MRGTX

I'm one of the folks here who could be consided squarely on the fence about this car. I really, really love my S197 but the improvements and the new equipment in the 2015 have me drooling. I can comfortably afford a new car...but I would have to finance the bulk of the difference between my 2011 trade so there would be some sacrifice involved.

Ok...hopped in the 2011 and ripped around town before heading to the dealership to see if the 2015 that my salesman informed me about was still there. Sure enough, as soon as I pulled up, there was a silver GT premium with the performance pack, 6 speed. I got to climb all over it and drive it with no salesman looking over my shoulder.

First impressions-
Yep, the lower roof profile and lower hood give the impression of a meaner shape. The are some angles of this body that are just eye-popping...and IMO all of those good looking angles omit any view of the front clip which while not as Fusion-esque as one might initially think, it is bulbous, overlong, and just misshaped somehow. It's not ugly, just odd and incongruent with the rest of the body... The tail section with the duck tail molding and the "3D" lenses is stunning but on a second glance, it looks very concept car-ish...perhaps a bit unfinished? Regardless, it's better than the hefty, angular butt of my 2011 overall, the syling is a wash between the S197 and the S550 for me. S550 nailed the proportions, S197 is better as a composition.

The interior was superb. I'm not an interior snob of any variety but I can honestly say that the interior of this car is as pleasing to me as I would ever want in any car. Visually tasteful, interesting and well matched finishes, plentiful gauges (including a real OPG? Wow.), good looking shifter with a tastefully small ****. The steering wheel feels perfect, the pedals spacing is at least as good as in my S197. My only complaints are related to the visibility and "airiness" which are a step down from the outgoing car. It feels like you sit lower in the car which does take away from the experience a bit.

Driving the car...left me totally flat. It feels solid, stiff, competent. Steering was heavier than the s197 and slightly more tactile but still very "electric" feeling. The shifter action is improved...much crisper through the gates. Brakes felt nice with a much firmer pedal than what I'm used to in my own Brembo package car. Suspension improvements did show themselves when I turned down a rough side road. Yep. It's much better behaved and this could conceivably be a huge benefit on a race course.

So here's the thing. It was almost dull! I was able to wind the car up a few times and it pulled well, but somehow lacking the raw sensations and the snap that my 2011 GT has. I realize that a green motor will often not perform up to its potential and that is probably the case here (40 miles on this one) but rolling onto the throttle in 2nd gear offered a surprisingly flaccid response...despite the 3.73 axle. I'd bet cash that my 21,000 mile, stock, 3.55 axle car would eat this one for lunch. The drive was relatively isolating and sterile and honestly less enjoyable than the more raw experience of previous Mustangs. I was overcome with the same sensation as when I drove my NA Miata to the dealership to drive a new NB2. "Better but not preferable."

Also I did "accidentally" spin the tires once and found that it does still wheelhop (though with less reciprocating mass, the experience is less jarring) and it only left one strip of rubber. Go figure.

Driving home in my 2011, I couldn't help but think that had I not had seat time in my current GT, i might have fallen in love with the s550...but without that serious performance bump over my current car or vastly preferable body style, I just can't write the check. I would much sooner buy a used Boss 302.

Purely my opinion. Opposing viewpoints are welcome.

wannabe

I think this is perfectly normal. I'm kinda really liking the new design finally, but driving the '15 GT didn't 'wow' me like the first time I took out my '12 GT. That was AWESOME coming out of a '10 V6.

MRGTX

I think you made good point...it's all relative to what your butt-dyno has been previously calibrated for. When I test drove my 2011, I was coming out of a 2009 GT which I loved but felt like it was a few HP short of thrilling... so the Coyote blew my mind.

The new car is really, really nice. It's just not that much more exciting than the outgoing car in terms of driving experience.

It was interesting to me that the beautifully optioned 2015 GT that I drove had been sitting unsold on the lot for a week.

killaz05

I liked your review and I too have sat and studied the new mustang at my local dealer. My only problem with this new mustang is that I wanted something more from Ford. I wanted to hear magazines say "Wow! What an amazing car! Trade in your 2014 now because this is so much more." in 2005 everyone went crazy for the new mustang and praise was everywhere. Same for when the 5.0 and 3.7 were released in 2011. When reading magazines, I sense a disappointment from the writer. They say yeah it is a better car but not that much better. Maybe it is just me haha

LQQK

1st Test drive, left me thinking, it was not as much fun (Know what I mean?) as the 12 Boss I sold.

2nd Test drive, sold me and erased all doubts I had, during a restless sleepless night of contemplating, canceling my order.

3rd Test drive, made feel like a teenager, who fell in Love for the 1st time.

Corny, Yes, but it's a winner in my book. Can't wait till I get to drive my own 15 Mustang every day.

