Archnemesis

[Spec]

lol... okay, not really. Just recently had the chance to try out the competition...

Had to be in Norcal this week for business. I decided to make the drive this time for a number of reasons... appx 6.5hrs to destination from point A to point B... there an back again.

I rented a car from Avis out of Ontario Airport... parked the Camaro in the daily parking lot next to the rental lot and a short hop to the rental station - I was about to get on the road.

Now, normally, I jump at the chance to drive the Camaro on a long road trip. This car is just great and a lot of fun and I'm very much in love. But this time I decided to give the ride a break. This, and I was hoping to get something to try out to compare to mine... something like a new Charger, or Challenger.

Avis at Ontario didn't disappoint. The guy hooked me up with a 2017 Mustang GT 5.0 Automatic... white with black rims, convertible. Okay... I thought, I finally get to try out the Camaro's Archnemesis. Here we go.

Here are my thoughts and how I would compare it to my 2010 Camaro 1SS LS3 6.2L V8...

I'll star with the handling. The GT is lighter of course, feels nimble - very much like the 6th gen SS... but perhaps a bit less 'refined'. You can feel how stiff a 6th gen SS is when it hits road imperfections and potholes - but it feels like it can take it like a champ. The Mustang is just a tad bit 'looser' and this one felt a bit 'clunky'. Comparing it to my Camaro, which feels very firm on the road with the suspension upgrade and added weight, the Mustang seemed to dance around the lane more than I'd like... especially with strong winds. The car was nimble, but loose... er.

Cool features, however include steering wheel feel adjustment, from sport, comfort... with the ride being a bit bouncy, I switched to comfort for the rest of the trip. I also kept the car in 'Normal' driving mode because I didn't feel 'Sport', 'Drag', or 'Wet-Ice' would have improved the feeling.


It sounded very nice. Its got a stock growl that does seem to turn heads. Not sure if the automatic was A8 or A6, but the gears shift effortlessly and smooth and makes its growl sound very nice. I felt I liked it more than on a 6th gen SS. But when I got back to my ride after the trip... man, there's just no comparison to a good aftermarket exhaust. My Flows, I love em and the growl from my LS3 is louder, deeper, and doesn't sound like its trying to make noise (if you get what I mean). After I jumped on I-15 after dropping the GT off, I fell in love all over again.

The interior looks cool. It has a comfortable interior... spacey, like mine. The 6th gen is just to tight for my wide shoulders and it feels like I'm in a sardine can (just another reason why the 6th gen is not for me). Obviously much nicer than my 2010 interior. The handbrake is not on the passenger side, its on the driver side... a bit more intuitive than on my 2010, I must say... even though its not that big a deal to reach for my handbrake effortlessly.

Obviously folks I can go on and on. But I know this is what you want to know - what about power? You know folks, when I was driving the GT... you know the feeling you get when you drive your Camaro? That smile grin, that feeling of invincibility, that adrenaline rush? Well, I felt this way in the Mustang... but its a funny thing. Something was off. Maybe its a psychological thing... its a Mustang etc etc... but nope, I was actually feeling a bit bad for the Ford. It just felt slightly behind, even when compared with my modded 2010 Camaro SS.

Seriously folks, it picks up and picks up fast... but again, like the 6th gen SS felt... this ride just didn't feel as fast as my Camaro feels.

The power is there when you drop the hammer... its fun, don't get me wrong... but its a stock setup vs. a modded setup and its not really fair I know... but it makes me wonder. These are fine tuned cars - both Camaro and Mustangs, but its easy to make them better with some aftermarket parts. Its amazing what you can do to an older ride that will make it drive and feel better than the newer rides.

That's my 2 cents on this latest rental experience. I truly am impressed with what Chevy has dished out with these 5th gens... and even more so, happy that what I've installed on it has made this car comparable, or even better than a newer Mustang GT... at least in my book.

Have a nice rest of your day, good folks...

[Moto-Mojo]

I’ve only ever gotten the V6 Mustang at National. Couple of 5th and 6th gen V8 Camaros. I would say I didn’t like the high, long hood but I remember the first time behind the wheel of the 5th gen and thought the hood was high too. I got a Hemi Challenger at Nat’l last week. Nice power and exhaust note but very weird and mushy shift points. See the new, Shelby GT 500? 700+ HP. Viva la muscle!

[Spec]

Originally Posted by Moto-Mojo

I’ve only ever gotten the V6 Mustang at National. Couple of 5th and 6th gen V8 Camaros. I would say I didn’t like the high, long hood but I remember the first time behind the wheel of the 5th gen and thought the hood was high too. I got a Hemi Challenger at Nat’l last week. Nice power and exhaust note but very weird and mushy shift points. See the new, Shelby GT 500? 700+ HP. Viva la muscle!

Yeah, I think that GT 500 would be a lot of fun... that 5.0 is definitely no slouch, but a GT 500 would be the ride to get if you're shooting for a Mustang

[rebelyell22]

Try an 18 Mustang with the performance pack. My little brother has a 2018 10 speed EcoBoost (first car), and that thing handles like it's on rails.

[Spec]

Hopefully they also fixed that brake dive... it was quite noticeable on that ride. But then, I remember stock my ride used to brake dive quite a bit too. Upgraded suspension eliminated 90%+ of that.