A weekend in a new mustang
- Thread starter Jaw
- Start date
I got my Shelby Mustang GT350 delivered last week and I agree with OP, these V8 monsters are really impressive.
Coming from an e89, and while the interior is better than expected (I had really low expectations tbh), the quality is not as good as BMW's. For example, the parking brake and the shifter have this thin leather that feels a little cheap. However, the recaros and alcantara steering wheel are really great.
On the other hand, the exterior design is awesome! However quality wise, the 6th generation Mustang is known for having panel alignment issues. On my case, the panels are aligned correctly except for a well known "rear bumper gap" among GT350 owners, which in my car the gap is really minor. Unfortunately, other Mustang owners have reported several quality issues like hood alignment and even there's a post where a headlight is so badly mounted that you can touch the clips (which are exposed).
I loved my Z4 and I will never forget it, but after driving this car I now get why Mustang enthusiasts are so fond with the car. It is a combination of the engine sound and power, that combined with its heavy weight, makes the driving experience be like nothing I've ever driven before. It really has a unique personality.
Coming from an e89, and while the interior is better than expected (I had really low expectations tbh), the quality is not as good as BMW's. For example, the parking brake and the shifter have this thin leather that feels a little cheap. However, the recaros and alcantara steering wheel are really great.
On the other hand, the exterior design is awesome! However quality wise, the 6th generation Mustang is known for having panel alignment issues. On my case, the panels are aligned correctly except for a well known "rear bumper gap" among GT350 owners, which in my car the gap is really minor. Unfortunately, other Mustang owners have reported several quality issues like hood alignment and even there's a post where a headlight is so badly mounted that you can touch the clips (which are exposed).
I loved my Z4 and I will never forget it, but after driving this car I now get why Mustang enthusiasts are so fond with the car. It is a combination of the engine sound and power, that combined with its heavy weight, makes the driving experience be like nothing I've ever driven before. It really has a unique personality.
Let me know if you come down to the southern edge of the world 
Love viper stripes,very nice indeed 
luix_luix said:I got my Shelby Mustang GT350 delivered last week and I agree with OP, these V8 monsters are really impressive.
Coming from an e89, and while the interior is better than expected (I had really low expectations tbh), the quality is not as good as BMW's. For example, the parking brake and the shifter have this thin leather that feels a little cheap. However, the recaros and alcantara steering wheel are really great.
On the other hand, the exterior design is awesome! However quality wise, the 6th generation Mustang is known for having panel alignment issues. On my case, the panels are aligned correctly except for a well known "rear bumper gap" among GT350 owners, which in my car the gap is really minor. Unfortunately, other Mustang owners have reported several quality issues like hood alignment and even there's a post where a headlight is so badly mounted that you can touch the clips (which are exposed).
I loved my Z4 and I will never forget it, but after driving this car I now get why Mustang enthusiasts are so fond with the car. It is a combination of the engine sound and power, that combined with its heavy weight, makes the driving experience be like nothing I've ever driven before. It really has a unique personality.
nice! Would love the extra fruit of the shelby!
Yep no fitment issues on the one I had either, maybe it's luck of the draw? completely agree with the thin leather, by far the one thing I really didn't like on the interior - which isn't a bad effort if that's the case!
Jaw said:
Totally agree! The fitment issues seem to be random, so either you are lucky or you are not
What do you think of the Infotainment system (aka the big screen)? My GT350 has the Track Pack, which means I get some performance goodies, but I'm missing on some technology gadgets (I have a small screen). I usually don't use car navigation systems, since I find Waze way more useful (alerts you of nearby cops
) - is there anything interesting in there?Also, call me a bad driver, but I'm starting to miss the front and rear proximity sensor I had on the Z. While the GT350 has a rear camera, the dimensions of the car (it is a long one) make it difficult to maneuver in tight spaces (like my garage). Did you get sensors on the GT?
luix_luix said:Jaw said:
Totally agree! The fitment issues seem to be random, so either you are lucky or you are not
What do you think of the Infotainment system (aka the big screen)? My GT350 has the Track Pack, which means I get some performance goodies, but I'm missing on some technology gadgets (I have a small screen). I usually don't use car navigation systems, since I find Waze way more useful (alerts you of nearby cops
Also, call me a bad driver, but I'm starting to miss the front and rear proximity sensor I had on the Z. While the GT350 has a rear camera, the dimensions of the car (it is a long one) make it difficult to maneuver in tight spaces (like my garage). Did you get sensors on the GT?
