New Ford Mustang or Holden Commodore or alternatives

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MikeB4

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#207898 18-Jan-2017 15:56

Has anyone here driven the latest series of Ford Mustang either the V8 or the 2.3 Turbo or both. If so would love to get some feed back on these beauties for my wife. She is contemplating getting one.

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#1705341 18-Jan-2017 16:07

I drove a 2015 (I think still the latest series) GT (V8) Mustang in Hawaii just over a year ago for about 5 days.

A nice fun car to drive on holiday, but I wouldn't want to drive one every day. Not a lot of space and not overly comfortable, but lots of power and sounded nice.

The one I drove had air conditioned seats which is probably the best feature I think I've ever had in a car on a hot day.

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WyleECoyoteNZ

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#1705342 18-Jan-2017 16:11

The 2.3 Turbo 4 Pot donk in the Mustang is the same engine as what is in the Focus RS, producing less power in the Mustang than the Focus RS, so one assume it's not overly stressed in the Mustang.

As a side note, Ford have just given the Mustang a refresh for the MY18 cars. More blurb below, but could be a little while before they reach NZ

https://www.netcarshow.com/ford/2018-mustang_gt/

Coil

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#1705343 18-Jan-2017 16:12

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.
I have found the new mustang to tick every box i dont want in a car. I find for the size of the car the space is lacking. Feel like a boat on the road. I would suggest watching some non commercial car reviews on youtube.

But if your entering the market with the money to buy one of these brand new.
Consider a Rear Wheel Drive German car (BMW, Merc), The Americans dont make muscle any more.

A used M6/5/4/3/2 or 6.3L AMG thing will be 10x more comfortable and out perform any day. Get an autosure warranty, $2500 or so.

MikeB4

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#1705373 18-Jan-2017 17:30

TimA:

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.
I have found the new mustang to tick every box i dont want in a car. I find for the size of the car the space is lacking. Feel like a boat on the road. I would suggest watching some non commercial car reviews on youtube.

But if your entering the market with the money to buy one of these brand new.
Consider a Rear Wheel Drive German car (BMW, Merc), The Americans dont make muscle any more.

A used M6/5/4/3/2 or 6.3L AMG thing will be 10x more comfortable and out perform any day. Get an autosure warranty, $2500 or so.

Good point, she owns a German related car now a Skoda and at 20,000kms it has just had its dual clutch replaced luckily under warranty, she is however unimpressed and I doubt she will buy from that group again. She saw a lot of the new Mustangs during

our last trip to Auckland and she really likes them.

networkn

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#1705374 18-Jan-2017 17:36

MikeB4:

TimA:

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.
I have found the new mustang to tick every box i dont want in a car. I find for the size of the car the space is lacking. Feel like a boat on the road. I would suggest watching some non commercial car reviews on youtube.

But if your entering the market with the money to buy one of these brand new.
Consider a Rear Wheel Drive German car (BMW, Merc), The Americans dont make muscle any more.

A used M6/5/4/3/2 or 6.3L AMG thing will be 10x more comfortable and out perform any day. Get an autosure warranty, $2500 or so.

Good point, she owns a German related car now a Skoda and at 20,000kms it has just had its dual clutch replaced luckily under warranty, she is however unimpressed and I doubt she will buy from that group again. She saw a lot of the new Mustangs during

our last trip to Auckland and she really likes them.

Interesting, I'd have imagined that if a car manufacturer stands behind their product that would make someone MORE inclined to buy from them again. Stuff fails sometimes, esp stuff with moving parts, it's how it's dealt with that makes the difference.

If she didn't have a good experience, or doesn't like the car, well that's something different.

There is a lot of choice in the market, we thought very highly of the new A4, so much so we bought one for my wife (not brand new). We looked at Skoda, Subaru, Ford, Mazda, VW, BMW and Audi and the Audi was easily the nicest car that met her requirements, though with small kids still, I'd expect our needs to be different to yours.

The AWD 20D BMW is an exceptional car, really worth a drive. The engine is in my opinion one of the best in the world.

