I have a '96 GT and an '02 SVTF. My husband has a '96 cobra and we love all of them. I would hate to have to make a choice between any of them because they all have their pros and cons. Good luck in your decision. I would have a really hard time!!!:thumbsup:
SVT Focus or New GT?
- Thread starter 2003BlkSVTL
- Start date
i gotta alot to say on this subject 
first off all... yeah the srt-4 performance specs are better than the SVT's. however. the svt is a better overall package... its not a NEON. no matter what u say. its a neon. plus its a turbo. and personally im not a fan of turbos. im a n/a or supercharged fan. turbos run too hott. n' i hate that lag. interior quality on the neon is really poor as well, and all in all it just feels like a soooped up neon.
i own a 2002 blck SVTF. 3 months after i bought it and hammered on it i went out to bob bondurant's school of high performance driving in AZ. there i drove their Mustang GT's which were not street legal and decked with all the racing goodies including suspension mods. WOW do they handle like a truck. id expect a higher horsepower RWD car to oversteer rather than push corners. it feels like ur driving a big heavy car with a lot of body roll. plus the SVTF is a hatchback, its alot more realistic for every day commuting. its easier to fit 5 people in, u can fold the rear seats down and load it up with LOTS of stuff, better gas mileage, handles alot better, interior quality is better, its an SVT and u dont see much of the SVTF on the road. its original and a badass :-D the only reason id get a GT is if u were some big drag racer fan.
go with the SVTF, u wont regret it.
first off all... yeah the srt-4 performance specs are better than the SVT's. however. the svt is a better overall package... its not a NEON. no matter what u say. its a neon. plus its a turbo. and personally im not a fan of turbos. im a n/a or supercharged fan. turbos run too hott. n' i hate that lag. interior quality on the neon is really poor as well, and all in all it just feels like a soooped up neon. i own a 2002 blck SVTF. 3 months after i bought it and hammered on it i went out to bob bondurant's school of high performance driving in AZ. there i drove their Mustang GT's which were not street legal and decked with all the racing goodies including suspension mods. WOW do they handle like a truck. id expect a higher horsepower RWD car to oversteer rather than push corners. it feels like ur driving a big heavy car with a lot of body roll. plus the SVTF is a hatchback, its alot more realistic for every day commuting. its easier to fit 5 people in, u can fold the rear seats down and load it up with LOTS of stuff, better gas mileage, handles alot better, interior quality is better, its an SVT and u dont see much of the SVTF on the road. its original and a badass :-D the only reason id get a GT is if u were some big drag racer fan.
go with the SVTF, u wont regret it.
SVTF all the way! :thumbsup:
1. HID lights are by far the best thing at night. I can't tell you how many times I get brighted. I simply bright them back and see them swerve off the road.:lol: Plus, HID's on a sub 20k car
2. Heated seats, heated mirrors, engine block heater (I don't even need that).
3. Audiophile 9006 radio-6 disk in-dash player with an 8inch sub. My 28k Passat I had only had a tape deck:cuss:
4. 4 doors and a hatch with 7300 redline=:burnout: I can put 4 full size adults in this thing and be comfortable.
5. 17 inch wheels on a sub 20k car with Contisport tires-Are you kidding me I only paid 17,500-Pinch me
6. My one gripe-The low power under 2500 rpm's:cuss:
As far as the SRT-4 (street/road/track 4 cylinder) sweet car for under 20k, BUT you don't get half of the things I mentioned above. You get a small car with a massaged engine and nice seats. Thats it. You pay for the engine without anything else. Ford did a great job of doing a full circle car in the SVTF. Dollar for dollar it is tough car to beat. Remember, SVTF has won many comparos since it came out.
My $.02 hope it helps.
1. HID lights are by far the best thing at night. I can't tell you how many times I get brighted. I simply bright them back and see them swerve off the road.:lol: Plus, HID's on a sub 20k car
2. Heated seats, heated mirrors, engine block heater (I don't even need that).
3. Audiophile 9006 radio-6 disk in-dash player with an 8inch sub. My 28k Passat I had only had a tape deck:cuss:
4. 4 doors and a hatch with 7300 redline=:burnout: I can put 4 full size adults in this thing and be comfortable.
5. 17 inch wheels on a sub 20k car with Contisport tires-Are you kidding me I only paid 17,500-Pinch me
6. My one gripe-The low power under 2500 rpm's:cuss:
As far as the SRT-4 (street/road/track 4 cylinder) sweet car for under 20k, BUT you don't get half of the things I mentioned above. You get a small car with a massaged engine and nice seats. Thats it. You pay for the engine without anything else. Ford did a great job of doing a full circle car in the SVTF. Dollar for dollar it is tough car to beat. Remember, SVTF has won many comparos since it came out.
