Not Your Average 2011 Mustang GT Review…
7/21/10, 06:14 PM
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Not Your Average 2011 Mustang GT Review…
First off, I’ll just say that I love the car, love being in it, cruising, etc. It is everything the magazine reviews have said. I am very happy that I purchased this car. Everyone knows all the positives already, so I just want to share some of the more petty things for those who are interested, or serious potential buyers. Please keep in mind my last car was a Hyundai Sonata 4 cylinder, so I am used to lots of functionality, and no performance.
I purchased a 2011 Mustang GT Premium, manual transmission, 3.55 gears, and security package. Here are my thoughts. Again, this review is more for the serious buyer as opposed to the speed freak who will not care about everything listed here.
• The ride is sooo nice, it is actually a better commuter car than my Sonata. Who would have guessed. I have the best of both worlds. Just amazing!
• I have had 3 Toyota Prius’s PASS ME in the last 2 days. Before the Mustang, I wanted to create a law to ban Prius’s from the left lane. This phenomenon is probably because I am so content just cruising and listening to the engine (or stereo), that I don’t care about getting where I am going as quickly as possible. I find myself more often in the right or middle lanes than the left. This might save me a ticket or 3 in the future.
• Ah, the skip shift! This is not very intrusive. When it kicks in, it stinks. I hit the gas after the shift, and there is no acceleration. It’s like I hit something. It actually bogs a little. I have found 2 ways around it. If I shift before 15mph, it usually lets me into 2nd. If I accelerate a bit briskly, it again lets me into second. It seems like it will not go into 4th gear unless it is going around 20mph already, and under moderate acceleration. I have also started keeping a little roll going, and starting in second. It is probably a good feature, it just kicks in when I am not expecting it.
• LRA – The car soaks up most bumps. Only on the really bad areas do I feel the rear get a little skittish. It re-grips the road real quick, and does not make me lose any confidence. It is much better than an ’87 Monte Carlo SS that I had years ago. They really did a great job here. I am not worried about the snow or rain too much as it will not be as bad as the Monte I was used to.
• Placement of the USB input in the console is poor. I hate sticking my hand in the console fearing I might break it since it sticks out across half of the opening, right across the middle of the space. I wish they would have made it stand vertically. The car lacks storage space as it is.
• There is no place for sunglasses on roof by windshield
• The cup holder is near useless for drinks due to interfering with shifting (may not be a problem in automatics!), unless you are drinking those 6 ounce water bottles (from Costco). They fit perfectly in the rear cup holder on the console (which is deeper than the front opening)
• It is hard to reach the seatbelt, which may be due to me sitting further forward (I have 2 kids in the back a lot)
• The kids absolutely love the car. I thought they would hate less room, but the love the engine sound and the stereo, and my rough shifting makes the ride more eventful.
• I have to reach in to seatbelt my daughter. It is not difficult to stretch in the back seat from the doorway to do so. It is not much different than a 4 door car. I was very impressed with the rear seat access.
• The rear seat may be tight for adults, but the kids sink into it. They do not complain about a lack of room.
• The hood cowl is not straight, which causes me to subconsciously drift the car to the right since it curves that way before the end of the hood. I need to correct that, quick!
• Even though other reviews have said this, I’ll repeat – the car is deceptively fast. When I accelerate quickly to pass someone, I end up having to hit the brakes as I catch up to the next car in a hurry. This never happened in my Sonata.
• You can’t turn on the fog lights unless at least your parking lights are on. Oh well.
• Microsoft Sync is tough to use with 100’s of songs categorized by folder on a flash drive. It groups them all, and I cannot browse by folder only. I cannot also navigate to see the songs without changing selections. This is probably just me. I have some learning to do here.
• On that note, I am having a tough time with the Bluetooth also. I have a phonebook of around 1000 contacts (mainly work), so it is hard to speak the name of who I want to call. I will have to modify my popular contacts to make it easier.
• The automatic headlights come on the second I go under an overpass, even if it is a very short underpass. This feature is becoming more popular quick, but I still get the feeling I might be pissing off some people in front of me.
• The brakes are so much better than I am used to, and I haven’t even had to really test them thankfully.
