metroplex

I have a 2007 GT hardtop and am thinking of trading it in for a 2011 convertible. Should I wait for a 2012?

Is it worth the extra beans for the 5.0L V8? How much do the convertibles weigh? Using bench racing math, a 3700 lb convertible with 412 hp is still like a bat out of heck.

Any ideas?

I rented a 2010 Mustang V6 convertible and thought the convertible top/switch design was OK. I had to hold down the button and there was still a bit of leakage/wind noise.

Is the 2011 built better? Can I get by with the V6 or is the 5.0 really good?

My other choice is a 2010/2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster convertible - it is a bit more expensive than the GT convertible, but the interior and design seems to be more appealing.

trikwires

You would need to test drive the V6 and GT cars to see the difference in power. i asked my self if I could live withteh V6 but the exhaust note and low end torque is telling me the 5.0 is the way to go even though it is almost $7K more for a similarly equipped version. I want a sports car not a commuter car. The driveline is what makes the heart of most sports cars. I too have driven a rental V-6 2010 convertible for a week. i did not care for teh higher noise in the interior and when it rains it sounds alot louder as well. I see many verts here get dandilion fuzz all over thier roofs as well in the summer/fall and that would drive me insane.

As for waiting till the 20112's come out- it sounds like there arenot many changes in the works other than colors and maybe a few fixes that current TSB's onthe 2011 cars are taking care of. Get a deal on teh 2011's if there is one on the lot as the winter months are coming and convertibles usually don't sell as well during that time so dealers will work with you more.

Go with what you want. The GT interior in the vert is nicer than the V6 as the inside of the top is more "finished".

metroplex

I drove the living shinola out of that 2010 rental convertible. I was impressed with the sound of that 4.0L V6, I thought it might have been a V8 at first because of that growl. The interior felt cheap, but not that much different from my stripped down 07 GT.

I am definitely going with an automatic this time around, I'd like to enjoy the drive without having to give my left foot a workout in heavy traffic.

Good point about test driving, but I can't get a good idea of how the car performs within a few minutes. A rental gives me a few days to evaluate the car.

trikwires

I drove that mustang 4.0l like a crazy man at times going through the hills of New Hampshire and Connecticut at almost double the speed limits. Almost missed a road I needed to turn off and jammed onteh brakes only to leave some nice skid marks even with ABS. It was a blast! It was an auto and I felt it was dog slow to me as my V-6's in both my daily drivers had 40hp more than that 4.0l. The mustang is still a relatively light car even as a vert so you would need to drive both engines just to get a feel for the real world power at real world speeds. Horsepower is nice, but when are you going to be screaming at 6K rpm's on a public road?
Torque is where you feel that acceleration and when you are doing 35 mph and punch it, torque is what still throws you in your seat and gets you to 55mph in a blink...
The v6 in the 2011's does not have that torque as the 5.0l does.

metroplex

3700 lb isn't light, that's the weight of an older 1992-1995 Crown Victoria. I always felt the Mustang had a lot more body roll and pitch than a good sports car. The torque from the 5.0 is nice, but I'd like to hear a nice engine/exhaust sound with the convertible. How does the stock 5.0 sound compared to the stock 3.5/3.7 V6?

I went off-road a few times in the rental because of the bad roads, then there was the flooding and manholes that were raised about 6" over the road surface. You could have confused my Mustang for a LAV with the amount of fording it did

jedikd

Just rented a 2011 Auto 3.7L Convertible for a California road trip along Hwy 1 (very windy road!).

Coming from a 2007 GT 5-speed, the car felt pretty quick actually! Once I got it to down shift it was always very brisk for passing people and felt just fine off the line. Exhaust note was quiet but sounded good at higher RPMs. The car itself handled itself pretty well, a little uncertain around rough LA roads but on smooth Hwy 1 roads it was a blast around the turns. I think the new electronic steering makes the car really easy to drive. It was much more comfortable for a long trip than my '07 with STR.Ts, 18" wheels/summer tires and Steeda ultralites.

I was thinking how much of a shame it was that Ford doesn't offer the performance package on convertibles. I was thinking that a 6-speed manual V6 vert with 3.31 gears, summer tires, and some struts/shocks/springs/sways would be a great daily driver.

trikwires

The body roll is always there as these cars are mass marketed and many people don't like stiff rides. We are enthusiasts so we do like them, but ever see how many people are members of these mustang sites compared to how many mustangs are sold? Very small percentage...

