[dasko]

By Nick Dasko


So as we all know by now prices are out for the 2015 Ford Mustang and the order guide has been leaked.

This has all lead to some interesting revelations. Firstly is that the V6 will likely be a fleet special or the definition of stripped out special. If you look at the pricing guide, you can see that it comes with the base "nasty " interior that almost nobody deliberately selects.


Next up is the new Mustang is going to have Active Noise Cancellation, which is something you normally see on luxury sedans and not sports cars, especially not domestic sports cars. This tech works by playing sounds that cancel out obtrusive noise like wind and tire roar. Is this stepping too far into the luxury realm? Yes it's nice to have a car that drives as well as an M3 and is as fast but I kind of like the Mustang sounds....

Cooled seats will also be an option for the first time on a Mustang, this means, more weight but also not sweating your butt off into the leather on a hot summer day because the glass roof lets in so much light you can grow tomatoes in you car.

My big question is this, when you cut cylinders generally you lose out on smoothness. How refined is the new Ecoboost four going to be? Is it going to be juddering crazily at idle and crapping all over the new ultra-quiet, ultra-soft, ultra-cool Mustangs? Seems like they are trying to go after the Infiniti and BMW sports coupes.

Thankfully it will no matter what, have the power to back up any statement. Mustangs have edged out the Camaros and Challengers because they are small, light and nimble by comparison. Those cars are much longer and heavier than the Ford and that has always given it an edge despite the rear suspension that is not exactly optimized for track use compared to an independent set-up. So now there seems to be no reason to go for the Chevy or Dodge given that this is now a certifiable sports car compared to those bigger bruisers.

What do you guys think?

 

[Nuclearranger]

I also saw this.... it looks like the active noise cancellation is for the 4Cyl only and they even play the engine noise through the speakers....

Ford Mustang (2015) CAR inteviews the chief engineer | Automotive & Motoring News | Car Magazine Online
"With the Ecoboost engine we have both active noise cancellation, and we also amplify the existing engine sound order. We don’t create an artificial sound, we don’t pluck one off the shelf, we bring in the real sound, process it, and play it through the car’s speakers. Today’s V6 sounds fantastic, and although the Ecoboost won’t sound like a V8, it won’t sound like it doesn’t belong in a Mustang either."

 

[G-Mann]

The new options, upgrades and better interior help it compete against higher end cars and make the 2015 an even better bang for your buck. The M4 starts at 65k so look for the 2016 GT350 to steal the M4 sales if priced right.

 

[Allentown]

I have no doubt the 2015 will be the poor mans M3 ad hoc equivalency. Will it be as refined or as expensive? No. Will it be as fast and put up the spec sheet number? Yes and then some. Will it be more reliable? With little aggravating things...no, but on a large scale it will carry lower maintanence costs. Will it hold a % of its resale value? Since it will be relatively cheap to begin with....probably yes.

What you are really giving up is the white glove customer service, the brand cache, some interior quality and some refinement. Trade off that mustang purists will gladly accept mind you.

 

[Charlotte Stang]

I love Mustangs and M cars - but pretty much nobody cross shops them.

 

[Allentown]

I love Mustangs and M cars - but pretty much nobody cross shops them.

When the car reviewers did the head to head comparison of the mustang GT and the M3 in 2011...and the mustang BARELY lost .....that statement became some what less true than it once had been. Otherwise I'm inclined to agree.

Look at cars the M3 does cross shop with. The S5? The CTSV? Mercedes AMG? The M3 really has a niche of its own and almost ANYTHING you compare it with ends up being an entirely different animal anyway and as such...,at least with regard to specs. .,..expect to see mustang owners challenge the m3 on the streets and shelby owners run over both the M3 and the M5

 

[Radioguy]

I love Mustangs and M cars - but pretty much nobody cross shops them.

Maybe not here, but they may in Europe.....

 

[JScotty]

I see the "rough around the edges" nature of the Mustang as a plus.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Charlotte Stang]

Maybe not here, but they may in Europe.....

Now that is a very valid point

 

[FirstFord94]

I love Mustangs and M cars - but pretty much nobody cross shops them.

That's not the point of the comparison though--you're right no one seriously considering an M3/M4 is seriously considering a mustang. I know I wouldn't.

But you know what? The guy in the mustang GT can certainly chuckle at the guy in the M3 knowing that when it comes to performance numbers, both cars are very similar, but the mustang costs half the price. That's really the only thing that the M3/M4 comparison is about.