My $.02 hope it helps.
"its easier to fit 5 people in, u can fold the rear seats down and load it up with LOTS of stuff, better gas mileage, "
I have to agree with the room in the SVTF and there is definately NO room in the GTs. Not only is there no leg room but in the coupes if you are an adult you will hit your head on the back because it is so low. :cuss: The converts are just as bad but you don't have to worry about hitting your head.
As for gas mileage I really think it is a toss up. You have to put premium in the SVTF and I only get about 21 MPG and in my GT I don't have to use premium and get about 24 MPG. The best gas mileage I have gotten so far in the SVTF is 26 MPG and that is by shifting from first to third and keeping the RPM under 2500. :shrug:
Is anybody else getting good gas mileage with the SVTF and if so what are you doing to get it?
I have to agree with the room in the SVTF and there is definately NO room in the GTs. Not only is there no leg room but in the coupes if you are an adult you will hit your head on the back because it is so low. :cuss: The converts are just as bad but you don't have to worry about hitting your head.
As for gas mileage I really think it is a toss up. You have to put premium in the SVTF and I only get about 21 MPG and in my GT I don't have to use premium and get about 24 MPG. The best gas mileage I have gotten so far in the SVTF is 26 MPG and that is by shifting from first to third and keeping the RPM under 2500. :shrug:
Is anybody else getting good gas mileage with the SVTF and if so what are you doing to get it?
Gas mileage
I get 300-320 miles to the fill up, but I don't drive it like I stole it either. The car is too new:-D I run each gear but I don't hit each shift like I'm racing at the drag. I try and kepp rpm's around 2500 to 3000 while driving. Unless of course I'm going down the on-ramp or some idiot Honda wants some:nono: :loser: I'm just having fun with this car. My last car was a VW Passat with the turbo. It took forever to get used to the lag, but b/c of that I don't mind much of the low power in the SVTF below 2500 rpms. It almost works the same slow then POW you have power.:rolling: My $.02 again
Dan
I get 300-320 miles to the fill up, but I don't drive it like I stole it either. The car is too new:-D I run each gear but I don't hit each shift like I'm racing at the drag. I try and kepp rpm's around 2500 to 3000 while driving. Unless of course I'm going down the on-ramp or some idiot Honda wants some:nono: :loser: I'm just having fun with this car. My last car was a VW Passat with the turbo. It took forever to get used to the lag, but b/c of that I don't mind much of the low power in the SVTF below 2500 rpms. It almost works the same slow then POW you have power.:rolling: My $.02 again
Dan
Thanks for the info. I get max 280 on a fill up and that is driving very conservatively. When I drive it normally going through all the gears I get a max 235 on a full tank. I have 8100 miles on the car and am wondering if there is some explanation to the low mileage I am getting. I read in one of the mustang magazines that the guy was getting 300 to 370 on a full tank and that was with running the air. I would hate to see what my mileage is when running the air. :gt:
I traded a 00 v6 mustang for my svtf, and I love it. I really wanted an 03 Cobra but just had a baby and it wasnt very praticle right now. The svtf is a blast to drive, and i really want to get a supercharger to help it out in the power area (The only thing the car is really missing IMHO). As far as gas mileage, i dont really pay attention how many miles I drove since i last filled up. I fill up about every week, however I cant seen to keep my foot off the floor most of the time (thank god for radar/ laser detectors) LOL Just my .02.:rolling:
Just my .02.:rolling:I just went from 03 SVT Focus to 03 Cobra 10th Anniversary.
I liked alot of things about the SVT Focus and it was so close to being a very good car, but the lack of power drove me mad.
Sure drive it at 4,000 RPM's and it is plenty fast, but god forbid you get a bad launch (not talking wheelspin just normal driving) and you are virtually bogging for seconds until there is any power. Also there was something about the lack of power combined with the gearing that made me dislike it very much.
Whenever I would make a turn I would slow down and turn and then try to give it some power through the turn but there was NONE bcause I was only doing 2,00 RPM's in 2nd at that point.
I loved the things it has that my Cobra doesn't like HID's, heated seats, moonroof, steering wheel controls for stereo, but was frustrated by the lack of power.
Then I looked into the JRSC super charger for it and was dissapointed that (if I remember correctly) those still pulled high 14's low 15's in the quarter. I felt it was not a big enough improvement for the money.
So if you are concerned about power avoid the SVT-Focus and get a GT. If that doesn't concern you and you want the versatility, features and such get teh SVT Focus.
Dan
I liked alot of things about the SVT Focus and it was so close to being a very good car, but the lack of power drove me mad.
Sure drive it at 4,000 RPM's and it is plenty fast, but god forbid you get a bad launch (not talking wheelspin just normal driving) and you are virtually bogging for seconds until there is any power. Also there was something about the lack of power combined with the gearing that made me dislike it very much.
