How many are happy with a Mustang-2004-2005-2006?

Beth,

The new 2005-2006 Mustangs are absolutely the best Mustangs since 1970, maybe even ever, depending how you assess that.

The New Mustang is outstanding in my opinion, I've rented one, and taken 3 test drives in them, I may even buy one. I am very impressed. The body is very good looking, the suspension and handling are outstanding, the power is impressive, the price is reasonable. Ford hit a homerun with this new Mustang.

On the other hand they are a 2 door car with very small back seat. It would be imperative for you to take your child seat to the dealer and insure it fits into and works properly in that backseat. If your child's seat will work properly and you do indeed want the car go for it, I not sure I would buy one as a family/kid hauling car, but you may well want to.

Good Luck

Hey, 351CJ, nice to meet you :) Well thanks for the input, they certainly do look nice! I have not gone to test drive one and that is because I think I would not consider any other vehicle at all afterwards simply because I love the style. My personal favorite has always been the look of the 641/2, and this model has some impressions from a number of years of Mustangs, it surely made a great combination. Thank you for sharing this, as I figured, the back seats are usually small in the Stangs. :( That is one reason we have bought our first Sunfire. So you haven't heard anything about engine problems with this model or other? So far I haven't heard of anything, didn't see any reports on the net either. Car and Driver thinks it is a super buy, I think Ford did a great job as you said. Humm I think a test drive is in order, my husband says GET IT, but I was thinking about the Liberty because one, room for my son, two, if we have to evaculate out of Houston again I could have more room for needed items...but geez that Stang sure looks pretty ;) Thanks again I appreciate your input :) And thanks :) Beth

Beth, I dunno how you figure. SUVs are neither Sporty, nor Utility. 99% of SUVs can carry no more than a full-sized car. Personally, I think they are useless. They can't carry anything a car can't, they don't handle as well, brake worse, go worse, get worse mileage, higher insurance... what's to love? Like 99.99% of people out there, you don't need an SUV. You need a car. If you don't want one of those, buy a real crewcab truck. If you don't want that, buy a car. And the new Mustangs are nice. Long term reliability is still out, but if they are like any other mustang out there - with a few exceptions - they keep going and going and are cheap to fix. Dunno about the insurance.

Brad

Not to mention the relative utility/economy of the much maligned Mini- Van.

Truly a shame... the image of one who drives same besotten by the over- enthusiasm of the target market, to wit: the suburban twit, 'soccer- mom' (and I'm a soccer-dad, so there!) who has no idea of rules of the road and highway courtesy.

Of course, the same then graduated to the SUV.

But to say the cargo capacity of the Grand Laredo, or Explorer is no better than a car is ridiculous on the face of it, negates credibility of anything else said.

BradandBrooks wrote: Snip for ease>

Hi Brad nice to meet you. Well I would call the Jeep Liberty a sporty vehicle in a 4x4. I think it is anyways for a small SUV, looks sporty, and I love the new fog lamps you can purchase aftermarket for those. It has a decent engine in it for the price but I hear the transmissions can't keep up in the long run.? I was thinking it would be great to take to the beach when we go to Galveston. I need more space than my Sunfire, I have gotten a lot of stuff in there true, but lets face it if I have to leave because of a hurricane-after the Son, hubby, mom, two dogs(Pommies) and two cats go on a long ride it isn't pleasant for anyone in a car......I love the Toyota 4 Runner, but I don't have a ton to spend on a new car, the insurance on any car I get -SFarm says will be 100 and up, that is a Toyota Corrola or Jeep Liberty 100$, and a Mustang is 110 a month. The Rav4 comes out in January in the updated longer version(by 14 inches) with a V6. I have seen on the net so many cars -smaller SUV's.

Personally wise, I am a monster mudder!, I love 4x4 and knobby tires at least six feet off the ground LOL- and lots of water and mud, but I live in Houston and hate the city driving:(. I need something with a decent get up and go, GREAT brakes and a little room...seems I went from Ga Country girl to a Suburbanite in a few short years. I am thinking a price range from 17 to maybe 24 max,with 5 thou down. Like I bought my son for Christmas a little Red Jeep for him to ride in the back yard, if it hadn't come in parts I wouldn't have been able to get it home :( I am sure his toys like my husbands will just get bigger...my husband could use a 26 foot trailer for all the tools and toys he wants to bring home!

