Enfynet

I'm just going to leave a towel on the drivers seat when I get out of my car. That way I won't immediately freeze or toast myself when I get in.... You know, on all those non-spring/fall days.

...Fall and Spring in Cleveland last about 1 week each. Summer and Winter fill the other 50.

Rakshas

You guys seem like your trying to empahsize the stereotype of an american car, good in a straight line but not much else.

More options is a good thing!

Robert

Damned skippy!

Shea

Wow, this is an interesting one.

Firstly, to agree with TampaBear, if you've never owned a car with frameless windows, let me say that the "window dance" is fully worth it. I've owned quite a few cars with frameless windows, and while I love the styling, they stink at keeping out wind noise, rain, and other elements. So I support the "window dance" 100%.

And, BTW, the windows move 1/4", NOT 1". I'm surprised that no one else pointed that out.

As far as Bluetooth, yeah, cool technology, but I don't give a flying fart. Feel free to disagree.

Heated seats? Sorry, I couldn't care less. My 87 Audi had them, and I really didn't care whatsoever. Granted, my girlfriend would have liked them, but that was all the more reason for her to cuddle up next to me. B)

Heated mirrors? The Stang was never meant to be driven in the winter. Sure, the new weight distribution and traction control make it appealing to drive in snow, but I personally would never put my Stang through that.

Automatic climate control. It would be nice, but I'd rather roll down my windows and save on gas. And yes, I said "roll down" I actually have no problem with manual windows, as they save weight and don't break down like autos.

My color? A nice gimmick, I could fully live without it.

Lastly, I love when people say things like "the 05 could offer these options for only 3, 4, 5K more." Guess what. I don't want to pay even 3K more. I can fully be happy without all that extra poop.

I'll spend the extra 3K on drinks and hanging out with some nice blondes who love Mustangs. When was the last time you asked a nice looking girl what she thought of a Mazda 3? In fact, I'll spend that extra 3K on an SC and blow your Mazda 3, 350Z, or even your GTO out of the water.

I'll be in Chicago this weekend, and I'll ask the girls what they think about Stangs vs. other wannabes. Any bets on their responses?

scottie1113

Heated seats would be very nice for those cold winter mornings, but I'd give those up for IRS and a 5 speed tiptronic transmission. No I wouldn't. I'd just gladly pay for them.

Maybe down the road...

Robert

Well my friend, if you think you'll need to spend 3K on an SC for your Stang to blow away a Mazda 3, then either: 1) the Mustang has pathetic performance indeed, or; 2) you have no idea what a Mazda 3 is.

And, as far as impressing girls by driving a Mustang? Well, if you need a car to impress a girl, I got news for you: she ain't worth impressing.

ace0215

SVTJayC

If you need a car to impress chicks, i dont know if id use the mustang anyway. The Mustang is hardly what i would call a "chick impressmobile". What does it tell her?
You make enough to afford a 25k car?
You are just as financially sound as that 18 yr old kid down the street?
You are in the middle of a midlife crisis?

None of those facts are too impressive to the type of girl that would date you based on your car.

If you need to impress chicks with your car, may i suggest a Navigator with 20's, or perhaps the ol' reliable BMW 3 series.

VillianousBlak

Whoa... Deja Vu.

1. The window seal thing is an absolute must in any new sports car, its quite useful, and has come to be expected, the crossfire got dogged for not having it. Anyone who thinks it isn't neccesary has clearly never driven their car with the windows up at high speeds for any amount of time. BTW, 80 isn't a high speed.

2. Heated/Cooled seats are kinda in the same boat they are getting to become the norm, if the foci can have them so can the stang. :stubborn:

3. I keep seeing this thread on multiple car forums, maybe Ford is taking the whole muscle car thing a little to far, especially considering stock stangs ARE NOT REAL MUSCLE CARS, its been modded and SE stangs. I'm thinking we could use two distinctly different GTs one with the creature comforts one withouht.

