It’s hard to believe that I’ve had my 2012 Ford Mustang GT for just a tick over six months now, but time is a flyin’ and overall I’ve been really happy with the experience. It’s not perfect by any means – after all, I’ve been debating for several months whether or not this is the right car for me, but it’s been a really fun daily driver. On one hand, it’s big, heavy, and sloppy. On the other hand, the 5.0 L Coyote V8 and six speed manual is one of the best engine/transmission combinations I’ve ever driven and it’s a blast rowing through the gears. Here’s a video summarizing my experience with this car thus far:
As you can see, I’m generally happy with this Mustang, and it’s a shame that I’ve only driven it a tick over 1500 miles since I bought it last January. That’s not to say that I hardly ever drive this thing. I do – at least 5 days a week actually – but my commute is very short (15 miles round trip) so the miles aren’t racking up all that fast. I also drive my Honda Fit quite a bit when running errands, so the Mustang is pretty much either at home or at work. I still haven’t taken it on a road trip yet, but that’s something I’d like to do in the near future.
Problem areas
This car has been generally quite reliable and problem-free in the time that I’ve had it, but the biggest issue I’ve been dealing with is the transmission on full-throttle second to third gear shifts. Sometimes (ok, well, 50% of the time) it simply won’t go into 3rd and I have to let off the gas and force it in or just skip it all together and drop it into 4th instead. That really takes the fun out of full-throttle acceleration!
All the research I’ve done online leads me to believe that this is a common problem with this particular transmission, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s an issue with my car. I’ve talked to a handful of other 2011+ Mustang owners who are reporting the same problem, and some have been able to resolve it by instilling a short-shift kit. I may go that route myself, but I’m not sure yet. I’m trying to resist modding this car due to the fact that I’m not sure how long I’m going to own it. Selling modded cars is not easy and I’d rather not deal with the headaches associated with that.
The 5.0 V8 makes it fun
Other than the notchy transmission, this car has been solid and it runs like a champ. Fuel economy isn’t stellar, but I do drive this thing hard most of the time (it sounds so good at high RPM) so that’s to be expected.
I’m still finding it to be a bit too big and heavy for my tastes, but it is really fun in a straight line and accelerating out of corners. Everything still works like it should, nothing has failed yet (knock on wood), and I’m still really liking the stock sound of that 5.0 V8. I’m definitely looking forward to the next six months of driving! I just need to find more ways to rack up the miles…
