Easy does it, My office just got 5 of them and i took one for the holiday weekend. Its only the V6 convertible. I must say though this car is awesome as far as convertibles go. I love everything about it, im thinking of buying one. Pro's: Nastolgic look: i've always loved this look and people are always stareing at it. Interior design: I just love the way it fits me and looks Gas Mileage: Believe it or not i'm getting better milage than my integra. Power: For a v6 i'm a little impressed. Convertible: Loooove having the top down. Con's Interior materials: its like a hard rough looking plastic. Reliability: its a ford and it'll prolly be in the shop alot. Handling: Its no integra. Convertible: 1/2 the year conditions suck for convertibles around here what do you guys think is this car worth the 25k price tag ?
If you're gonna get a mustang, get the GT. That way you can actually sell the car when you don't want it anymore. The residual value on the v6 is horrible.
Yes the GT would be awesome to own but i see 3 downsides 1. Gas 2. Another 6k upfront 3. Insurance cost
New Mustangs are chick cars, V6, V8, coupe, convertable, doesn't matter, I've only seen chicks in them. Correction, I have seen some guys in them, but in the passenger seat while their GF/wife was driving. Roush, Cobra, Saleen, on the other hand... Insurance cost? If you're going from (liability+no payments) to ---> (full coverage+payments), it's going to be an increase regardless, especially with a convertable. Personally, I think you need to test drive some other cars. Right now I think you're "blinded by love" so to speak. You like it because it's new, different, you're turning heads (they think you're gay ). Go test drive an MX-5 Miata. Retractable hard top, better handling, better gas mileage, Japanese, award winning, starts at ~$21k. People will tell you it's a chick car, but it's one of Jay Leno's favorite cars to drive, so take that for what it's worth. Plus they have supercharger kits for them
No. As mentioned, the V6s plummet so bad in value that if you buy one new you're a total sucker (sorry to say). Maybe even a new-body-style used V6 convertible would be better. I imagine if you shopped around you'd save a truckload of money on it. For handling, convertibles are the worst. The GT hardtop would probably really surprise you, though. Fords aren't nearly as unreliable as some people believe. I've owned many Mustangs over the years. My '99 GT was rock solid reliable and even with mods. The transmission was solid as could be imagined and shifted like butter. When it had almost 100k miles on it, I took it on a 3000 mile drive to Canada and back. The car purred the whole way without even a slight worry.
Oh and I'd recommend a Miata test drive before you buy any other convertible. Don't let people give you shit because it's a Miata. It's the staple roadster with a lot of perks the Mustang doesn't give you (especially when you're talking about a V6)... plus the Mustang weighs 1000 lbs. more and would be less reliable with worse resale value if those are concerns. And if you're into cornering... Miatas have a massive race following with aftermarket and are everywhere at open-track events.
Most ignorant statement of the thread. If you're a young male driving any car with a bit of power behind it and two doors you're going to pay more for insurance anyways. That's just the bottom line. Personally I'm not a fan of Mustangs in general but whatever floats your boat. Also, why does your work have 5 of them?
One of the biggest hang-ups with the Mustangs is the mystique. Just like the Camaro it's been known as a cheap sports car for hillbillies. But I don't give a shit what other people think, so if they had a usable back seat and were more reliable I would consider one.
Actually the V6 stangs can be made to scoot quite well. The New 4.0L has tons of potential, even in stock form it can lay decent rubber all day long. Personally I'd go with a GT just because they are still reasonably priced and can bang off 13 sec 1/4s stock. As for the mustangs being unreliable? Wtf. Sure some cars are lemons but mustangs definitely aren't one of them. Any car can give you problems if you don't maintain it. Just for kicks, who here even works on their own cars. No oil changes don't count. If you have ever torn down and rebuilt an engine, then you can speak. Too many people who think they know about cars, but they don't actually know how anything works.
forget about the miata, i'm 6'5" i dont want a tiny car. One of the main reasons i liked the mustang is its a very manly interior and roomy. as far as ford being reliable ... my office gets twice as many rentals from ford ALONE than all these other dealerships combined which are Nissan, Pontiac, Dodge, Jeep, Saturn, Audi, Porsche, Lexus
My in-laws, as part of a mid-life crisis, bought a mustang convertible a year before the new body-style came out. It's not bad, but it's not a GT. Simple as that. My buddy had a hard-top GT (loaded to the nuts with every option) and it was an awesome car. Unfortunately, re-sale value on either of those cars in the next few years is going to be shit because of gas.
The grease under your fingernails does not invalidate the years and years of automotive reliability data, or give you any special insight over it. It is what it is.