Honestly have to say the system was one of the best out of the box that I've used in a v long time especially compared to the last two (holden commodore and ford falcon) Nav was clear and accurate, menus really well designed, even the voice control worked well. IT was actually more of a pain to use the apple car play. The kicker speaker setup is also v good for what it is..
I personally found the mustang much easier to pilot than the Z as far as the front end goes, I think because the two bulges give a good reference point. Plus I'm probably a bit over cautious, reverse or parallel park everywhere.
The one I had had rear sensors and camera but no front. The rear did help slip it into some tight spaces for sure, I don't think I'd feel comfortable without as it was a little hard to judge the back due to the body shape and smaller windows..
What are the 350's priced like where you are if you don't mind me asking? got to say with the extra visual tweaks not to mention the interior / performance toys they're very tempting.
Great thing with the mustangs is that the tuning/modding potential is massive!
Wouldn't have thought I'd say it but am seriously thinking about a new mustang :/
If I can negotiate a lower cost by waiving any warranties which is possible, I'd have a good start for some serious mod work (supercharged, suspension pack, interior)
I was looking at used/more exotic but if something goes pop chances are the repair bill will net the same on both (well, cheaper on the ford0 ...
If I can negotiate a lower cost by waiving any warranties which is possible, I'd have a good start for some serious mod work (supercharged, suspension pack, interior)
I was looking at used/more exotic but if something goes pop chances are the repair bill will net the same on both (well, cheaper on the ford0 ...
Jaw said:
Thanks for the quick overview on the Infotainment System. It seems interesting, but still I'm happy that I chose Track Pack over Tech Pack. Good thing is that from 2017 the Track Pack is standard and you can optionally add the technology gadgets to have best of both worlds.
Regarding the price, I bought it at 52K USD from http://www.casmiami.com and from there you have to consider the following (could vary depending on your country):
- Shipping, port handling and Insurance: budget something between 3K to 5K USD to be on the safe side.
- Customs tariffs: depending on your country there could be additional tariffs to be paid during import. In Chile there is a trade agreement with the US, so cars coming from North America do not have to pay customs tariffs. However, vehicles coming from other places have to pay a 6% tariff over the CIF value.
- VAT: in Chile this tax is of 19% over the CIF value, budget accordingly to your local laws.
- Intermediary Comissions: depending on your knowledge in international commerce, you could work out all the paperwork to import the vehicle by yourself with little cost. However, most probably is that you are going to need the help of professionals in order to get everything done. Depending on the scope of the service this could be as low as a 5% or go up to a 20%, so how pricey it will be to import the car will largely depend on this factor. If you buy it from a "dealership" specialized in imported exotic cars you will be paying a lot of cash in this, since they basically absorb all the risk involved in importing the car before delivery and usually provide a final price with all of the above costs included (for example billsheperdmustang.com, who has it at a price of 84,5K pounds - https://www.billshepherdmustang.com/2016-shelby-gt350).
In my case I paid 85K USD with all of the above included and delivered directly in Santiago. The MSRP on this car in the United States is around 56K USD. However, due to the low production numbers of the GT350, dealers usually apply a 10K to 15K USD ADM on top of the MSRP. That's an asking price of 65K to 70K USD. The VAT in the US changes from state to state, so let's say you add a 7% to 10% tax, that would be a 75K - 77K USD out of your pocket to take it home in the US. Of course, you can always keep searching for a dealership that sells it at MSRP (with no ADM) and end up paying the MSRP (plus tax), but it will be a long search unless you get lucky or know someone that can help you with it.
All in all, I'm totally aware that I paid way above MSRP, but the car is totally worth it. Even more so when you see US dealerships asking for 10K to 15K USD more, which closes the gap between what I paid and what I would most probably had paid if I were to live in the US.