Looks are subjective. Between the Mustang and the Camaro, I like the Mustang a little bit better. Although the Camaro looks pretty good in person, especially when one is pulled up next to you at a stop light. It looks...big, but not fat. Its kind of intimidating actually. You know the car is heavy but you also know that the driver has the power to crush your existence with his right foot. Its like standing next to a really huge buff guy. Anyone who's pulled up right beside an 03-04 SVT Cobra will know exactly what I'm talking about.

With regards to the live axle Mustang vs the IRS Camaro, I will say this: the Camaro seems very planted. I haven't driven one yet, but I have followed one at high speed onto an on-ramp and there was a fairly large bump in the road that we both went over while turning. The Camaro didn't seem bothered one bit by it, same with the RX8. I'm not sure how the Mustang would react to such a scenario; I only drove it over cracked roads.

I'm not sure I want to drive a Camaro anymore though. I still like them but the 5.0 drive changed how I see the Camaro a lot. Its fact that the Camaro is more cramped with less visibility than the 5.0. While the Mustang isn't cramped, it is about as small a cabin as I would want my car to be. Also its pretty commonly said that the Camaro feels a lot heavier than the Mustang. The Mustang does a good job of not feeling too heavy, but thats about as heavy as I would want a car to feel if I were to buy it. I'll probably still end up testing one but something tells me the 5.0 will drive a little better.

Unless something crazy comes out within the next couple years, I'm pretty stuck on the 5.0, possibly the Camaro SS depending on their 2011 update. The low end torque is just so rewarding and it still has a high revving engine. And that VCT...yum. It seems Japan is falling behind pretty quickly in the sports car wars. I don't like the 370Z, an Evo or STi doesn't feel as fast as a 5.0 on the street, and Mazda isn't doing much. I'm pretty sure everything I listed is more expensive than a Mustang or Camaro too. Kudos to America.

 

Camaro was what I was considering before I picked up the R3. Didn't seem worth $40k so I saved 15K and bought a new R3.

 

As a couple others said my main issue with the mustang was that everyone has one. I have had my RX8 3 weeks now and I have seen 1 while driving it around central illinois. It would suck to spend 30+k on a car and see 20 of them everyday on your way to work.

 

Yeah true. No denying which car is more unique and gets more attention.

BUT after doing more research on the aftermarket for the 5.0 I have to correct my old statement. Apparently Ford over-achieved on this engine and actually had to be very conservative on the tune so as not to **** off the Shelby GT500 guys. A tune is having a major impact on this cars, as well as a cold air intake. Apparently a tune, CAI, and light exhaust work gets the 5.0 to run just as fast as a stock 2010 GT500. $2K in mods to run low 12's is fuggin awesome. I'm pretty sold on the 5.0. The only thing that may sway me is if Mazda pulls something crazy with the new RXX.

 

If anyone hasn't seen the Saleen Motorsports 5.0, go check it out. Thing looks absolutely gorgeous, not just for a Mustang. Not sure how much it costs but usually Saleen Mustangs are pretty over-priced. You could buy the separate body mods for less I'm pretty sure. I swear this 5.0 is going to turn me into a Mustang fanboy lol. Hope Mazda steps their game up as much as Ford has done lately.

 

the stang can be a head turner too
my gf has a '06 Stang that we have decked out! not the GT 5.0 but looks bada$$
slate blue w/ black racing stripes, custom headlights, sequential blinker kit, louvers, custom blinkers, lower lip...the list goes on and on...asthetically you can make them look better than any car on the road but performance wise it sucks!!!
the RX-8 will smoke it everytime right out the gate and the long stretches...cant say the same for the 5.0
it will however outrun the Camero RS

 

Pretty mean.

 

Too bad the new and improved Mustang still handles like ***.

How do I know? My very good friend has a 5.0 and loves it, but admits it seriously needs a brake and suspension upgrade out of the chute.

The motor is the redeeming value of the car, and wtf Ford, quit making lame excuses as to why you've stuck with a live rear axle - you let the bean counters win again, ********!

 

It handled great when I drove it and apparently it handles just as well as a BMW M3. Maybe not as poised as the BMW, but an extra 30 grand is a lot to spend on driver feeling. I have heard the brakes aren't that good, even the Brembo upgrades when it comes to the track. I still think its a great car and pretty much the only sports car I would buy for $30K these days. Haven't driven a Camaro SS yet but from what I've constantly heard, the 5.0 is going to be the better drive.

Imagine if Ford finally decided to put IRS in the Mustang. It would probably gain a couple hundred pounds and be a bit more expensive. Hmm...what car also weighs about 3,800 lbs, has over 400 bhp, and costs $31K? THE CAMARO SS! If Ford put IRS on the 5.0 there would basically be no difference in the 2 cars and Ford would probably lose its fan base from basically just copying Chevy. The 5.0 is fine as it is. I'm excited to see what the Boss suspension upgrades will bring along with the more aggressive cams and racing intake manifold.

