I did thid poll in the 09 section, but thought it would better apply here. Not to mention today my boss shocked me with his New Toyota Camry. More on that later.There are several discussions going on right now about the weight/size of the current mustang.
My personal opinion is that the present mustang ( which I dearly love) is too large. Both in weight and size. Personally the width is great and makes the present model have a commanding stance, but the height and length are a little much. And I don't know very many enthusiasts that don't think the mustang could benefit from a diet.

Along thos lines, I was wondering how many people are having trouble fitting into the present stang, and where those troubles are. Me, I'm average size at 6'0" and 185lbs, and the stang has more then enough head room, front leg room and hip/shoulder room.

I am interested in how many of us actually have trouble and if it is head room/leg room, or what. Please take the poll. Along with that Ideas for weight loss may help ford get the diet going.

 

I'm 5'3" and it fits me fine.
My daughter is 5'10" and she fits fine. She says that even riding in the back seat is comfy for her.
Hubby 6' he fits fine in the front and back also.

The size of the car I think is just right.
If you lower the height and the length it would be too much like a Vet.

It has a nice stalky look to it. Proportioned like a race horse you might say

 

Now back to my Boss' Camry.
He pulled up today with a brand new 07 Camry LE, fully plush. To my amazement it was basically the same size as my 05 V6, yet it has comfy setting for at least four people, read no squishing to fit in the back seats and plenty of trunk space. So I decided to do a little research.
The car has a 268 hp 24v VVTi 3.5l V6, 6 speed A/T, leather, 17 inch rims, etc. Ready for the kicker... it weighs 3461 lbs.
So tell me Why is the Mustang so heavy. the measurements follow
Camry L-189.2" W-71.7" H-57.9" lbs-3461
Mustang V6 L-187.6" W-73.8" H-54.4" lbs-3476
Delta -1.6" 2.1" -3.5" 15lbs

Mind you this Camry has 60 more horses, dual overhead cams, 24 valves, two more doors, much more posh interior, etc.
I realize this is an apple to oranges comparison, after all a sport coupe and a midsize sedan should not be comparable, but somehow the Camry does compare.
Now in all fairness I have to state that my boss paid almost 25k for his Camry, but that is not too far off of a fully loaded V6.
So I have to ask ford, Why??

 

I am 6'-4" and 210 lbs. I have a lot of trouble fitting in our 02 Explorer with a moonroof but no trouble at all in the Mustang. What a pleasant suprise.

 

The Mustang is not that much heavier than the Camry... you should also keep in mind that the Camry is designed as a Front wheel drive, 4 door sedan with people-carrying in mind. The Mustang is designed as a rear wheel drive coupe, and the designers put more emphasis on the performance and exterior styling than on passenger space. The Mustang is designed to accept a 300 and 500 hp V8; the Camry is not. The Mustang designers made sure that the Mustang looks great; the Camry.... well, IMHO, they made sure it was uglier than the last genration Camry...

They're two different types of cars for two different buyers. If you want great performance, sporty feel, and IMHO some of the best styling on the market, then a Mustang is for you.

If passenger room & maximum seating capacity are more important than beautiful styling and high performance, then a Camry is for you.

Like you said this is an apples to oranges comparison. So how about comparing the Mustang against other midsize coupes, and the Camry against the Ford 500 or Fusion?

 

I fit fine. My poor kids suffer.
Oh well, its my car, not theirs.

 

Wow, I NEVER thought I would hear someone complain about the Mustang being too roomy I like it fine as-is. Sure it would be nice to have more backseat room and a bigger trunk, but then the whole appearance of the car would be different.

 

I agree. I wouldnt change a thing about it personally. If you *** trunk space and back seat space it becomes my everyday vehicle, which I already have. Next thing you know the wife will want to take it shopping and the kids will want to go somewheres. WTF is the world coming to. Its an enjoyment vehicle and I **** well plan on using it for just that

 

I have to go along with what John said. For me....

$25K fully loaded Camry
or
$27K Well optioned Mustang GT

The Mustang wins hands down. But, hey thats me

 

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...605310340/1148

 

oh yea
be sure to tell your boss to have AAA ..because toyota charges for roadside assistance... the new camrys have faulty transmissions which 2st and 6th gear die within 500 miles and toyota is refusing to fix them until the trannys completely die and will handle it on a case by case .. way to avoid a recall lol

have fun!

i just built my own toyota and besides holding down the puke and feeling like i need to shower it came to MSRP of 31,672

 

That was a good one.

 

oops im sorry i priced a fully loaded camry ..your boss got the cheapest one my bad

 

I'm 6'3" 240lbs and I fit fine. I'm thinking the Mustang weighs more and has less room than a Camry due to the fact that more space and weight(not much difference) is devoted to the engine and drivetrain.

 

You're contradicting yourself here. You say they are apples and oranges, then you say "somehow [they] compare"?

Why "what"? What's your question...or point? These two cars couldn't be more different, and serve totally different markets.

 

When I first got into an 05 Mustang I thought it was extremely cramped compared to the previous model. I think it was mainly due to the positioning of the arm rest on the doors. After a day of driving I got used to it though and actually felt very comfortable in it. Then I returned it to Budget.

 

I realize that is a contradicting statement. You wouldnt think that a midsize sedan would compare dimensionaly to a sports coupe, is what I was trying to say.

I find it hard to believe that it is just OK in everyones' book for the mustang to weigh this much.

The why is why does the mustang have to weigh so much? and why is the trunk so big. You can't fit three people in it so why do you need trunk space for three golf bags? You do realize the mustang has over 6.5 feet of overhange between the front and the rear. What does that do to performance? The mustang grew nearly 5 inches longer in 05, but non of that made it into the passenger area, it has nearly the same legroom front and back as did the 04. it gained 222 lbs in 05. That is the Why.

I am not complaining about the interior being too roomy. Quite the contrary. If the mustang is so large then where is the space? There is more room in my brothers 72 mach and my dads 69 fastback. I'm not complaining about anything. What I am trying to do is create a debate to find improvement. Can for build the same caliber vehicle for a similar price but do so without it being tubby. How can it be accomplished. What is the general consensus. My personal opinion is that it is too heavy and could have the overhange trimmed down.

 

This is exactly what I was referring to. You have a car designed for family safety, and people carrying with 4 doors, 4 sets of PWR window systems, more interior room, a more powerful engine, noted no rear axle, and it still weighs less. The mustang is supposed to be a quick, good handling, quick off the line, sport coupe, but it weighs more. That just does not make sense to me.
I dont like the camry, have never owned a toyota, probably never will. I am on my fourth mustang and will probably buy the 2nd MY of the next generation mustang. But I hope ford takes a look at the usable dimensions of the mustang and the weight of it when finishing of the next redesign.

 

I am 6'4" and I have several inches to spare in the headroom department. That's why I voted that the size could be reduced, purely from a headroom standpoint. I think there are a lot of reasons why it weights so much. The frame has to be able to handle more torque than the Camry is one I can think of off the top of my head. Anyway, I would like the car to weight less, but it aint perfect, just **** close!

 

That's a good point.
brews are on me this weekend!