YES, thank you for finally saying what has been bothering me for a long time. Regurgitating stuff from consumer reports does not mean you know shit. Elitism FTW HAY GUYS CHECK OUT MY SARCASTIC COMMENTARY ITS WITTY AS FUCK LOL
+1 irony Time=money. Paying someone else to work on our cars doesn't mean that we can't do it ourselves or that we lack knowledge about how cars work, it just means that we prefer to pay someone else to do so. Not to mention, working on a car doesn't make you an expert on everything about it or cars in general.
its also good to note that all the consumer reports look at the warranty repair numbers. That means if I mustang comes in because the brake pad is rubbing abit, or because a bolt has come loose and has started to rattle or anything minor like that, its recorded. Granted these aren’t things I would be extremely please with on a brand new car that cost 30 grand, but its not the end of the world either. The Japanese excel at these test because they have superior build quality then we do. I don’t think that’s news to anyone. Toyota who does extremely well uses machines to build the majority of their cars. Precision machinery > human’s with tools. The German auto makers come off looking real bad on these tests because they use some many toys and gadgets in their cars, its no surprise some of them need maintenance or warranties. The consumer data however rarely distinguishes the seriousness of the warranty work. That being said, I absolutely believe Toyota and Honda do have superior reliability to American cars. I think the level of precision they use allows the cars to continue to function properly for extremely long periods of time, verses the lack of precision and care that’s used in the North America auto industries and what contributes to their cars eventually falling apart. One moving part that’s not installed exactly to spec will eventually lead to the collapse of all kinds of crap. I don't believe the rest of the Japanese manufactures are that far ahead of the American auto makers. /end ramble. Another car to consider that has not been mentioned is the RX8. Their reliably has yet to be proven, but Mazda knows(I’m sure ford reminded them) that if this car doesn’t pan out the rotary legacy is over. I’m certain that’s a big reason they went N/A and are still holding off on a turbo version. I’ve heard a lot of good things about them. I hear they are a blast to drive, they look nice inside and out, decently roomy, decently quick. Definitely something I would be considering If I was shopping for a newer car. the new Miatas are great great cars, but not when you're 6'5 Whats and Evo cost these day’s? as canucks aren’t aloud to enjoy their awesomeness
Wherever this thread is going, it's unfair to say a Mustang with under 100k miles is unreliable if you haven't owned one for a significant amount of time. As I mentioned earlier, I've owned several. The 80s ones had their issues, but once those were figured out they were pretty reliable. The mid 90s ones were a bit better. The 99+ were very solid. I'm talking about the SOHC V8 found in the GT. I don't know much about the V6 and I'd never own one... If you think a BRAND NEW warrantied V8 Mustang is going to break down much in the first 100,000 miles of its life, you're probably mistaken. I've also had many-many friends with V8 powered Mustangs, probably 20 or so among the group I used to hang out with over the last 10 years. And from that I'd still repeat that they were actually pretty damn reliable and to say otherwise would be incorrect in my experience. I think I'm done arguing that point, but I wanted to chime in with my experience. I still love Mustangs and I'm a bit biased... but they don't deserve the hate that other Fords get for being unreliable, especially in the last 10-or-so years with all the changes they've made to the motors among other features.
Spewing out what you've read is no match for first hand experience. Everything else is hear-say. People say "oh ya i could fix that, but I'd rather pay someone money to do it." Well lets see, most shops charge 75$/hr labour. Are you trying to tell me its cheaper for you to have someone else do it? I don't think you're making 75$/hr on a consistant basis now are you. MSP, you probably call AAA to change your flat when you're out on the road don't you No mustangs aren't the best car ever made, but it's definitely a good choice for a reasonably priced, good looking car. I'd stick with a hardtop but thats just me.
By the way, I think there are a pile of cars I'd rather buy than a factory new Mustang, especially a V6 convertible. That's a LOT of money. I looked at a GT hardtop when the new model first came out and the price was just exorbitant.
It's not a matter of making 75$ an hour. It's a matter of seeing that your schedule is already busy you don't have time to research the teardown, make sure you have the tools, get the tools if you don't have them, spend time taking things apart and tinkering until you find the cause of the problem, and then putting it all back together. Not to mention some people can't do work on their car because they live in an apartment, they aren't physically able to, I'm sure in MSP's case he's busy with family stuff, and still others of us work fulltime as well as go to school fulltime. So, no, we don't make 75 an hour. But paying someone else to do it so I don't have to is worth it.
I live in an apartment and I work on my car and bike in the parking lot. Not only do I get a lot of attention from the other car guys in my complex, but the ladies love it as well. Nothing gets them hotter than a dude with grease on his hands and a motorcycle on a centerstand and a car on jackstands aaoooooooogaaaa I do not have all the tools necessary to do big maintenance jobs, though. I do all my fluids, tire rotations, suspension maintenance, and minor body work (lol zip ties) but for the big stuff I take it to a family shop I've been going to for a few years. Their son is a 3 time national kart champion and love to work on modified cars of all types. I'm one of the few import guys who have the guts to take their car to a shop who flies the confederate flag in the parking lot. To add to the actual question from the post... don't get the v6. I like to laugh at most of the modofied V6 mustang owners because unless it's a new one then even my slow ass 240 could run them down. I'd love to have a fox body 5.0 for that lovely v8 sound but sadly its not in my budget. I could, however, just put the engine into my current car.
