Hey guys!

I have a 2006 Mustang GT and was contemplating maybe trading it in for a 2011 (or 2012) Mustang V6 (or possibly GT if I can afford it). Do you think this is worth it or I should just stick with my 2006 GT unless I can afford the new GT? I really like the new styling and I love the new interior. It's much nicer and has many more options like Sync, heated seats, etc. The new V6 is comparable now to the GT we've had the past couple years so it's worth thinking about. It's my daily driver so whatever I got would have to deal with rain and snow since I live in Michigan. Thank ya!

 

I would think about waiting to see what the 2014's are going to offer. Just a thought

 

There is no replacement for the GT.

The lack of torque with the 3.7 V6 vs the 4.6 V8 may be frustrating and a regret if you go that way.

 

I just traded in my 2006 GT last month for an 11 GT and I would have a hard time going from a GT to a V6. The upgrade to the 5.0 is pretty substantial and definitely worth it if you can afford it. Just for reference I got my 400a GT Premium for $30,900 +ttl. There is definitely deals to be gotten right now if you can find a flexible dealer. Also if you are a member of Costco try going through them, they will get you almost invoice pricing at a participating dealer. Good luck!

 

On paper, even the upgrade to a GT from a previous S197 GT may not make a whole lot of sense. However, now that I've traded my 08 GT for an '11 Rapid Spec 401a I will say the difference is MAJOR.

The sum of all the parts added together make for a pretty substantial upgrade. If it's financially feasible for you, I would definitely look in that route. Otherwise, my advise would be to stick with the 06 GT you have.

 

I've thought about trading in my paid for '08 GT for a new 5.0 GT, but it just doesn't make much sense financially for me at this point. I'll take a big hit in depreciation for the last three years, and I really enjoy my '08 right now. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on the redesign coming in a couple of years though.

 

Haven't driven a V6, only my 5.0. Really can't see why one would not buy it. It gets great for a V8 MPG, 24 @ 70, tons of power.

 

Well put it this way, I have an 03 Cobra with an aftermarket supercharger. I have more torque and horsepower available than necessary on the street. It is very fun and powerful but still quite humble and streetable. I used that power daily and tailored my driving style accordingly. I also have a 2011 V6 and yes the lack of low end torque is a significant difference but the car's other attributes makes up for this difference in torque. I did order the car with 2.73 gears....I would advise going with the 3.31s because in the end your fuel economy may even be better with this gear ratio. Considering that you have a 2006 GT and from what I know about driving my V6 and having an autobahn at my disposal to safely evaluate the performance, your 2006 GT may only be marginally faster than the V6. The 2011 V6s really pull at high RPMs. And beyond the 1/4 mile may have an advantage. Both cars are 300-305HP and both respond to basic common mods so gaining 20 extra hp in both models shold be fairly easy. The V8 sounds better although the V6 sounds really good.....V8 owns in this category even over most V10s. Consider the interior options for the 2011 V6 and GT and the price. The base price of the GT starts near $30K whereas the V6 with most options (minus performance package and glass roof) is around $30K. The base model V6 can be had for $22k but without sync and the interior looks less than ideal and rather plain in my opinion.

All that said, I prefer to drive my V6 more than my cobra because if I receive a call I can just pick up and talk hands free, I use SYNC 99% of the time because my music is on my ZUNE and CDs in the cobra. Climate controls on the Nav screen is really cool. The nav screen/control interface is really cool alone I love the heated seats and the ambient lighting. It is good to know and feel ADVANCETRAC working it's magic in the background......it saved my @$$ once for sure. I like many things about the 2011 V6 but I do not like the live rear axle. No other option there so no complaint and your 2006 is very similar. Power is not everything but it is fun.

Test drive both the V6 and 5.0 GT and look at the costs compared against how much you are looking to spend and you should be able to decide.

 

+1. Be sure to try before you trade for a V6. I had an '11 V6 loaner recently, and it had nowhere near the kick of my '10 GT.

I am not hating on the '11 V6--it is a big improvement from the '10 V6. But as YSUsteven says, it is not a GT.

