"Mike, wait just a second. Sit down." The meeting with a key executive was going well until this. "One more question." Uh oh. Those are words you never want to hear. "We've got some budget to burn. What should we get: a 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0, or a [generic family hauler *redacted*]?"
The generic family hauler would certainly sell more units than the 412-horsepower V8-powered Mustang GT, and so the reply was carefully calculated. "I want the Mustang, but the GFH sure does have a lot going for it. It'll sell well and is crucial for that brand. But that new 5.0-liter engine is cool. And we did just give up our 2010 Chevy Camaro. And we don't have a muscle car right now...."
"And we haven't had a Mustang since 2005. That was before the blog," he replied.
A few days later, the search was on for a 2011 Ford Mustang GT for a 12-month/20,000-mile road test.
What We Bought
The 2011 Ford Mustang GT Premium starts out at $32,845. And for that you get some serious performance by way of a 412-hp DOHC V8 connected to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission. And with a curb weight some 200 pounds lighter than a Chevy Camaro, 412 hp is more than sufficient. A six-speed automatic is optional, but really, no thanks.
Apart from a manual trans and a V8 we had three more rules for our long-term Mustang: 1) It couldn't be a stupid color; 2) 3.73 rear end; 3) keep the price as low as possible. This is a Mustang; it's supposed to be cheap fun.
We managed two out of three.
Early in the shopping process we realized that a GT would be harder to find than a GT Premium. The Premium gets you Bluetooth, iPod integration, satellite radio, leather seats, a power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and color-adjustable gauges. It also adds $3,200 to the price. Rule 3 was already looking difficult.
The first Mustang we found was yellow and the second was Kona Blue. See Rule 1 for why those wouldn't work. And then came a spate of fully loaded navigation-equipped cars with dealer-installed wheels. No, no and no.
So when a black 6MT showed up with the requisite 3.73 gearing ($395), and the Brembo brake package ($1,695), we jumped on it despite some extras.
We could certainly do without the $1,295 1,000-watt Shaker audio system that has two trunk-mounted subwoofers. The rear video camera ($385) is nice, but unnecessary. HIDs are $525 and the Rapid Spec 401A package is $395 and gets us contrasting leather and a cool ball shifter, which the aforementioned executive really digs.
Altogether, our 2011 Ford Mustang rocks the register to the tune of $38,780. That price, however, was before the negotiation began. We were offered the Ford Executive Plan, which got us the car for just about $200 over invoice. There were also $1,500 in incentives on the hood so our price was $34,717.61, or, $38,850.94 out the door including all tax/title/license fees.
It's a lot of car for $34,717.61.
Why We Bought It
Life with a 2010 Chevy Camaro SS didn't end the way we expected. The limited visibility and Martian ergonomics meant that unless you had a need for speed, you passed on the Camaro. Despite 426 horses, it was often the last car out of the garage at night. In comparison, another muscle car, the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T came in as a lame duck — low on power, big on flashy looks — but won us over in the end with its real-world livability and addictive soundtrack.
The Mustang seems to split the difference. It looks just wild enough to be cool and has just enough power to make you grin. The test remains, though, whether this "just right" blending of style and function works in the real world, 365 days in a row for 20,000 miles.
There is accommodation to be found in the middle ground, but rarely greatness. The Chevy Camaro outsold the Ford Mustang in 2010 without a convertible and without owners being able to see out of it. Still, our long-term Camaro lost us somewhere during the test, and the Challenger won us over. Will the Mustang cruise along in mediocrity, rise to the top choice in the fleet or simply fade away and make us wish we'd chosen that generic family hauler?
Twelve months and 20,000 miles will help us decide. Follow along on our long-term road test blog for a year of living with a brand-new 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0.
Current Odometer: 1,573
Best Fuel Economy: 21.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.0 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 17.2 mpg
Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purpose of evaluation.
Follow the long-term road test blog for updates about our 2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0.
Add A Comment »
thkpic says:
08:10 PM, 12/21/2011
Investigation is over, but not for all those poor suckers who can't get their car out of their driveways. Just remember, this isn't the only guy who's had serious problems with his Getrag. So maybe he has a track record of owning other shitty cars with garbage tranny's. It's is really all that hard to believe he got struck by lightening twice? We're talking cars here folks- and HiPo ones at that.
T6060 is getting a lot of flack for the same problems reported from corvette, GT500, Challenger and Camaro owners. I guess it's the nature of the beast these days. Can someone explain to me why you'd want a chinese made tranny in a mustang anyway? Don't get me wrong, challengers with german suspensions, Camaro's with Zeta architecture from "down under"- it's how it goes. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
My T56 pops out of gear all the time...even when I first bought it. Adds what I like to call "personality." Maybe what this guy calls a corporate fuck up. It happens allot these days. NHSTA never held GM responsible when all those GTO's shredded tires like cheese graders due to strut rub. GM farmed out suspension bits to Opel, a subsidiary that has no buisiness building suspensions on a car weighing over 3600lbs. but i digress, this is about the mustang. The way I see it is as an enthusiast. You learn to live with the flaws or rationalize it away through upgrades. You where only going to drop a Tranzilla in that thing anyway...right? Well, maybe not.
