Genot

So nobody has really written a writeup on a more or less broken in 5.0, so if you're interested, here goes, if not, sorry to waste your time. The only pic I'm going to attach is blury, but clearly shows my odo reading over 1,000 miles. 1,200 something to be closer to exact. Its dark and she needs a bath. If you're interested its a 401A manual with 3.73s, coupe with everything but Brembos and the standard 18 inch wheels (ordered her before I could see options and she was built before I could change to polished aluminum) and the appearance add ons. My impressions as a driver are as someone who hasn't owned a muscle car in over 10 years.

Took posession the 11th. Left work and she was sitting front and center at the dealer with crowds gathered and a nice Sold tag hanging in the rear view. Grabber Blue really grabs, love it or hate it. Getting the check from the bank, all the ladies wanted a peek. Initial driving impressions, hard to see in the next lane and over the hood compared to my F150. 1200 or so miles later, no problem and the mirror inserts are great once you get them dialed in. Engine noise is more pronounced outside and above 3,000 rpm. Inside you can actually drown it out with a loud radio under 5K. Some will hate, but its my DD, so its nice to get a break. If I want to hear it, the radio gets turned off or I downshift. The power is available everywhere seriously. I've passed in 6th starting from 1,900 rpm on the interstate without issue. 4,000 and above and this thing flies. Its deceptive. Talk of lack of seat of the pants feel is semi true. Several times in the first 500 miles I thought I was doing the speed limit when I was get tossed in jail speeds above the posted limit. On the other hand, from 4K rmp, stomp the gas, feel the nose rise, the engine roar with a sudden anger through the cockpit, get pressed back into your seat... its like making an otherwise docile Doberman mad at you. It goes from gentile to deadly fierce in an instant. You really don't have time to fathom that the speedo could climb that fast. My first WOT run to 60 was with a dealer (after picking up the spare key) who wanted to take a look inside. I offered a ride. At a light the rear end kicked about 8 inches left and we hit 60 before the car beside me cleared the intersection. His only words as a Bullitt owner were Oh (you get the idea). Every passenger since has uttered those exact same words on a WOT run.

Around rural highways, this thing can turn. Again I came out of a truck so have mercy, but its grippy and the electronic stearing conveys every inch of the road while just knowing how much force you want to apply. Feather light at idle and in parking lots and stiff at interstate speeds. Its just amazing that from a stop its tuned to burn rubber (the delay on the rear vew cam is nice for that) and kick the rear around and at speed it hugs the road so well. I'll go so far as to say compared to an Acura TSX it takes potholes just as well and has an equal interior (on par with others saying its a half step below BMW)... not bad for a solid axle Ford.

For those wondering about a comparison in power from a 2010 I have just that. Leaving a dealer I heard a 2010 with exhaust (not sure what else) crank up. We met on opposite sides of a street turning the same way. Following a slow car I skip shifted into 4th at 1,000 rpm as the car I was following turned off the road. The 2010 floored it, me in 4th at 1,000 rpm, I followed suit. We started neck and neck and remained so till I hit 4,000 rpm, probably 60mph when I pulled clearly away with no down shift .

For fuel economy I massaged her on the interstate in 6th (hence trying to pass in 6th) and hit 25.3 MPG for a 40 mile stretch. Mixed driving on one tank (with plenty of hard acceleration and idling) I worked out to 17 MPG. For those wondering, the Electronics package is worth every dime. Again for those wondering, my biggest gripe is the push down then up left to hit reverse. Its waaaay too easy to thing you're in first but actually in reverse. The backup camera and nav blanking and switching over has saved my rear twice now. No clutch issues (its an insanely light clutch by the way ladys and gents, and the shifter for stock is SHORT). No problems finding gears after some experience and no shortage of pull power or pure smiles over here. Same interior as 2010 obviously, but again the feel fit and finish for the price range is outragious. That Cayote though. She does get louder and faster as she breaks in. I've never driven a car before that I thought could get away from me, until now.

Time for driving lessons guys! Whatever it is you drive enjoy it. For those still waiting on their 2011s, trust me, its worth the wait.

jokerstars

The one thing I liked about the Camaro was how difficult it was to accidentally put it in reverse instead of first. Are you saying the only thing to stop that is having to push down on the shifter a bit? Ack.

