Pontiac G6 GTP Coupe VERSUS Ford Mustang GT VERSUS Nissan Altima Coupe 3.5

[roguechameleon]

Like the title says... which car should I get?

[VivienM]

Brand new?

[roguechameleon]

Yes..

2008 Altima Coupe
2007 Mustang GT
2007 G6 GTP

[ES_Revenge]

I would like to say none of them, but if it has to be these choices I would probably somehow end up picking the Mustang.

The current G6 GTP with the LY7 (3.6L DOHC) is better than the old one with the LZ9 (3900) but it's more than just the engine that makes that car a little less than it should be. It's bulky, heavy, and though it's nice it just should have been a better car IMO. It's not a wonder that the GTP model doesn't sell all that well (or at least I haven't seen many of them).

The Altima Coupe is kinda ugly if you ask me--I actually like the sedan better, but that's just me. The venerable Nissan 3.5L updated for 270hp is nice as well, but something about that car just doesn't do it for me. Maybe I've just driven way too many of them, I don't know. Nissan's use of push-button ignition is a little gimmicky if you ask me; their use of Bose "premium" sound systems is as well (though other manufacturers are just as guilty of this). I don't think it's all that bad, but I do like the sedan better--personally I think the coupe has been far too hyped up for what it is.

Mustang GT seems to be the better choice here. Seems to sell well enough (not that sales mean all that much but they do mean something), looks pretty nice, great power (not so hot fuel economy as I'm sure all the crazy Yaris drivers will tell you soon enough), rear drive, and there's probably a pretty good aftermarket for it as well, being a Mustang :) Though I've never really been a fan of Ford, I'd still pick the Mustang given these choices.

[roguechameleon]

Thanks for your indepth opinions EP!

The Mustang has found itself back on my radar screen mainly because of the family/friends program that Ford is running now:

http://www.ford.ca/main/default.asp?language=en&section=48&menuoff=1

If you punch in the values for a Mustang, this is what you get:

†Total MSRP: $37,849
FORD FAMILY PRICE: $33,514
Delivery Allowance: $ 0
*Final Ford Family Plan Price: $33,514

That is over $4000 off the MSRP!! How can you not give this a second look? :)

[Sohjonn]

what are you looking for in a car? find out whatyou need and prioritize them. then compare the vehicles to see if which has the most of your requirements and choose that one if it's within your budget.

[roguechameleon]

I know that I'm looking for a coupe that is fun to drive, and falls in the $30K to $35K range. All three of this cars have the exterior styling I like, and I can get good deals on all of them.

I was hoping to gauge opinions from the people who visit this forum to better understand any positive or negative points of each car that I may not be aware of.

For example, I just found out that the Altima requires premium fuel. Something like that will be ongoing cost that exceeds that of the G6 and Mustang. On the flip side, the Mustang will absolutely require snow tires given it is rear wheel drive. And, the G6 has a very basic interior without too many bells/whistles.

Decisions... Decisions...

[VivienM]

And, the G6 has a very basic interior without too many bells/whistles.

What do you mean by bells/whistles? It should have auto climate, heated leather seats, etc., no?

[Gogi]

Def. the Altima coupe. Class & Style...Mustang ? :arrowd: :arrowd:

[TheFuteballer]

Def. the Altima coupe. Class & Style...Mustang ? :arrowd: :arrowd:

i agree... plus i just hate american cars :arrowd: :arrowd:

[frogger]

Front wheel drive VERSUS Rear wheel Drive, figure out which one you prefer/drive them all first.

[roguechameleon]

What do you mean by bells/whistles? It should have auto climate, heated leather seats, etc., no?

Yes, it does, you're right... and to be honest, I haven't even sat in the car. All of my current opinions are based on what I've read and what I've been told. I plan on test driving all 3 cars at the end of the month.

Front wheel drive VERSUS Rear wheel Drive, figure out which one you prefer/drive them all first.

True enough. In general.. is it better to just stay away from Rear Wheel Drive for winter driving though?

