So a year after the first big referesh of the S197 body, we got new sets of drivetrains, two years later, we got some substantial revisions...but how do these cars actually stack up?

We all likely have our aesthetic preferences (usually tied to the version that we have in our own garage ) but keeping our personal preferences out of it, how different are these generations?

I own an '11 GT/manual, I've also driven extensively a '12 V6 and a '13 V6 (both auto)...but no seat time in '13+ GTs for me...so I don't think I'm qualified to answer!

The '13 cars got the new bodywork, updated interior bits, track apps...but aside from a revised Coyote motor (coated pistons rather than the oil squirters in the '11-'12 motors)...there seem to have been few mechanical changes.

To those of you guys who have experience with BOTH versions of the refreshed S197s, what are the differences? Is one version of the Coyote significantly better than the other? Do the later ones drive any better?

Is the '13-'14 worth the premium they demand over the '11-'12 (due to being newer) for the used car shopper?

 

As you said, it's mostly cosmetic. New front and rear, cool tail lights, Track apps, etc. Minor horsepower bump. It's up to the buyer if all that is worth the price increase.

 

Was the horsepower bump ever proven on the dyno? I don't recall ever seeing consistently different numbers from one version of the 5.0L to the other.

Does one version handle boost, etc. better than the other?

The earlier cars seem to have been the victims of the #8 failure...but these were likely the symptom of tuners learning on a new motor more than a weakness of one version of the engine versus another.

 

I like the look on the 11-12 just the same as my 14. The real added bonus for me is the fact that my 14 comes with LED/HID lights in its stock form.

 

 

I tend to agree with JoeMidnight. I love the LEDs on my 14 and in my personal opnion the 10 - 14 Mustang body is the best looking Mustang ever made with the 99 to 04 a close second. Other than a few cosmetic differences there really is very little difference among the four model years. I tend to think they are all worth about the same money apples to apples.

 

I like my 2014 better than my previous 2011. I do think the 2011 was a faster car but the 2014 seems to be a better overall car.

 

No it wasn't. It's common knowledge on the Performance-oriented forums that the '11-'12s were under rated, which wouldn't be the first time Ford underrated an engine(think the '03-'04 Cobras). Dyno numbers have proven that.

Also, Ford has added and changed features included in different coyotes of the same year. Some 2013 models still have oil squirters, some 2012s have the heads cam journals modified to except 13mm cams instead of the standard 11mm.

The #8 cylinder issue, from what I can tell, was strictly a tuning issue. SCTs base tunes were modified by aftermarket tuners to get their name on the market for the new engines. Long story short, there is a parameter called "Global Timing", which was set to add timing along with the timing the tuners advanced. Lets say the tuners set the timing to 25*, then the Global Timing added another 5*, that would cause 30* advanced timing to the engine. Bye-bye cylinder #8, since it runs the hottest.

I can recall 2 instances where members of forums stated they blew their stock engine with a stock tune, but later research found they did, in fact, have an aftermarket tune. Check out SVTPerformance's Tech section if you want to read up on everything I just said.

 

I owned an '11 Brembo GT and traded it in for a '14 Glass Roof GT. I really like the looks of the front end of the '10-'12's better, but like everything else about the '13-'14's better. Functionally, they perform equally, though. It just comes down to personal preference.

 

This. I really prefer the 10-12, especially with the Boss/CS fascia. The standard halogen lights, with projectors retrofitted, CS fascia + Saleen grille = perfection.

I do like my interior features better than the 10-12, but I also like the white face gauges on the 10-12 better. They look more upscale to me.

 

The gauges are a tad difficult to read accurately. You get a ball park idea of your speed on these 10-12 gauges lol. I love them but it can be a pain when a cop is behind you at times

If I could've had it my way, I'd have the '10-'12 front end and the '13-'14 back end and tail lights. The '13-'14 interior is also nicer IMO.

 

The '11-'12 front end does nothing for me without aftermarket grille/fascia/splitter/headlights etc. From a cosmetic standpoint, I like the '13-'14 more. The '13 was actually just coming out when I started shopping for my 5.0. I initially planned on an '11 for the savings, but I couldn't pass up the looks/lighting on the '13 refresh.

 

Oh, and I think the '13-'14 front looks like a wannabe GT500 lol

 

Just body style preference IMO. When I was first shopping, 13 and 12s were both new on the lots and I thought the 12 was way more aggressive looking. I only went with 13 because I preferred the lighting.

 

Love both ends, I just dont see any faults in any of them.
The only thing is the tail lights of the 2010-2012. Whoever designed them should be ashamed of the design. the lines and shape dont match the back decklid, as if lights where added as afterthought. Its like they could design 100s of cool 3 bar tail lights and the management went with the number 97 on the design board.

 

I'll agree with most and say I bought the 13 mainly because of the hid/led lights. I would've been happy with either model though. I did almost buy a Black 12, which I would've added the CS front fascia.

 

I love my 12. Matter of fact when I got my 12, the 13s had just arrived and i was offered a good deal on a Base 13 GT vs the 12 Premium I ended up buying. While I'm a big fan of the 13-14 rear tail lights, I personally favored the clean classic look the 11-12 retained. Though I'll say the 13-14 is a perfect update for anyone who wants the S197 body in a modernized form.

The only thing I want from the 13-14 is the hood vents and the taillights. I've seen a couple people convert the 13 to the 12 taillight housing, I may try that down the line. Them hood vents tho!

 

Didn't Recaros become an option for 13-14? That is truly the one thing I would wish for in my 2011GT.

 

Yep, and that's why I like my interior better, plus the information center. Lots of cool stuff in there.

 

The two features of your ride I'm jealous of . The Recaros gotta be sweet! The information center would be cool too, but I make due with my mounted tablet and bluetooth OBD2 adapter.