Went to look at 05 Mustang Today...my thoughts pictures...sticker shock

My local dealer has 2 gt's in for just over $26,000 nicely loaded.
Leather
manual
mach 500
optional wheels

The cars didnt look stripped at all and the msrp was $26,200 or so. There was the crappy dealer "Limited availibility" markup of $2000 though but I imagine that will be coming to an end soon. So dont worry you can get a fairly well loaded gt for around $26,000

It's a freakin' Mustang

Regarding your concern with the guages, I suggest you get your glasses checked. The hash marks are close together numbers are sparsely populated, BUT they are so large and well illuminated that only octogenarians should have difficulty reading them.

As far as the seat spacing goes, please rembember that IT IS NOT A TAURUS. It is a Mustang. For a 2+2 pony car, the seating room and comfort for 4 is exceptional. If you want a legitimate comparison, sit in the back seat of a 1985 Firebird, 2001 Firebird, 2003 Mustang GT, then try out the back seat of the 05 Stang just as I have.

If you want a family car, you sat in the wrong one -- you want the Five Hundred.

Regarding your sticker price complaint, you're spot on. The dealer should be hanged for that. That's a great way to keep buyers out of a Ford showroom for decades.

i used the x plan on my 04

A dealer can't rip you off unless you allow yourself to be ripped off. No one is forcing people to buy at an inflated price. If a dealer can get some fool to pay $3K over sticker, more power to 'em. If the cars don't sell at the price the dealer wants, then the price will eventually come down.

When I bought my '04 Cobra the dealer still had a $2.5K markup on the window. I just ignored it and made a normal offer (~invoice, since the car had just arrived and the dealer would pocket the entire holdback). The sales manager made noised for about 30 minutes, but when he realized I wasn't going to budge, accepted the offer.

The markups are for idiots who don't know what they are doing. If you don't do your homework, stay out of the dealership.......or......... get what you deserve. That's why it's called a free-market economy.

I usually don't retort to posts like this while still a newb...but perhaps you may want to check out www.hop.com

I wrote "I HAD WORRIED based on pics I saw in the internet, that the numbers were too close together, but based on seeing them in real-life, my worry was ended."

Again - Re-read what I wrote. To paraphrase, I'll help you out here: "In the event our family car fails, I'll have to use this car to haul the kids (until we find a replacement family car). Cut it out. No need to take a superior tone, because I'm pretty sure you don't know me.

Again - stop it.

I'll keep you in mind for my next ford purchase. Here in houston they usually have pretty straight forward deals but if you can beat their deals or maybe provide a no hassle I can drive to Humble. Next vehicle purchase is probably going to be a Ford Explorer for my wife to be.

kirkyg

My apologies. I did misread your intent on the comment on the guages. Sorry for the flame.

I happened to have just gone over an '05 GT inside and out the previous day, and came away thoroughly impressed with it.

No hard feelings, eh?

- of course not...no worries.

I was hoping a GT interior would be 'better' - but we'll have to wait till next week when I've got an appt. to test drive.

I've done-complicated things though...test drove an RX8 yesterday. Simply. Amazing.

Then come sit in the back seat of my '65 Mustang convert. LOTS more legroom than an 05. (My 97 Firebird also has more legroom than an 05 Mustang.) I like the '05, but back seat legroom just isn't there. No kids over 4 can sit there.