Genot

Understand where I'm coming from. A long throw truck. You use some amount of muscle to shift them. Don't shift the 5.0 like you do a truck and you're golden.

stangfoeva

Excellent review! thanks!

ireallycare

I will take this review over that test drive review any day.

laserred38

Really good review. I hate the up left reverse, and I haven't even driven an 11 yet. Pretty much ALL German cars are like this and I hate it. I can never get it, except for the RS4 that I drove. Every BMW/Porsche/VW I have driven stick, I always screw up reverse and put it in 1st a couple of time before mashing it into reverse. Another reason I wanted a 2010 haha! Post up some more pics of your car. I don't think I remember you...

jeff s

Thanks for the impressions Genot. I can't get enough of these real world feedback posts until mine comes...

m4reapr

it will not go into reverse unless it is pushed down and up to the left
can't mix them up
pretty much you push forward and get 1st
it's like this on my VW

thx for sharing the review
i plan on hearing a lot of those oh shiite!!! comments myself

wannabe

Is the Camaro 'push down and up to the left' as well? When I was 'test driving' around the parking lot I had a hellva time finding reverse. Salesman didn't say anything. Just kinda grinned and watched me.

jokerstars

The Camaro is also "up and to the left". But there's a thick barrier you gotta REALLY push through (and it sounds a loud clunk to let you know) to get it there so it's impossible to ever accidentally put it in reverse.

kckmustang

I think the reverse location is one of those things you get used to with some miles...

My SVT Focus was that way, and the Muncie M-20/21/22s in all the old GM muscle cars I've owned are left / up...

David Young

Nice review!!! Have you noticed the exhaust getting a little louder compared to when you first picked it up? Seems to me my V-6 is a little louder with 380 miles on it when compared to when i first picked it up from my dealer.

fdjizm

Nice review man thanks.

btw hows that sound tube thing? I always found that to be a weird feature lol

laserred38

Accidentally going into reverse wasn't my problem haha. It was accidentally going in to 1st while trying to find reverse. I never push down hard enough, and for someone who doesn't drive stick every day, it's just not a natural feeling to have to mash the shifter down to find a gear. I think I would like the Lambo/Ferrari style gated shifter, at least for a couple months to get used to it...

assasinator

i dont have any issues with gear selection.

Falchion

Thanks for the review!

kevlar

I was driving my 95 GT today instead of my 2011 GT. While on the freeway I accidently tried putting it into reverse thinking it was 6th gear and couldn't figure out why it was grinding until I realized my mistake. I wonder if my backup lights came on making me look like a fool. Switching between these two cars is taking some getting used to.

Genot

It could be my perception, but it really does seem a bit louder, but mostly over 3K. The sound tube is actually a pretty good thing. The cabin is so quiet you wouldn't hear it period outside of high rmps. It does direct the rumble in very nicely both the physical feel and the sound. For all the concern of it being quiet externaly at least there is a stretch of road I drive back from work with high walls on either side that acts as a reverberation chamber if your windows are down and sounds like you are standing on the sidewalk listening to yourself drive by. My six banger truck had Flowmasters that were VERY noticable from the outside. I'd always forget how loud it was until I drove this stretch with the windows down. I made the run today on the way back with my windows down under moderate acceleration. Yeah, everyone can hear the sound and it is mean. Most of us I'm sure, myself included wil be going aftermarket on the exhaust, but in stock form its not bad. Don't let the interior sound deadening quality fool you. I'll post pics when I'm not working late evenings.

PodLite

I'm not sure if many of you guys care much about this, but Genot, does fuel economy increase as the car gets more miles on it? This is my first new car, and so far my highway mpg's have been less than the city mpg rating. Just wondering if the numbers actually increase once the car is broken-in.

Genot

Couldnt tell you. I reset the MPG computer after 1,000 miles for my last road trip. 2 slow city miles and 30 or so interstate miles trying to milk it for every MPG I hit 25MPG with 3.73s. Some slower country highways with stop lights after 50 miles I was around 22. If you're old enough to remember the tootsie roll pop commercials with the owl... how many licks does it take to get to the center? 50 miles is all I can do without hammering it. The trip ran an entire tank, included plenty of idling to figure out where I was trying to go next, plenty of WOT runs on rural roads and reasonably sane driving had me at around 17mps at trips end with AC on full 100% of the time. It was logging 15 average MPGS through 1,000 (6 mps at delivery with 24 miles), now at 1,3000 she's at around 18-19. I'd say its gone up a couple of MPGs, but that was never my number one concern and lets not forget, I can't keep off the throttle yet. I'm sure in a year hopefully my lead foot will lighten and MPGs will improve... that or the mods will start...

I'm fairly sure I can coax out 25 MPGs highway if I want as I've done it for a 30 mile stretch in 6th. I figure 100% AC high density altitute and full tank, it can only improve from there be it no AC, colder temps lower weight with less fuel throughout the life of the tank of fuel. Let the engine wear in a bit and it'll show improvement. I'm not a mechanic by any stretch, but I know for a fact with piston airplanes you have to let them break in before you take the fuel burn numbers in the book as fact. Cars are no different in that regard I'd wager.