[KawaiiTentacleBeast]

Live Axle = Drift King. :lol:

http://www.knfilters.com/images/press/VGittin1.jpg

[roguechameleon]

How much of an impact does the "live rear axle" suspension impact the drivability of a mustang day-to-day? Can anyone speak from experience here?

[Zaku_4]

the only gripe i have with american cars are that they are old technology

i mean honestly, 2007 and it still uses a live axle? jesssssus.

the fit and finish of the altima, though not that great to begin with, is STILL better than the mustang. have u seen the "leather" seats in those stangs?

then again, something about that mustang GT is just alluring... its so classical yet modern. without those fogs, it looks kinda reallllly ugly.

not many american cars turn my crank, but this one does.

is a GT stang cheaper than a 3.5se/sl altima coupe?

[roguechameleon]

then again, something about that mustang GT is just alluring...

See? That's the thing. And, now Ford's family pricing makes the car as affordable as it's ever going to be.

[roguechameleon]

is a GT stang cheaper than a 3.5se/sl altima coupe?

The Ford's family plan gets me the car at dealer cost. Through my company, I can get the Nissan at 2% above cost.... so at the end of the day, they're both going to come in around $33,000.

[VivienM]

the only gripe i have with american cars are that they are old technology

i mean honestly, 2007 and it still uses a live axle? jesssssus.


And the gripe I have with import fanboys is how they continually generalize.

There are exactly THREE non-truck/SUV domestic cars with live axles on the market: Ford Mustang, Ford/Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car (I'm not counting the Crown Vic because you can't get new retail Crown Vics in Canada).

Three. Out of... how many... models of cars offered by the three domestic automakers? Do you want me to give you a list so you can count them yourself?

[roguechameleon]

And the gripe I have with import fanboys is how they continually generalize.

There are exactly THREE non-truck/SUV domestic cars with live axles on the market: Ford Mustang, Ford/Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car (I'm not counting the Crown Vic because you can't get new retail Crown Vics in Canada).

Three. Out of... how many... models of cars offered by the three domestic automakers? Do you want me to give you a list so you can count them yourself?

Easy Easy Easy... :)

It is true that the Mustang doesn't use the newer Independant Rear Suspension (IRS). From what I've read, the reasons surround wanting to keep the Mustang close to it's roots. I can respect that.

Given I've never (knowingly) driven a car without an IRS, I'm trying to ascertain what the driving experience is.

[VivienM]

It is true that the Mustang doesn't use the newer Independant Rear Suspension (IRS). From what I've read, the reasons surround wanting to keep the Mustang close to it's roots. I can respect that.

Given I've never (knowingly) driven a car without an IRS, I'm trying to ascertain what the driving experience is.

No, the reason is that they wanted to keep the price down... and most Mustang buyers don't care.

I can't comment on live axles because I haven't experienced one in a Mustang. I can tell you that they're a disaster in more comfort-oriented cars (e.g. Town Car, GMC Envoy), though, because in order to keep the ride smooth, they end up making it WAY too floaty (and I like comfy big cars... ). But I doubt they'd do that on a sports car like the Mustang.

[Zaku_4]

And the gripe I have with import fanboys is how they continually generalize.

There are exactly THREE non-truck/SUV domestic cars with live axles on the market: Ford Mustang, Ford/Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car (I'm not counting the Crown Vic because you can't get new retail Crown Vics in Canada).

Three. Out of... how many... models of cars offered by the three domestic automakers? Do you want me to give you a list so you can count them yourself?

and how many of the THREE that use a live axle am i even slightly interested in :rolleyes:

[roguechameleon]

and how many of the THREE that use a live axle am i even slightly interested in :rolleyes:

As entertaining as it would be for the two of you to piss on each other's posts... I'd rather keep this thread ontopic.

[nofear_102]

Easy Easy Easy... :)

It is true that the Mustang doesn't use the newer Independant Rear Suspension (IRS). From what I've read, the reasons surround wanting to keep the Mustang close to it's roots. I can respect that.

Given I've never (knowingly) driven a car without an IRS, I'm trying to ascertain what the driving experience is.

