5.0 or 370z?

Speedy · 02-10-2012, 12:37 PM

I was in the same boat a couple months back. I was looking for a daily driver replacement and since I already own a Dodge Challenger as a weekend toy, the Mustang popped up on my radar as an addition to the stable.

You get quite a bit for your money in the 5.0 and it has a lot of cool features. Power is pretty nice, but I found the manual trans sloppy in shifting and the auto sluggish. The auto has no manual shift options (bump shift or paddles) which disappointed me.

The Z actually feels a bit more peppy to me, but that's likely because it's a bit lighter, but I didn't drive them back to back so it's just from memory.

Visibility out of the Mustang was a bit better, and that 5.0L motor is nice and responds well to mods.

You do see a Mustang on every corner, but because of that they have a HUGE aftermarket support following. That's one thing I've struggled with on the Challenger. They're rare, and there's not a WHOLE lot of options on aftermarket parts and the parts that are available are $$. The Z looks to be the same.

Ultimately I ended up going with a Z. However, I think brand new it's a bit over priced. I found a very low mileage used model (2009 with 2900 miles) for $15K off the price of a new one.

I love the car. If the Mustang had paddles or bump shift I might have gone with it, but that was a deal breaker for me. The Challenger is a 6 speed manual, and I wanted an auto to drive to work in traffic, and found the paddle shifters the best of both worlds.

02-10-2012, 12:37 PM	#25 (permalink)
Speedy Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: TN Posts: 390 Drives: check my signature Rep Power: 14	I was in the same boat a couple months back. I was looking for a daily driver replacement and since I already own a Dodge Challenger as a weekend toy, the Mustang popped up on my radar as an addition to the stable. You get quite a bit for your money in the 5.0 and it has a lot of cool features. Power is pretty nice, but I found the manual trans sloppy in shifting and the auto sluggish. The auto has no manual shift options (bump shift or paddles) which disappointed me. The Z actually feels a bit more peppy to me, but that's likely because it's a bit lighter, but I didn't drive them back to back so it's just from memory. Visibility out of the Mustang was a bit better, and that 5.0L motor is nice and responds well to mods. You do see a Mustang on every corner, but because of that they have a HUGE aftermarket support following. That's one thing I've struggled with on the Challenger. They're rare, and there's not a WHOLE lot of options on aftermarket parts and the parts that are available are $$. The Z looks to be the same. Ultimately I ended up going with a Z. However, I think brand new it's a bit over priced. I found a very low mileage used model (2009 with 2900 miles) for $15K off the price of a new one. I love the car. If the Mustang had paddles or bump shift I might have gone with it, but that was a deal breaker for me. The Challenger is a 6 speed manual, and I wanted an auto to drive to work in traffic, and found the paddle shifters the best of both worlds.