Alchemy

Just wanted to share. Here she is, 1 day old. Special ordered it Jordan Ford in San Antonio, Great dealership! Just a Base GT, only two options were leather and spoiler delete! Keepin' it simple.





So far, I'm one very happy ford owner. Now I just need to get on the Stereo Upgrades and Cold Air Intake. Possibly some 19" wheels and other handling mods in the future too.

A few months ago I came really close to buying an RX-8 instead of a Mustang, but I got this one for $26,400 out the door, tough to beat that price:performance ratio. I will definitely miss the handling of the RX-8 but hopefully a few mods for the Mustang can make up some of the difference. I still love to see RX-8's on the road; I have to maintain much much respect for the ford family bretheren. The GT's are becoming pretty common on the road, but I didn't get one to stand out....the car is just a blast to drive.


Drive safely, and thanks to everyone at RX-8 club for helping me fairly evaluate the 8 early this year when I was deciding which car to get.

ender_okc

Have fun with that nice car!! I myself am looking into getting one also I love the 8 but I have heard some GREAT things about this new mustang. I am going to go test drive one tomorrow. I have test driven an 8 about 4 times and have really loved it, but just havent pulled the trigger yet.

do you think the mustang is more fun to drive in your opinon?? also how is the steering feel on it compared to the 8??

DreRX8

Nice car--I like the new Mustangs--in fact the only Mustangs I've liked since the "5.0s".

Steiner

Looking good. Good choice on color and the spoiler delete too. Bigger rims might look good, but lowering that thing would improve looks AND handling. I would go for exhaust first, then software, then a CAI. Nevertheless it's a great tuning platform for both improved handling and power.

Alchemy

Ender: I test drove the RX-8 3 different times and the GT 3 times before I made my decision.

The difference for me came down to two different things: Price and Efficiency

The RX-8 corners significantly better than the mustang, however the mustang can "hold its own" on most normal roads. Unless you're doing some really crazy rally style tracks with hairpin turns, the handling of the GT is just fine. The RX-8 feels more nimble because it is a smaller car with a lower center of gravity. In the end the mustang's handling isn't really a negative aspect of the car overall.....the ford is really pretty decent in the corners, just not as great as the 8. Then again, how many cars are?

Price: To get an RX8 with leather I would've had to spend at least a few grand more than I did. GT mustang is a bit cheaper, and the '06 mustangs came out sooner so I was able to pick up a 2006 model wheras I would've been stuck with an 05 RX-8.

Efficiency: The Mustang GT will dyno at close to 100 HP and 150 ft lbs more torque more than the RX-8 all the while getting better gas mileage. I've been running the Mustang pretty hard with 75% city driving and I got 20 MPG's on my first tank of gas. From what I hear the RX-8 will get closer to 15 MPG's with that kind of driving.

Both cars are great IMO, I just felt like the GT was a better fit for me personally. Another thing I like about the Mustang is that it's easier to put aftermarket mods into, wether we're talking about the stereo or engine. Being stuck with the stock stereo in the RX-8 was another big turn-off for me. I plan on putting a fold out DVD head unit in the Mustang.

I cannot say that the Mustang is more fun to drive than the RX-8. I loved driving both cars. The mustang is more fun to blast off from a stop light with, the RX-8 is more fun to take corners at rediculously high speeds with. They both have their element. In the end the decision came down more to economics, and ford won.

icyur2

Another question to ask yourself is..how is maintenance cost? Or, even, insurance coverage? Since the RX has 4 doors, it has a better rate...

For me though, I like the RX because it is unique and in the long run, will last alot longer than the mustang..afterall, that is what rotary engine is for, right? Longevity?? Assuming, you take good care of it..no timing belts, lower moving parts, etc....

Steiner

It's bad form to cultivate a feeling of buyer's remorse AFTER somebody has already laid down the money and signed on the dotted line. To offset the rudeness here are a couple reasons why the Mustang is a better fit than the RX-8...

1.) $$$ it costs to get the car OTD
2.) $$$ at the gas pump
3.) $$$ for aftermarket parts
4.) $$$ in maintenance
5.) $$$ made streetracing

icyur2

Sorry, didn't intend it to be putting down or instigate buyer's remorse :p Was just commenting on why I chose the RX vs. Stag..was close on getting one myself, but for me, as the above stated, I was aiming for longevity..assuming Mazda's rotary engine is cracked up to be..many apologies if I somehow implied anything negative...

playdoh43

great choice, im glad you went with the GT. its a really good bang for the buck and I would argue that cost of ownership for the stang gt is less than the rx8. I like it with the spoiler though :p bareassed stang looks kinda wierd to me. neways, form what i hear the new stang is a reliable car, and cheap to fix if there are problems.

enjoy the crazy pull I wonder what kind of mileage you will get, probably better than mine... my 05 G coupe gets around 20-21 city and 27+ highway, but it takes premium only. with a 20 gallon tank in the back, it really hurts the wallet when i stop for gas. when it was like 3.50 a gallon i was paying 70 bucks a tank , but its much better now with gas price back into the mid 2 bucks range, i just hope it keeps going down..
Your stang should be better in gas economy, and can take regular pump gas. I think the insurance for stang is relatively cheap too, since its one of the best selling cars and parts are really cheap.

good luck and enjoy it and hang around. btw, i think its really neat that you can change the colors of the meters on your dash, thats a really cool feature that all cars should start doing.

-=Rowdy=-

Let the arguing begin because I would rather have a well-taken care of rotary than a Mustang.

playdoh43

sorry i edited it, refer to my new message

playdoh43

engines these days, american or import just dont break easily, they are relatively pretty reliable. If well maintained I dont expect the stang V8 to do any worse than the renesis. I mean unless you are planning on keeping the car for like 15+ years then yeah, the renesis will most likely come out ahead. For your average consumer who switch car every 5-10 years, i dont think renesis is a big advantage in terms of engine reliability. most reliability issues comes from other parts of the car such as electrical systems, hydrolics, air condition, etc. If something on the stang breaks, its much cheaper to fix than if something breaks on the rx8, maintenence on the rx8 should be more than the stang also.

Alchemy

On the other hand, doesn't the RX-8 come with a 50,000 mile warranty? Mustang only comes with a 32,000. Either way, most of the time things don't really seem to start breaking until 75,000+ in most cars unless something was defective.


One other reason I didn't ultimately purchase the RX-8 were the reports of Weak Air Conditiong. Very important here in the soutwest. I even went with the light colored interior on the Mustang because of the heat. I was also concerned with the people reporting that gravel could easily dent the AC condenser on the 8 and damage the unit, which is not covered under warranty.

I have no problem with you guys arguing the merits of the RX-8 against the Mustang, feel free to have at it. It's actually a pretty fun discussion, no buyer's remorse here. Like I said, I think they're both great cars.

. For some reason I just can't stand non-functional spoilers. I don't know why, but they just seem like dead weight to me.

therm8

great choice on the spoiler delete. I must hand it to Ford, the new Mustang's interior is leaps and bounds over the previous one's.

brillo

definitely get some lowering springs for the car, nice choice in color. SEMA has got all kinds of crazy stuff for the Mustang this year, one company even is showing fully independent rear suspension upgrade, as well as a double wishbone front.

enjoy the ride.

DarkBrew

Nice looking car but it looks way too much like the '70s fastback Mustangs. I had a '70 Mustang which was well past its prime and I can't go back there.
Congrats. Enjoy you new car!

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

Alchemy - Beautiful Car. I love the interior colors (beautiful leather - my favorite color leather trim).

I also agree that the GT looks much better w/out the spoiler. Good call on that, too.

I had a 1987 Mustang LX 5.0 five speed, and that had 225 horsepower. It had gobs of torque and a 318 rear end. All I can say is that thing absolutely pinned me to the seat at full throttle in 1st gear, and I can only imagine how much fun the 300hp of the new Mustang GT must be.

And by the way, the 4.6 liter in your new GT is uber reliable.

Great choice. Great value. Great performer. Stellar looks. Enjoy.

playdoh43

btw hows the clutch? Ive driven my friends 03 cobra and the clutch is mad heavy, im just wondering how does the new 05 clutch compare.

Alchemy

Thanks for the compliments.

Surprisingly it's a great clutch/transmission. I think Ford really improved this aspect of the car compared to the mustangs of the recent past. My old man has a 350Z and the Mustang is so much easier to shift in than the Nissan, especially starting from a dead stop and going from 1st to 2nd. I think the clutch on the Z is heavier. Granted I learned to drive a stick in that Z so maybe I'm just recollecting the woes I had the first few times I drove that thing.

I cannot sit here and tell you that the transmission was as smooth as the RX-8's though. The 8 had more of a short-shifter feel,was buttery smooth in my experiences test driving it and was very light on the clutch. The Mustang likes a little more throttle input before you release the clutch all the way and is a little rougher around the edges, but that could just be a byproduct of 320 ft/lbs of torque and a snarling V8.

spork

Man, I drove a friend's '02 GT Mustang and the clutch was also mad heavy. Like it's so bad that
1) The first thing he did was bring it in and ask them to soften the clutch. They said they couldn't.
2) He let me drive it and when I first pushed the clutch down, I thot it was broken since it barely moved. Then I pressed like 5x harder than I do on my 8 and it sunk all the way in.
3) After driving his Mustang for a bit, when I got back in my 8, it felt like I didn't have a clutch since it was so easy to push.

I've driven his Mustang twice and I have decided I don't like it because the clutch is too heavy. The engine sounds NICE though, and it was a convertible which is always a plus.

That guy sold his '04 STi to get it though. Well, to be more exact, he sold it to another friend and downgraded to the Mustang because he needed to save some money.

playdoh43

cool i like the direction the new stang is headed

BlueEyes

My Ex-gf had a 02 GT Convertible, she didn't complain about it.

haha. I just wanted to use that smily. Hers wasn't too stiff from what I recall.

Ike

Was it the fatty?

BlueEyes

She was thin when I started dating her man!!