m4a1mustang

I traded my 370Z in on my 5.0. It was a great car... got way more attention than the 5.0 and in some ways was way more fun to drive, and while very quick it lacked that thrust that the 5.0 delivers. I probably would have kept it had it not have been for a few nagging issues with my '09 model.

When I was shopping for the Z I also tested the Cayman S and C6 Corvette. The Corvette had great power but the interior and overall build quality sucked. The Cayman was the best car of the two but the Z could do about 95% of what the Cayman did for a little over $20,000 less.

I've had the 5.0 for about 11 months now and it's been good fun, but I am thinking about trading it in on an M3 or 911.

Oh, I have driven the Camaro SS and Challenger. The Chevy is complete garbage. Drives just like it's build quality... absolute crap. The Challenger turns and stops like a freight train, but it's a pretty nice highway cruiser... but I'm afraid that's all it is and will ever be in its current configuration.

jimmbbo

Drove an SS 6M about a year ago...

It felt heavier and not as "eager" to run the twistys as the 'stang. Not a show stopper, but sluggish in comparison to the GT. I did prefer the predictability of the independent rear suspension, tho.

Interior seemed tacky and cheap. After driving a Honda Prelude and Acura CL, even the 401A 'stang is a step down, but the Camaro was another step down.

Shifting and acceleration were good, but I think the gear ratios on the MT82 are about as perfect as could be spec'd. Now, if we could just get a decent shifter.

The instrument panel design and gage location were ergonomically challenged. The engine instruments being on the center console was old school Camaro (SS, IIRC), but it was a bad idea then, and hasn't improved with age...

The large aluminum bezels around the speedo and tach were distracting, and using those gages was like looking down into a huge black sippy cup to monitor the RPM and speed, and the trip computer location was likewise down in a hole.... The GT's central location for driving and engine instruments is ideal.

The show stopper for me was the claustrophobia from the slit trench windows and low roofline... I'm only 5'10" and the roof was uncomfortably close to my head. Also, with the low roofline, IMO the car looks "bottom heavy" and unbalanced - sort of like a bunker on wheels.

Having had two Camaros in the past, I thought I was going to be conflicted about the decision to buy my first Ford, and though disappointing for a life long Chevy owner, it was an easy decision to make.

c0achmke

My last car was a GLI and as many have noted it has a wonderful interior which it does but all the negative come tsunami about the mustang interior. It is not that bad in my view ideal for an American muscle car in my opinion and if you wanted a BMW interior purchase a BMW and spend an extra 20K my 20k went to grad school a better long term investment than a BMW. My GLI did show some wear and the nice rubbery feel on much of the interior rubs off with regular use or normal wear no interior is perfect and neither is any car for that matter...the Ferrari California I saw at the dealership had paint issues you would not believe on it's hood.

Skotty

Thought I'd add my thoughts here with everyone else. In addition to the Mustang 5.0, I also considered the 2011 Mustang V6, all models of Camaro, and all models of Challenger.

I think my opinion is reflected by many others here.

I initially loved the look of the new Camaro, but in person it looked a little too chop-top cartoonish, and visibility was a concern. If Ford hadn't come out with the new motors, I may have chosen a Camaro. But with the new motors, I felt the Mustang was clearly superior (to me at least).

I was actually more interested in the Challenger than the Camaro. I looked at the challenger models, but they just seemed overpriced when compared to the other options. At the same time, the interior didn't seem as nice. Ultimately the V6 option was ruled out due to not having a manual transmission option, while the others were ruled out due to price/value.

I finally decided on the GT Mustang, though the V6 Mustang was tempting. To keep it under my budget, it came down to V6 with glass roof and nav, or GT without. I ended up choosing the latter.

wjones14

I love the M3 and I'll repeat that "if money were no object" I would get one. But there's a big difference between $50K and $33K. And for $50K you get a used car. Not only that, but I would expect the cost of ownership to be much less with the 5.0 than an M3 after the sale. My '05 Mustang is over 6 years old with 62K miles, and so far the only part on the car that has failed was a $15 rear axle seal (right at the end of my second 2.5 hour track day at Watkins Glen) - the Mustang is just extremely durable, and when you do need to buy a part, it's probably half as expensive as the BMW parts.

I think it's safe to say that most guys who ended up with a Mustang were never serious about a new M3 - they're just too far apart in price and stature to be actual competitors.