MikeB4

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#1705381 18-Jan-2017 17:46

networkn:

MikeB4:

TimA:

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.
I have found the new mustang to tick every box i dont want in a car. I find for the size of the car the space is lacking. Feel like a boat on the road. I would suggest watching some non commercial car reviews on youtube.

But if your entering the market with the money to buy one of these brand new.
Consider a Rear Wheel Drive German car (BMW, Merc), The Americans dont make muscle any more.

A used M6/5/4/3/2 or 6.3L AMG thing will be 10x more comfortable and out perform any day. Get an autosure warranty, $2500 or so.

Good point, she owns a German related car now a Skoda and at 20,000kms it has just had its dual clutch replaced luckily under warranty, she is however unimpressed and I doubt she will buy from that group again. She saw a lot of the new Mustangs during

our last trip to Auckland and she really likes them.

Interesting, I'd have imagined that if a car manufacturer stands behind their product that would make someone MORE inclined to buy from them again. Stuff fails sometimes, esp stuff with moving parts, it's how it's dealt with that makes the difference.

If she didn't have a good experience, or doesn't like the car, well that's something different.

There is a lot of choice in the market, we thought very highly of the new A4, so much so we bought one for my wife (not brand new). We looked at Skoda, Subaru, Ford, Mazda, VW, BMW and Audi and the Audi was easily the nicest car that met her requirements, though with small kids still, I'd expect our needs to be different to yours.

The AWD 20D BMW is an exceptional car, really worth a drive. The engine is in my opinion one of the best in the world.

There are a few things that annoy her with it and include...

1. The CVT can get a bit confused especially around town

2. The auto turn off at lights etc, this can only be disabled until the next time you turn the car off.

networkn

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#1705384 18-Jan-2017 17:49

MikeB4:

There are a few things that annoy her with it and include...

1. The CVT can get a bit confused especially around town

2. The auto turn off at lights etc, this can only be disabled until the next time you turn the car off.

Yeah we didn't love the gearbox in the one we drove.

Most of the cars don't have a permanent off switch, including Audi, BMW, Subaru, Skoda or VW. I pretty much think it has to be turned off each time, though it's not a difficult process, just more a habit to form like turning on the car I guess.

The review for the latest bigger Skodas are amazing, though I doubt she wants something that huge.

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MikeB4

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#1705389 18-Jan-2017 18:05

@networkn she loves big cars. Always enjoyed the Holdens we have owned over the years and the SUVs

networkn

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#1705396 18-Jan-2017 18:39

MikeB4: @networkn she loves big cars. Always enjoyed the Holdens we have owned over the years and the SUVs

Probably not what she would be keen on, but it was a pretty good review. ( I like wagons)

http://www.caradvice.com.au/429301/2016-skoda-superb-wagon-review/

What's the budget (if that's ok to ask?).

driller2000

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#1705408 18-Jan-2017 18:58

TimA:

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.
I have found the new mustang to tick every box i dont want in a car. I find for the size of the car the space is lacking. Feel like a boat on the road. I would suggest watching some non commercial car reviews on youtube.

But if your entering the market with the money to buy one of these brand new.
Consider a Rear Wheel Drive German car (BMW, Merc), The Americans dont make muscle any more.

A used M6/5/4/3/2 or 6.3L AMG thing will be 10x more comfortable and out perform any day. Get an autosure warranty, $2500 or so.

Not really a valid comparison imo ie. New Mustang vs Old Euro.

And pricewise given you can get a new Mustang for $60-80k vs $130k for an M3 ie truckloads more. Sure the M3 is a better car, but it is $50 - $70k more...

And do Autosure policies actually make sense / pay for themselves given their limitations:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/68851254/looking-under-the-bonnet-of-mechanical-breakdown-cover.

Declaration - Yes I would look at a Mustang if it could carry my family of 4 - so yeah I am biased : ) - but I will just have to settle for 270kW of Commodore instead...poor me : )

Technofreak

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#1705439 18-Jan-2017 20:16

MikeB4: @networkn she loves big cars. Always enjoyed the Holdens we have owned over the years and the SUVs

I'd say you've answered our own question.

Get one of the last Commodore SS's. A good handling muscle car or if you want something not quite so in your face what about the Calais V V8. I'd happily drive either one.

