My Comparo 2010 Touring Sport vs 2013 Mustang GT
 

FANBOY SPOILER ALERT: This post contains both good and bad news about the 370Z. Do not read if this upsets you.

About 3 weeks ago I replaced my 370Z Touring Sport with a 2013 Mustang GT. As I posted before, I made the change because I was having trouble with using the car as my DD (noise and the low seat position--getting older :)). This change put me in a very good position to compare the two rides.

First off, the Ford is my first American car in decades. I owned the original 240Z and loved it. After that, I went to MR2, Eclipse, etc. The first car I ever owned was a Pontiac GTO. In those days, muscle cars had horsepower (the GTO 335hp), and sports cars could turn. Since then the line has blurred considerably. My Z had 332 horses; that's a muscle car number, AND it could turn; that's a sports car trait. The combination of performance and handling made the Z a joy to own. It was a pleasure on the track. My coach said the Z was a "deep car". I agree. Also the Z is in my opinion, one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

A while ago Road & Track (or Car & Driver) did a compare between the 370 and the Mustang. To my great surprise, the Mustang actually had better lap times than the Z. When the magazine analyzed the turn-by-turn data, the Mustang and the Z tied in the ability to take turns. The Mustang won only because its greater horsepower gave it faster straights.

So, when I finally decided to give up my Z, it was natural to look at the Mustangs. I ended up with a 2013 GT Premium (picture attached). It too is a truly beautiful car. I won't be getting it on the track until next year. The rainy season is starting here and I want to have a couple of thousand miles on the car before banging around a track. So, my data is limited to freeway (70mph) and road use.

In terms of drive feel, the Z with its hydraulic steering gives more feedback from the road. The Mustang has electric power steering. However, it can be set to "Sport" which gives pretty good feedback and a much firmer feel in the turns. I have to say that both the Z and the Mustang take turns beautifully. I call it a tie. One negative about the Mustang is that unlike the Z, it is normal car height. This is why I bought it. That increase in height definitely takes away some of the fun.

The Mustang weighs 3,500 lbs. My old Z, 3,300. The Z has 332 hp. and the Mustang 436 in my configuration. So, zero to sixty is almost .4 seconds faster in the Mustang. In normal driving this extra power, combined with gearing to take advantage of the extra horsepower, makes the Mustang feel more effortless when accelerating. (I had AT with the Z and AT with the Mustang). The Z always "paused" a bit in first. The Mustang just goes like a jet. Ok, it is a muscle car after all.

The Ford wins hands-down in the interior feature department. My Z had navigation, rear view camera, the touring sound system, etc. I added the rear view camera since it wasn't offered in 2010. The Mustang has Microsoft Sync. This is really cool. For example, when you plug your iPod into the USB port, Sync automatically indexes all your content so that you can use voice control to call up artists, titles, genres, etc. The premium sound system is great.

Perhaps the most fun thing in the cockpit is a 4 1/2 inch screen between the speedometer and the tachometer. This display is controlled by some buttons on the steering wheel. It has a fuel economy display much like the Z's "Status" screen. The trip meters are amazing. They record miles driven, elapsed time, fuel economy (just for the miles in the trip), and get this: gas consumed! I had to test that. So when I filled my tank, I set the trip meter to 0. At the next fillup, I didn't look at the trip meter before I filled the tank. When I looked at it, the trip meter said I used 10.7 gallons of gas. That is exactly how much I just bought!

In addition that little screen shows a bunch of track apps including accelerometer, 0-60 timer, and some other cool stuff. Also it has electronic gauges that measure air/fuel ratio, cylinder head temperature, etc. Nissan should take a cue from Ford on this.

There is one other significant difference between Ford and Nissan: Ford Racing. Ford Racing offers some interesting add-ons. The one I purchased is the "GT Performance Kit". This contains axil backs and a new tune for the car. The tune was created by the same engineers who designed the car. This tune adds about 17 hp and 7 ft lbs. of torque. More importantly, it recalibrates the car's response so that it feels amazingly powerful.

Since tuning involves understanding a very large set of data, factory tunes can be much more reliable, not to mention that the warranty isn't affected. In fact, my dealer will perform the tune and axil back installs.

In summary, I still think that the 370 Z is the most fun car I have ever driven. It always put a big smile on my face, especially at the track. The Mustang is also fun to drive and for a Z owner, no real learning curve is needed to push the car hard. The Mustang has extended my ability to have a high performance car. The quieter cabin and more old-guy-friendly seats have improved my life. Assuming you can't afford a supercar, and for one reason or another, the Z isn't right for you, the 2013 Mustang GT is a great choice.

Nice write up. IBTL. :D

I'd be interested to see how you felt if you bought one with the Brembo brakes, upgraded suspension, and summer tires.

My 2013 GT with the Track Pack will be here Monday I believe, I might post some thoughts then. :)

Track Pack is Brembos, different springs/shocks, brake pads, Torsen diff from the Boss 302, 3.73 gears, oil cooler, radiator from the Boss 302, 19" wheels and summer tires.

I like your review, but I'm not a big "tech toys" guy, so I shop the base trims without all the electronic gadgetry. And in those terms, I put the base Z and base Mustang interiors around the same. If you want the upgraded doodads, I can agree with you there.

Very thoughtful write up. I want to hear your track thoughts next season.

What is the differance between the people who talk to you about your car if any. The GT is commonplace while the 370 is not, yet most see the 350 as the same car so it too can slide under the radar.

Enjoy the car.

Is this what your car has?

Seems like a fair assessment. I like it. Thanks.

Mine is a 2011 and I got it with the Brembo package which included: Brembo front brakes, Ferodo pads F&R, 19" wheels with 255 Pirelli PZero summers, upgraded springs and dampers, revised sport-mode stability/traction control calibration.

The base cars are set up a lot softer and use 245 width all-season tires so they have significantly less grip and control.

I think the options packages are a little different now as they added the Track package which '10Anamoly detailed above.

Of course my car is quite a bit different now as I run 275 Michelin PSS all around, Koni yellow adjustable dampers, Steeda sport springs, Steeda camber/caster plates, Steeda lower control arms, and a Fays2 watts link. It's an absolute monster.

The extra rubber necessary to properly Steve a bad situation. :tup:

Ah yes. The forum almost lost two of its Mustang owners at ZDayZ.


Almost.


Trollololol

Thanks for previous answer.

Please elaborate on The forum almost lost two of its Mustang owners at ZDayZ.

Great write up and review! I'd be looking at a 5.0 too right now if I could afford to get a new car. Mostly I just want to get a manual.

Super derps helped Steve the day. :tup:

Nice write up.

The only thing i have to say is, it all comes down to personal taste. For me personally, even if the mustang is miles above and cheaper than the Z, i will still choose the Z over the mustang.

Some people are heavily into performance and numbers, but for me, the Z offers me everything i need, especially when it is my DD. i chose the Z because of the size, looks, abd elegance of the Z. Not saying that the Z is a chick's car but i really like how the Z looks, and it is not as bulky as the mustang.

Its kinda like comparing two artists, even though one is noticibly more skillful than the other, but i will still like the other cause of the style.


I might see things different if i track the car, but i am very with the Z's performance for now.

I wanted to get a 2013 Boss 302. The sales guy said that because I had a connection (my friend knows the owner of the dealership) he could get me the car at MSRP. He said that was a good deal because they normally sell for $5K over.

I said thanks and went and got my 2012 Nismo for $4K under MSRP. :shakes head:

I still would like one, but no way am I paying MSRP for a Ford.

You should never pay MSRP for any car. That's just silly.