some questions

[bigjeep127]

Hey all, I'm brand new to this place and to the Mustang world. Here's my situation... My wife and I are looking for a new car within the next year. We drive about 60 miles hwy RT to work each day (we carpool) so this car will be our daily driver and will see lots of miles. Right now we've got an 08 Civic, a great little car it is but it is flat out BORING and with all the time we're in the car we want something fun. My other car is a lifted 2000 Jeep Wrangler, so no good for commuting, pretty much a weekend car, it runs great though.

Up until about a week ago we (mostly I) were set on getting a new 328i, which I love. We really want the 335i, just too dang expensive. But we decided the 328i though no drag racer, is a fun, great car. Recently I've stumbled upon these articles claiming that the 2011 Mustang GT is the most amazing car on the planet etc... and my interested has peaked. I test drove a 2010 GT Premium yesterday and was very impressed. I'd love to have the kind of power the 2011 will come with and refinement/handling is a big deal as well. I was pretty pleased with how easy the 2010 was to drive (my wife will need to learn stick). I am dying to drive the 2011.

Here's what concerns me... No doubt the Ford seems to be a well built car. But for the dough we're going to drop we want this car to last. I'm very well aware of the many differences between the 3 and the Mustang from the ground up. I know the Ford will probably be cheaper to live with. Growing up my family had good luck with Fords (Taurus) so I'm hoping the Mustang is also a reliable car. As far as the BMW goes, I've heard both ends of the spectrum, worst car ever, best car ever, as far as problems. No doubt the bimmer is expensive to fix when stuff goes wrong though. My main concern is that the Mustang will start to losen up over time, meaning rattles in the plastic, noises from the engine, etc... So to get to the point. What is the general, and try to be unbiased please , consensus on the modern Mustang's robustness/reliability? I do realize there are lots of other things to consider in the differences of the two cars. Is there anyone here who's experienced both? I know I could look up consumer reports, but this is where the truth is.

Oh and btw, we're not going to be racing this thing, just looking for a DD that's a blast to drive and comfortable, which I'm hoping the new Mustang is. I appreciate the input everyone!

 

['08GTcaRED]

Are you looking specifically for 2010 owners? They have more of the interior etc. that the 2011 probably will.

As for powertrain reliability It's a brand new powertrain so we can't really help you there sorry

I will say this, the two choices you have for a new DD are good ones! And welcome to the site! So recap, do you want '05-'09 years to post as well or just the 2010?

 

[bigjeep127]

Sure, I'm looking to get an overall feel on 05-10 reliability, not just the powertrain but the whole car. I do realize there are always some risks with engines that are in the first year of production, no matter what the make.

Just want to hear some opinions on the livability/dependability of the Mustang, thanks!

 

[SpartaPerformance]

The Mustang's especially the v-8's in all generations have been very reliable and really long lived. These new mustangs are built very well even though some of the interior parts do look cheap Ford assembles them well. I do have a handful of customer with 05-09 Mustangs as daily drivers well into the 50 60K mile range without any major problems and very very limited and livable interior squeaks but we do live in the NYC Long Island area that is plagued with potholes so it's not too bad considering the interior noises in other cars.

 

[sjpony]

All cars will loosen up, even the BMWs. If you buy new, you should be fine with the Mustang. I've never had any issues with them being rattly or unreliable, with one exception. I had a 2003 GTcoupe that was more solid at 100K miles than most cars are new.

 

['08GTcaRED]

+1 I have owned five different vehicles from four different makers. The Mustang, although only a year old(drivingwise), is definitely the most solid. I will say that the only problem I have is the overall feel of the suspension. It kind of floats a bit at high speed(over 110) and corners give you a bit of body roll. What car doesn't? Easily fixed with some stiffer springs and there are a lot of sets that feel almost stock, but make the car feel way more solid.

The other thing is my driveshaft has some slop. I can get it to clunk pretty consistently. The 05-09 models have this every now and then, from what I have researched at least. It comes from the two piece driveshaft, IMO.

So in one year my wife and I have put 9700 miles on the car and haven't had any issues, except DEU situations We love the car. All we do is cruise and never really do any DD or short trips. During spring and fall when ac/defrost is off I have gotten 31.9 MPG going 65mph. Consistently I will get 24mpg for mixed driving and that is with some slideouts and quick accelerations. Personally I am glad my wife doesn't know how to drive a manual because I would probably wake up and it would be gone every morning IMO I think it would be a great commuter car for what you have described as your work route. One thing though is if you have frequent stop and go traffic, get an auto!! I have been stuck on the I-15 in socal for 3 hours, clutching in and out because traffic is going 2-3 mph and first gear on stock 3.31s is about 5 mph...pain. My leg was sore after that afternoon

 

[JonStolo]

My honest unbiased opinion is this. The days of imported cars being better than American cars is a thing of the past. In time all cars have problems no matter who makes them. For the price, the Mustang is just alot more car then the 328i. The new Mustangs are the most powerful, best handling, best performing and safest car that can be bought for the least price of any other vehicle made by any manufacturer. You have to get into the "M" series BMWs before you can start comparing what these cars are capable of performance wise. The new Mustangs will run circles around the 328i and not empty your bank account, and in the case that you have to repair or perform routine maintenance on the vehicle it will cost you half what the BMW would.