• The windows drop down a half an inch (to break the vacuum seal) when you open the door. It makes it much easier. This happens because there is no frame around the windows on the door itself.
• Trunk size works for me. Not as big as the Sonata obviously, but no complaints here!
• The seat is very comfortable. Only problem is that my back sweats a lot (maybe because its leather and not cloth?) when driving on hot days with the windows down (so I can hear the engine better). I am having to use AC instead on my commutes
• The clutch is so soft. I was hesitant about a manual because I have knee issues, but I got it anyway due to the reviews. The clutch is not affecting my knee at all.
• The shifter is short throw, but not much unlike my old 1984 300ZX Turbo. I was actually expecting shorter throws, but to me it is perfect. My cousin had a G35 with an aftermarket short throw that I hated. This is MUCH better. (Keep in mind that I ordered the car 3 months ago and there were no cars available for test drives)
• Glove compartment has room, but poor layout. The user manual actually can’t fit nicely without turning it almost vertical. Not a big deal, just weird.
• Someone once said this. The aluminum dash reflects the sunlight, sometimes in my eyes. I have only experienced this once where it was an issue due to exact angle, but it should not be too bad. I will withhold judgment until I have more seat time.
• Tachometer placement – no gripe here. Only issue is that it accelerates so fast, that psychologically I am afraid to look down at the it due to looking where I am going. Racers have the tach hood-mounted. Now I know why. I will have to get used to this. Thank the lord for the rev limiter. I am also glad the canned tunes for the X3 come with the rev limiter still in place (albeit increased to 7300).
• I wish the leather seats and dash were darker black (car is black on black). I will probably armor-all the dash soon.
• Leather seats make my back sweat so much, I have to use the AC instead of keeping the windows down o hot days.
• I always fear that everyone wants to race as I have my kids in it a lot. Once the newness of the 5.0 wears off, that fear may die down.
• I was driving next to a MazdaSpeed3 today, and I felt very mature (not as in old, but kinda as in confident and proud). I felt like I was the boss, and I'm not sure why, considering this is a car I was seriously considering last year.
• 3.55 gears seem fine, but can use more low end grunt. Engine really opens up above 4,000 rpm like everyone has said. Maybe a tune will wake up the low rpm responsiveness.
• Speed-sensitive volume on the Shaker 500 is great. I keep it on the highest setting. It works very well.
• Signal (inside of car) - I really cannot hear it unless going real slow (when audio volume decreases)
• Blind spot mirror is good, but takes some getting used to. Main trick is remembering to use it.
• Handling has been great, but haven't really tested it too much.
• There is a backlight for all the gauges that really does its job. It keeps the gauges very visible in all driving conditions.
I left out the so many positives because you all know what they are already. I used to trade my cars in every 2 years. Now, I will want to keep this one for a long time (just like my 300ZX Turbo). It is absolutely amazing.
I purchased a 2011 Mustang GT Premium, manual transmission, 3.55 gears, and security package. Here are my thoughts. Again, this review is more for the serious buyer as opposed to the speed freak who will not care about everything listed here.
• The ride is sooo nice, it is actually a better commuter car than my Sonata. Who would have guessed. I have the best of both worlds. Just amazing!
• I have had 3 Toyota Prius’s PASS ME in the last 2 days. Before the Mustang, I wanted to create a law to ban Prius’s from the left lane. This phenomenon is probably because I am so content just cruising and listening to the engine (or stereo), that I don’t care about getting where I am going as quickly as possible. I find myself more often in the right or middle lanes than the left. This might save me a ticket or 3 in the future.
• Ah, the skip shift! This is not very intrusive. When it kicks in, it stinks. I hit the gas after the shift, and there is no acceleration. It’s like I hit something. It actually bogs a little. I have found 2 ways around it. If I shift before 15mph, it usually lets me into 2nd. If I accelerate a bit briskly, it again lets me into second. It seems like it will not go into 4th gear unless it is going around 20mph already, and under moderate acceleration. I have also started keeping a little roll going, and starting in second. It is probably a good feature, it just kicks in when I am not expecting it.