Whenever I would make a turn I would slow down and turn and then try to give it some power through the turn but there was NONE bcause I was only doing 2,00 RPM's in 2nd at that point.
I loved the things it has that my Cobra doesn't like HID's, heated seats, moonroof, steering wheel controls for stereo, but was frustrated by the lack of power.
Then I looked into the JRSC super charger for it and was dissapointed that (if I remember correctly) those still pulled high 14's low 15's in the quarter. I felt it was not a big enough improvement for the money.
So if you are concerned about power avoid the SVT-Focus and get a GT. If that doesn't concern you and you want the versatility, features and such get teh SVT Focus.
Dan
a agree with what he said ^^^ alot. about the mileage deal. i get between 220-260 per tank depending on how i drive it, which most likely isnt very nicely:fm: my best mileage was like 360 i think coming back from gingerman to chicago and then puttin around town., i averaged like 75mph. i may be off on the exact number but it was mid high 300s. havent hit it since. mileage isnt as good as i wished but hell, since its a light car, it still gets pretty good mileage when ur constantly having the throttle to the floor.:-D
Looked an a Lancer EVO 8 today at a dealer, it had the highest dealer markup I have EVER seen. Get this $7999.99 !!! That is not a typo.
I'd probably go with the GT myself... but thats just my opinion... As far as gas milage goes, if the SOHC 4.6 gets as good a gas milage as my dads 92 5.0 gets... then 25 to 30 MPG isnt that bad for having a performance V8...
Granted like others have mentioned, you'll have to sacrifice handling if you go the way of the Mustang GT... but im more of a straight line guy anyway so Im afriad my opinion is a tad bias.
Anyway they're both fords, good quality vehicles. Both cars have there fun traits :beer:
Granted like others have mentioned, you'll have to sacrifice handling if you go the way of the Mustang GT... but im more of a straight line guy anyway so Im afriad my opinion is a tad bias.
Anyway they're both fords, good quality vehicles. Both cars have there fun traits :beer:
Tony_Montana87
BANNED!
Well i also have this lil " Conflict " on witch car to get for my frist car in about a month or so. Im 16 been driving since 13 w/ parents. My main choices are a Lightning, Mach 1 or a SVTF 3door. A Cobra maybe but its pretty expensive and kinda dangerous for me. I will have my dar as a daily driver to school/work and just crusing around town with the friends.
About the mileage man o man i bet you if somebody would have asked you if you care about gas mileage a year or 2 back you would have said naw, but now i see the 2.50/gallon is really getting to your wallets, its 50 bucks to refill my EXPEDTION!! i can imagine a Cobra or Lightning gobling up my gas and my money!! but ya im kinda stuck between these choices:
SVTF: Better MPG, Better Handling, better for beginer driver like me, better insurance and overall price.
Mach1: Nice HP and TQ. Dont know about handling, good for advanced drivers, insurance so so, and 25k give or take a grand is pretty good for this stang.
Lightning: Very nice for a truck, handling is nice too ( test drove one already!) safer in a car accident for me, and 30k i think is awsome for a truck
Now for the Cons:
SVTF: Not anywhere close to a Mach 1 performance wise, dosent really deserve a SVT Badge(only 170 HP i say bump it up for 200 at least!!!) not enough juice!
Mach1: might be too much power for me to control! Mileage less then average with the gas prices how they are today. insurance may be a bit high. Heard some bad things about handling with stangs.
Lightning: Also might be to much power for me to handle. Mileage is horbile! Insurance may want 2k+ to add me to the list! Handling bad compared to cars.
Im also considering a Lancer Evo. its quick enough to run with the CObras and can out run a SVTF on the twisties as well, and the price is nice. Turbo kills it though...
About the mileage man o man i bet you if somebody would have asked you if you care about gas mileage a year or 2 back you would have said naw, but now i see the 2.50/gallon is really getting to your wallets, its 50 bucks to refill my EXPEDTION!! i can imagine a Cobra or Lightning gobling up my gas and my money!! but ya im kinda stuck between these choices:
SVTF: Better MPG, Better Handling, better for beginer driver like me, better insurance and overall price.
Mach1: Nice HP and TQ. Dont know about handling, good for advanced drivers, insurance so so, and 25k give or take a grand is pretty good for this stang.
Lightning: Very nice for a truck, handling is nice too ( test drove one already!) safer in a car accident for me, and 30k i think is awsome for a truck
Now for the Cons:
SVTF: Not anywhere close to a Mach 1 performance wise, dosent really deserve a SVT Badge(only 170 HP i say bump it up for 200 at least!!!) not enough juice!
