TomServo92

It's actually kinda cool being on the outside of these arguments, isn't it?

Pass the popcorn again....

Galaxie

It almost seems as if the thread is running its course

incomingRPG

Once again we have something to agree on.

NosferatuVI

Man, whine whine whine. I bought a brand new custom ordered straight from the factory mustang for $19,100 (granted its a V6) and I have more fun in that car, get more looks, have a big grin on my face everytime I turn the key over then my almost $40k Tundra.

Now does it have a basic interior that reminds me of a classic almost barren 65-66 mustang sure does.

Is there absent all kind of little light up indicators and displays and various other comfort light up controls yupe sure does.

Is there just the right balance of all black and some chrome accents and silver just enough to make it look different, check

Are the doors relatively hard plastic, yupe and they are **** easy to clean too.

is the carpet of mid grade quality, umm I am not sure the only thing that touches the carpet are my shoes and so far no complaints.

Do I have a trunk monkey that makes it pop open seemingly all on its own at unpredictable times, yupe. Could I possibly resolve it by discarding that little yellow handle in the trunk, sure. Do I care... naw

Has my little sub 20k car ever left me stranded, knock on wood no. Is it still wicked fun to drive even more then a year later HELL YEAH. Do I still oggel it just sitting in my drive way. Yupe

Amazingly I never noticed that the carpet only goes so high, but I guess I am having more fun driving it then trying to nit pick it to death.

Its not a Ferrari, oh and with that it does not have the every 3,000 miles $960 service bill to retune it either.

So you can always find something to be un-happy about with any car. Its how you feel driving it and how the car drives that matters the most.

Vermillion06

Soft vinyl dashes have a tendancy to dry out and crack over the years.
Ever wonder why Armor-All was invented?

I have a 1971 Datsun (Nissan) 240Z. The black soft vinyl dash started cracking when it was about five years old (I know, because the original owner of the car was my father-in-law.) 30+ years later, the top of the soft plastic dash is crumbled to dust. The solution to this problem that all Z enthusiasts have? A hard plastic dash cap that glues on to cover the cracks!!


And please explain how can something that is hard (inflexible) flex more than something that is soft and flexible?

Galaxie

John,

I personally think its unfair to compare the plastics from 35 years ago to the materials we have now. I don't think I have seen one cracked dash from any car made in the last few years.

I don't think the interior bits on the stang will fail anytime soon. I do think however better materials could have been used to increase the perceieved quality.

Take a look back to my previous posts in this thread and you understand my take on the situation.

94tbird

i can attest to current soft plastics cracking. my 94 tbird's dash is a softer palstic than the msutang by far and around the corners near the passenger side airbag it is cracking. i can see indside a bit if i peel it back. it is a soft layer of plastic over a foam backing.

Boltzman

I had a 93 celica that I sold as soon as I got my stang. The plastic was soft but not cushiony soft....not one crack in 13 years. Anyways, IMO the plastic in the stang sucks...but I still love her deeply

Hollywood_North GT

Unfortunately, Galaxie, I think certain members here are more interested in prolonging some sort of "thread war" - and grandstanding - than acknowledging that their viewpoint might be at best, biased, and at worst, erroneous.

Interestingly, I have looked at the carpets in many competitors' cars, and my observations tend to confirm what John's pictures ACTUALLY show: better quality carpeting that is glued or tacked or bolted down.

As to plastics, it's been widely acknowledged by many, many automotive journalists that the Mustang's most significant shortcoming is the "acres and acres of cheap plastic" in the interior. If some people here can't see it, that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact that it's not up to the standards of most cars priced similarly to the GT. End of story.

John, I know you and some others on this thread are getting a rise out of plotting responses to try and somehow "defeat" me in this debate (trust me, I could do this all day), but the evidence backs me, not you. Wishing something to be so, does not make it so. So I propose that we just agree to disagree, because we're clearly never going to reach a consensus on this issue.

runfox

You know your just speculating pulling crap out of the air now!! You have no basis what so ever to assume the the plastic will grow brittle with age exposed to UV rays. You dont think that car manufactureres have discovered how to make plastic UV resistant after all the years they have used platics in cars by now???? If belive that yout just way out in left field, thats all there is to it!! And you have no proof or facts to base any of this on anyway!!!I read these forums and others and have not read where anyone has complained about the cheap plastics. No record of brittle plastic or scratched up plastic either.

I dont make the cars plastic and dont have all the answers, Ill admit , all this is only my opinion. But based on what I have seen thus far in my 05 Mustang , I see no reason to belive my interior with it's yards and yards of cheap plastic willl look just as good, feal just as solid, fit just as well , years down the road as it does now!!!!

Tony Alonso

In a debate like this, each side has a bias they hold dear. Just as you have, people have been providing their reasons and evidence for why what they believe is "correct". At this point in the thread, what seems correct is that people have different tolerances for what they consider acceptable or unacceptable for the price they pay for a Mustang.

To which cars are you refering specifically?

Yes, and some owners on this forum say that same thing. I find it interesting that some of the discussion has centered around durability. I am not an automotive plastics expert, so I would be curious to see what the Ford engineers say about it.

Again, to what specific cars are you refering?