• LRA – The car soaks up most bumps. Only on the really bad areas do I feel the rear get a little skittish. It re-grips the road real quick, and does not make me lose any confidence. It is much better than an ’87 Monte Carlo SS that I had years ago. They really did a great job here. I am not worried about the snow or rain too much as it will not be as bad as the Monte I was used to.
• Placement of the USB input in the console is poor. I hate sticking my hand in the console fearing I might break it since it sticks out across half of the opening, right across the middle of the space. I wish they would have made it stand vertically. The car lacks storage space as it is.
• There is no place for sunglasses on roof by windshield
• The cup holder is near useless for drinks due to interfering with shifting (may not be a problem in automatics!), unless you are drinking those 6 ounce water bottles (from Costco). They fit perfectly in the rear cup holder on the console (which is deeper than the front opening)
• It is hard to reach the seatbelt, which may be due to me sitting further forward (I have 2 kids in the back a lot)
• The kids absolutely love the car. I thought they would hate less room, but the love the engine sound and the stereo, and my rough shifting makes the ride more eventful.
• I have to reach in to seatbelt my daughter. It is not difficult to stretch in the back seat from the doorway to do so. It is not much different than a 4 door car. I was very impressed with the rear seat access.
• The rear seat may be tight for adults, but the kids sink into it. They do not complain about a lack of room.
• The hood cowl is not straight, which causes me to subconsciously drift the car to the right since it curves that way before the end of the hood. I need to correct that, quick!
• Even though other reviews have said this, I’ll repeat – the car is deceptively fast. When I accelerate quickly to pass someone, I end up having to hit the brakes as I catch up to the next car in a hurry. This never happened in my Sonata.
• You can’t turn on the fog lights unless at least your parking lights are on. Oh well.
• Microsoft Sync is tough to use with 100’s of songs categorized by folder on a flash drive. It groups them all, and I cannot browse by folder only. I cannot also navigate to see the songs without changing selections. This is probably just me. I have some learning to do here.
• On that note, I am having a tough time with the Bluetooth also. I have a phonebook of around 1000 contacts (mainly work), so it is hard to speak the name of who I want to call. I will have to modify my popular contacts to make it easier.
• The automatic headlights come on the second I go under an overpass, even if it is a very short underpass. This feature is becoming more popular quick, but I still get the feeling I might be pissing off some people in front of me.
• The brakes are so much better than I am used to, and I haven’t even had to really test them thankfully.
• The windows drop down a half an inch (to break the vacuum seal) when you open the door. It makes it much easier. This happens because there is no frame around the windows on the door itself.
• Trunk size works for me. Not as big as the Sonata obviously, but no complaints here!
• The seat is very comfortable. Only problem is that my back sweats a lot (maybe because its leather and not cloth?) when driving on hot days with the windows down (so I can hear the engine better). I am having to use AC instead on my commutes
• The clutch is so soft. I was hesitant about a manual because I have knee issues, but I got it anyway due to the reviews. The clutch is not affecting my knee at all.
• The shifter is short throw, but not much unlike my old 1984 300ZX Turbo. I was actually expecting shorter throws, but to me it is perfect. My cousin had a G35 with an aftermarket short throw that I hated. This is MUCH better. (Keep in mind that I ordered the car 3 months ago and there were no cars available for test drives)
• Glove compartment has room, but poor layout. The user manual actually can’t fit nicely without turning it almost vertical. Not a big deal, just weird.
• Someone once said this. The aluminum dash reflects the sunlight, sometimes in my eyes. I have only experienced this once where it was an issue due to exact angle, but it should not be too bad. I will withhold judgment until I have more seat time.
• Tachometer placement – no gripe here. Only issue is that it accelerates so fast, that psychologically I am afraid to look down at the it due to looking where I am going. Racers have the tach hood-mounted. Now I know why. I will have to get used to this. Thank the lord for the rev limiter. I am also glad the canned tunes for the X3 come with the rev limiter still in place (albeit increased to 7300).
• I wish the leather seats and dash were darker black (car is black on black). I will probably armor-all the dash soon.
• Leather seats make my back sweat so much, I have to use the AC instead of keeping the windows down o hot days.
• I always fear that everyone wants to race as I have my kids in it a lot. Once the newness of the 5.0 wears off, that fear may die down.
• I was driving next to a MazdaSpeed3 today, and I felt very mature (not as in old, but kinda as in confident and proud). I felt like I was the boss, and I'm not sure why, considering this is a car I was seriously considering last year.
• 3.55 gears seem fine, but can use more low end grunt. Engine really opens up above 4,000 rpm like everyone has said. Maybe a tune will wake up the low rpm responsiveness.
• Speed-sensitive volume on the Shaker 500 is great. I keep it on the highest setting. It works very well.
• Signal (inside of car) - I really cannot hear it unless going real slow (when audio volume decreases)
• Blind spot mirror is good, but takes some getting used to. Main trick is remembering to use it.
• Handling has been great, but haven't really tested it too much.
• There is a backlight for all the gauges that really does its job. It keeps the gauges very visible in all driving conditions.
I left out the so many positives because you all know what they are already. I used to trade my cars in every 2 years. Now, I will want to keep this one for a long time (just like my 300ZX Turbo). It is absolutely amazing.
7/21/10, 06:29 PM
#2
Team Mustang Source
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Montreal
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First off, I’ll just say that I love the car, love being in it, cruising, etc. It is everything the magazine reviews have said. I am very happy that I purchased this car. Everyone knows all the positives already, so I just want to share some of the more petty things for those who are interested, or serious potential buyers. Please keep in mind my last car was a Hyundai Sonata 4 cylinder, so I am used to lots of functionality, and no performance.
I purchased a 2011 Mustang GT Premium, manual transmission, 3.55 gears, and security package. Here are my thoughts. Again, this review is more for the serious buyer as opposed to the speed freak who will not care about everything listed here.
• The ride is sooo nice, it is actually a better commuter car than my Sonata. Who would have guessed. I have the best of both worlds. Just amazing!
• I have had 3 Toyota Prius’s PASS ME in the last 2 days. Before the Mustang, I wanted to create a law to ban Prius’s from the left lane. This phenomenon is probably because I am so content just cruising and listening to the engine (or stereo), that I don’t care about getting where I am going as quickly as possible. I find myself more often in the right or middle lanes than the left. This might save me a ticket or 3 in the future.
• Ah, the skip shift! This is not very intrusive. When it kicks in, it stinks. I hit the gas after the shift, and there is no acceleration. It’s like I hit something. It actually bogs a little. I have found 2 ways around it. If I shift before 15mph, it usually lets me into 2nd. If I accelerate a bit briskly, it again lets me into second. It seems like it will not go into 4th gear unless it is going around 20mph already, and under moderate acceleration. I have also started keeping a little roll going, and starting in second. It is probably a good feature, it just kicks in when I am not expecting it.
• LRA – The car soaks up most bumps. Only on the really bad areas do I feel the rear get a little skittish. It re-grips the road real quick, and does not make me lose any confidence. It is much better than an ’87 Monte Carlo SS that I had years ago. They really did a great job here. I am not worried about the snow or rain too much as it will not be as bad as the Monte I was used to.
• Placement of the USB input in the console is poor. I hate sticking my hand in the console fearing I might break it since it sticks out across half of the opening, right across the middle of the space. I wish they would have made it stand vertically. The car lacks storage space as it is.
• There is no place for sunglasses on roof by windshield
• The cup holder is near useless for drinks due to interfering with shifting (may not be a problem in automatics!), unless you are drinking those 6 ounce water bottles (from Costco). They fit perfectly in the rear cup holder on the console (which is deeper than the front opening)
• It is hard to reach the seatbelt, which may be due to me sitting further forward (I have 2 kids in the back a lot)
• The kids absolutely love the car. I thought they would hate less room, but the love the engine sound and the stereo, and my rough shifting makes the ride more eventful.
• I have to reach in to seatbelt my daughter. It is not difficult to stretch in the back seat from the doorway to do so. It is not much different than a 4 door car. I was very impressed with the rear seat access.
• The rear seat may be tight for adults, but the kids sink into it. They do not complain about a lack of room.
• The hood cowl is not straight, which causes me to subconsciously drift the car to the right since it curves that way before the end of the hood. I need to correct that, quick!