Mach1: might be too much power for me to control! Mileage less then average with the gas prices how they are today. insurance may be a bit high. Heard some bad things about handling with stangs.
Lightning: Also might be to much power for me to handle. Mileage is horbile! Insurance may want 2k+ to add me to the list! Handling bad compared to cars.
Im also considering a Lancer Evo. its quick enough to run with the CObras and can out run a SVTF on the twisties as well, and the price is nice. Turbo kills it though...
Tony_Montana87
BANNED!
Well like i said the SVTF dose'nt have enough power i think to have a SVT Badge. Anybody know if there is a increasement in speed and power from the SVTF to a 98 and 00 EXPedtion? or a 97 F-150. THese are the cars i drive daily. If the SVTF cant beat this, im goin with the GT or the Mach 1. I need something that can get me passed the slow driver and passed my friends 95 TOYOTA Pickup.
So tell me: was the Contour worth the badge? If you say no, I will destroy any asnine reason you come up with.Facts:
The Focus is faster than your Expeditions by at least 2-3 seconds in the 1/4. Accelerates to 60mph faster as well.
The Focus is faster than your truck.
Your Focus will pass the pickup and swerve back into your lane better than any car out there.
You don't buy a Focus for the strip: you buy it for the road track where it shines.
Originally posted by Scoriox
Facts:
The Focus is faster than your Expeditions by at least 2-3 seconds in the 1/4. Accelerates to 60mph faster as well.
The Focus is faster than your truck.
Your Focus will pass the pickup and swerve back into your lane better than any car out there.
You don't buy a Focus for the strip: you buy it for the road track where it shines.
AMEN!:beer: and FYI pal, its more than just about power. first off, the SVT focus is a 7.2 or 7.4 0-60 i believe. its no rocket ship. a WRX for example isa 5.8 or so to 60? last time i was up at an open track event at gingerman, i passed all 3 WRXs out there.... it handles better, and has better top end. if ur all about going in a straight line, why would u get a focus, get a lightning or a mach1. if u want a car thats actually practical get a SVTF. it can comfertably seat 4-5 people. it wont SUCK in the snow, (if u get any where u live), and u can actually load it with stuff (the lightning can too but not a mach 1). anywhoo... another thing. the svtf's top end speed and handling are where it shines like he said... it sure pulls on the highway from 60-125 very well.. in fact i kept up with my friends subaru STI from 90-120. i stayed on his bumper and he came up to me after and says "crap dude ur car can pull!"
About the SVT Focus not deserving the SVT Badge I say....
You don't know crap.
I just won the autocross at the SVTOA experience and I ran against many Cobras, Lightnings, a supercharged Miata, and other Foci. Some of the cars were modified for track use too. I had the best time for the day and I just got the car 2 weeks ago. Oh and I've never autocrossed before.
This car rocks in the handling department - SVT is not just about horsepower.
Oh and I drove 2.5 hours to get to the track day and ran quarter miles and autocrossed until I was too tired, then drove back 2.5 hours all on one tank of gas. Average 25mpg.
All I can say is wow.
You don't know crap.
I just won the autocross at the SVTOA experience and I ran against many Cobras, Lightnings, a supercharged Miata, and other Foci. Some of the cars were modified for track use too. I had the best time for the day and I just got the car 2 weeks ago. Oh and I've never autocrossed before.
This car rocks in the handling department - SVT is not just about horsepower.
Oh and I drove 2.5 hours to get to the track day and ran quarter miles and autocrossed until I was too tired, then drove back 2.5 hours all on one tank of gas. Average 25mpg.
All I can say is wow.
what was your best 1/4mile time? out of curiousity. and what was the temp etc
The focus averages better than 25mpg doesnt it? Thats about what my dads 5.0 with 300 thousand miles on it gets.
The Foci were running 16.0 to 16.5. temp was in the 80s with high humidity (south carolina)
CobraBro, if you're looking at my 25mpg that was with racing on the same tank of gas. I ran a full day of racing and 5 hours of highway driving on a single tank. The Cobra guys had to fill up at the track and on the way home.
I get 33-35 on the highway - 21-25 in town. My car is still under 2K miles.
CobraBro, if you're looking at my 25mpg that was with racing on the same tank of gas. I ran a full day of racing and 5 hours of highway driving on a single tank. The Cobra guys had to fill up at the track and on the way home.
I get 33-35 on the highway - 21-25 in town. My car is still under 2K miles.
Ok I gotcha... No I realize the Cobra's are gas guzzlers (esspecially when compared to a focus) Im probably lucky to get any further in that Cobra than I am the infamous hog of a gas guzzler that 5.9 in my R/T is supposed to be.
I was more or less comparing it to my dads 5.0's fuel economy... he ussually averages 25 to 28 mpg on the highway.
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