Talk to me about s197s

[Venom351R]

Have you considered Subaru's? They are very realiable but will get a little less gas mileage b/c of the AWD or less if you get a turbo model. I try to get good MPG with mine all the time but boost = fun

On a side note then can be more expensive to repair if something does go wrong but that is common for any non American brand car. But if your set on an S197 you should be able to find something that is fairly decent for around 8K

 

[SoCal_Nick]

I think a 2004 V-6 makes a great daily driver. Its very fast on the freeway and the 5-speed gets good mpg. The parts are cheaper than any Honda parts. You can give it a racer look. Think top speed over acceleration.

Also for a non-ford DD i would recommend a Toyota Corolla over any Honda. Gets way better mileage than a Honda and way cheaper parts. And you can buy one made in the US. Also I remember somthing about an engine block issue on 05-12 Honda Civics. Something about an engine plug(left over hole from casting process) might burst! They extended everyones engine warranty to solve it.

The 2005 does have a great body-style, but I dont think its a long term car (V6). You could get it, but be prepared to sell it soon.

 

[Goldmember]

I drove an S197 V6 when I was looking for my GT last summer. '05, 5-speed, low miles. My impressions were: good low-end (it is the old Explorer motor after all), shifter decent for stock unit, car definitely felt more composed than my '04 does (stiffer chassis). Seats and interior fit me better but the build quality was maybe a hair better than my GT. '05's also had issues with water leaks through the cowl into the interior. The SN95 3.8 is respectable, drove a 2000 V6 5-speed and I didn't exactly hate it. Then again, who wants a V6 after a GT let alone a Termi?

Put it this way, I went back to an SN95 GT with some miles but one-owner, no wrecks, and I DD it no issue. I'm seeing 18-19 MPG which isn't too bad since my commute is only 10 miles one way.

 

[Saint]

Wouldn't even buy the 5.0 s197

I have my reasons

Would DD one though

 

[bakerjd]

Ok everyone, Ive been thinking about getting a v6 s197 for a DD. are they good on gas? are they dependable cars? will they last a long time? what do you hate/love about them!

I love my S197. The difference in the V6 model vs. the GT outside of the obvious 2 cylinder upgrade is a beefier suspension in the GT. No rear sway bars in the V6 and the rear end is not up to par but far from poor. I think the interior is much better in my '06 than my '04 personally. Just more space and seemingly more refined. The 11+ interior is FAR superior to both. They don't really do much better as far as MPG but are surely a dependable car. There are quite a few members on MustangForums with well over 150k miles...one has a supercharged setup on a stock block over 200k! They are very well built. If you could I would try for a '07+ though...early years had some issues that were worked out later in the platform.

 

[twovalveterror]

if you can only have one car, they are a good compromise. I have a couple buddies who own s197 sixxers. nice and peppy to drive, handle well, and get high 20's low 30's depending on commute and driving style.

but if you already have a mustang, why compromise the benefits of a good dd just to get another mustang? my dd gets 35 mpg, is just as fast(er) than the mustang, and is a good bit of fun to drive. it also has a decent backseat, and is front wheel drive so it behaves in the snow.

if you want to drive a mustang, get in your mustang. if you want to drive your dd, get in your dd. you will already have the best of both worlds, so there is no need to compromise with a v6 mustang.

I'm very tired, so I'm not sure if this is a coherent argument. I'll check on it tomorrow and edit as needed.