I'm definitely with you on the challenger. If Ford ever stopped the v8 or I was unhappy with the design of the mustang I would have no problem buying the scat pack! I like the camaro as well but they all look the same, seems like it's not as easy to make a Camaro your own as it is a mustang. I am definitely more loyal to the mustang than any other muscle car out.

 

[QUOTE=FromZto5;6902028]Exactly! You know, I was thinking... my next upgrade I always wanted was a Shelby. But if that's gone now, for 65k, I'd take a Challenger Hellcat. Blasphemy I know. But you see, that's the rawness I crave

But realistically, for 40k tops? Another car I'd consider strongly (since my buddy has one and I've been in it) is a Subaru STi. Talk about raw. Hey, it's a 4 cylinder turbo, just like the ecoboost S550./QUOTE]

I had a 2012 STi for 2 years. Traded it for a 2014 GT TP. Never looked back. STi was fun but felt like a toy compared to the 5.0. Grip is nice but spinning tires is a lot more fun.

 

I didn't know you had an STi. Now see, if you had to choose between that Sti or the new 15 s550??? Hmm

 

@ The original poster - great review man! I have to admit I almost feel the same...

I got a chance to test drive the new 5.0 in Black with PP fully loaded at our dealer here in San Tan Valley AZ.

I have to admit, the interior was amazing, I really liked how it all came together with the exception of the rear seats... Anyhow I got a chance to drive it too...

5.0 6 spd and PP loaded S550 really felt different. I liked the motor, it felt heavier and i disliked the clutch. It felt very smooth ( easy to press on ) anyhow the car did feel different it felt tamed it felt as if I was driving my wife BMW - but much faster afcourse.

After that i drove a Stage 3 S197 Roush and wow... 575HP of pure brute force! Wow!

At the end of the day I jumped back in mine, and really loved that this car is probably the last live axle mustang to be ever made by Blue Oval and will go down in history as one of the best! IT really feels like you are taming a wild horse, and as if you would use the reins to direct it thats how you had to drive the live axle model...

The new one even a grandma can drive!....

Just my 2cents

 

I sat in an premium eco boost at my local dealer when the wives flex was getting an oil change. I didn't get to drive it since it was in the showroom but I did get a real good look at it.


To me the interior felt more compact. I prefer the more open feel of m current mustang. The build quality was nice but didn't blow me away. I have the 401a interior in my 'stang and it has a lot of the soft touch panels in it like the 550 did. I did like the My Ford Touch and reverse cam coming standard in the car. Wish I had that in mine... I think.

 

Thanks for your input. That was another aspect that I have heard from others, that the manual clutch in the new s550 has a very light clutch. That would drive me nuts. That's one of the favorite features of my car, the tough clutch. Another "raw" feature. I test drove an autotragic so I can't confirm.

 

Is your clutch aftermarket because my clutch is butter compared to the clutch in the Z I recently sold!

 

Ive said it before and ill say it again, ive driven both cars, and i enjoy the feel of the s550, but i prefer the more raw, less subdued tone of the s197.... it feels like a muscle car whereas the s550 feels like a sports car. I know thats what ford was aiming for, and they achieved their goal, but thats not what i want really. Maybe i change my mind in a few years.

 

Great review! The fact is that for many of us 11' to 14' owners the new Mustang is just not "mind blowing better" and not a big enough step up for us to give up our S197's. The only thing i was drooling over was the 6 pot Brembos on the new Stang. However, while looking through Late model restorations web site i found they have 2013 Shelby GT500 6 pot Brembo front brakes for 05' to 14' Mustangs on sale right now for only $1400! Needless to say i bought a pair and they will be hear friday!!! I have Koni yellows/Steeda sports and i love the way my 14' handles, now i will love how it stops also lol! I will post a review of them once they are installed for any S197 owners interested! Once again im glad others feel the same way i do! Not a bad car, just not enough to make me switch, thanks!

