Is The New Car That Good?

jmc01gt

Member
Mar 11, 2010
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Austin Texas
I stumbled onto the local Ford dealer webpages and they are running some screaming deals on 2014 Stangs right now. I currently have a blown 01 GT with under 75k miles and it is the longest relationship of my adult life (going on 12 years in Sep). I love my car and you can see all the details in my signature.

My question is, has anybody else gone from a quick SN95 to a Coyote and what are your thoughts on it? I'm just about as quick as a stock 5.0 right now but it is at the limits of what the setup can take prior to a major overhaul. I do have a WAP block and forged crank to start the build, but looking at the deals I can come pretty close to owning a 2014 GT by trading this and my daily driver truck (11 GMC Sierra Crew Cab) in together...I just want to make sure I won't miss my 01 too much.
 
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I had a supercharged 2002 GT, I didn't go straight from it to my new 2013 Gt, but from what I remember of it here's my experience:

First thing I noticed, the new car feels BIG. You can also definitely feel the extra weight while you drive it around. That being said the engine is incredible, it's so smooth and high revving.

I remember my 2002 GT had full roush stage 2 suspension (springs, bislstein shocks and struts, swaybars, subframe, rear lower contral arms) and handled nice, new GT I feel handles better (I do have eibach sportlines) and the newer style panhard bar in the rear is a better setup than the 4 link in the 2002. Also feels much more solid than the old one.

Interior quality is no comparison. While the 2013 might still have a few panels that still feel cheap, quality is so much improved over my old GT. I'm a gadget nut as well, and the sync system is pretty cool, as well as the Track apps.

Overall I'm happy with my 13 GT, and while I really liked my 2002, there's is a generational leap in terms of technology between them.

Although I will admit, I'm really interested in seeing how the new 2015 models stack up against the 2013-2014.
 
Far from a quick SN95, but I had a 95 with the mods in my signature, and then went to a 350z. I will say driving a Z 'feels' better than driving the new 5.0. I'm pretty positive the new Mustang handles better, but it doesn't feel nearly as confident. That being said, the engine is the real gem in this car. I miss having the slightly nicer looking interior that the Z had, but that thing was put together by a 5 year old it seemed like. Odd fitting panels, and buttons that felt like mush. These new Mustangs are the greatest all-around car I've ever driven. Very tame and docile when you're driving normally, but the minute you jump on the gas and get up there in the RPMs, it just screams. Well worth a transition, I'd say!
 
Thanks for the input. Everything is contingent on them offering more than book for my car which is in the $3k-$4k range. I was offered $10k a couple years back when I looked at a GT500, but my wife put the brakes on that at the time because we needed a bigger house. Unfortunately said house has put me out of GT500 territory because that would be a no brainer.
 
If "quick", or fast in a straight line is the only criteria you care about, then just keep your '01 and build on it.

If driving away with a vastly superior car from every other perspective is what you're interested in, dump your '01 for a 2014 and never look back. There is absolutely no comparison between the two.
 
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I've owned dozens of different 79-14 Mustangs, and the 11-14 cars are far better than their predecessors. Don't get me wrong, I still get that flutter in my chest when I see a vibrant red '93 Cobra, but I'm telling you- the 11-14 5.0s are just better. Faster, better handling, more reliable, better fuel economy, etc.
 
I have owned 9 Mustangs, across all generations except the Mustang II. I loved them all especially my 66 coupe, 85GT and my 97 SVT Cobra and none of them come close to my 12 Boss 302.I thought the 4.6 4V in my Cobra was a great engine and it is, but the 5.0 is awesome, I can't say enough about it. The rest of the car itself is light years ahead of the prior generations
 
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I owned at 2001 GT myself, white with black convertible top and black leather. I liked it a lot accept for it was the year before the hood scoop and a missing keyhole on the passenger door LOL. I believe it had aftermarket exhaust because the pipes were really wide and shiny. I am unaware of the upgrades for that model as I didn't even come close to having funds to do such things, and it was around 2007, so a full array of cheaper upgrades were probably not available. It was decently quick and got to 145mph with a little time. I now have a 2014 but only the V6. This is not the GT mind you and it gets to 125 a lot quicker than my old GT did. I haven't gone past 130 due to a known driveshaft issue in the auto V6s beyond that speed. If I had the funds I definitely would've gotten the GT for 2014, but it probably saved myself. I have gotten many speeding tickets as I've done some upgrades but I probably wouldn't be able to handle the power of the GT, so it's probably safer that way. Yes the newer Mustangs feel bulky but make up for it in power/torque and transmission timing. I actually feel my interior is cheaper than the 2001 but I haven't driven that since probably 2008.. didn't have it long due to an unfortunate accident. I know a lot of people can upgrade the newer GTs to insane power, so due to that and smoother shifting, better mileage, etc.. I would definitely trade out if I were you. Good luck and have fun! :cool:
 
I've had three Mustang IIs, three fox-bodies, and two S197 cars, and I've driven cars from every generation up to and including the 5.8L GT500 from the S197 generation and the 5.0 GT from the S550 generation.

Yeah, they're that good. Even a 3.7L S197 or S550 car will keep up with your average fox (if not beat it outright) at the drag strip, and if corners are involved most foxes wouldn't stand a chance. They're more comfortable, have more room, are far more reliable, and are for the most part more fun.