The SLA works. I was no fan of it either when I drove the older stangs but they are different in the 5.0. Yes, there will be a drop in handling when switching from an RX8. Did you really expect it not to happen? But it is still sports car handling. The V6 2011's have pulled .95G on a skidpad. Several people have switched from their brand new 370Z's to the 5.0 and have been perfectly happy with the suspension.

 

^^^ So who are you trying to convince...yourself...???

Go out Bloody Buy one if you think they are so great, but Shut up about it...lol...

You can talk Blue in the face about its "great handling", but a Live Rear Axle will Never Compete with IRS, gee a 1971 Mazda RX-2, 1974 RX-4, 1985 RX-5 had a live Rear Axle and was considered "great" in their time, what became " Much better" was Datsun's 1600 IRS.

 

^I'm saving as fast as I can

 

I agree with Red though... a lot of people instantly dismiss the mustang because of the poor handling seen in some of the previous models and the fact that it still has a live axel.

People just need to reach a point of realism. It's not the best handling in the world, and no one would logically argue that. It is, however, reasonably good enough to be considered good at handling. It's not going to be the best choice for everyone, but to dismiss a car that has had surprisingly, and consistently, good reviews without driving it yourself is not the most logical way to approach things. It's not the best car in the world and is definitely not going to be for everyone, but they've managed to reach a point where it has more than passable handling.

I'd like to see how it runs against the 8 on a course. On a tight enough design, the 8 would probably win, but I think the mustang would have a pretty good chance on a fairly balanced course.

 

It all depends what's important to you Red Rex. If the M3 just won over the Mustang in one comparison, good for the Mustang, it's a bargain. In lap times and performance /dollar spent.

But in a handling comparison, the RX-8 won over the M3 in another comparison. Go Figure. What wins in any comparison is what they test for and focus on.

You go for what get's you hot and happy....whatever it is. But globally trying to say one is better or superior (on all counts) is a waste of breath, isn't it? It all too obvious that's what you've been trying to do for what..like a couple months now?

Why no just accept and be happy that nothing is perfect..and some things are good at certain things they do...and leave it at that. After all, you aren't educating us...we know what up!!

 

Yeah it's not all about raw performance numbers for 99% of the buyers. You can have the fastest Neon in the world, in the end your still driving a Neon. In addition, numbers don't mean **** when most people do not have the driving ability nor will they ever put their car in a situation where they would get close to pushing their car that hard. I know plenty of 8 drivers that just cruise and rarely drive their cars hard.

 

I don't want to beat a dead horse (no pun), but while the new Ford V6 and V8 offerings in the Mustang are impressive in terms of torque/hp/efficiency (and also the soundtrack and refinement of the 5.0 is pretty amazing, IMO), I can't comprehend why Ford can't AT MINIMUM allow for an independent rear suspension OPTION.

I mean, c'mon, it should be standard, as it would cost no more than $500 to bake it in the cake, so again, it's a bizarre win for the bean counters over FordMoCo loyalists and those who might just buy the Stang if it did have an independent suspension all around.

I admit my bias against Ford given my ****-poor experience as a customer of Ford with respect to two different Fords I owned, including a early 90's era 5.0 Mustang LX (I LOATHE Ford Dealerships and their service departments), so I put that bias up front for all to see.

But I can't and therefore won't deny that the new 5.0 from Ford is a spectacular motor.

It deserves a thoroughly modern and proper chassis to compliment it.

I love my 8, have had NO problems with it, it runs exactly like it did when it was brand new (steering and suspension are day 1 tight; no degradation, which is amazing in itself), it is an amazing handling car, and a comfortable daily driver, but if Mazda just managed to get 50 more HP and pound ft of torque into the RX8 - not 100, but just 50 - think of what it could do on the track...

 

Well again, Ford tried to introduce a Mustang with IRS (Terminators) and the buyers hated it. People were constantly breaking their IRS at the drag strip doing launches. Aside from the current advantages (cheaper, lighter, better power transfer) I think Ford is sticking to it out of tradition and the "told ya so" factor. Everyone thought Porsche was retarded for putting their engines behind the rear wheels and...yeah

 

I don't understand why so many keep bashing the Mustang's handling. If you're gonna compare it to the 8, of course it doesn't handle as well, but the 8 is probably the best handling car in the ~30k price range, so pretty much anything else is a downgrade but I don't think the difference is as much as everyone wants it to be. What the mustang gives up in handling it more than makes up with torque, hp, and even mpg.

 

and some people just dont like mustangs