yeahyouknwit

Just curoius as to what might be the best bet for the 2011 GT. I'm a drive it before you buy it kinda guy and am a little wary of ordering a car that i have not sat in or drove. Though I know that the 2011 is more or less the same car as the 2010 minus the engine. Is it smart to wait till one hits the lot to test drive then buy or should I go test drive a 2010 and base me decision off of that knowing that there will be more power?

3Mach1

This is just my opinion but i would order one and get it exactly like I like. I would test drive one on the lot first of course. Your spending a lot of money so you may as well get it just like you want it and not compromise anything.

yeahyouknwit

Test drive a '10 or wait till the '11 hit the lot?

codeman94

both... test drive what you can now for an appatizer.... then when you want to order one, test drive a 2011 once more.

3Mach1

Ditto and take your time. Dont get in a hurry. Make sure you can live with your decision no matter what it may be. I generally keep a car a long time so I am very deliberate in choosing options, colors and what not. It does not matter what i think or anybody else. You have to pay for it and live with it. Get what you want and can afford.

If a 2010 suits you then that is great no matter what anybody else says. You will be able to save a ton of money this way. Take your time and do some soul searching. Its a very lenthy process for me to let go of this kind of money. I really do a lot of research and I generally dont like buying a first year powertrain. I dont want to be the beta tester for Ford or anybody else.

I like to wait it out a bit and see how they hold up and if they have any known problems ect... Plus, people who have to have one always pay too much and i am a tight wad and will wait it out.

yeahyouknwit

I hold on to my cars a long time as well. I bought my 03 in oct 02 and have loved it but im ready for more creature conforts. I do want an '11 i just mentioned the '10 to test drive it to get a feel of one the '11 will feel. I have not driven any other stang then mine. I hear the ride is much better in the new ones.

RandyW

It depends on how fussy you are and what options you want. For instance, if you have your heart set on one color, and you want particular wheels, it's going to take longer to find one on the lot. Do you want navigation? On the 2010's it seems like only about 1 out of every 8-10 I've seen on a lot have it. Want the glass roof? I've never seen one on a car lot. Do you love or hate the body accessories like the hood scoop, side scoops, etc? If a person can take or leave most features they may find one on a lot without much trouble. But if you are very specific in what you want -- especially if the glass roof is one of your desires -- you will probably be best off ordering one.

3Mach1

I have a Sn95 myself. The new cars are vastly improved. I have been lucky and got to drive a 06 Mustang quite a bit and it is superior in many ways so the 2011 will only be better. I am getting older myself and starting to like the creature comforts myself. In my younger days I only wanted big power. Now, I look at the overall package much more closely. I dont thing either of us will be disappointed with the new Mustang. The question for me is will I be able to afford one.

stangfoeva

You can do both. Someone correct me if i'm wrong but when your order one you're not garaunteeing that you'll buy it. You're just using up one of the dealer's allocations which they would already order anyway. You might lose a deposit though depending on the dealer's policies

Five Oh Brian

Correct. When you special order, you are only giving the dealer a small deposit (that is typically refundable). If you change your mind when the car arrives, the car just goes out on the lot for sale like the other cars ordered for the lot. No big deal.

However, if you order a really weird combination of colors and equipment that might not sell easily, a dealer may want something a little more concrete from you.

SINBUSTER007

i test drive one close to what i want....5sp, gears, etc. then i order exactly what i want. i put money down and when the car comes in i test drive that car. the dealership knows that i do not buy the car unless i drive and ok that it is good. i can always request my money back that i put down. if not, then i can call the BBB for my money. nothing is signed when i order it, so technically it is not mine. i did that with my 2006. drove both v6 and gt. ordered gt the way i wanted then test drove it when it came in (late friday night). went and signed papers that monday.

yeahyouknwit

Awesome that sounds great. I think this is what I am going to do. Thanks for the great info as always

eci

Check State Laws. In California, it is illegal to take a "nonrefundable" deposit on a car. All are refundable.

wjones14

Do both, as others have said - but make sure you drive a 2011 GT. It may be more or less the same car as the 2010 minus the engine, but that's a HUGE difference. It's better than a 25% power increase. Add in the Brembo brake package and wide summer performance tires, and the car is going to feel like a different car.

The worst thing about ordering a car is waiting for it to come in. I spent several months waiting for mine, but this website helped a lot with daily discussions with others in the same boat.

There are several reasons why ordering is better than buying off the lot:

1) unless you're really lucky, you're not going to find the EXACT car you want on the lot. It'll either be missing some option you wanted, or have options you didn't want, or not be your first color choice for interior and exterior. If you get all of that, then you're lucky indeed.

2) lot cars may have hard miles on them. I test drove an '05 GT before ordering mine, and it had almost 200 miles on it. The salesman encouraged me to drive it hard, but I didn't feel right doing that so I didn't. I do know one thing for sure - that car was not broken in according to the book. Maybe it didn't hurt it, but why take the chance? When I picked up my ordered car, it had 7 miles on it, because of the PDI and the salesman filling it with gas for me.

Kahdir

If I had a SN95, I would test drive a 2010 to see if the ergonomics are comfortable for me... check the visibility, radio & climate control ease of use, seat comfort, etc.

The drive itself would only act as a baseline due to power increase, suspension upgrades and brake improvements... you could look at the 2011 as a SE of a 2010...

Since I have an '05 S197, I don't feel it's necessary for me to test drive a 2010 or even a 2011 for that matter since I didn't bother test driving an '05 prior to ordering... but that just me

Tony Alonso

If you did you, you would notice a difference! The sightlines are different on this car (to me) because of the revised styling, in addition to the steering feel and suspension set-up. It "feels" more nimble than my '07. The interior ergonomics even give it a different feel to me.

Of course, as you note, it is relative, and I suspect someone who drives a 2011 vs. 2010 GT would notice a big difference, not only becuase of the power increase but the other changes well.

stangfoeva

You're welcome

cdynaco

LOL - I had never driven a Mustang - ever (but rode a lot in my buddy's '65 2+2 in HS). Custom ordered my Bullitt 12.6.07 based only on LA Car Show/Ford website info... and still never drove one until after I had actually purchased my own. I was mesmerized... I just knew this was the one... and it is!
Just order one exactly how you want it.

Rob O

+1, I ordered my 05 without a test drive because I knew I would love the car--If you're wanting specific options or colors you may not find it sitting out there on the lot. I wanted the V6 with ABS/TC option and was pretty much told I'd have to special order it so I did. It took a long time (over 3 months, they lost the order for 6 weeks) but when it got here it was great and just what I orderedif you want something special then its worth the wait for it, order it & keep it forever

edumspeed

I suggest this. Check out what they have in the lot to see if there's a car that has what you like, or close, then test drive it. If you really want one w specific options, order it. That way you'll have an idea of what the car feels like on the road. As posted before, it's a huge chunk of $$ you'll be investing, and you'll have to live with it everyday.