• Even though other reviews have said this, I’ll repeat – the car is deceptively fast. When I accelerate quickly to pass someone, I end up having to hit the brakes as I catch up to the next car in a hurry. This never happened in my Sonata.
• You can’t turn on the fog lights unless at least your parking lights are on. Oh well.
• Microsoft Sync is tough to use with 100’s of songs categorized by folder on a flash drive. It groups them all, and I cannot browse by folder only. I cannot also navigate to see the songs without changing selections. This is probably just me. I have some learning to do here.
• On that note, I am having a tough time with the Bluetooth also. I have a phonebook of around 1000 contacts (mainly work), so it is hard to speak the name of who I want to call. I will have to modify my popular contacts to make it easier.
• The automatic headlights come on the second I go under an overpass, even if it is a very short underpass. This feature is becoming more popular quick, but I still get the feeling I might be pissing off some people in front of me.
• The brakes are so much better than I am used to, and I haven’t even had to really test them thankfully.
• The windows drop down a half an inch (to break the vacuum seal) when you open the door. It makes it much easier. This happens because there is no frame around the windows on the door itself.
• Trunk size works for me. Not as big as the Sonata obviously, but no complaints here!
• The seat is very comfortable. Only problem is that my back sweats a lot (maybe because its leather and not cloth?) when driving on hot days with the windows down (so I can hear the engine better). I am having to use AC instead on my commutes
• The clutch is so soft. I was hesitant about a manual because I have knee issues, but I got it anyway due to the reviews. The clutch is not affecting my knee at all.
• The shifter is short throw, but not much unlike my old 1984 300ZX Turbo. I was actually expecting shorter throws, but to me it is perfect. My cousin had a G35 with an aftermarket short throw that I hated. This is MUCH better. (Keep in mind that I ordered the car 3 months ago and there were no cars available for test drives)
• Glove compartment has room, but poor layout. The user manual actually can’t fit nicely without turning it almost vertical. Not a big deal, just weird.
• Someone once said this. The aluminum dash reflects the sunlight, sometimes in my eyes. I have only experienced this once where it was an issue due to exact angle, but it should not be too bad. I will withhold judgment until I have more seat time.
• Tachometer placement – no gripe here. Only issue is that it accelerates so fast, that psychologically I am afraid to look down at the it due to looking where I am going. Racers have the tach hood-mounted. Now I know why. I will have to get used to this. Thank the lord for the rev limiter. I am also glad the canned tunes for the X3 come with the rev limiter still in place (albeit increased to 7300).
• I wish the leather seats and dash were darker black (car is black on black). I will probably armor-all the dash soon.
• Leather seats make my back sweat so much, I have to use the AC instead of keeping the windows down o hot days.
• I always fear that everyone wants to race as I have my kids in it a lot. Once the newness of the 5.0 wears off, that fear may die down.
• I was driving next to a MazdaSpeed3 today, and I felt very mature (not as in old, but kinda as in confident and proud). I felt like I was the boss, and I'm not sure why, considering this is a car I was seriously considering last year.
• 3.55 gears seem fine, but can use more low end grunt. Engine really opens up above 4,000 rpm like everyone has said. Maybe a tune will wake up the low rpm responsiveness.
• Speed-sensitive volume on the Shaker 500 is great. I keep it on the highest setting. It works very well.
• Signal (inside of car) - I really cannot hear it unless going real slow (when audio volume decreases)
• Blind spot mirror is good, but takes some getting used to. Main trick is remembering to use it.
• Handling has been great, but haven't really tested it too much.
• There is a backlight for all the gauges that really does its job. It keeps the gauges very visible in all driving conditions.
I left out the so many positives because you all know what they are already. I used to trade my cars in every 2 years. Now, I will want to keep this one for a long time (just like my 300ZX Turbo). It is absolutely amazing.
I purchased a 2011 Mustang GT Premium, manual transmission, 3.55 gears, and security package. Here are my thoughts. Again, this review is more for the serious buyer as opposed to the speed freak who will not care about everything listed here.
• The ride is sooo nice, it is actually a better commuter car than my Sonata. Who would have guessed. I have the best of both worlds. Just amazing!