4. By creature comforts I don't mean DVD nav, parking sensor... let me think about some other rich people play things. Anyone who has really used most DVD nav systems no that they are usually pretty unwiedly, which destroys most of their usefulness, and dont get me started on parking sensors. :angry:

Enfynet

I can only afford to have one car. So people like me should be SOL because of that? That's not very smart. "Buy our car, you can only drive it for half a year!"

... To avoid confusion, I could care less about heated mirrors/seats/nav/etc. I was just making a point.

---

Most girls I know like Firebirds (RIP) more than any 'stang. But like said before, you shouldn't need your vehicle to impress girls... that was called high school.

Shea

No, I shouldn't need a vehicle to impress girls, but it works, and I'll do it, because other than my car I'm fat, ugly, and stupid, so thanks for your comments.

And maybe I'm still in high school eh?

Kluski

That reminds me of my Step-Dad (RIP). When he was alive he was a bigger guy. One day he looked at me and held his big belly and said:

"You know what? I am just Fat, Dumb, and Happy."

We all laughed. My mom and me still laugh about that one. I still think of him alot - he was a good man.

kevinb120

sure it does, its all about cost. Ford has never been big on NAV, and the unit they use even on 05 Expys are ancient. They skipped the idiot features for 300 hp. I own an SVT euro with everything, and Id give up just about all those options for ***** off the line anyday. Its about COST. I do like the sleep timer on the Focus radio though, with the key out you can hit the power button and the stereo stays on for an hour. I use it all the time at gas stations and washing the car. That would just be a line of programing on the stereo's software. I never bothered to try it on the new stangs.

Heated seats and nav's are easy to aftermarket in for less money then the factory charges for them anyway. On a side note, a buddy of mine bought a used IS300 with HID lamps. The previous owner had installed even higher power bulbs and the outter seal melted and let in water burning them out(the computer in the base of the headlight. Guess what the cost for two new headlight assemblies with bulbs costed him......... Give up?



$2700.00

I still end up using my halogen high beams just as much with my hids. Id rather add another 120 hp for that kind of money. Geek toys and moonroofs are not a Mustang thang. Selling out horsepower and giving you half an engine and a bunch of gimicks instead is an import thang. I would fathom that some more luxury items will be available for $40,000 mustang SE's

kevinb120

tiptronic transmissions stink. You may mean an SMG??? You can most likely get the one from Austin(and ford does have one) and most likely have it installed for under $6000 if you want it. Heated seats are about 4-500 to have installed, depending on if you want it adjustable or not.

kevinb120

A balled up sock will get you further

kevinb120

I have driven well over 500,000 miles, used to work in a flooring business and covered a 2500 square mile area and have been in over 11,000 homes in this area(a lot of them more then once), and have NEVER, EVER, needed a nav unit. GPS in the air or on water is one thing, in a car its just a dumb toy. www.mapquest.com or read the signs on the road. It takes much longer to manually enter an address in, and a lot of systems will require loading additional DVD's allong the way(you have to put in the destination one, program the target, put in the 'home' one and wait for it to load) some systems still do not understand and you have to plot waypoints on the route at the edge of each dvd's reach to get you by from area to area). I think its faster to use a list of directions and a highlighter. Most people STILL call whomever they are trying to get too on the way anyway. Nav systems still get confused in tight areas or in tunnels as well.

