Mustang 5.0 PP Base Review at 3000 miles
3/21/15, 09:22 AM
#1
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Mustang 5.0 PP Base Review at 3000 miles
Perspective - I've owned many performance cars over the years, Mustangs(GT and Cobras), Thunderbirds (Turbo and SC), Corvettes ('73 & '99) and SVT Focus. No car is perfect and I enjoyed the personalities of each of these diverse performance cars. My previous car was an '05 GT that I did much work to over the past 10 years, and it was my favorite, until the S550.
After putting 3000 miles on this car, I am truly Amazed. My car is a base GT with PP and Recaros.
Engine - 5.0 is head and shoulders above anything I have owned before. The power is smooth and the car just keeps pulling. It sure is awesome to see the retro fox body 5.0 badges back on the fenders. Feels docile until you get on it and then look down at the speedometer and its Oh Sh**!
Suspension - Best I have seen in a factory setup for the street. Firm, but not harsh on NJ pothole infested roads, Very minimal body roll, Very minimal body pitch on acceleration, braking or shifting. Wheel hop is present, of course (same as my '99 Corvette), and I plan on installing the Steeda or FRPP IRS bushing support kit in the future.
Ride Height - This is the 1st 'Stang since '94 that I don't feel the need to lower. The Ride height is perfect to me and I haven't had a problem with the front splitter scraping on driveways or going through the only occasional car wash - gotta keep the salt off the undercarriage!
Brakes - Brembos are flat out amazing, although for track use I will probably switch to more performance oriented pads. The only problem is when I get back into other cars and the brakes in those cars feels mushy.
Exterior - Build Quality is first rate. I have read the horror stories but this particular car is flawless - paint, hood alignment, rear window alignment, body seams etc., are just perfect. it's the first car I have owned where I cannot find even a minor paint blemish. This car was an early build, Sept. 2014.
Interior - All business, love the center gauges, ergonomics are good and materials are appropriate for the price range. Sightlines out of the car are great. View of the hood while driving is awesome! Slightly smaller inside than my '05 GT, especially the backseat.
Clutch \ Shifter - I know guys remove the clutch spring but my car is a DD so I appreciate the light feel of the pedal. Shifter is short and light. Overall, much more comfortable to drive than in my '05 GT.
Mileage - I am regularly getting around 19-20 mpg in real world driving but have seen steady-state highway mileage as high as 27-28 with cruise set around 65mph.
Summary - Supercar performance for $37K, in a refined road machine that is quiet, comfortable and composed at high speed. Best bang for the buck in my opinion. No excuses are necessary with this car and I think it competes, at a high level, against anything out there from Japan or Germany. Ford really stepped up it's game with this car!
After putting 3000 miles on this car, I am truly Amazed. My car is a base GT with PP and Recaros.
Engine - 5.0 is head and shoulders above anything I have owned before. The power is smooth and the car just keeps pulling. It sure is awesome to see the retro fox body 5.0 badges back on the fenders. Feels docile until you get on it and then look down at the speedometer and its Oh Sh**!
Suspension - Best I have seen in a factory setup for the street. Firm, but not harsh on NJ pothole infested roads, Very minimal body roll, Very minimal body pitch on acceleration, braking or shifting. Wheel hop is present, of course (same as my '99 Corvette), and I plan on installing the Steeda or FRPP IRS bushing support kit in the future.
Ride Height - This is the 1st 'Stang since '94 that I don't feel the need to lower. The Ride height is perfect to me and I haven't had a problem with the front splitter scraping on driveways or going through the only occasional car wash - gotta keep the salt off the undercarriage!
Brakes - Brembos are flat out amazing, although for track use I will probably switch to more performance oriented pads. The only problem is when I get back into other cars and the brakes in those cars feels mushy.
Exterior - Build Quality is first rate. I have read the horror stories but this particular car is flawless - paint, hood alignment, rear window alignment, body seams etc., are just perfect. it's the first car I have owned where I cannot find even a minor paint blemish. This car was an early build, Sept. 2014.
Interior - All business, love the center gauges, ergonomics are good and materials are appropriate for the price range. Sightlines out of the car are great. View of the hood while driving is awesome! Slightly smaller inside than my '05 GT, especially the backseat.
Clutch \ Shifter - I know guys remove the clutch spring but my car is a DD so I appreciate the light feel of the pedal. Shifter is short and light. Overall, much more comfortable to drive than in my '05 GT.
Mileage - I am regularly getting around 19-20 mpg in real world driving but have seen steady-state highway mileage as high as 27-28 with cruise set around 65mph.
Summary - Supercar performance for $37K, in a refined road machine that is quiet, comfortable and composed at high speed. Best bang for the buck in my opinion. No excuses are necessary with this car and I think it competes, at a high level, against anything out there from Japan or Germany. Ford really stepped up it's game with this car!
3/21/15, 11:42 AM
#2
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Good review! Thanks for sharing your thoughts 
I feel the same way about my GT TP with Recaros. Supercar performance for $32K. I'm glad to hear you don't notice the squat/dive on hard acceleration and braking. This seems to be an improvement over the S197s. I'll be putting in springs, adjustable shocks and sways next year to flatten out the car.
You'll have a blast at the track. My car keeps up with M3s on road courses, and there is still room for improvement in the suspension department. I can also recommend Carbotech for race pads. I've had great luck with them over the last 2 seasons.
I feel the same way about my GT TP with Recaros. Supercar performance for $32K. I'm glad to hear you don't notice the squat/dive on hard acceleration and braking. This seems to be an improvement over the S197s. I'll be putting in springs, adjustable shocks and sways next year to flatten out the car.
You'll have a blast at the track. My car keeps up with M3s on road courses, and there is still room for improvement in the suspension department. I can also recommend Carbotech for race pads. I've had great luck with them over the last 2 seasons.
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