• I have had 3 Toyota Prius’s PASS ME in the last 2 days. Before the Mustang, I wanted to create a law to ban Prius’s from the left lane. This phenomenon is probably because I am so content just cruising and listening to the engine (or stereo), that I don’t care about getting where I am going as quickly as possible. I find myself more often in the right or middle lanes than the left. This might save me a ticket or 3 in the future.
• Ah, the skip shift! This is not very intrusive. When it kicks in, it stinks. I hit the gas after the shift, and there is no acceleration. It’s like I hit something. It actually bogs a little. I have found 2 ways around it. If I shift before 15mph, it usually lets me into 2nd. If I accelerate a bit briskly, it again lets me into second. It seems like it will not go into 4th gear unless it is going around 20mph already, and under moderate acceleration. I have also started keeping a little roll going, and starting in second. It is probably a good feature, it just kicks in when I am not expecting it.
• LRA – The car soaks up most bumps. Only on the really bad areas do I feel the rear get a little skittish. It re-grips the road real quick, and does not make me lose any confidence. It is much better than an ’87 Monte Carlo SS that I had years ago. They really did a great job here. I am not worried about the snow or rain too much as it will not be as bad as the Monte I was used to.
• Placement of the USB input in the console is poor. I hate sticking my hand in the console fearing I might break it since it sticks out across half of the opening, right across the middle of the space. I wish they would have made it stand vertically. The car lacks storage space as it is.
• There is no place for sunglasses on roof by windshield
• The cup holder is near useless for drinks due to interfering with shifting (may not be a problem in automatics!), unless you are drinking those 6 ounce water bottles (from Costco). They fit perfectly in the rear cup holder on the console (which is deeper than the front opening)
• It is hard to reach the seatbelt, which may be due to me sitting further forward (I have 2 kids in the back a lot)
• The kids absolutely love the car. I thought they would hate less room, but the love the engine sound and the stereo, and my rough shifting makes the ride more eventful.
• I have to reach in to seatbelt my daughter. It is not difficult to stretch in the back seat from the doorway to do so. It is not much different than a 4 door car. I was very impressed with the rear seat access.
• The rear seat may be tight for adults, but the kids sink into it. They do not complain about a lack of room.
• The hood cowl is not straight, which causes me to subconsciously drift the car to the right since it curves that way before the end of the hood. I need to correct that, quick!
• Even though other reviews have said this, I’ll repeat – the car is deceptively fast. When I accelerate quickly to pass someone, I end up having to hit the brakes as I catch up to the next car in a hurry. This never happened in my Sonata.
• You can’t turn on the fog lights unless at least your parking lights are on. Oh well.
• Microsoft Sync is tough to use with 100’s of songs categorized by folder on a flash drive. It groups them all, and I cannot browse by folder only. I cannot also navigate to see the songs without changing selections. This is probably just me. I have some learning to do here.
• On that note, I am having a tough time with the Bluetooth also. I have a phonebook of around 1000 contacts (mainly work), so it is hard to speak the name of who I want to call. I will have to modify my popular contacts to make it easier.
• The automatic headlights come on the second I go under an overpass, even if it is a very short underpass. This feature is becoming more popular quick, but I still get the feeling I might be pissing off some people in front of me.
• The brakes are so much better than I am used to, and I haven’t even had to really test them thankfully.
• The windows drop down a half an inch (to break the vacuum seal) when you open the door. It makes it much easier. This happens because there is no frame around the windows on the door itself.
• Trunk size works for me. Not as big as the Sonata obviously, but no complaints here!
• The seat is very comfortable. Only problem is that my back sweats a lot (maybe because its leather and not cloth?) when driving on hot days with the windows down (so I can hear the engine better). I am having to use AC instead on my commutes
• The clutch is so soft. I was hesitant about a manual because I have knee issues, but I got it anyway due to the reviews. The clutch is not affecting my knee at all.
• The shifter is short throw, but not much unlike my old 1984 300ZX Turbo. I was actually expecting shorter throws, but to me it is perfect. My cousin had a G35 with an aftermarket short throw that I hated. This is MUCH better. (Keep in mind that I ordered the car 3 months ago and there were no cars available for test drives)
• Glove compartment has room, but poor layout. The user manual actually can’t fit nicely without turning it almost vertical. Not a big deal, just weird.