A lot of manufacturers are overengineering them now, BMW's I-drive is a prime example that has been lambasted by everyone who has used it. It incorperates ALL dash functions into a featurless touch screen that can also become sun-glared out. There is NO function in the car that does not require you to look at the screen while you do it. In my focus(with remote stereo controls-SVT) I NEVER need to look away to set the heated seats, cruise, ac, traction control, or any stereo control function. Its all well placed and textured buttons. The germans overengineer their vehicles to a level of absurdity, and 'cool hi-tech' spinning cup holders often are too small for american sized drinks and can cost $300 bucks if broken. Not to mention their $500 keys. What happens if an integrated gee-whiz all in one screen breaks in your car 3 years out of warranty(when your car is worth $7000 and the part costs $4500 and includes your ac and stereo controls. What do you do then? What can a $500 key possibly do thats so special you might ask? NOTHING. Oh wait, the key 'fob' is integrated. You know how many of those keys we get in with the flip-out key part nearly broken off or non-working key fobs? $300 cup holder that wont hold a big gulp? and is floating so all the water condesation just drips all over the console and passenger seat? Brilliant ideas if you ask me WOW MY 50,000 MERCEDES IS AMAZING, I TURN THE KEY QUICKLY AND IT TURNS OVER BY ITSELF UNTILL IT STARTS.(funny thing is usually you try to turn it too fast and it takes three tries to make the sequence start). Stupid. Turn following headlights-stupid. Someone PLEASE call a BMW dealer and get me the price on a replacement headlight assembly for a new 7 series that has turning hid bulbs and the 'halo' gimick bulb surrounds. Guarantee they are close to $2000 per unit. Stupid. The only thing 'cool' about that is that my GT emblem on the back will shine blue in his eyes when I dust his hiney.

Get a $1200 portable pc waypoint-programable(self upgrading) garmin one, and keep the factory 6-CD 800+song MP3 player in the dash(what are you gonna do for a cd changer with nav anyway?) Factory nav units all stink. Mustang=pony car. It is the cheapest car with 300hp by over $5000. Keep it that way. A lot of the gizmo geeks here do not have any intention of buying a $56,000(before markup) M3 but compare the mustang to it non-stop. Lol 56k and they dont even have a real engine in it.

os121

sure it does, its all about cost. Ford has never been big on NAV, and the unit they use even on 05 Expys are ancient. They skipped the idiot features for 300 hp. I own an SVT euro with everything, and Id give up just about all those options for ***** off the line anyday. Its about COST. I do like the sleep timer on the Focus radio though, with the key out you can hit the power button and the stereo stays on for an hour. I use it all the time at gas stations and washing the car. That would just be a line of programing on the stereo's software. I never bothered to try it on the new stangs.

Heated seats and nav's are easy to aftermarket in for less money then the factory charges for them anyway. On a side note, a buddy of mine bought a used IS300 with HID lamps. The previous owner had installed even higher power bulbs and the outter seal melted and let in water burning them out(the computer in the base of the headlight. Guess what the cost for two new headlight assemblies with bulbs costed him......... Give up?



$2700.00

I still end up using my halogen high beams just as much with my hids. Id rather add another 120 hp for that kind of money. Geek toys and moonroofs are not a Mustang thang. Selling out horsepower and giving you half an engine and a bunch of gimicks instead is an import thang. I would fathom that some more luxury items will be available for $40,000 mustang SE's[/b][/quote]
Kevin, again (as always) you are direct and on target. I agree, the reason I have discounted almost every other car offering in this range, is because it does not offer that growl of the V8. Couple that with the additional room offered in the 2005, and the handling - it rules. I also could care less about all the gadgets. Been there, done that - it gets old when you have a lessor engine under the hood. It also gets old when you have to pay to have them fixed. Your story about the cost of those headlights is pretty amusing, and pretty typical. Those things are major bucks - I just hope the FordMoCo puts a "normal" headlight assembly in the 2005.

Wombert

You're right, kevin, the overengineering is really stupid, and it seems like we Germans want to become world champions in this discipline. I recently got to sit in and play around with all the current Audi models, from the A3 (the Sportback is a very nice car!) over the A6 up to the A8. The ergonomics stink, their stupid controller isn't any better than i-drive. I like technology, I'm very computer-literate, and it's long since I've had difficulties using any kind of electronic device, but in that case I just didn't manage to even select another radio preset. Fugly.

I personally do, though, prefer factory stuff because it usually fits nicer into the overall apperance... i.e. I prefer having the heated seats switch (or hey, rather a **** that lets me adjust the amount of heat) on the center console than on the seat, same goes for steering wheel radio controls (ever used those stupid snap-on things that come with some radios? they're worthless). And although I'll probably never going to buy a Mustang because I'm living on the opposite side of this planet, I'm still of the opinion that climate control doesn't add to the base price because all the electronics stuff is inside the controlling element. Blah.