 

I drove both a V6 with 3.31's in the PP and a 5.0 vert auto and the sound alone sold me on the 5.0 then there is that whole power thing. the V6 was good but the 5.0 is that and so much more..

 

Nice post and very true but...
My take on this...
We do not have the Autobahn at our disposal.
Having driven the V6 here, I found the wonderful engine almost useless on the US streets.
I think the OP would be very disappointed going to it from a 4.6.
I gave up and bought a 4.0 V6 for a daily driver.
Here's the thing...
To enjoy performance on US streets torque is all that matters.
Most of the time (if there is any one watching), you can't enjoy powerful high rev cars without constantly looking over your shoulder for cops.
Yeah the 3.7 has torque, but the 4.6 has more and down lower.
Don't get me wrong, everything in your post is correct.
I just don't think the either V6 has the OOMPH of either V8 and that's the fun thing here without having to worry about tickets.
No cop will ever pull me over for going 0 to speed limit really fast, unless I spin my tires or something.

 

I agree you really have to reeeeeevvvvvv the V6 to get the feeling of 305HP. But if you do it is pretty rewarding. In the mean time you are not using as much gas as in the V8. I guess I have outgrown the constant blasting on the street to the speed limit and maintaining about there due to fear of tickets. Making all that noise for nothing and not really going anywhere made me feel immature. I have nothing to prove to the cars and drivers around me. I prefer to go un-noticed and blend in these days. If you have good driving skills the V6 can run 13.9 in the quarter or possibly faster which is not far off from the 2005-2009 GT or the 1996-2001 cobras. But it is not a GT........simple. It is an alternative if you cannot afford the GT.

 

At my advanced age, I think that is exactly why I do it.
That is why I don't have a loud exhaust or a spoiler or racing stripes on my cars.
I like it best when there is nobody around to see me acting like a kid again.

 

If you can afford it, get loaded 5.0

If you can't, you have to decide between power and amenities.

I have the V6 with the Performance Package, so it has the 3.31 gears. It's plenty of go, imo. I can ride the power band in 2nd all the way up to 60+ MPH.

If I had the money, I would have gone GT. Hoping the 2014 to be a beast.

 

2014 ? dude could be dead by then.

 

Consider yourself lucky. Excessive showing of acceleration/speed is a normal thing in my neck of the woods..people get pulled over for it all the time

 

Ditto..

 

Interesting.
And how do they prove this in court with no wheel spin or loud exhaust or exceeding the speed limit?
I'm not saying people don't get pulled over for it around here, but the rice rocket playa' kids make it easy for the cops with their fart can exhausts and double the speed limit buzz by runs.
They don't seem to bother with the clean quieter cars.
About 30 years ago, I got a citation for disturbing the peace with a 351 engine car.
I floored it on a patch of sand and squealed 'em.
Not even a traffic violation.
Had my lawyer handle it and never even went into court.
Of course, disturbing the peace on a state highway in the middle of the day would be tough to prove. How much peace is there?

 

The most I've seen back home is a warning, but then again one of the cops there got banned from driving their Mustang because he got caught doing donuts in the country.

 

I definitely agree with this. My 370Z was just about as fast as my 5.0 on the track, but if I really wanted to have fun with the Z on the street I needed to wind the motor up above 4,000 RPM otherwise there just wasn't much grunt. In a track environment that doesn't really matter, but on the street the low-end torque really makes a difference in how a car feels when you're just put-putting around having fun within the confines of speed regulations. I can keep the 5.0 below 4 grand and it still goes enough to be "fun."

Though all that low end grunt does come at a price. I averaged over 20 mpg during my daily commute with the Z vs. ~16-17 with the 5.0. So if fuel economy is something that is important to you then you may be willing to trade the low end grunt for better fuel economy while still retaining good high-end pull with a V6. But if it's not then I think the V8s are definitely more fun to put around with on the street.

Some people like high revving engines and rowing through the gears and others like the low-end grunt and that feeling that you can pull hard out of any gear with a big V8. I happen to like them both so I am always changing things up.