My husband asked me this morning if I had chosen more to test drive this weekend......this is frustrating to say the least, seems there is always something wrong with all the ones I have tried so far.... like the G6, a wonderful car! well equiped for under 24 for a demo GTPV6! but come on you could hide a mac truck in that blind spot! And they need bigger mirrors to get past that big rearend. Are the small SUV's really that bad? Yes a real crewcab truck, at a real crewcab price, I don't know of any that have the nice bench seats in the back that are in the smaller or short bed range...do you? I had thought of that, like a small truck with a bench seat and short bed with a topper for keeping groceries dry. I just know that I need to get something soon, and how do those Mustangs hang on an open muddy field.....love the slush of wet mud...my Sunfire slings nice even in the mud with the larger tires ;)shhh don't tell my hubby!--one thing though, remember to shut the sunroof! ;)

Oh, the guy around the corner just bought a black Mustang GT with white racing stripes, and chrome spinners, I just drool.. I saw the inside yesterday, those front seats are close to the back seats as with most other Mustangs, if I also had an adult passanger in the front, there would be no room for my sons legs.:(

** He is right I see, about the gas milage! BTW according to the EPA they fudge that number on top of it! 17 in the city, I get 29 out of my Sunfire! Of course we put in pro parts too. It also helps on the horses. I am a good driver and probably the most curtious in Houston, no one else here that I have seen is :( Speed doesn't scare me and I can handle any curves. I have even driven rigs before. This place though, errrr, they cut me off all the time, jump out, and if you are not fast enough you might as well wait till midnight to cross the street! No joke it is bad and gotten worse. I had bought a Mazda Protege' when I first moved here, it didn't have the power to get me out of the way! Your right, I thought that too. I mean they do have more room, but I don't want to sacrifice and get something I don't want just because of space alone.....hummm. I want a Mustang darn it, but I also think too that it isn't very practical! You guys have all been very helpful to me! I know Mustangs can go with gum and a coat hanger, my girlfriends did once long ago. A lasting car is nice, and I hope this one would last too, with todays cars losing 7 thou off the lot. I don't want to have to buy another one any time soon.

Oh, I get to disagree with the Geezer, and mean it. :)

Okay, here is what I mean. I drive Bronco. I can fit a queen size bed in it, and I have hauled a full-sized washer and dryer in it. Name me ONE SUV that can do that. Answer: none. Seriously, none! That, is an SUV. They don't make these anymore... they are called trucks. Thus, an SUV that can haul no more than groceries, it is no better than a car. If you think you'll put something big in an SUV, you're kidding yourself. Personally, I'd rather have a Crown Vic that an Explorer. If I want a hauler, I'll get a F-Series or a Bronco. Everyting in between is not worth having.

My opinion.

Brad

I saw a brand new Explorer yesterday, was very nice :) Then I saw a Tungsten Gray Mustang :P'ssssss. Mine would have to be red though. I think I may go with the Mustang, it is just to kewl and powerful to pass up.? Car and Driver made this comment on the Mustang that women drive the V6 and men drive the V8.....well for one, my husband can afford to drive a V8 cause he gets to go play after work more than I and I have to do all the work for the family as far as the up keep, groceries, purchase the new couch, taking my son to the doctor, paying the bills etc... but that doesn't mean I don't want a V8...in all seriousness my hubby who is a great Nascar fan loves to drive, he is a good driver, well an okay driver HA. But when it comes to speed and mud ;) That would be me,,,,so I would go for a V8....I can get those bills paid off faster and get on to playing more ;) But I thought how typical is that, Car and Driver still making it out like men are speed and macho and women are whoosies.......not true! I am a Lady and I can change my own oil, tune up, air filterK&N of course hee hee, brake pads, fluids, plugs(Bosch only), timing belt...so there :P :) But I do miss the older cars, they where so much easier! Has anyone here changed the plugs in a new Stang, I mean come on how do I get to them, they are covered and about in the back wall on a 2001 Mustang. My dad was a great mechanic and said women should never be left beside the road not knowing what to do :)

