Because I don't like the looks of the 2015 and newer models, I am looking at 2014 and older models. They also seem to be more in my price range than the newer ones. Is there anything to stay away from in terms of how they're equipped, and should I be looking at the manual or the automatic? Any insight you can provide would be appreciated. I basically know nothing about this generation of pony cars, starting at square one...

 

first, welcome to the forum

The "S197" Mustang; which ran from models years 2005-2014, is generally a pretty solid and reliable car. Of course the older they get the more problems they develop, and as the platform matured through the years they generally got more refined and generally improved. So the later years are generally "better" . . . except personally I do not like the front end styling on the 2013-2014 cars so I would look for a 2012 if it was my money.

There was a huge update in 2011, when both the V8 (aka ":GT") and the V6 got new and greatly improved engines, both up roughly 100 HP over their predecessors. But the 2010 and earlier engines weren't bad.

Manual versus automatic is personal preference, I think both transmissions were pretty good. In 2011 both the manual and automatic were updated to 6-speeds from 5, and there were some issues in the early runs of both, if I remember correctly. Personally I think a "sports car" like a Mustang MUST have a manual transmission, it makes the driving experience so much more engaging; but nothing wrong with an automatic if that is your preference.

One of the best ways to get a feel for the kinds of issues that they have is to scroll through the posts in the relevant forum and sub-forums:
2010-2014 Mustang - The Mustang Source - Ford Mustang Forums

 

Thanks for the info. I should have also stated that I'm only interested in the Coyote Mustangs...no V6s, or 4.6s for me...I would probably opt for a manual, but I know from past experiences that manuals can be much harder to find than automatics, which is why I'm not ruling out automatics...

 

I remember reading quite a few posts about the lousy 'Chinese 6 speeds'. I forgot what years those involved but definitely check into that. My 5 speed is way before those were built and i really enjoy a manual in a Mustang as well. Good luck with your search. My personal suggestion is to buy a lower mileage ride with the fewest amount of owners. Garage kept especially.

 

Another thing I look for is a car that isn't driven during the winter months. Here in the Midwest the road salt and other corrosive chemicals are extremely hard on vehicles...