This is just my opinion. Keep that in mind, because my opinion and 50 cents might buy you a cup of java.

You mentioned that you had an 88 5.0 that was in good shape. You may want to consider opting out of the car payment and the additional insurance at this time. That will be one less worry of many that I am sure that you have while you are pursuing your degree. When you graduate, you will have the perfect excuse to buy the car you really want with the option package just like you want it. I know it is delayed gratification, but it really is worth it. Besides when I was in college, I would have killed for an 88 mustang. Don't forget nobody will question you for rewarding yourself with a graduation present. Remember that is just my opinion for whatever it is worth.

I test drove a V6 before ordering my GT.... (Yes the wait is killing me). In NO WAY is that a cut agains the V6. I just knew for me personally that if I would have bought the V6, I would have always wondered what I was missing with the GT. I couldn't allow that to happen The V6 is a fine automobile, no doubt about it! If I was in your shoes, and I just had to have a new car, and a 'stang was my choice, I would be dang proud that it was a 05 mustang no matter if it was a v6 or a GT.

5 years after graduating, I can afford to go for the GT with no problems. So that is what I am going for. If I couldn't I would be equally proud of the V6.

Anyway, that is my humble opinion for whatever it is worth.

Good luck with the Car and College!

Oscar

 

Fortunately I got great news today from my tax guy... My return is going to be huge because of tuition and I had to ammend last years since I never got my 1098 from my school then. Sooooo I get to move my order date up to June

Hopefully everything goes well for you in your quest for a Mustang. I had been living on my own and going to school. But my parents let me come home for free as long as I was in school. It's been a big help getting bills taken care of an what not!

 

One of the many reasons I will never test an 05 GT.... If I don't know it won't bother me at all. Anyways, I plan on going out and getting 60's model Mustang that need some TLC and re-build it into the muscle car I've always wanted.

The V6 is the daily driver

 

yea...taking everything into consideration, i may hold off until a few years when i have the money built up to get what i really want, when i want...i may just go w\a newer econo car, subaru 2.5RS or integra or something like that...the 2.5RS is my 2nd choice to mustangs...honestly im not so happy w\the 88 5.0....its cool and all, but it doesnt make me happy...im very picky w\cars and after having a 66FB and a 90 5.0 that was extensively built...its just not the same now

 

I'm kinda in the same boat with you as far as being borderline in the cash department. I was thinking about getting an 01 Integra or a 01 Mustang Bullitt. But I finally decided to just go ahead and get the 05... Of course I'm getting the V6 so it's about 6 or 7 grand cheaper. Then at the Portland Auto Show I got the best advice ever (I'm sure everyone has heard it).... "You only live once." So that cemented my decision to go forward with the 05 (that and Mineral Gray is the only color I really like in the 05/06 model years).

 

YOu can go out to your ford dealerships aroudn your areas and get 04's new for practically nothing after rebates and special deals. I could have got a 04 gt for less then an 05 v6.

 

But the 05's or just so cool! I can't help myself.

Oscar

 

yes the 04 GTs are more bang for the buck right now...but heck, who wants an 04 when the 05s are out??

 

OK, here are some thoughts from someone who owns a v6 and has driven a GT. Obviously, the two arent comparable. The GT will blow the v6 out of the water any day -DUH.

So, let me explain to you why I chose the v6 over the GT. Im 18 yrs old, this is a BRAND NEW CAR. Im in my first year of college. I dont know about everyone else in college, but I really dont do that much driving. I dont know if you're a communter or not, but for the most part during the week the car sits in the parking lot not getting alot of use. When I do drive it, its just to a convienant store for smokes, or to the grocery store, wal-mart, etc. It doesnt get much driving outside of my 2-3 hour trip home every few weeks. Now, dont get me wrong on this, but what Im trying to say is that a v6 is MORE than enough car for me at this point. Anytime I want to go out with my friends for a night on the town, or a quick cruise its ready and waiting.

The insurance quotes I got on a GT (for a white male under 25 (much less 18)) were crazy. Alot of carriers wouldnt even consider giving me a quote and so much as laughed at me.

Ive had the car a little over a month now and it still turns heads. When I pull up beside people, behind them, blow PAST them, I know they're all looking. You know that feeling when you're passing someone, and you can just tell they're looking over at you? And you look... and yeah, they are. Thats the feeling you get most of the time driving. Most people cant tell the difference between a v6 and a GT, so theyll never know what you're driving if you're feeling insecure about it for some reason.