Oh and don't get me wrong here. I do as well prefer horsepower over nonsense like adaptive headlights or auto-enabling windshield wipers.

Galaxie

Climate control is very expensive because of the servo motors and the fact that you have to build an electronic "module" that will probably break down before the cables snap on a regular one.

I agree with kevin on this one, climate control in particular is a gadget in my opinion, and I have found that it more of a nuisance in cars that I have driven with it, than the common rotary *****.

I think the best compromise in this situation is for Ford to build a tricked out mercury cougar which has all the high-tech goodies some people are asking for (NAV, HID, heated seats, moonroof, etc). This car would be perfect for the people who think a Mustang is too "juevinle" and want the refined car with all the high end stuff. It would also make people actually want to buy a Mercury

Robert

Apparently, Ford doesn't have the capability to install a new Nav system? Not ONE of the import manufacturers design and build their Nav systems, anyway. Most come from Panasonic, Alpine, Pioneer or Blaunkput. What's Ford DOING anyway?!

I guess that's why the imports are kicking Ford's butt profit-wise, eh?

I guess fuel economy, reduced emissions and efficiency are strictly important to buyers of "import thangs?"

I guess the BMW M3 (330 bhp), the new M5 (500 bhp), the Audi S4 (400 bhp), etc, etc only have "half an engine" (they'll ALL kick our precious 'muscle car's butt). (??)

I guess...well, never mind, you get the point...

What's that I hear? All the above cars cost more $$...? Yup, and they sell, too. Go figure. I guess it all depends on where you want to position yourself in the global marketplace: as a manufacturer of state-of-the-art world class cars, or strictly cheap transportation for the masses. Companies using the latter formula are losing money. Ford is losing money. See what I'm saying?

Get in the game or go home.

I seem to recall similar arguments after the turn of the 20th century, when people made fun of automobiles and believed that a horse and buggy were far more useful and reliable, and that the 'car' would never last.

They were wrong.

People used to argue that one didn't ever need amenities like power windows and air conditioning.

They were wrong: now you can find them as standard equipment on base Civics.

What makes you think it's any easier to get lost on water or in the air than it is on the ground? You've clearly had very little practical experience with state-of-the-art Nav systems outside of what Ford has offered. I've experienced a lot of Nav systems, and it's probably the most useful accessory to enter the automobile in many, many years (a lot more useful than 'My Color' ). Current systems DO NOT require multiple loading. It's a one-time deal and the DVD covers most of North America. You get update DVD's once a year as new and outlying areas get mapped.

The system will guide you PRECISELY where you need to go (very useful if you've never been to a particular address before) without having to glance down at a map while driving (VERY dangerous). With a single voice command, current systems will also help you find the nearest ATMs or gas stations if you are in an unfamiliar rural area. No more wives nagging their husbands that they're directionally challenged when the husband gets lost! THAT'S a thing of the past now with Nav. (Are you listening, guys?)

And systems like the one on the new Acura TL are touch screen and voice activated for extraordinary ease of use. That system even talks back to you in the voice of a real person (male or female selectable) and it DOESN'T sound like Stephen Hawking either! It also integrates your climate control and audio into the voice activation system.

A gimmick? Maybe. But how tough is it to roll down a manual window? People did it for YEARS. But guess what, it's the 21st century. Get in the game or go home.

I don't expect to see the new Mustang GT include all these features. But it would be nice to see some of them in an SE or a Cobra in a couple of years. And don't even get me started on the sunroof issue when just about every other car on the planet includes one! I don't want a damned convertible in a part of the world that gets near 50 inches of rain every year! But I WOULD like a sunroof. What, is that too technologically sophisticated too?! Gimmie a freakin' break already!

Here I mostly agree with you, Kevin. There is such a thing as going too far. Just because you can, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Certainly, the more gizmos you put in a vehicle, the more stuff will ultimately break down, and you end up paying high costs to replace items on a depreciating asset. Makes no sense, since cars are just a big hole in the water financially, anyway.

The last thing we need is adaptive, eye-controlled steering, for example! Wait til that messes up!