more premium in there as well with less hard plastics, and nicer seats and stitching. And at high speeds, the more expensive car feels much more planted. Those big brakes also haul the car down significantly quicker. The tests in the videos were straight-line tests only, but there is no doubt this car would be quicker around a road course.
Base GT Advantages
We already touched on the transmission. You could opt for the automatic on the more expensive car as well if you want. In these tests, we really see just how much of a performance advantage it is. So, you can save a ton of money and still stomp much more expensive Mustangs. As long as you are OK with the automatic. But the biggest advantage here is the price. $12K is a lot of money. And while this car might not look as good or be better around the track or at high speeds, it is more comfortable and faster around town. And around town is where you will spend most of your time. As we said, there are no losers here. Pick the Mustang that appeals to you the most and go enjoy it. Before they take the V8 away from us.
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