GIBBONS Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I bought a 2014 Ford Mustang GT a few months ago, because I live in Germany now and it's LHD so why the hell not? Thought I would offer my comparison with that of my old 370z Black edition which I owned previously as they are both cars with similar philosophies. Performance: The Mustang has 420bhp and 390lb/ft and is definitely quicker than the Z in a straight line although not by as much as I expected, especially as it's only ~150kg heavier. The big difference is the way that performance feels, my big problem with the Z was the noise, something I would have sorted with a new exhaust in time, but without that I often found myself going much faster than I realised as it wasn't so dramatic. This is totally different in the Mustang which makes a simply amazing noise, combine that with the less stiffly sprung suspension and flooring it really feels like an event, it's really very addictive. Gearboxes aren't comparable as my Z was a manual and the Mustang is an Auto. The manual on the Z was perfect for my mostly country road driving on the Isle of Man, the Auto on the Ford is ideal for my boring traffic heavy commute in Hamburg and the 'sport shift' is just about acceptable on the Autobahn. Handling: No contest win for the Z on this front. The steering on the Mustang is similarly weighty but there is less feedback and it feels less direct, turn in is definitely less precise and consequently the confidence I have in it is much lower. The suspension is much firmer in the Z and it corners flatter with the wider tyres giving more grip as well. Despite the archaeic design of the suspension on the Mustang however, it is not as bad as I was expecting. It can actually corner pretty well and when researching online, I've found that it laps comparably to both a 370Z and an M3. The big difference between the two I think is the confidence, I can probably go 90-95% as fast in the Ford as I can in the Nissan but unless I track it, I don't think I'll try. The Mustang feels noticably more planted over 130mph, but I think this is almost entirely down to Autobahn road quality vs the shittier road surface that I was driving on in the Isle of Man in the Z. Braking performance is similar although I think the Z edges this also. The TC on the Z is leaps and bounds ahead of the Ford, planting it in the wet I found the Z to be very good at keeping the car in line, in the Ford you're practically sideways before the TC even notices, it seriously might as well not even be there. Practicality and Comfort: Equipment levels are very similar, both cars have heated seats/mirrors, dual zone climate, sat nav, bluetooth, cruise control, auto lights and premium sound systems. The Mustang has a very cool customisable interior lighting package and pony projection lights in the mirrors which I love. Overall I prefer the cabin and the seats in the Z, the major difference and plus point for the Ford comes from the road noise which is nowhere near as intrusive and makes an enourmous difference for long distance driving. In practicality terms the Mustang easily wins, the boot is pretty large and much more useful than the Z, there are also two usable rear seats which are suitable for anyone under 6ft (over 6ft also possible for short journeys but not advisable for long distance comfort). The Z is easier to manouver as it's much smaller (about 0.5m shorter) and the visibility is slightly better, the Mustang also has fixed mirrors which make it impractical to park on narrow streets. Economy and VFM: It's difficult for me to reliably compare MPG as my Z experience was confined entirely to the Isle of Man so my driving was mostly on country roads with little traffic, I managed to average around 22MPG during my 10 month ownership. So far I'm driving either in stop start traffic in Hamburg or at about 130mph on the Autobahn and my average is about 14MPG. When I had the car in England I did manage to get around 28mpg though which is not too bad for a 5lt naturally aspirated V8. I would say the Z has marginally better fuel economy but not to any significant extent. The Z was 3 years old when I bought it and cost £18k, the Ford was 30k EUR (£22k equivalent) and was 9 months old and came with a 2 year warranty so I'd say was better value, I also expect depreciation to be better for the Ford due to the rarity of these cars in the EU. The Ford does have a party piece though, which is it came with a full BRC LPG conversion worth about £2.3k, this makes the car essentially a hybrid that runs on either petrol or gas and nearly doubles the effective range of the car. At the price of LPG in Germany I can fill up the 40lt tank for the equivalent of £17 meaning that my 14MPG becomes around 34MPG when taking into account the cost vs petrol. This makes the running cost much more bearable, for example I got from Hamburg to Stuttgart (~650km) and back for about £135, and that's at Autobahn speeds! Conclusion: It really depends on your situation when chosing between these two cars, I really do love them both. I would like to have owned my Z for longer but it doesn't make sense in Northern Germany as there are no decent country roads to enjoy the handling. In contrast there's no way I would have bought the Mustang if I still lived on the Isle of Man, it's too large and most of the enjoyment comes in a straight line and on longer road trips. Basically it comes down to this, the 370Z is a great mix of a sports car, GT and muscle car with the emphasis on the sports car part. The Mustang on the other hand is a straight up muscle/GT car which can also be fun in the corners if you're brave. They both suit a purpose and I'm very happy that I've had a chance to own both these cars, especially as naturally aspirated, large capacity engined sports/GT cars become ever rarer in our increasingly boring automotive world of turbos and electrics. Hope you enjoyed the write up and here are some pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 (edited) You know the Mustang suspension set up isn't all that different to the Z right? It's not quite as archaic as the top gear fans would have you believe: Yes, it's less precise and less refined than a Z, but it's not all that bad. Definitely not the leaf springs many people seem to believe still sit in the rear end. Edit: otherwise great write up, really interesting Edited June 16, 2015 by AliveBoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Very nice little write up of an honest comparison. Very interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Great write up. I can't help get a warm feeling in my tummy stick about the new Mustang, but the 370, well its a ZED! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Nice to see a well written balanced opinion from someone's whose owned both cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIBBONS Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) Yeah, you're right about the suspension, as I said I was expecting it to be terrible but it's not actually that bad. I like to think of it now a bit like I do about the Porsche 911, on paper the engine placement is stupid, but over several decades they've honed it and made it nearly as good as it would be with a MR layout. The thing that mostly sets the suspension of the Mustang back against the Z is the spring and damper rates which makes the body roll much more severe. I'm not so sure on the new Mustang, as a stand alone car it looks superb (saw one on the road a week or so back) but with things like testing at the Nordschleiffe, I can't help thinking it's trying to break out of its muscle car past. While that will no doubt make it a better all round car, I'm not sure if it wont lose some character. Edited June 17, 2015 by GIBBONS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynamic Turtle Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Seems like an honest appraisal and thanks for the comparison, very interesting. Viable route if you need four seats and cant afford to run a GTR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimboy2 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I want that new shelby 350 So bad. The noise the exhaust makes when in loud is sooooo good!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimboy2 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Said noise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Very interesting write up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Have you driven the convertible? I've driven the 2013 coupe and vert (only for a few thousand miles each) and chopping the roof off it absolutely ruined it for me. Even more wallowy and loose in all the wrong ways! The dodge challenger was lovely and handled like a dream, but had the worse auto box I've ever experienced! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
san marino blue Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Very nice Mustang, Very envious Interesting that the Mustang is quicker than the 370 I have a 67 drop head Mustang as well as an 07 350Z roadster My father has an 06 GT Mustang with some Roush bits on it Whilst it is a stunning car the Zed leaves it for dead all the way It's quicker, out handles it and out brakes it Mines a bog standard HR, His is 420bhp but is an auto, so I guess that doesn't help However a mate of mine has a 135i beemer that blows us both away and looks like your mums car Really whizzes us both off 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Said noise Sounds awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veilside z Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Excellent write up with great comparisons. Thanks for sharing with us and welcome along buddy. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIBBONS Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) Have you driven the convertible? I've driven the 2013 coupe and vert (only for a few thousand miles each) and chopping the roof off it absolutely ruined it for me. Even more wallowy and loose in all the wrong ways! The dodge challenger was lovely and handled like a dream, but had the worse auto box I've ever experienced! Didn't drive the convertible, already have a VX220 for roof off fun but I can imagine it would most certainly not improve the handling characteristics! I didn't like the Challenger almost entirely based on size and weight, they really are massive and at over 2000kg I figured wear and tear on brakes/suspension/tyres would be far worse. Did the Mustang you drive have an auto box as well? Tbh it's also pretty bad if you are looking to drive quickly on good driving roads, as I say, it's just about acceptable in town and on the Autobahn. Very nice Mustang, Very envious Interesting that the Mustang is quicker than the 370 I have a 67 drop head Mustang as well as an 07 350Z roadster My father has an 06 GT Mustang with some Roush bits on it Whilst it is a stunning car the Zed leaves it for dead all the way It's quicker, out handles it and out brakes it Mines a bog standard HR, His is 420bhp but is an auto, so I guess that doesn't help However a mate of mine has a 135i beemer that blows us both away and looks like your mums car Really whizzes us both off There isn't that much in it but the Mustang is certainly quicker in straight line, I would be faster driving my old Z on country roads though. I love the old 60s Mustangs, very different and much rawer noise Your dad's must have quite a few bits on it as the 06 GT was only 305bhp as standard! As for your mate with a 135, yes they are very quick with a little fettling but if there's one thing living in Germany has tought me, it's that 99% of German cars are as interesting as wallpaper paste. Seriously, there is no variant of BMW/Merc/VW/Audi/Porsche that the German populace wont lap up in ridiculous numbers, always purchased in either black, grey, silver or white Said noise Sounds awesome. This I want, it's more of a budget Nissan GTR than a muscle car but **** it looks/sounds good Edited June 18, 2015 by GIBBONS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
san marino blue Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 It looks fantastic! We were at Le Mans last week and the Mustang took all the second looks My God they sound well too The 06 Mustang is cammed, phlenum, cold air intake and chipped, plus the exhaust has a divert to the side which de cats it and puts a tiny silencer in place of the full system They got all the late cars so right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkmatt Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Nice write up. I'm glad that the styling of the Mustang is back on track. They nearly ruined that car for me in the 90's! I just pretend that era doesn't exist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliveBoy Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 Didn't drive the convertible, already have a VX220 for roof off fun but I can imagine it would most certainly not improve the handling characteristics! I didn't like the Challenger almost entirely based on size and weight, they really are massive and at over 2000kg I figured wear and tear on brakes/suspension/tyres would be far worse. Did the Mustang you drive have an auto box as well? Tbh it's also pretty bad if you are looking to drive quickly on good driving roads, as I say, it's just about acceptable in town and on the Autobahn. The car wasn't mine so wear and tear wasn't an issue for me. The main thing I didn't like was that they sat so high The box couldn't cope with being in "manual" mode at all. The mustang box wasn't too bad for me, when I put it in to "manual" mode it was fine. On the freeway it was terrible when the roads had lots of inclines etc, constantly dropping several gears at a go then having to go back up again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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