Thanks everyone for your help :) And I did like that Explorer very much!!! I might test drive it this weekend if I can get my feet off the gas in the Stang. Oh and if anyone can help out, I actually had the brakes done on my Sunfire and the pads are new, well ever since they grab like the car is being pulled on the diagonal....can't figure out what the cause is, everything looks okay, back drums, front disc. Beth

Besr driver I ever rode with was a 'gurl'... back in sixties, she had just bought a new Impala Spot coupe, 396. Giving us a ride in it, some yokel pulls out in front of her to evade, she downshifted and threw into a power slide and aimed up the road he pulled out of.. before we even had time to clench our sphincters.

But you know as well as anyone that statement is a generalization and TRUE besides!

And if it WASNT for those secretaries that just wanted the Mustang because it was sporty looking, we wouldnt even HAVE a Mustang in its present form... look what happened to the CamaBird! Remember their last tv commercials? They abandoned the market totally to concentrate on the 'hot-car' buyers.

And I'm onna the guys who would buy the V6, then mod the car for improved handling.

1. After driving a bit, then fairly heavy braking, check relative temperatures of each rotor then each drum. Will show either drag or stuck caliper/shoe/Parking brake.
2. Check suspension for worn parts and bushings

could have also been contaminated

HA, well the V6 is nothing to sneeze at either, not for the average person driving to Wal-mart, and the design is the same. I was just at

and I read that Ford went cheaper on the suspension to keep it under the

25thou mark. But that is all fixable. LOLOL> How many times I have experienced the above. Love your description of it! That is exactly what happens! Laughing! The only accident I have ever had while (not) driving was when I was waiting in a median sitting still minding my own business, a church van to my right was blocking the road and the view, and I was making a left, next thing I know I was up over the curve and nearly into the wall of the garage beside the stop sign on the right, with airbag choking me and burning my arm, my Red Sunfire was nearly a month old, and totally waisted! The one police officer said the van had left, and the guy that hit me, went racing around the large van to spin around and head the other direction(u turn)...he didn't know I was there and he was speeding to boot. It hurt! I still look at those photos and go dang...........boo hoo hoo.

Sounds like the type of girl a guy would want to marry LOL. Mostly guys like to talk to me because I like cars and trucks. Especially the classics. I hear tales about a Camero sometime in the future, the Camero was one sweet ride when I was growing up. I will try your suggestions, the funny thing is that when I had the Ford dealer look at it to see what they would give me for a trade, but I won't trade it, he asked me if I had an accident, and though my husband keeps saying one thing, his eyes tell another story when it comes to why the car would have rear end problems if any.....I heard from a friend of mine that said they saw him doing doughnuts and such. That is his reward now though HA, he gets to keep it and I get a new one ;) Thanks for the info..........! Appreciate it much! Beth

I think that's a mis-understanding. From all reports the car handles better than the '04 in both base and GT trim.

They didnt go IRS, like previous Cobras, but they used the panhard bar setup that Fox-body (like the 80's) modders used to set the car up for road course racing.

And since it shares the Lincoln/ Jag DEW platform it is indeed improvable..{and likely with 'bolt-ons'} but you might not gain as much handling as you'd think.

And remember Nascar Road Course cars still use the live axle. And those cars, thoguh they aint the same as always turn left, still follow the template and dont do all that badly.

Beth, I dunno... I have had two cars all my life. A Mustang (67, 90, 91 and

93) and a Bronco (80, 85 and 87). Each does their job flawlessly.

The ONLY middle of the road vehicle I can suggest between my 10mpg Bronco and an SUV is a Ranger. Seriously. I would buy one if I had the extra cash. They are made on the Mazda B-series platform and have very good reliability, and if you get the extended cab you've got some room back there, and with the Level Two 4by4 off road package, shit, that truck should take you anywhere! Plus you got the bed to haul. When it's off warranty, a 6" lift and some 35" tires and you're rocking! I know, it's only got the 6cyl in it, and torque is a little low (225 I think?), but you can always gear it later on to go with those tires. It's a small tight package with lots of upside. And I see a zillion more of those off roading than I do Hummers. What does that tell you? (Besides Hummers suck ass that is.)