From what I can tell, everything people have been saying about this car is true. With a simple intake, exhaust, and flash I could easily see the car pushing 250-260 HP. I dont even want to think about what a new set of racing heads or a port/polish would do for it. So here's my reasoning... I paid 18K for my car. Its a base deluxe model, no factory upgrades. I spent roughly 1000 on my sound system. Ill bet your GT vs my v6 its 10x louder and more clear than your Shaker 1000 system. Now, anyway, intake+exhaust+tune should cost at most, what? 1000? Ive still spent only 2000 on my car, and its now putting out only 40-45 less horses than aGT. Im still roughly... 5000 under base GT pricing? That kind of money goes a long long way for future upgrades. Even those stripes Ive been wanting...

Anyway, just my 2cents. Sorry for the long rant.

 

Zodiac im pretty much in teh same boat as you. Insurance would have been crazy cause im 18 also im goin to college and all i really cared about was the look. And what the people at ford were telling mee it wouldnt be that hard to pusht eh same kinda power through the v6 after soem upgrades

 

well so far, its like alot of cars im looking into also are around the same stupid price for insurance (im 19, 1yr of driving, im getting raped on insurance w\a clean record) i was looking at WRX, RSX, Integra, V6 05 Mustang

 

The insurance companies likes to use stats that doesn't necessarily apply to everybody. It does stink that you can be completely innocent, yet you get punished for someone elses errors. Hang in there man, it gets better.

 

yea...for a year for an 05 GT its about 4600$...i could insure an 03/04 cobra for about 400$ less!!! and on top of that, i dont think i could afford that crap...stuff like this makes me hate all those spoiled people getting the new stangs and they dont pay for it lol i know of at least 1 friend that is getting 1 from mommy and daddy :notnice:

 

Id say wait till august/sep when the 06s hit the lots u'll probly find a great deal at Hayward ford thy always have good insentives towards that time of year . . . good luck to ya!

 

i dont know if i can stand waiting especially w\my gas mileage i get on my 88 5.0...lets say its not anywhere near 17mpg lol

 

well if ur ready now hayward has 3 in black/yellow/lime for $19,570 im sure they wud take about $1,000 off of that price . . . another way to get a good deal is to get a PO Box in a county where the taxes on cars is lower than in the bay area . . . my parents have a lake house in lake tulloch and we used that address on the title and the taxes were almost 2% lower than if we used my home address in the bay area . . . it saves a few bucks!

 

naw, i think ill order mine...a ford dealer in napa has what i want tho..EXACTLY what i want:

Body Style: Coupe
Model: Mustang V6
Package: Deluxe

Engine: 4.0L SOHC V6 Engine
Transmission: T5 5-Speed Manual Transmission

Exterior Color & Interior Trim
Windveil Blue Met
Dk Charcoal
Interiod Sport Appearance (i dont really care about that much)

X-plan is 18,466 MSRP- 19,765
only thing is...gotta see if theyll do xplan on it! and i gotta sell my 5.0 mustang too!

i looked into a few things as well...test drove an 02 Acura RSX and it was nice and i liked it alot, 30k miles and goes for 15,999...but insurance is like 400$ more a year than the 05 mustang is...and its 2k more ( i cant get the dealer to budge at all on the RSX, so ill just get almost exactly what i want -- 05 stang) gotta see what my dad says tho, im sure he'll love it since he wanted to buy my 66FB but couldnt at the time

 

well i FINALLY got to test drive an 05 V6 at a dealer that my friend works at and i tell u, man that thing is ballsy! lol for a freakin V6 just WOW lol....im pretty sure i want this...and oh yea....screw the RSX, uneducated bum sales guy wouldnt budge on price at all and there were some nicks and crappy wannabe good paint chip fixes and some scratches and stuff...and he calls me, i try to tell him mustang or rsx he actually tells me to get the mustang then we get off the phone, calls me back 10min later saying the rsx sold lol, OH WELL....2k more, i get a better newer car, hasnt been touched, ordered to what i want, and its miiiine

RSX - 15999 30k miles on the car
05 V6 - 18xxx 0miles on the car brand new, 300-400$ cheaper on insurance, styling 98% better, and is awesome!

 

good to hear man. Your goin to love it. I love mine and youll get tons of attention on the road. It is a chick magnet Time to go driving

 

lol yea, im just trying to now see if i can actually afford it, im just thinking out price, tax and licensing, monthly payments, all that jazz....im still not 100% if i can get the 05 V6 lol..its allll about money