 

[Guitarman]

Well, I owned a BMW 335I and had nothing but problems with it. In the shop 12 times in 17 months. I know its not an "M" but it is a fast and extreemly well handling vehicle. I had the sport tuned suspension. Nearly a 50K car with all the bells and Whistles. BMW bought it back from me and I did not lose one dime. I cross shopped it and bought the 2013 Mustang GT. Mt son thought I was crazy!
Is the Mustang as refined as the BMW? No! Is the Mustang as good Performance wise? Yes! And It is funner to drive. Absolutely!
Did anyone ever ask me questions or admire my 335I? I cant think of even one time anyone asked me anything at all.
I would say at least 80% of the time I am driving my Mustang someone is pointing at it. Asking me about it. Or trying to get me to race them. Walking to my Mustang in a parking lot I see people looking in the window often.
Best "Cross Shop" I ever made! Period!happy.gifhappy.gif

 

[Swoope]

Well, I owned a BMW 335I and had nothing but problems with it. In the shop 12 times in 17 months. I know its not an "M" but it is a fast and extreemly well handling vehicle. I had the sport tuned suspension. Nearly a 50K car with all the bells and Whistles. BMW bought it back from me and I did not lose one dime. I cross shopped it and bought the 2013 Mustang GT. Mt son thought I was crazy!
Is the Mustang as refined as the BMW? No! Is the Mustang as good Performance wise? Yes! And It is funner to drive. Absolutely!
Did anyone ever ask me questions or admire my 335I? I cant think of even one time anyone asked me anything at all.
I would say at least 80% of the time I am driving my Mustang someone is pointing at it. Asking me about it. Or trying to get me to race them. Walking to my Mustang in a parking lot I see people looking in the window often.
Best "Cross Shop" I ever made! Period!happy.gifhappy.gif

the fact that you have to go aftermarket for a limited slip diff just amazes me.. in a 40k car.

beers

 

[Allentown]

Word within the BWM community is that the 328I is a fine car handling wise but low on power, the M3 is a fine car but too costly. The "sweet spot" that the 335I was supposed to occupy has been labeled as a car to avoid by BMW fans and drivers as well as insiders.

They actually recommend getting an Infinity G37 over a 335i...unless you CAN AFFORD the issues in which case, go for it.

I am not a fan of the G37, especially in coupe form. I have completely trashed that car when compared to the mustang a few years ago. Yet I bought a G37 for the wife and its kinda nice having a "boring 4 door entry luxury sedan" that has the 370 engine, mid engine handling characteristics, a 3600(ish)lb curb weight that has power on par with my 2010 mustang gt and amazing handling characteristics even on all weather tires.

Luxury cars (even entry level sports sedans) are getting more and more away from being "drivers cars" and more into being floaty, comfortable, commuters for the older crowd.

This goes across all makers. Don't believe me? Look at the new BMW 4 series, the Infinity Q50 vs the G37 and the new line of Lexus sports sedans (acura went over to this model a few years back and was never really motivated by "sport).

Across the board the cars have steering that is completely numb, suspension that places emphasis on highway cruising over handling, and nannies like adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, blind spot monitoring, parking assists etc.

Yes...even BMW is getting away from being a drivers car and more into the luxury emphaisis.

Why? Older people have a bit more resources to buy these cars and younger people who are performance oriented have been largely pulled over to buying these new hot mustangs and Camaros. People who don't mind 2 doors that is. The ones who don't mind 2 seats are going to buy a vette or 370 etc. Drivers who want a bit more performance out of their 4 door car but cant afford luxury prices have the Chrysler 300 hemi and maybe a low end Nissan Maxima to choose from and that's about it (by the time you get a Taurus SHO or the upcoming Chevy SS you could have actually paid for a G37 or striped down BMW 335 easily enough, I know...I just went though this cross shopping comparison).

The ultra high end luxury cars like the S5m M3/M4 that give you performance AND luxury start at $50k and go up to about 90k. (and they aren't 4 door unless you buy an M5 or Porshe 4d). Clearly these are not cars anyone wants to bring to the mass market.

Market drives everything.

 

[Guitarman]

My wife drives a G37 sedan. I like the suspension a lot great car but the AT is not good. Always has shifted weird. Had to take it in a couple times to get it reprogrammed. Going up hills the car shifts constantly. Very annoying. It does feel fast. But I like my stang much more. Infinity seats are uncomfortable on long trips too. My legs are too long for the car.

 

[Allentown]

My wife drives a G37 sedan. I like the suspension a lot great car but the AT is not good. Always has shifted weird. Had to take it in a couple times to get it reprogrammed. Going up hills the car shifts constantly. Very annoying. It does feel fast. But I like my stang much more. Infinity seats are uncomfortable on long trips too. My legs are too long for the car.

Being one of the most vocal critics of the MT82, im sure everyone thinks i just complain/cant drive/hate transmissions (at least that's what they use to post about me).

Truth be told i have no problem with the tranny in the G37. It does have this annoying characteristic where it does not accelerate fast enough from a dead stop and then it wants to suddenly take off, pinning your head back to the seat. Fixed by a simple driver mod however of giving it a little extra pedal and then letting off slightly at around 20mph. Drives perfectly that way. Having driven many 60s to 80s era cars....i already had the muscle memory built in to make the simple adjustment. I can however see how it would be very annoying for people without this driver mod readily available in their tool box however.

Just drove it to the carolina mountains, absolutely no issues going up hill, no issues costing down hill, no issues with over engine braking when down shifting, no issues with hard downshifting or delayed upshifting, i don't think it holds the gear too long in corners either. i can easily tell what the sport mode does and why and when to use it etc. etc. Maybe they have fixed some of the issues from the older models? My main impression is the current programming works great if you are in slow traffic or if you stomp it..but requires "the driver mod" for medium acceleration....i figured its as good as it can get, probably has something to do with the gearing ratio and the stock tune...

 

[Ou7LaW]

Love the 2015 Stang!