5 things I wish I would have known before buying a 2012 Mustang

Stepping up from a 1996 Mustang GT to a 2012 Mustang GT was huge. In hindsight, there were a lot of things that I wish I would have known before making the purchase. This is 5 of them...

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[CatCaywood]

It's a head turner because it's such a pretty car. In my opinion s197s are the best looking muscle cars of the modern era.

[cesarpalmos]

I worked at planet Ford in Houston, these generations were the most reliable Mustangs. I regularly saw 200k mustangs with relatively low maintenance and mostly original parts. I usually tell people the best Fords were from the 2008-2014 era. They were fairly good looking, decently good fuel mileage, had enough technology to make their vehicles good without being too complicated, generally very reliable.

[paulm]

What an absolutely gorgeous car inside and out. The tough part now is finding one that is not abused from that generation. Definitely peak Mustang as far as looks.

[geraldscott]

Remember, lower gears mean the engine is turning over at higher rpms, ALL THE TIME. You will get a lot less gas mileage, and the engine and transmission will wear out quite a bit faster. I have a 2007 Mustang GT 4.6L/automatic. Yes, automatic. I'm disabled, and while I can still drive a manual transmission car to a point, I do a lot of highway cruising, and I needed cruise control. I am totally satisfied with the power, in fact I would rather it had the older 4.6L 2 valve, which is a more reliable, longer lasting engine. There are also a LOT of them around so finding a used or rebuilt 4.6L 2 valve is super easy. I'm 63, and plan on this being my last car, so I will almost certainly be replacing the engine at some point. I did put body colored louvers on the quarter windows. To me that is by far the best appearance modification you can make on one of these cars. I'm not into stripes, scoops, and spoilers, but I love those window lovers. They look just like the '67 and '68 GT.

5000 miles in 4 years? There's the difference. I average 15, 000-20, 000 miles PER YEAR. Mostly highway. I see no reason to have 700-800hp on the street. You can't use it without losing your license, and cars like that are super expensive and have super expensive insurance. I do not use my Mustang for transportation. I have a beater Crown Vic for that. The Mustang is a fun car, and I do keep it in the garage, while the Crown Vic sits out on the AZ sun. It has door dings from one end to the other. That is not going to happen to the Mustang. Mine is Satin Silver, and it does not seem to attract attention. It does still have the stock exhaust.

[mattcorey]

The income / economic disparity has come to the point that even a 10 year old 5.0 has become a dream car, and an instrument of resentment. I say this as I just got approval for a '12 5.0 and am waiting for a call form the dealer to cement the deal.

[PistolPete]

Currently own a 1995 mustang GT. Glad I came across your video. Exactly what I needed

[blackcobra]

I'd say you have 3.31 gear ratio just from the way you are describing the power delivery.

A 373 gear ratio change will wake it up a lot from the seat of pants feeling

[phillipray]

How to check rear gear ratio: Mark the rear of the drive shaft and the pinion housing with chalk so you can clearly count the revolutions. Mark the rear tire and the top of the rear fender with tape. Have someone rotate the tire one full turn while you count the revolutions of the drive shaft. If it turns 3.5 times you have a 3.50 to 1 axle ratio. If 4 times you have a 3.90 or 4.10, if 3 times you 3.00 to 1 and on and on. Simple.😁

[OGStoneVegas]

I've put 35, 000 miles on my 2014 5.0... only problem I had was the wiring harness connecting to the battery corroding.

[BasementBerean]

Great, honest review. I'm thinking of getting one of these, and I hate getting attention. I thought this model would be boring enough to be under the radar of the masses, but I guess not. Am I doomed to be a "Subaru for life" guy?

[scottthompson]

Subscribed. Fun video. Just bought a low miles Performance White Boss 302. In garage for winter after one drive...so your video is music and eye candy for me. Love the look of your 5.0. I upgraded the stereo to the Navidyne MST for bluetooth and have upgraded led bulbs (everywhere), but other than that am really happy with "look" and fun function. 3.73 gears in Boss are key. Enjoy.

[jasons]

This car can overwhelm the tires from a dig and youll need some revs of course, its mostly a traction limitation Id say.
A switch to 2013/14 GT500 wheels/tires is a nice change if you can find some for a good price, also get a 91+ tune and it transforms power curve/delivery

[SeriusChevy]

My 2012 takes off the line pretty good imo. But then again mine is an auto. But still I throw it into 1st all the time and she will smoke tires for days. Sounds like some good torque to me!!!

[hermanrogers]

I found me a 2014 Mustang GT sterling gray and it rocks it is a 5.0 6 speed and premium California special with Crome wheels

[jessefoulk]

I own a 94, 000 mile 2012 Mustang GT/CS since new and I was attracted to this video because I wanted to know what peoples opinion on them in particular nowadays. I usually see the S197 reviews ONLY go for the 2013-14 being the small front body refresh. With it being a 2012, I watched.
To comment on the low end torque, I can remember thru the history of my ownership the low end torque feeling good not great, as you mentioned, but past 3000rpm it just kicked my pants to the seat all the way to redline. Like a turbo. Amazing VCT. You probably could do gears but what many don't realize in the coyote engines is you can put in 89 octane without any tune. When I do that and let it run thru I notice the throttle response feels much more linear from the bottom to the top. And the numbers, by Ford, say you gain HP. The 412hp stated for 2011-12 year models were based on 89 octane performance. But when I run the cheaper 87 octane, I notice quite a difference in performance. It feels sluggish and somewhat heavy in the foot. 87 octane is ok for being cheaper but at the cost of worthy performance .Fun. The difference is noticeable after the 89 octane gets run thru.

[slavnorth]

I have 2014 track pack base model. It comes with torsen rear diff with 373's it ripps. Smokes the tires all the way thru third gear if want. From a roll, 4k + or - rpm and floor it for the win.

[deathbyyamaha]

2012 v6 here been driving it from new not one single problem 170k

[glocktown]

I had a 1998 mustang.. standard V6, it was a great car. I only had one minor repair. A $400 transmission seal. that was it! In a 140, 000 miles I put on it. other than oil changes.. it was an awesome car.

[rygi]

You have 3.31 gear, your 96 had a 4.6, and your 5.0 is rated 412 crank hp but actually makes around 430. Get 3.73 gears and call it a day.

[RogerThatTactical]

I got my 2011 pretty much stock with a 2014 swapped coyote for $9, 000 with 64, 000 miles dark grey tint all around love my car and i definitely got a smoking deal!