I'll let the forums and mustang enthusiasts decide the legitimacy of these claims. Those are the real "lawyers" in this buisiness. Until then I'll take a wait and see approach on making any final judgements.
kmouradian says:
09:23 AM, 01/25/2011
Really looking forward to this LTR. Hopefully not as utterly underwhelming as the Z06 LTR. So much potential in that one and you guys really disappointed me.
On a lighter note, someone at IL is a Jason Ellis fan. Red Dragons!
neevers1 says:
04:10 PM, 01/23/2011
Full disclosure, I own a 2011 Mustang GT W/brembo brakes, and yes those horrible single piston calipers, which I knew about when I bought it, do some research before you buy a car jesus.
Anyways, I looked in to just about every performance car, Mazda Speed3, Genesis, 370z, even thought about a used Corvette, and the EVO X, well it came down to the EVO X and the Mustang GT, well bought the mustang obviously, for a few reasons, but they don't matter.
When I bought it I liked it a lot, didn't LOVE it, can't love something until you've lived with it for a while, well 4000 miles later, I love it, happy I bought it, makes me smile every time I turn the key. Feels well built, and is the best car I've ever owned by FAR. I came from a Jetta VR6 and a host of Hondas before that. Nothing is as fun as this car. I don't feel like I've made any compromises in buying it.
When I saw inside line bought one as a long term car, I thought it was going to be great, but so far all they've proved is they didn't know a damn thing about the car before they bought it, who didn't know about the fuel filler in the trunk? Who bought the brembo brakes and didn't know what it came with? I sure did, and I would expect anyone who bought a car to research it throughly before they bought it. No company is perfect, and no car is either.
tbone85 says:
12:39 PM, 01/23/2011
Drove them both. The Mustang was simply better overall than the Genesis. Are you comparing door slams? If so, the Stang was better at that as well IMO. I was evaluating which provided more driving pleasure, not counting off technology boxes or anything, so YMMV.
carpaul1 says:
06:26 AM, 01/23/2011
If you slam the door this thing sounds like a cheap Korean car.
If you want telescoping steering wheel, forget it. You have to be an Orangutan to drive this or have long arms.
If you want door trim/plastics that is a little soft, forget it. It is cheap plastic on doors for 32,000 base or thereabout.
If you want a suspension that doesn't punish you on half the roads in America, you are out of luck. This is a 1960s era suspension.
If you want a sunroof, you are out of luck. You have a heavy glass roof for another 2000 though.
If you want design that has not made ONE progress since 1960s, go ahead and get this fossil.
but it has a 5.0 so it is the greatest freaking deal in the world. So we have to forgive all these other shortcomings.
Though yourselves a favor, but a Genesis 3.8 which is sophisticated 21st century technology. Not a dinosaur.
lions208487 says:
08:20 AM, 01/20/2011
The lead foot drivers from IL averaged 17.2 MPH, so imagine how good it would be with the average Joe daily driver.
Another needed point to be made, is when you see all three US muscle retros in person only the Challenger stands out as a head turner, but the Mustang has clean lines reminiscing of the 1970's fast back. It looks great in person, and the engine and transmission of the 5.0 are far more refined then the other two. The Camaro looks better in photos rather than in person, as it seems rather big and a bit awkward looking from the side and rear. I would take the Mustang over most, even some intro luxury cars.
thdrvr says:
10:25 AM, 01/19/2011
Why is InsideLine approaching this like the Mustang flounders in mediocrity? This is the car that Motor Trend picked as the best of the 3 American muscle cars 2 or 3 years ago precisely because of the way it balances weight, power, handling, and practicality. It doesn't look quite as bad-ass as the Challenger, but it matched or beat the Challenger and Camaro in pretty much every category... and that was BEFORE the 5.0. If this was in my garage, I'd have pretty high expectations.
gspfan says:
06:27 PM, 01/16/2011
Awesome car! Have to take issue with the color comment though. My GT is Kona Blue and looks great. I have had nothing but compliments on the color. On the other hand, Grabber Blue makes the car look like an Easter egg with wheels.
99stanggtvert says:
10:16 PM, 01/14/2011
I remember the day I bought my all black GT. Almost 12 years later it still gets compliments.
lokerola says:
01:02 PM, 01/14/2011
Sweet. I loves me a Mustang GT 5.0...long live American torque!!!!!