• Someone once said this. The aluminum dash reflects the sunlight, sometimes in my eyes. I have only experienced this once where it was an issue due to exact angle, but it should not be too bad. I will withhold judgment until I have more seat time.
• Tachometer placement – no gripe here. Only issue is that it accelerates so fast, that psychologically I am afraid to look down at the it due to looking where I am going. Racers have the tach hood-mounted. Now I know why. I will have to get used to this. Thank the lord for the rev limiter. I am also glad the canned tunes for the X3 come with the rev limiter still in place (albeit increased to 7300).
• I wish the leather seats and dash were darker black (car is black on black). I will probably armor-all the dash soon.
• Leather seats make my back sweat so much, I have to use the AC instead of keeping the windows down o hot days.
• I always fear that everyone wants to race as I have my kids in it a lot. Once the newness of the 5.0 wears off, that fear may die down.
• I was driving next to a MazdaSpeed3 today, and I felt very mature (not as in old, but kinda as in confident and proud). I felt like I was the boss, and I'm not sure why, considering this is a car I was seriously considering last year.
• 3.55 gears seem fine, but can use more low end grunt. Engine really opens up above 4,000 rpm like everyone has said. Maybe a tune will wake up the low rpm responsiveness.
• Speed-sensitive volume on the Shaker 500 is great. I keep it on the highest setting. It works very well.
• Signal (inside of car) - I really cannot hear it unless going real slow (when audio volume decreases)
• Blind spot mirror is good, but takes some getting used to. Main trick is remembering to use it.
• Handling has been great, but haven't really tested it too much.
• There is a backlight for all the gauges that really does its job. It keeps the gauges very visible in all driving conditions.
I left out the so many positives because you all know what they are already. I used to trade my cars in every 2 years. Now, I will want to keep this one for a long time (just like my 300ZX Turbo). It is absolutely amazing.
Glove box compartment, totally agree.
Skip shift, i have use to get around it by shifting above 300RPM.
Cup holders are useless with a big soda ( or large beer
) and manual tranny. No place left to put arm.I would ad that there are no sunvisor mirrors, that's the first thing SWMBO noticed. Go figure.
The seatbelt latches are sinked in too much, hard to access.
Don't know what you mean by " cowl hood is not straight ", do you mean the cowl or hood misalignment.
Besides that, i'm having a blast with this car.
7/21/10, 06:39 PM
#4
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Join Date: July 20, 2010
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"• Glove compartment has room, but poor layout. The user manual actually can’t fit nicely without turning it almost vertical. Not a big deal, just weird"
This was bugging me as it isn't that deep to begin with. However, go check it out. Top right side of the compartment has a indentation just for the manual. It took me about a week to figure out why they made this bulky manual and the compartment could barely hold it. lol
This was bugging me as it isn't that deep to begin with. However, go check it out. Top right side of the compartment has a indentation just for the manual. It took me about a week to figure out why they made this bulky manual and the compartment could barely hold it. lol
7/21/10, 06:43 PM
#5
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Glove box compartment, totally agree.
Skip shift, i have use to get around it by shifting above 300RPM.
Cup holders are useless with a big soda ( or large beer) and manual tranny. No place left to put arm.
I would ad that there are no sunvisor mirrors, that's the first thing SWMBO noticed. Go figure.
The seatbelt latches are sinked in too much, hard to access.
Don't know what you mean by " cowl hood is not straight ", do you mean the cowl or hood misalignment.
Besides that, i'm having a blast with this car.
Skip shift, i have use to get around it by shifting above 300RPM.
Cup holders are useless with a big soda ( or large beer
) and manual tranny. No place left to put arm.I would ad that there are no sunvisor mirrors, that's the first thing SWMBO noticed. Go figure.
The seatbelt latches are sinked in too much, hard to access.
Don't know what you mean by " cowl hood is not straight ", do you mean the cowl or hood misalignment.
Besides that, i'm having a blast with this car.
I actually have sunvisor mirrors (at least on the passenger side that i noticed). Maybe its the Premium package?