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alasta

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#1705467 18-Jan-2017 20:41

TimA:

As with every new model with technology foreign to the brand (Independent rear suspension lol) problems may arise.

I'm not aware of anything in the current Ford range that doesn't have multi-link suspension on the rear. The Focus certainly has it, and I think possibly even the Fiesta?

Paulthagerous

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#1705468 18-Jan-2017 20:45

I have driven 2 current gen Mustangs - a GT (V8) and 2.3 EcoBoost - as my mother was looking to get a new car. She ended up with one of the last XR8 Falcons instead though.

Biggest thing I would suggest - if she hasn't ever had/driven something like it before - go and drive one! Chances are she will either really like it, or it just won't click.

They are great value for money, and have great road presence. The interior doesn't feel as premium as, say, an M3, but that is jsut the reality of the pricepoint. The GT has really good Brembo's, the Ecoboost's ones aren't as good but not bad. The thing that she really needs to decide is if she wants a sports car to drive hard and fast, or she just likes the look/style. The reality is that they are heavy cars, the steering is quite light, they are a bit soft and the automatic a little slow. For an enthusiast like me, it was fun, but a little underwhelming compared to a more focused alternative like the new Focus RS. But my mother really enjoyed it, as it was fun to drive, but still had a respectable ride, with an auto box, and light steering that meant it wasn't hard to drive. For her, the softer edges were a plus. So it really depends on the perspective.

The 2.3l v V8 is also a hard one to answer without knowing her. The V8 is quicker, and feels a bit quicker. It is also louder (though not too loud), though an exhaust could make either sound a lot louder. The obvious downsides are it uses (potentially a lot) more fuel and costs a fair bit more to purchase. Internationally, Ford have sold more 2.3 Ecoboosts this generation than V8's. Many purists hate the 2.3 Mustang, but it's actually the one I would go for - almost as quick, a lot less money, and you could always upgrade it later. And they look almost identical; very few people could tell the 2 apart.

I would also suggest you don't think of it as a 2+2, but as a 2 seater. Yes it has back seats that are a decent size, but it is awkward to get into the back seats and even once there adults don't really fit in there at all...

So yeah - go and drive one and see what you think. Chances are she'll love it or hate it!

Any questions I might be able to help with just let me know.

Inphinity

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#1705471 18-Jan-2017 20:51

What are you after in the car? I have driven the 2.3 EcoBoost Mustang a reasonable amount, and the V8 once. Went in to both hoping they'd show me why people like these cars. Not a fan. Big car, with little practical room to show for it, even the boot is tiny. Heavy car, and feels it in handling. Does little to dissuade me of the notion that American cars aren't designed to turn corners. Ridiculously large turning circle. Fuel consumption higher than I'd expect (though small sample size for V8). EcoBoost has the same auto off engine thing you didn't like on the Skoda. Didn't notice it on the V8, not sure. Unsure if they can be optioned, but seems lacking in modern safety features like lane assist, cross traffic alert etc. EcoBoost is peppy enough but didn't ever really feel fast. V8 was more fun, but felt like it struggled to use it's power well most of the time - though the brakes are fantastic (much better than the EcoBoost). Personally, from the Ford stable, I'd take the Focus RS over either Mustang variant any day. In my view it's both a better performance car and a better practical car - unless you must have an automatic, which currently isn't an option for the RS.

That said, if you like large impractical boat-like cars, the Mustang may be just for you. They do look pretty cool. But unless you just love the Mustang idea, you can get better car for your money imo. Bear in mind my thoughts are as someone who loves the sports sedan/hatch/wagon vehicles around, that mix practicality and safety with fun and performance.

alasta

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#1705482 18-Jan-2017 21:03

Inphinity:

Personally, from the Ford stable, I'd take the Focus RS over either Mustang variant any day. In my view it's both a better performance car and a better practical car - unless you must have an automatic, which currently isn't an option for the RS.

The RS is a great track car but not that suitable for the road as the racing seats lack thorax airbags, and hence the vehicle does not comply with 5 star ANCAP.

The ST is a lot cheaper, and still has ample power and torque for highway driving.

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