 

Hands down the new s550. STi is a great car but it will never match the visceral feel of a mustang. That being said if I lived in a state where the roads were always snow covered in the winter I may have to go with the STi. The other thing I noticed with the STi vs Mustang was that women hated my STi but absolutely love the 5.0. The STi was a car I always wanted and once I had it I realized that it was like meeting your hero. Never a good thing. For 40k it rattled to much, was not fast enough (went as far as stage 2), and had horribly unsupportive seats. The stereo was the worst I ever had in a car and the amount of hard plastics in the interior was ridiculous. And yeah if you dump the clutch at 5000rpm it will rip a sub 5sec zero to sixty but how often is someone going to dump the clutch like that in an awd car. As soon as I dropped the STi off and got into the mustang I was like, now this is a car. But I will say that in bad weather the STi can do things that would have most cars in a ditch.

 

The sad thing for me is that the 2014 gt was kind of an impulse... It's my only car. Would have been a lot smarter to go with another focus st, or a Wrx, or a gti... Or even an f150 for its utility.

The reason I'm in the mustang forums and driving a mustang right now is because of:

A: the paint- Ruby red (and frankly wanted Kona Blue but they don't make the 13-14 with it, arguably the best color for a GT) really caught my attention. My gf HATES red cars. Obviously, I care a whole lot about that

B: the salesman did his **** job and got my reluctant *** into the driver seat and let me take her for a spin. Mind blown. It felt like a tank at first... In the best way. Couldn't believe how beastly it felt by comparison to my quick and darty ST. I was sold right there. Just loved it's raw personality. The ST had a playful personality. The GT has a "I want to kill you/get you arrested" personality.

It's not practical, but I'm at an age where utility isn't all that important. No kids, no real responsibilities other than getting my butt to work on time. Had the GT not grabbed me like that... Well, I'd be driving some vanilla-mobile, and would have justified 30+ mpgs over "fun to drive". The ST is an excellent car, but this is just different. I put axleback gt500 on within a month, and that really got me hooked. I can only imagine if it was blown....

Now the gt350! That might be raw enough for me, along with a high revving naturally aspirated v8... We shall see. In the mean time... I'll be whipping around my GT for sometime. I may get a DD some day, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of my mustang if I can control it.

 

Interesting perspectives

Have any of you '10-'14 S197 owners ever driven an '05-'09? I ask, because when I first got the chance to drive a '10 GT I was blown away by how much more refined it was. Refined in many ways. In my mind, many good ways.

The interior. Much better built with a feeling of solidity the earlier cars could never match.

The suspension. Considering most of it was a matter of tuning what was already on the '09, the '10 just felt so much more planted. A more compliant ride whilst actually resisting roll better. The steering felt more precise and the stock gearchange slicker.

I also drive an BMW e46 330i as a daily driver and the changes to the '10 made me think of my BMW. That's a compliment because as a driving tool, the BMW is better than my '05. The refinement in ride and interior means you can focus on the drive. Many think a BMW is soulless. Own one, and you'll come to love them.

I wanted S550 to move the game on as much as the '10 did over the '09. I think Ford achieved that.

Is it a muscle car? No, but then no stock S197 (perhaps bar the GT500) is a muscle car in my book. S550, for me, is a sports GT. My kinda car. Want to make it sound glorious? Add a decent aftermarket exhaust. That one key modification is what wakes up ANY S197 and I'm sure the same will go for S550 (although I don't think the 4-cylinder benefits from being louder.......I prefer that one stock).

However, I haven't yet had a chance to drive an S550, just sit in a few for now. It'll be interesting to see if my opinion changes once I get behind the wheel.

I've always said I want to keep my '05 for ever. But there are only 2 cars I'd swap it for. Either a '13/'14 GT or a '15GT.

Looks wise, there are a few minor details I don't like on the S550, so I'm really looking forward to the '18MY refresh (or whenever it's scheduled for). I'm hoping it'll fix the few gripes I have, just like the '13 did over the '12.

I'm a Mustang fan-boy though and spending because of my love for the marque I know I couldn't spend $40k on anything but a Mustang. I'll always compromise and drive an older daily driver to ensure I have a Mustang in the garage for fun.

