In a few months I plan to offer my dear long suffering wife a new GT for our 40th wedding anniversary. Lord knows she deserves one. I've read the threads here, and I don't see any significant problems with the car. Just your usual oddities that can happen to any brand. What I would like to know is how is the handling, comfort, visibility, etc. of the car as compared to her now '13 GT. She really likes her '13, and may tell me she wants to keep it. But, I will make the offer. Anything you can come forth with will certainly be appreciated.

BTW, two things I do know. It will be a GT, and it will have an automatic tranny.

Jim

 

Have either you or your wife driven a pre-'10 S197? For me, the difference between the S550 and a '14GT is similar to the improvement made between the '09 to '10 models.

The S550 rides with superb composure. It's very comfortable, it corners flat yet the ride is supple and composed. The standard (non-Recaro) seats are also superbly comfortable. And that to a cabin that uses more "premium" materials to the S197, and you have a superb car. For me, it really lives up to the GT badge.

One thing.....in case you're not "up" on S550 news. The '18MY will see the S550's first facelift. The Coyote is expected to get a bump in power courtesy of port and direct injection (plus, no doubt, some other goodies) and the autobox will be the new 10-speed, currently found in the Raptor and 3.5 Ecoboost F150s. Refreshed front and rear ends will also feature. The car is likely to debut at either LA next month, or Detroit in January.

Of course, with a refreshed model on the way, there should be some nice incentives if you want a '17MY.

 

Thanks TT, we're not familiar with the older 197's, but she did have a '10 GT. And also thanks for the tip on the face lift. I did sit in a '16 while I was at the dealer the other day, and you are correct. The seats are night, and day compared to her '13. I won't spring this one her until after Christmas, so I'll keep up more with the '18. She will be the one to make the final decision as I'm just the oil changer/fuel pumper for the Mustang.

 

I have a '14 GT and rented an s550 eco. Here are my very partial observations.

Since I hate the looks, I'll just get that out of the way and not mention it again.

I was impressed with the ride - that was noticeable.

I found the seats more supportive which initially felt less comfortable until I got used to them.

I felt lower to the ground.

I did not feel the "premium materials" were "premium enough" to make a difference. But, I was in a rental. For example, the door skins were still textured plastic but the seats appeared to be leather.

I liked the cup holders.

I hated the bank of plastic switches because I wanted to set my phone there.

The keyless operation took some getting used to. I didn't like the start button because the engine can be deactivated by accident. I tried to deactivate it while driving and was successful.

All in all, nice car, wouldn't discourage someone from buying it, but wouldn't necessarily encourage someone to upgrade.

 

TT pretty much nails it. The S550's biggest advantage over the out going S-197 is the ride.

Overall the S550 is more compliant offering less roll and pitch but tends to squat more compared to the S-197. The most notable difference I've found with the S550 is that in a turn the S550 really likes to rotate and change direction and that has to be one of my favorite things about this new car.


If you can go for the Premium GT and its worth getting the adaptive cruise control (really miss that on the GT350 - although I suspect the collision mitigation system is not track compatible, ergo not available).

The only negative with the GT to me is the lack of the performance pack option on the auto cars. It would be really nice if Ford would allow that since you get a lot of neat stuff - sexy brakes and the Torsen diff included.

Also screaming deals on what the dealer has on the lot aside. If you can definitely order the exact car you want (its worth the month or so it takes to build the car) and if your not already part of something like SVTOA or MCA join up and you get access to the X-plan if you don't have access to a better deal or can negotiate a better deal.

 

Thanks Bob, and bezerk. That's some good info. The car will be a GT Premium with an auto as the wife can, but will not drive a manual. I think I'll stick with the '17 as I would like the the 10 speed tranny on the market awhile before I jump on one. I jumped on the new GM A8, and it has had it's quirks. If she wants one it will be ordered as I like the cross traffic system, and reverse sensors that will help any driver. It seems most all the cars on the lot in my area have one or the other, but not both. And if I see a car with both it's not a color she would want. After all these years I kinda know what she will drive. Thanks again for the help.

 

Congratulations on your 40th anniversary!

 

 

Thank you folks. She saw a lifelong project, and has succeeded in her efforts. If it wasn't for her I would probably be living under a bridge somewhere.