The exhaust sounds decent in the new V-6, but it sounds like any other v-6 out there if you rev them. My Honda Ridgeline v-6 sounds sweet once up past 4K RPM and the VTEC kicks in. It is basically up to you weather you like that higher pitched smooth exhaust note of the v6 or the more throaty and deep note on the v8. The power is really something you need to feel to see if it satisfys you.

Yes 3700 lbs is not super light, but with the Nissan at about 3400 lbs, the penalty is not too much when you consider the mustang actaully has a back seat

metroplex

I don't need a back seat or a trunk, and I always felt it was wasted space on my Mustang.

rmurad38

Well, I've owned an Auto '11 v6 convertible premium for a bit over 2 months now so I can certainly answer any question you might have about it, though its my first Mustang so I really don't have much to base a comparison on. My last car was an '07 Dodge Caliber SXT, the car before that, an '01 focus SE. Overall, here are my impressions.

Power: Well, compared to my last 2 economy cars, of course this one is a rocket, in the time the Caliber got to 60, this car is going 90 That being said, a v6 Auto 'vert comes with 2.73 gears. It makes for a nice low rpm cruise at any legal speed but in my opinion makes it a DOG off the line, once the RPMs hit 3-4k, it takes right off but until then, it does not feel like a 305HP car, not even close. I do have 3.73 gears and a tune planned which should take care of this problem pretty easily, I'd suspect. I would HOPE that the GT with its better low end torque would not be such a pig off the line.. All this being said, the car still does 0-60 in about 6.5 sec or so (compared to the 9-10sec of the Caliber, lol)

Handling: The Caliber, being a tall Wagon, CUV, whatever you want to call it did not handle that well, what it lacked in handling, it made up for in a pretty comfortable ride. The Mustang is of course leaps and bounds better in this regard though its still no mini cooper! If I have any complaint it would be that the FRONT suspension is a bit soft, I'd suspect a GT with more weight over the front could be even worse. Some stiffer springs up front would do wonders i'm sure. I also suspect a more rigid coupe is better in this regard. The rear suspension of the car, live axle and all, is actually fine for me, not nearly as soft as the front. Brakes are great, far better than what I'm used to

Fit and Finish: leaps and bounds ahead of the tupperware filled Caliber, for sure. My model is the v6 premium MCA edition fully loaded with the electronics pkg, comfort pkg, etc. other than a few styling differences, it don't believe it to be much different than the GT. The switches and buttons are all of very high quality, and the surfaces, with the exception of possibly the plastic door panels are top notch.
I do have 2 different sources of rattles/buzzes to report though, music w/ heavy bass will cause the Map pockets to buzz (you can even see them vibrate!) and when my windows are DOWN, i can get rattles from them going over rough road, railroad tracks, etc. I can probably fix the map pockets with some Dynamat, the door rattles, I'll ask the dealer about when i bring it in for my first oil change.

Noise and Comfort: Coming from the Caliber, a car known for excessive road noise, this car is QUIET! of course a coupe will be quieter. I only really notice noise in a few situations. It can be louder, top up, when passing under an overpass, tunnel, etc. The first time it rained was also a little alarming, kinda sounded like I was in a tent! the GT has a canvas top vs. the v6 vinyl so it may be quieter in the rain, if not overall.
With the top closed at freeway speeds, (70-80) i have no problems with noise and its actually quieter, significantly so, than the Caliber was. Heat and AC work without issue and i've not been either too hot or cold due to the closed top not insulating (it does actually have 2 layers)

Even though here in the Bay Area, rain is rare most of the year, I can say I've had no problems whatsoever with water leaks. I wash the car weekly at a self-serve bay and have not seen so much as a drop inside the car. A relief for sure.

With the top down, obviously its louder, but even at 90+ you can have a conversation with the front passenger without screaming, wind noise is pretty low too (considering the lack of a top) The same cannot be said for the back seat, noise is up there, as is a significant wind blast..I don't drive from the back seat though so that fine by me
Those dreaded 2.73 gears i'm sure help out with the noise too, as the revs are always super low when cruising. As for the exhaust, I think it sounds good, perhaps not the low booming rumble of the V8. but far better than the ridiculous "mooing" of say a Nissan 350/Infinity G35, It has a nice tone and is pretty quiet overall, but will make itself heard when you wind it out.

Well, thats about all I can come up with for now, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Good luck with you decision!

rmurad38