 

My roommate in college had an 07 gt premium vert, and he let me drive it all the time. It felt pretty similar to what my car feels like now, just soggy by comparison of that makes sense. Not nearly as fast or as responsive. The interior isn't a huge departure, he had the premium pack and I have a base GT and really, not a whole lot happened over 7 model years (sadly). I do like the interior better in the new mustangs, I just don't think it delivers that same "muscle" feel inside and out. Definitely more futuristic, modern, comfortable. Sometimes I do miss MFT and the goodies from my last car, but now I can shut it all off and hear my v8 and then I just ain't care. Lol

When I went from my 06 focus to the 13 ST, everything had been redone (literally). But going from his 07 to my 14, they just fixed the important stuff and kept what made his car great. The argument is that the refinement that came in 2015 is much like what I went through with my focus. It's awesome to see all the improvements, but at some point it can feel over engineered. They changed the direction of the mustang this time to sports car from muscle car. I guess it's a good thing overall but it's not the same car it used to be.

 

I like your review. It reminded me why I bought my 13. I actually went out to purchase a Camaro. By research I knew everything I wanted except convertible or no Vert. Bottom line, I left the dealer uninterested and disappointed. Friend said.... Try a Mustang. I was not interested. Long and short, I drove a 13 GT/CS. Interior was better and that's something I like, had more options and visibility was better. Camaro drove nice....Kind of like my truck and wife's car while driving normal. Started the test drive in the Mustang and it was like.....a thrill ride at the amusement park! Couldn't believe how fun it was. Whoever commented on the "raw power" or rawness of the car hit it on the head. I really worried the thrill would go away and I would have wished I purchased a new truck. 2 years into it and I still have so much fun driving it. Can't wait for the snow/salt to clear, get the top down, radio blaring and accelerate down the entrance ramp!

 

Thanks Paul! I remember driving an 09 back in 09. It was a GT. To be honest, the "feel" of the 12 demo car I drove and that 09 were similar, save for power (of course). Both cars still felt more unrefined, and that's a good thing in my book. The S550 is in no way like either of those cars. I really suggest you drive one. Knowing your taste, you might like it. You differentiated daily driver and the "fun" car quite well. That's another good way to explain the difference. The new S550 is almost like a daily driver kind of car. Gets you from A to B in a pseudo-fun way. My 12 gets me there and my heart is pounding. That's the difference.

Thanks man! Yeah, I don't WANT to get a Camaro. But hey... if they keep doing this "refinement" to our mustangs, what choice will I have I will hang on to my one of a kind '12 forever.

 

No WAY could Ford not build the S550. They had to bring the Mustang FORWARD....


And they did an excellent Job and it's still a Mustang... There are people around that think all computer controlled cars with anti-lock brakes and fuel injection are a compromise.


"The last REAL Mustang's were built in the 60's."


I hear that from the motorheads that gather at Donut Derelicts. And if your car is an "automatic" then it's not real either...


Real Mustangs!








Not his one.





What is this guy thinking???





This is better








Yikes!

 

I've driven a lot of Mustangs (and other cars) yes I've even tried out the new Challenger RT scat pack which I really liked by the way.
The '15 Mustang GT Performance Pack I drove was very nice but a bit to soft for me (personal taste) and the performance isn't any better then the previous Mustangs.
I still think the Boss 302 is the best balanced modern Mustang out there

 

What was the main goal in developing the 2015 Ford Mustang?
When we were out on our development drives, I made the team use the current Boss 302 as one of our internal benchmarks. I said, “We have to take the character of the Boss 302 and it has to trickle down through the lineup now.” And I said, “The GT Performance Pack [on the new Mustang] needs to beat a Boss on a track.” The Boss is very capable, very balanced, but the Boss has a window, and as long as you’re operating within that window, it’s badass and it’s great to drive. As soon as you get outside of that window, the Boss makes you wake up a little bit. This car, you’re going to have a hard time finding that window. Reaching the edge on the new Mustang is extremely progressive and predictable.

 

I distinctly said in my first post, I don't want to discuss looks, as it never ends well. It is also the most fueled debate on what someone likes or dislikes. I appreciate your post and pics, but let's not start a which mustang generation looks like a mustang, etc.

That being said, yes, I also hear those words from folks that are truly really old school, and that's ok... they're entitled to those opinions also.

Thanks for your input too. I agree with you that the new stang is a "bit too soft". I haven't driven the new 5.0 yet, but I have a feeling that the overall ride and feel of it will be similar across the entire lineup, save for some power of course, and handling. But the isolation, steering feel, shifter feel, etc... will be similar, I would think. I could be wrong.

 

It is all perspective.

Ask a 03/04 cobra owner what he thinks of the S197 and he will tell you they are too refined.