But again, I dunno. I rented a 6 2005 Mustang a while back. Nice car. The only complaint I had was engine noise, and that is a pretty small compaint. Ford did I real nice job on these. And Backyard is right, if it wasn't for the 6, the 8 would not exist. Witness the Craparo. But Ford does make an 8 and though I've never driven one, my 5.0 can chew tires like nothing, I imagine the new ones are no less a car, with less 'flaws' than the legendary

5.0.

But, find a Level Two Ranger if you can. You never know.

Brad

Backyard Mechanic wrote:

True, it surely does handle well! I have to say it is tight!!!, especially since it is a new car test drive, I want to know if it will still do hairpins at 50? I know my Sunfire has a great ability to take a turn without missing a beat, that is one of the things I liked about it.(no slide) And will it continue on after a year? Hey I don't know anything much about suspension if you guys have some suggestions I would love to hear them! I don't want to go all out on body modification because I love it the way it is, my hubby was saying this kit and that, but I want to keep it simple, it rocks by itself. But I want to make the suspension the best it can be. As far as any mods I do have a question for you guys, I would like to raise the car a bit, it will have the 17 inch rims on it, but what is the best way to raise the entire car a few inches without sacrifice or do you think that is a bad idea? I have been looking at parts and gotta say that the Saleen hood is the best look for me, although the cal-induction hoods aren't bad either. I am tempted to go ahead and purchase, but I decided to wait until I have another thou to put down. I like the Torch Red, do not like the pony package front--although he said a lot of people do...think I will go with the smoked front covers and a black satin grille in the front top and bottom, only a black trim between the headlights in the back, some side trim and louvers for the side and back window...and gotta join the Mustang Club here in Houston....I always wanted one, and now is the time :-) My husband saw something about the new Camero on a car show on tv, now he is all drooling at the thought. But I can't say anything about it cause I always wanted a Mustang(60 look) and I am doing a lot of drooling of my own lol, and I am finally going to have one YES! Merry Christmas toooooo ME... :-) I already bought a new buffer and some really nice polish! BTW the back seat is a little better on this model! Although it has no room for the middle, most of your sporty cars don't but I don't like the hump in the center at all, but OH well heehee. Beth

Brad, Here in TX a lot of women drive trucks, that is true, as I have almost been hit by them more than ten occasions lol!

I do love that car!!, grrrowwwlll. :) But I will give the Ranger slt was it? a test and see :) I see it got a five star rating! BTW that Liberty has NO more room than my Sunfire!! Neither does the Rav. Thanks !! beth

snipped-for-privacy@shaw.ca (BradandBrooks) wrote in :

Actually, the Mazda B-series is, and always has been, built on the Ranger platform, not the other way around. The two are mechanically identical.

But I agree with you about the Ranger's attributes. I put 100k miles on my 1994 Ranger (XLT, 4X4, extended cab, 4.0L V-6, 5-speed manual). During that time it required NO repairs, other than routine fluid & filter changes and one recall for the parking brake mechanism. It averaged 21 MPG. When I traded it in, it still had the original brake pads/shoes, exhaust system, hoses and belts (although the last were about worn out). Even the interior & exterior looked like new, and it stayed outside year 'round. The only reason we got rid of it was because, when the first Sport Tracs came out, my wife fell in love with a red one. It has been almost as reliable as the Ranger was. -- Jim

NOW, dear... it's time for you to take this to:

rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang

I already sent this response there...

And you'll meet Kate... who went the other way... into the realm of off- road darkness, Mustang > Jeep ;)

- - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - And that hump in the back seat? What's the diff!... Back in the day..... that's what blankets were for in summer and parents with Buicks in the winter.

Hey thanks. HAHAHA. Those where the days, when we met in 1980, my husband had a 1972 Chevelle green with a white leather top with an

8-track! We played the Eagles a lot then. Those where the days ;) That was a great car! Thank you again! Beth

I owned a 2003 GT convertible and now I own a 2005. The 2005 GT is light years ahead of the 2003 in the way it handles. It handles as well as my

2005 Lincoln LS V8 Sport even with its IRS.

mike hunt