This is more for people who will buy, are in the process of buying, or recently bought an S197, e.g. those who could've waited for the S550 but chose not to.

This would be troll bait over in the S550 forum, so I'm putting it here.

Here are my reasons of why I bought a '14 after seeing the '15 online (and just recently saw it in person and it didn't change my opinion, to me the S550 looked slightly better in person than pics but not better enough to change my opinions):

1) 1st model year bugs
2) Ford is taking out some standard features (like xenons) and you'll again have to pay for them as options (granted they are putting in more features like ventilated seats (which I want so bad) and pushbutton ignition but of course these won't be standard at first)
3) Hate the black plastic side skirts
4) ALL of the factory wheels I've seen are ugly
5) The '15 is going to look dated within its own body style after 3-4 years when they do a mild facelift/refresh...by buying a 2014, I know I got what in my opinion is the very pinnacle of the 2005-2014 years, and I'll only ever compare my car to others of the same bodystyle and I'll always feel I got the best...if I bought a '15, I'd just end up envious of later S550 cars as they get better features/options put back in and they give them a facelift (see #3 above, they WILL paint those sideskirts in a refresh at some point)
6) Mechanically the early S550 cars will be black sheep as well, once Ford bumps the power output in '16/'17 and goes direct injection etc., the early S550 cars will be even less desirable since they will be the "slowest" S550
7) Generally just don't like the look of the new one no matter how much I look at it. Interior is definitely nice and probably a bit better than the S197, back is decent but taillights still aren't as cool as '13-'14, but in front of the windshield is really ehhhh to me and needs to be fixed
8) Deals on the '15 will suck for quite a while. Won't be able to touch a '15 for even remotely close to the discounts I got on my special order '14.

Ultimately I think I'll really like the S550 when it gets to the end of its model run and goes through a couple facelifts, but I LOVE the '14 as it sits inside and out all around. I think the S550 will be a tremendous performer and a great car, but right now I'm in loooove with the '13/'14 cars.

Just think about how bad an '05-'09 looks compared to a '10-'12 or '13-'14…the '15 will be the same in comparison to its successors.

 

You pointed out the major logical points in there, tho I still like how the new car looks, but all those points you pointed out would bother me if I was the one buying a mustang at this point. Bought a 2013 without looking this far into the future ,and not knowing how the next car will look, now looking at it I'm kind of glad I'm not buying a car now, cause it would be really hard to choose.

Without going to far with my opinion, I agree with all points you pointed out.
I think the 2017-2018 will be better years to buy the upcoming model when they introduce a Direct Injection 5.0, plus new options, "special" models , small tweaks/fixes here and there etc.

Plus who knows what competition will bring to the table, not all are just "fanboys" of one car, I really hope and wish that Dodge would bring a still retro looking Challenger replacement in a similar size to the S550, with some new V8 engines with Aluminum blocks.

 

I didn't know if I'd like the new design, I never buy a 1st-year model of any car, I knew the GT500 wasn't going to be continued in '15, I knew with the increasingly restrictive emissions laws there wasn't going to be another 662HP car mass-produced by Ford, and I knew it was going to be the very last of the SRA true muscle cars ever made. The decision was easy.

 

The Trinity motor

 

If I were in the market right now for a GT I would wait for the 15's to hit the lots. I would then make a decision to buy it or a 14, after a test drive.


I still love my 2012 Shelby and will wait and see what Special Edition S550 models will come out or get announced in the next year or two.

 

I think the 15 is a good looking car, but I prefer the 14. The 15's front looks Japanese and the side lines look European. The 14 looks completely like an American muscle car to me. I also prefer the 14's interior. I like the simplicity and symmetry of it. The 15's interior looks a little too busy. Totally in love with my 14.

 

Having gone through this for the '94, '99, '05, and '10 model years, hopefully you won't mind a potential S550 buyer's opinion.

Possibly, but it depends on what your intent with the post would be - discussion or sowing the seeds of dissension!

Cool - let's take 'em one at a time

Could certainly be, although the GT's powertrain will be an enhancement of the existing lessons learned for the past 4 model years. I am looking at the GT.
Push-button ignition is standard across all models.
My current '10 GT has them, and I like the "slimming effect" they have on the side.
I have not been as enthusiastic about the wheels because many of them are more "modern-styled" perhaps. I do like the optional 20s but won't get them because of cost. The GT would be my daily driver, so tire maintenance costs are consideration. I do like the wheels on the recently released photos of what is thought to be a 50th anniversary edition.
This inevitably happens every time a design change occurs. After awhile, even the "pinnacle" will seem dated to others because some will compare to what's on the market now. This happened to me when I got a 2003 Mach 1, a 2007 GT, and now the 2010 GT. However, as you note, the only one whose opinion matters most is that of the purchaser! By the way, I personally thought I got the "best" of '10+ cars because I prefer the front styling more than the '13-'14 cars, but by no means do I think the '13-'14s are unattractive.
This was the very dilemma I faced with my '10 GT, knowing that the 5.0L were coming. At the time of purchase, some thought I was crazy because of all the advantages the new engine was going to offer, but the 3V 4.6L was at the highest point of its development. I love the fact its power ratings were done with regular gas, and the adaptive spark control feature gives a 10 ft-lb kick on premium gas. I periodically still fill up to enjoy this feature. For a daily driver, I notice the difference in around-town driving. I personally am not a big fan of direct injection because of the complexity that it brings. It doesn't mean that the downsides won't be addressed, but I am not an early adopter as far as powertrain changes go.
I think this is the biggest single reason people would chose this model over the current one. I personally love the styling enough to move to the next car. The beauty is that we have choice!
Probably not, but I don't think it will be as dire as it might have been in the past. I do think some dealers will take X-plan deals, and if anything gets marked up, it would like be that 50th anniversary edition (and probably the next special edition car, the rumored GT350 from SVT).