MRGTX

This is encouraging.
What changd for you?

You sold a Boss 302?

Critical Mass

That's what she said... Ok, my Xanax kicked in, yes, I'm an overgrown child. This car really isn't for us. It's for the global market. The 2016 model year will be the one with the performance gains and optional supercharger/turbo on the 5.0

LQQK

The 1st drive I was comparing the 15 to my 12 Boss 302, it was all about the way I felt when I stomped on the gas and would feel Gs. This was my error, the Boss was all about performance + handling.

It (15) has the Fun factor not Boss fun factor and will be more enjoyable as a DD. The Boss was more of a Thrill ride where you get an adrenalin rush at every stop light, W/O the creature comfort toys loaded in the 15. I want those Bells & Whistles + an adrenalin rush (GT 500-10, Boss-9, S550-8.5)

Guess I'm at the point in my life, where I still wanna hang on to that Muscle/Pony car look (2-Door not 4-Door Charger Type), Sound (Harley Davidson not Honda), Power (V8 not 4 or 6 Banger) The GT PP Mustang does enough of that and is a bargin, now that Ford added the much need candy in the cockpit, especially for us aging Baby-Boomers.

When the GT 350s or Mach 1s hit the showrooms, then those who want that ***** To The Walls Rush, will have that choice.

MRGTX

Hardly a day goes by where I don't say (or think to myself) "That's what she said." So...good call on that one.

I have a hunch that 2017 is when we'll see something new on the GT price point. 2016 will likely be unchanged with a few new colors (and the loss of Competition Orange at least) The GT350 will probably be the nw thing for for 2016 but it will cost $55,000... just my speculation.

Boomer

SO true.

I came from my 05 GT with a tune, and drove a 302LS.
The '13 felt... smooth and sedated by comparison.

Now I KNOW the 13 is faster, but like you said, all relative.

I bet if you drove them down a quarter mile, you'd think one was faster than the other on feel alone. That is a very deceiving feeling. Sometimes right...sometimes wrong.

Boomer

What makes you think that?

MRGTX

I love how you work in a questioning of my credibility here.

Yes, a "smoother" car can feel slower than it is...but the difference was significant. Driving the two cars back to back in the same conditions, on the same roads, with the same "roll on in 2nd gear," the difference was obvious. The '11 puts you back in the seat, the '15 built power much more slowly.

It could have been a throttle calibration issue...it could be related to different power curves (where the new car would make up ground at higher RPM)...but certainly one related factor is that my car is very low-optioned and the '15 I drove was loaded...so the weight difference was probably significant.

Timeless

Out of curiosity, did you have the 2015 in the sport mode settings?

I've read that does make a big difference in the feel of a stock car.

Boomer

I'm not, I swear.
I'm agreeing with the statement that things can be decieving.

Hey I FEEL my car is faster than these, but I know it isn't.
It is exactly how you said the speed builds slower. That's honestly how I felt with comparing mine to the 302LS.
That's not to say comparing your early 5L to the current one is the same comparison. Different cars, specs, etc.
In this case yours might feel faster and BE faster

RandyW

I wonder how much of the perception of speed comes from what you hear? From the reviews, I gather that the GT's exhaust is quieter than it has been in years past. That could do quite a bit to explain a feeling that the car is less robust, even if a stop watch says it's just as fast.

Mustang Freak

My daughters perception of speed in the EB manual was no go! :-)

silverstate777

That's a nice review MRGTX, thanks for posting.

Twin Turbo

Good point, and I've read this elsewhere today. The various driving modes do seem to make a BIG difference.

And I also agree that a more refined car can make it feel slower. I was blown away the first time I drove a 2011 GT.......but more in terms of how well the car rode, steered and felt screwed together so much better than my 2005 GT. Did it feel 112hp more powerful? Not to me, at least not on first acquaintance, but I knew it was in reality.

I can't wait to try my first S550

bob

I got a chance to test drive a 2015 PP GT today and was pretty impressed with the car. Definitely going to be looking at one in a few years as a new DD.

The steering was nice and tight and the brakes are certainly worlds ahead of the out going car for sure. Acceleration seemed lackluster but it was me, my buddy and the salesman in the car plus I'm used to the Shelby but it sure was smooth while pulling up to a fairly high rate of speed and I got a chance to zing it up to around 130 mph on the test drive loop.

I thought perhaps if I ordered one down the road I'd spring for the Recaros but the bolstering is nice on the premium seats.

Overall just a really nice car.

2 Go Snake

Enjoying the reviews. Keep them coming. I saw the 2015 Mustang for the first time in Minnesota. The one I saw was an Ecoboost 4. I loved the seats and the interior. It had an automatic trans. The wheels were the ones that look like turbine blades. I really liked the wheels. I would love to see Ford come out with an SVT modified Ecoboost 4 Mustang.