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Fireball · 05-08-2009, 04:18 PM

I had a chance to drive a 2010 Mustang GT Premium. Here are my thoughts:

* Kona blue w/silver painted rims looks beautiful

* Base interior is really nice, but I prefer the Premier Interior upgrade

* Engine/exhaust note sounds great inside the car and behind the car

* $32k for GT Premium w/3.73 axle package is a good price

Now on to the test drive. First thing I noticed was the 3.73 gears. The last Mustang GT I drove was a 2008 with 3.31 or 3.55 gears. This 2010 Mustang GT felt more responsive and fun to drive. The engine sound was better -- more aggressive -- coming into the cabin, probably from the induction tube.

I pulled out of the parking lot and stepped on it a bit. Nice acceleration with even better sound. Going around a long turn, the car cornered fairly flat with little body roll, but the car felt slow (no Track Pack option). It felt like if I stepped on the throttle some more, the front end would plow into the guardrail, yet if I really stepped on the gas, the back end would kick out. Either way I did not want to wreck a brand new Mustang.

I stepped on the throttle on the open road. Easy, effortless acceleration to 65 mph with superb sound. However, the car did not feel really fast. It sounded faster than it felt. Going over potholes, the backend felt a bit jittery, but the car tracked well and felt safe.

Low-speed driving is fine; the car is quiet and comfortable to drive slow. Driving fast seemed to make the manual shifter hesitate just a bit between gears.

Overall the new Mustang GT looks, sounds, feels, and drives good. My biggest concern is that compared to my stock 2009 WRX, the Mustang doesn't feel very fast around turns or in a straight line. It probably is fast on instrumented testing with correction factors and such as done by the auto rags. But I was hoping for a more visceral feel, and really didn't feel much.

I was able to check out a 2010 Camaro SS, and in my personal opinion, the Camaro SS has much more presence. To my surprise, I liked the interior of the Camaro better than the Mustang. (It was a loaded Camaro with an MSRP probably north of $36k). I wasn't able to drive the Camaro because it is the car dealership's owner's personal ride right now, but I was able to start it up and rev it. While the Mustang GT sounded racecar-like in a high-frequency way, the Camaro SS sounded downright mean, like a big block powerhouse in a low-frequency way.

Especially menacing was tapping the throttle to about 3k rpm and feeling the engine rock the car. You can just SENSE the power. Too bad the Camaro weighs 2 tons. But that powerful rocking of the car reminded me of my 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 -- a real blast from the past. Wicked, especially juxtaposing it to my blender on steroids (WRX).

Overall, I think it comes down to personal preference as to which car is better to purchase. I can tell you from personal experience that the Mustang GT hardly got any looks while the Camaro SS had people driving by turn their necks, beep their horn, stop, get out, look at it, talk about it, etc. As far as performance, I didn't drive the Camaro, so I cannot comment on how they compare.

The other wild card is the Camaro's parent company, GM. It looks like they are marching into bankruptcy, and all the negative connotations this implies. Ford, on the other hand, appears to be on better financial ground.

If I could give advice on these cars, I would say the Camaro SS is the standout car. But if you must get a Mustang, wait for the Track Pack (summer 2009)...or better yet, wait for the upcoming 5.0 liter Coyote engine (fall 2010). Of course, you should not take my advice but instead go and check out these cars yourself!

05-08-2009, 04:18 PM	#239
Fireball Drives: Turbocharged Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 99	2010 Mustang GT vs 2010 Camaro SS I had a chance to drive a 2010 Mustang GT Premium. Here are my thoughts: * Kona blue w/silver painted rims looks beautiful * Base interior is really nice, but I prefer the Premier Interior upgrade * Engine/exhaust note sounds great inside the car and behind the car * $32k for GT Premium w/3.73 axle package is a good price Now on to the test drive. First thing I noticed was the 3.73 gears. The last Mustang GT I drove was a 2008 with 3.31 or 3.55 gears. This 2010 Mustang GT felt more responsive and fun to drive. The engine sound was better -- more aggressive -- coming into the cabin, probably from the induction tube. I pulled out of the parking lot and stepped on it a bit. Nice acceleration with even better sound. Going around a long turn, the car cornered fairly flat with little body roll, but the car felt slow (no Track Pack option). It felt like if I stepped on the throttle some more, the front end would plow into the guardrail, yet if I really stepped on the gas, the back end would kick out. Either way I did not want to wreck a brand new Mustang. I stepped on the throttle on the open road. Easy, effortless acceleration to 65 mph with superb sound. However, the car did not feel really fast. It sounded faster than it felt. Going over potholes, the backend felt a bit jittery, but the car tracked well and felt safe. Low-speed driving is fine; the car is quiet and comfortable to drive slow. Driving fast seemed to make the manual shifter hesitate just a bit between gears. Overall the new Mustang GT looks, sounds, feels, and drives good. My biggest concern is that compared to my stock 2009 WRX, the Mustang doesn't feel very fast around turns or in a straight line. It probably is fast on instrumented testing with correction factors and such as done by the auto rags. But I was hoping for a more visceral feel, and really didn't feel much. I was able to check out a 2010 Camaro SS, and in my personal opinion, the Camaro SS has much more presence. To my surprise, I liked the interior of the Camaro better than the Mustang. (It was a loaded Camaro with an MSRP probably north of $36k). I wasn't able to drive the Camaro because it is the car dealership's owner's personal ride right now, but I was able to start it up and rev it. While the Mustang GT sounded racecar-like in a high-frequency way, the Camaro SS sounded downright mean, like a big block powerhouse in a low-frequency way. Especially menacing was tapping the throttle to about 3k rpm and feeling the engine rock the car. You can just SENSE the power. Too bad the Camaro weighs 2 tons. But that powerful rocking of the car reminded me of my 1970 Buick GS Stage 1 -- a real blast from the past. Wicked, especially juxtaposing it to my blender on steroids (WRX). Overall, I think it comes down to personal preference as to which car is better to purchase. I can tell you from personal experience that the Mustang GT hardly got any looks while the Camaro SS had people driving by turn their necks, beep their horn, stop, get out, look at it, talk about it, etc. As far as performance, I didn't drive the Camaro, so I cannot comment on how they compare. The other wild card is the Camaro's parent company, GM. It looks like they are marching into bankruptcy, and all the negative connotations this implies. Ford, on the other hand, appears to be on better financial ground. If I could give advice on these cars, I would say the Camaro SS is the standout car. But if you must get a Mustang, wait for the Track Pack (summer 2009)...or better yet, wait for the upcoming 5.0 liter Coyote engine (fall 2010). Of course, you should not take my advice but instead go and check out these cars yourself!