I agree totally on the rear seatbelts. It is sunk into the seat, which looks very nice, but prevents my daughter from being able to buckle herself with the booster seat in place.
regarding the cowl, I mean the hood bulge on the whole middle of the hood. It looks great, but trails off a little right on the drivers side when ending at the very front of the hood, which gives me the perception of needing to tilt the steering wheel right just a little bit. This is probably just me as I am not used to it.
7/21/10, 06:47 PM
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Hey great informative consumer type review, just a quick observation the cup holder has a removable insert just grab the rubber grip at the front and pull up once you do it can fit large drinks much easier while not interfering with your herky jerky shifting lol j/k man
7/21/10, 06:52 PM
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[QUOTE=StuckInNYForever;5915572]I end up using the cupholders as easy pass and sunglass storage. For now.
I actually have sunvisor mirrors (at least on the passenger side that i noticed). Maybe its the Premium package?
I agree totally on the rear seatbelts. It is sunk into the seat, which looks very nice, but prevents my daughter from being able to buckle herself with the booster seat in place.
regarding the cowl, I mean the hood bulge on the whole middle of the hood. It looks great, but trails off a little right on the drivers side when ending at the very front of the hood, which gives me the perception of needing to tilt the steering wheel right just a little bit. This is probably just me as I am not used to it.[/QUOTE
My bad about the sunvisor mirrors, i MEANT sunvisor lights. NONE
I actually have sunvisor mirrors (at least on the passenger side that i noticed). Maybe its the Premium package?
I agree totally on the rear seatbelts. It is sunk into the seat, which looks very nice, but prevents my daughter from being able to buckle herself with the booster seat in place.
regarding the cowl, I mean the hood bulge on the whole middle of the hood. It looks great, but trails off a little right on the drivers side when ending at the very front of the hood, which gives me the perception of needing to tilt the steering wheel right just a little bit. This is probably just me as I am not used to it.[/QUOTE
My bad about the sunvisor mirrors, i MEANT sunvisor lights. NONE
7/21/10, 06:53 PM
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I tried that as well, but still does interfere with shifting.
7/21/10, 07:06 PM
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7/21/10, 07:22 PM
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Nice review!
The USB port could be relocated w/ some center console disassembly. There are USB extender cables that would permit easy relocation w/o disassembly.
The only way I reach the belt is w/ my left hand.
The wife always asks if I am signalling. Being a wise guy I respond "only when turning or changing lanes". I am a total joy to live with and a real prize for her!
My favorite is premium fabric for the seat, but not an option if selecting the good options. Performance cars should permit fabric for cornering grip. They should also permit severe bolsters as an option.
One thing I noticed is that the dip stick is the second hotest of all my vehicles I've owned, beaten only by my 94 and 99 Grand Wagoneers.
The USB port could be relocated w/ some center console disassembly. There are USB extender cables that would permit easy relocation w/o disassembly.
The only way I reach the belt is w/ my left hand.
The wife always asks if I am signalling. Being a wise guy I respond "only when turning or changing lanes". I am a total joy to live with and a real prize for her!
My favorite is premium fabric for the seat, but not an option if selecting the good options. Performance cars should permit fabric for cornering grip. They should also permit severe bolsters as an option.
One thing I noticed is that the dip stick is the second hotest of all my vehicles I've owned, beaten only by my 94 and 99 Grand Wagoneers.
7/21/10, 07:46 PM
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A little off topic here but I have a question. Why do people quote the OP in their response? Especially a rather large one at that. I think it just clutters up the thread too much. Not trying to single anyone out, I'm just curious as to the logic behind it.
7/21/10, 07:55 PM
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That little clip is advertised as being for toll/parking garage tickets, but if it holds your sunglasses somehow, that's cool, too.
7/21/10, 08:23 PM
#15
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Fricken Dan...
/rant.
7/21/10, 08:24 PM
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Talking to me !!!!! cuz we're so use to doing it , it has become an old habbit. And NO, there's no logic behind it. Back to OP.
7/21/10, 08:39 PM
#18
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Thanks for your observations. I would NOT recommend "armor-all on the dash" for a darker color. I would, however, suggest Griot's Vinyl and Rubber Dressing instead.
7/21/10, 09:31 PM
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