Drivetrain Buying New Gt - Living Long-term With 3.73s?

After many years behind the wheel of my '00 GT, and racking up 177k miles, I am finally going to get myself a new 5.0. Naturally, I am agonizing over the rear gear question. I have been doing a lot of online research, but I think to get this resolved once and for all I need to start a thread of my own.

I will be using my new car as I have my old one - as a daily driver, for a 24-mile-each-way commute to work, and to go to client meetings - all in all, about 95% highway cruising around Pennsylvania. I think I originally thought I'd be happiest with the 3.31s because of the highway commute (less drone, esp. with the inevitable aftermarket exhaust), lower long-term engine wear (lower rpm), slightly better mileage, and the fact that I will be driving in all kinds of weather (potential traction issues).

However, after having read all the other conversations, I am afraid I am going to regret my decision to not order the track pack or at least the stand-alone 3.73s right off the bat. I don't do any racing and most of the time I am cruising along with traffic, but I enjoy driving a fun car-there's that occasional rip up through the gears, plus the one-upmanship on my somewhat-over-the-top-know-it-all-Chevy-guy brother-in-law.

I have test-driven a 3.31 car, and it was pretty fast. No doubt the 3.73 would be faster. But I am more thinking of the long-term impact of my choice and having to live with it for 150k-plus miles.

What do you think? Should I be thinking track pack/3.73s or do you think my first thought of the 3.31s is a better idea?

Thanks; sorry this is so long but if you only knew how much this was driving me nuts . . .
 
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So the question is do you want to agonize over having the less than optimal gear for 150k miles, or if you want to grin ear to ear every time you drive it with the 3.73s?

I drive much as you do. Put 3.73s in my 95, and in my 13, and don't regret it at all, especially with a six speed.

go for it! You'll love it.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I drove a 3.73 car the other day and the 3.73s definitely plant you in your seat as the revs climb. But the 3.31 car that I also drove was no slouch. Both seemed perfectly adequate at frightening passengers and pedestrians alike. I did find myself shifting more with the 3.73s.

I am still wavering, and am sure I am over-analyzing this (I work for a consulting firm - force of habit). So I am thinking of ordering the 3.55s as a happy medium. It also seems that with 3.55s, given the MT82's marginally lower 0.65 ratio for 6th/overdrive, top gear still won't be that far off from my 5th/overdrive of my '00 GT's T-45 (0.67 ratio). I like my current 2,000 rpm/70mph cruise, especially with my aftermarket cat-back exhaust, which does drone a bit.

Sidebar - I also drove a V-6 with the 3.31s to get a feel for the base model seats/interior/stereo, and that car absolutely screams. Not quite the low-end grunt of my 4.6 V-8 but it was very sporty once you got the revs up. A far cry from the 1994 SN-95 V-6 I drove when I worked for a Ford dealer nineteen years ago. Wow. Still getting the 5.0 but I was impressed with the new V-6.

Thanks again for the input.
 
2014 base gt with track pack as the only option. Im turning about 2250 at 75 mph. Getting about 24 miles per gallon on highway with 4000 miles on her. I did have the loud whining rear end. My dealer installed new gears, problem solved. I wouldnt change a thing. Love it. ( the gear set came from the factory just a few thousands out of spec. Thats all it takes for them to wear in wrong and start to whine.
 
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As an ex-owner of a '11 GT with 3.73's , I found myself starting off in second most of the time under normal driving conditions and rarely using first. I didn't buy that car because I wanted to use only five gears. Some of the other cars mentioned in this thread do not have a six speed and are more able to adapt to 3.73's with their five speeds. It is known that the M82, as it is a close ratio tranny in combination with the stock 3.31's translates into a lower rear end gear that is 3.73 like. That means 3.73's in the 5.0 with the Getrag translates more to a 4.10 something rear end. Just something to consider...
 
Well, I ended up not ordering a 2014 because I got a really great deal on a '13 401A that was on a dealer lot. And it has the 3.31s. I am liking the relaxed highway cruising (although I find myself doing 75-80-plus without realizing quite a bit!). With premium fuelin the tank, first gear in this ride is pretty crazy fast - half throttle from a roll in first gear toasts the tires quite handily without my even thinking about it. With the 3.73s my commute would be one big billowing cloud of PZeros . . . not that this would be a bad thing.
 
These cars aren't slugs no matter what's out back. It's just the DOHC power curve and the 3.73 jump are a really happy marriage. I'm at 12 flat at 114 on a fully loaded car on the MT82, drag slick, Roush upper, cheap poly lowers and the Procal tune. It's a match made in heaven and like others have said, you can easily skip gears around town. 90% of my driving is city and don't find the 3.73s a bother at all.

Atop that, I just got back from a summer canyon road trip and I had a nervous passenger aboard. So, we went slow, as in about 65 mph through the canyon curves and enjoyed the scenery. 30.6 mpg on that trip, measured properly using the fuel used method.
 
I ordered my car with the 3.55 after much thought. I don't drag race but autocross about 6 times a year. I like having 5 gears to pedal thru before going into overdrive. During leisurely driving I like first, third, fifth. This engine has plenty of grunt. I get 24mpg on the highway when having no fun, 20mph when having a little fun and 4.6mph at the autocross track when having maximum fun.
 
I've been running 3.73 with this 2014 for a couple months now. It's not like 3.73 is a particularly aggressive gearing ratio. They are fine. The MT82 is a pretty much a generic 4 speed with a granny and overdrive (from a gearing ratio perspective). First gear is absurdly short for a street car (although it's fun briefly), and I wouldn't want 6th to be much taller. 2K cruise at - what? - 65ish.

Around town I wouldn't want anything taller.