Just for grins, I took a picture of my 3 1/2 year-old Mach's carpet. As can be seen (excuse the mess in the floorboard), it peels back up in the corners. That is tacky looking, and I did have to have one corner glued up on the right side under warranty. Fit and finish could have been better for sure. However, I only see this view if I am detailing the car or taking pictures.

The other photo is my wife's 1 1/2 year-old MINI. It is tacked up much better. Looks nice.

In both cars, the carpet does not cover certain areas. I assume that it is to avoid wear or make assembly easier.

Quality means different things to different people, but I generally consider "fit and finish" and "reliability" separately.

Anybody else got some more carpet pictures??

Hollywood_North GT

Is that a fact...

No basis, huh?

All plastics will succumb to degradation under repeated expsosure to UV light over time - it's COMMON KNOWLEDGE...at least I thought it was. Cheaper plastics will succumb more quickly, depending upon your latitude and where you park your car (i.e. in the open or under cover). Do your research before dismissing my statement, or offer proof for your counter-argument.

Again, do some research before flying off at the mouth. There have been plenty of complaints about the plastic in the new Mustang scratching easily on these forums - there may even be a comment in this thread somewhere, if I remember correctly.

Hollywood_North GT

Again, most import vehicles in the same price range as a Mustang GT.

Thank you for just proving my point. I rest my case.

Galaxie

This is a scenario where its really hard to compare a competitor's vehicle to the stang because of the fact that it really is in a market of its own.

Its a shame that the upgraded interior bits weren't available a year ago, I would have gladly given them more money for those parts.

tech

That's two cars!!! Not to mention the wrong model mustang. What point does that prove? Because it doesn't prove anything regarding your original argument. It proves that one foreign manufacturer adheres carpet in one car better than Ford did on a late model Mach 1 Mustang.

Is this the sort of critique that your readers have to digest from HNS? Did you see a couple of screen shots and a trailer for Mission Impossible 3 and think, "This movie is GREAT!! I know I'm right because I saw the trailer. I rest my case!!".

Your logic is absurd...and your case hasn't rested by a long shot.

Hollywood_North GT

Correct. Thanks for agreeing with me.

Who's "HNS"?

Ahhhhhhh, no...I saw the film. And what does it have to do with Mustangs, anyway? More obfuscation of the facts, I guess.

Well, that's a little like Satan calling the Pope a sinner, isn't it?

Hollywood_North GT

Well, I think one could argue that the Mini is in a market of its own, too, though the interior does seem to show greater attention to detail than the Mustang, though to be fair, the Mini has plenty of problems of its own, like the lack of leather seats (vinyl seating surfaces all around, which is disgraceful given what they charge).

Since people don't seem to want to let this go, allow me to cite yet another example of where Ford cut corners in the Stang: the HVAC controls. Those rotating dials have to be some of the lightest, flimsiest ***** I've seen yet. Not a deal breaker, certainly, but the examples of cost-cutting are evident throughout this car. I read in another post on this board that the plastic eyelets that feed the rear shoulderbelts have apparently been dropped by Ford this year. More deleting of content to pinch pennies. As someone posted over there, it's not a big deal other than the fact that the plastic probably protects the cheap carpeting from fraying when the belt is pulled to and fro.

And why exactly DID Ford deactivate the remote window down function instead of just fixing it? Other manufacturers don't seem to have a problem making this feature work - why is Ford "special"?

I could go on and on, but what's the point, really? People don't want to acknowledge that these sorts of things are part of the reason so many people don't buy Fords anyore (even though Tech will keep trying to sell the "the public is brainwashed" argument). That said, the Mustang is a great car in so many other ways.

I think this thread has outlived its usefulness.

lodom

Maybe the next version of the Mustang in 2009 or so will have improved plastic quality an texture along with a better grade of carpet. At least for now, the car has no competition to speak of, and is selling extremely well, so despite these issues, it is a badly needed win for Ford.

It may be only a few hundred $$$ to fix these issues, but apparently it is critical for a car to meet a price point. I remember being astonished that Ford was aware of the Pinto gas tank issue, and could have fixed the problem for $5 or so, but they were too concerned about making sure the base price stayed under $2995.

tech

I wasn't agreeing with your argument dumba**, is something wrong with you? Has something effected your brain where you cannot understand sarcasm and mistake it for fact?

Like Satan calling the Pope a sinner? Is that supposed to be funny? Are you going to then back up why you think my logic is absurd? No, you just want to laugh at your little joke and re-read it over and over playing it in your head. Oh, you're so crafty.

My comment about your reviews has absolutely nothing to do with Mustangs. I was simply pointing out the obscurity of your logic in the argument process. That much I thought was apparent.

Oh and excuse me...HNR, if I nit-picked every mistake in your posts I would be here all day.

And the brainwashed comment, that is the best part. Do you think anything that you wear, eat, drink, the people you associate with, the lifestyle you've chosen, the house you live in and the car you drive isn't because of influence from others and the current environment that you live in? If you think it isn't, you're much dumber than I thought.

I've had enough fun with your rediculous rebuttals. Have fun watching movie trailers buddy. Have a nice day!

Hollywood_North GT

Let's see you "nit-pick all my mistakes" PLEASE, Mr. "rediculous" (I think you mean ridiculous).

Buh-bye now!