A refresh might prove to be to your liking, but it is too hard to imagine (for me) what treatments would improve the overall style. One just has to go with what they like when they see it!

I don't think there is a "later model years are going to be better styled than the predecessors" trend. Everyone has their favorite, going all the way back to the '60s models. For each time period that these Mustangs arrived, I absolutely loved my '94 GT, my '96 Cobra, my '00 GT, my '03 Mach 1, my '07 GT, and now my '10 GT. I still have an '01 Bullitt that I got back in 2008, and I have many pleasant style memories from the time I had my '00 GT and '03 Mach 1. I don't think my '10 GT is better, but I do think it is different, and I appreciate what each model brought to the party when it came out.

All that matters is that you are happy with the purchase. Enjoy your 2014!

 

great post and thanks!

 

I just bought mine today! I'd been trolling the internet for over a month, and test drove a couple of V6s, one with the FP6 package and a premium/pony edition before picking the ruby red. I bought the S197 because of the current incentives, which the new ones won't have, and because I just likes the looks of this version over the S550. Plus, I like the retro vibe going in this one, especially the gauges which the S550 world version doesn't really have.

 

1) It's available now (I need a car now, not in 6 months)
2) It looks better IMO
3) There are more rebates. I got almost $5000 off my V6. There wouldn't be any rebates on the new Mustang for at least a good 6 months, and even then they probably wouldn't be that great for a while.

 

Item number 1 and this...

 

You own a 2014 so why ask why ?

I will buy a 2015 just like I bought a first year 5.0 s197.

I think the 2015 is ugly but I don't care because I know the performance will make up for that.

 

Curiosity, sake of discussion?

Dropping $30k-$40k on a car you think is ugly? To each their own I suppose.

 

I like your car's color!

 

After owning a 2007 GT I thought the 2011 was ugly. Money or ugly is not a problem.

 

I would wait and drive a 2015 before I made a decision.

 

I was in the same boat when I was dead set on getting a mustang in 04 right before the 05 came out. I saw pics of the 05 and told myself I didn't like it and I was set on getting an 04 GT. I'm pretty sure I didn't like the 05 because my mind was so set on the 04. I was very thankful I waited because when I saw the 05 on the street and test drove it I fell in love and purchased my 05 GT. The 13-14 GT is one of my favorite cars but if it were me and knowing myself I would wait to see the 2015 in person and test drive it, unless I got a really good deal on a 13-14 GT.

 

Delete

 

I was completely intent on purchasing a '15 in the same color combo as my '65 (to have matching cars 50 years apart). I purchased the '65 as a restoration project in Feb 2011, and told my wife on the drive home I would be keeping my (then current) BMW until the 2015 came out...

Then I started to see the renderings of where Ford was going with the Mustang... They were just speculation, but when I saw the Fusion front end start to appear on all the renderings, I started having doubts.

Finally, a Ford exec was quoted as saying they were definitely going away from the retro theme with the new Mustang (along with increased rumors that the butt-ugly Fusion front end was going to be a feature of the new design). I started visiting the Ford site that very day deciding how I was going to build my '14.

I finally decided on what options I wanted (pretty much all of them ) by April '13, and had to place a factory order (glass roof + red interior = nothing in stock). On 21 May I took delivery of my '14 GT (just wish Ford had a medium silver like my Silver Smoke '65).

When the final pics of the actual '15 were released, my wife said "You made a good decision." The S550 (in its '15 form) is just bleagh in my opinion. The rear end is pretty nice, and I actually like the sweep of the fastback better, but from the windshield forward the car is a total and complete sell-out. As for IRS, big whoop... all of the professional drivers who have reviewed the Mustang the last few years have commented on how well Ford has massaged the solid axle in the S-197 (and now that I've swapped the springs and LCAs out for stiffer components, this car handles as well as I'll ever need it to).

The '14 is a drop dead gorgeous car that screams "American Muscle-Car." The '15 is- by Ford's own statements- intended to be a "world car." Well, the world can have it, I'll keep my '14 for a while thank you very much!

 

I bought my '13 cuz i loved the look, feel and sound of it. I am not one to wait for the 'next' thing. If i like what i'm sitting in I'll buy it. There weren't enough hints about the '15 to make me think twice about waiting. In a few years if the '15 speaks loud enough to me i'll get one.
additionally:
-i don't buy 1st year major model changes (except the f150 ecoboost in '11)
-i'd been watching the evolution of the mustang for a while, and felt it had reached it's most appealing image to me
-i was suffering with a Focus, which was REALLY pissing me off so I was motivated to get a v8