My understanding was that the previous generation mustang went to IRS and this caused a lot of negative feedback by the mustang enthusiasts...Why? Because a powerful rear-wheel drive car can experience wheel hop off the line (i.e. performance draw-back). Given this I believe the choice was made for performance vs comfort....

[roguechameleon]

Given this I believe the choice was made for performance vs comfort....

How uncomfortable does this make the car?

[ES_Revenge]

the only gripe i have with american cars are that they are old technology
Are you joking? Yes on this particular issue a live axle isn't exactly what would be considered current. However do you know how many fronts American manufacturers have been far ahead of import manufacturers on, in terms of technology? I hate to say it but you aren't only just falsely generalising, but it sounds like you don't know anything about what you're talking about [cars] either...

Make no mistake both American and non-American car companies have pioneered many different technologies. Saying that American cars have old technology you're either living in a dreamworld or just pretending that's the case. It certainly has no basis in fact.

[MrDisco]

since you mentioned the premium fuel for the altima, don't forget to factor in insurance costs.

[ES_Revenge]

How uncomfortable does this make the car?

Not really uncomfortable per se. It's more a handling issue. Typically a car with an independent rear end will handle/behave better in curves and over rough/bumpy surfaces than will a car without and independent rear.

How much experience have you had driving these three cars anyway? You should definitely take them for test drives if you haven't already, to see which you really prefer. The Mustang is the only one with a non independent rear end in this group. How much that affects you, though, is dependent on your driving. Most people don't drive hard enough or encounter all that many situations where the live axle is going to be that big of a deal. The car is a rear driver with a good bit of horsepower though, which does make the car a different car to drive. That's why I suggested driving them as much as you can before you make a decision.

I would hope the Mustang comes with stability control (I'm not sure if it does or does not), which would be quite useful particularly in a rear driver. It's not really better to stay away from RWD in winter (there is at least some myth to that). RWD can easily be defended in winter, just as easily as people pooh-pooh it for winter conditions. It's just that the latter is much more common nowadays because the majority of people are driving FWD cars and their experience with rear drivers is either limited or non existent. People in general don't really understand traction all that well...

Use of controls like throttle, brakes, and steering wheel are usually related to simple "gas = go/speed up", "brake=slow down/stop", "wheel=turning" for most people. And that kind of thinking works in FWD in winter most of the time, because of the nature of a front drive vehicle. When someone gets in a rear drive vehicle and applies the same thing to the car, the result can be much different!

That said, in terms of getting stuck in snow, the Nissan Altima is no stranger to that either, LOL. It's relatively high horsepower, high-revving nature engine, combined with stock all seasons can easily leave you spinning a wheel and going nowhere. Not say as easily as a G35 or 350Z but still pretty easily.

Without having to say more, you should probably read up a little bit on the differences in dymamics between FWD and RWD and perhaps look at the advantages and disadvantages. And definitely, drive the cars to get a better feel for them.

[roguechameleon]

Wow! Thanks so much for your response ES!

Looks like I should just get behind the wheels of these cars and try them out.

[V A N Q U I S H]

I stand exactly where ES_Revenge stands with the Mustang and Altima. I haven't bothered looking at the G6, drove a friend's one briefly in a parking lot and didn't like it (the design was a big turn off from the start).

[roguechameleon]

I stand exactly where ES_Revenge stands with the Mustang and Altima. I haven't bothered looking at the G6, drove a friend's one briefly in a parking lot and didn't like it (the design was a big turn off from the start).

Really? I genuinly do like the styling of the G6 Coupe... especially with the factor installed hammerhead spoiler. I think Pontiac finally made a few steps forward with this car.

[V A N Q U I S H]

Sorry, I thought for some reason that we were talking about the G6 sedan. The coupe doesn't really do it for me either. But it's your money, don't let anyone else's preference have too much bearing on your purchase.

[roguechameleon]

But it's your money, don't let anyone else's preference have too much bearing on your purchase.

Absolutely.... I appreciate your advice.

[kleptodathief]

i'd get the FASTEST car but its ur money! how much r gonna dish out? not a bimmer fan? :?: