2024 GT vs 2017 GT 350

[ComicRacer14692]

Hey all, new mustang buyer here!

I currently have a base 24 GT with performance pack and active exhaust on the way, literally In production right now. Of course I drove by a local Chevy dealer today which had a 17 GT 350 on sale… for nearly the exact same price as my ordered GT. So… do I go for the 17 car or the GT? A bit about me:

1. This will be my only car
2. I can handle increased price for brakes/tires/wear and tear on the Shelby BUT I am fairly operating-cost-sensitive. If the cost will average out to more than ~150 a month I would probably no longer consider the Shelby. I do put a lot of value on the warranty that comes with the GT, but have heard good things about the voodoo from a reliability perspective
3. I will track the car but not more than once every 3 months or so
4. My daily commute mostly consists of 3 lane highway and 2 way main roads, I do anticipate the occasional pleasure drive every other week or so
5. I prefer the screens/interior of the GT- but I’ve heard such magical things about the Shelby performance wise
6. i’ve driven a 24 GT but never drove a Shelby… that’s why I’m here!

Thanks for any input!

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[armyGT]

I would go with the new GT that has a warranty and many nice features. Honestly there are many horror stories out there about the GT 350 engine. A friend of mine had two GT350's and both burned a lot of oil. I think your chances of getting a bad car are high. Also keep in mind that a Shelby is a specialty vehicle, and parts will soon be difficult to get. Some people were lucky and got reliable GT350'S. The newer the better is what I hear among the gearheads. I had two GT500'S. They were animals to drive and gave you a thrill when the supercharger started to whine. At this point, my 2024 GT I feel is a better car. If you like TECH, the dash is a thrill. Personally, that's the only thing I dislike in my car but it's livable.

 

[ComicRacer14692]

I would go with the new GT that has a warranty and many nice features. Honestly there are many horror stories out there about the GT 350 engine. A friend of mine had two GT350's and both burned a lot of oil. I think your chances of getting a bad car are high. Also keep in mind that a Shelby is a specialty vehicle, and parts will soon be difficult to get. Some people were lucky and got reliable GT350'S. The newer the better is what I hear among the gearheads. I had two GT500'S. They were animals to drive and gave you a thrill when the supercharger started to whine. At this point, my 2024 GT I feel is a better car. If you like TECH, the dash is a thrill. Personally, that's the only thing I dislike in my car but it's livable.

I think this is exactly what I needed to hear, thanks!

 

[Q6543]

If it’s not a 350R or 2019 and newer, don’t bother.
Yes they have a cult following, the cars are slower than all hell.
10r80 GT over GT350 any day /allday.

 

[young at heart]

I would go with the new GT that has a warranty and many nice features. Honestly there are many horror stories out there about the GT 350 engine. A friend of mine had two GT350's and both burned a lot of oil. I think your chances of getting a bad car are high. Also keep in mind that a Shelby is a specialty vehicle, and parts will soon be difficult to get. Some people were lucky and got reliable GT350'S. The newer the better is what I hear among the gearheads. I had two GT500'S. They were animals to drive and gave you a thrill when the supercharger started to whine. At this point, my 2024 GT I feel is a better car. If you like TECH, the dash is a thrill. Personally, that's the only thing I dislike in my car but it's livable.

OP, I’d reread the above post and then read it again.

As cool as the GT350 is, and make no mistake it’s as cool as cool gets, forget about the delta in monthly operating costs. Instead think a little about what it will cost you if the engine should turn loose. When I really get to jonesing for one I go out and drive one of my reliable yet fast Mach 1s and I think yeah, this is close enough.

But then, I go drive my beautiful ‘24 GT and am totally taken by what a wonderful car it is, virtually in every way. It‘s a very sophisticated, comfortable, capable and fast GT car. Maybe one of the greatest grand touring cars ever made, for the money anyway. Truly a bargain in todays’s market. And with the AVE in track mode (always) and the A10 behind that 486 hp Coyote, good lord what a rush!

And did I mention the warranty?

Here’s a little gratuitous porn to tide you over:

 

[broncoboy22]

Since it’s your only ride, the s650 is the better choice IMO.

if you were just looking for a track toy then the GT350 might have gotten the nod

 

[ComicRacer14692]

OP, I’d reread the above post and then read it again.

As cool as the GT350 is, and make no mistake it’s as cool as cool gets, forget about the delta in monthly operating costs. Instead think a little about what it will cost you if the engine should turn loose. When I really get to jonesing for one I go out and drive one of my reliable yet fast Mach 1s and I think yeah, this is close enough.

But then, I go drive my beautiful ‘24 GT and am totally taken by what a wonderful car it is, virtually in every way. It‘s a very sophisticated, comfortable, capable and fast GT car. Maybe one of the greatest grand touring cars ever made, for the money anyway. Truly a bargain in todays’s market. And with the AVE in track mode (always) and the A10 behind that 486 hp Coyote, good lord what a rush!

And did I mention the warranty?

Here’s a little gratuitous porn to tide you over:

Hahaha she is a beauty, that is a gorgeous spec. Thank you, looking forward to the s650 arriving soon!

 

[MAGS1]

The Voodoo issues are overblown IMO. That’s not to say that some haven’t had issues because they certainly have. And the design certainly leads itself to the potential for more issues than a cross plane coyote or Predator. But there are plenty of high mileage car examples on the 6G forum with zero issues. Ford ESP’s are available via forum sponsor Granger as well.

It’s a unique engine that we will likely never see again and the GT350/R is a special car (also may never see again). If you have a chance to drive one, I would recommend it. Agree with another poster, if you go that route go with a 2019 or 2020. There’s a lot of good info over on 6G, worth reading.

I personally think the S550 GT500 and GT350 are the best looking Mustangs Ford has ever made. On looks alone I’d go GT350 over S650 but that’s a personal preference. Yours may be different. I don’t think there’s a wrong choice here, just a matter of what you want.

 

[armyGT]

And BTW, if this is your "GET TO WORK CAR" what happens if you destroy an engine? I don't think your local Ford dealer has ten in stock! Do you have plan two to get yourself to work?
The only way I would buy the GT 350 is if it was a weekend fun car and I had very deep pockets to fix breakdowns.

 

[Aegean]

As cost is a consideration, the GT 350 has by far less depreciation than the GT. And I am not talking about the new car first year depreciation. With that the difference would be much more dramatic.

According to today’s KBB depreciation data, the GT 350 depreciation rate is 5.5% per year. The depreciation rate for the GTs is 11.5% per year. (over several years, not year 1).

Assuming you spend $50,000 for a car, immediately you lose an additional depreciation 6% of $50000 = $3000 per year or about $250 per month if you get the GT over the GT 350.

You should take into account that parameter too, but I also like the new car with more depreciation cost but less headaches.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

My understanding of GT350s is that if you want to get one used, your best bet is to get a '19 or '20 model. These ones have the better built engines from what I recall. From a purely casual perspective, I'd say get one if you love the GT350's unique sound and your regular roads aren't too punishing to drive on already. Otherwise I'd suspect the GT you've ordered would likely be the better choice for a daily driver (I'm assuming you didn't get Magneride since you didn't mention it).

 

[Upacurb]

If it’s not a 350R or 2019 and newer, don’t bother.
Yes they have a cult following, the cars are slower than all hell.
10r80 GT over GT350 any day /allday.

Stock 20 ford gt350 drag race. (youtube.com)

Here is a stock one running a 12.04 and its not even an R .....
I can also pull up the video of the roll race where the R walks a 10A Dark Horse? : )

That being said...
10r80 GT is going to be more consistent if drag racing is your thing

I believe OP said track car - not drag car in which case the S650 GT is going to get destroyed by the 350 ......

The GT350 "feels" slower because of the powerband - but slower then all hell isnt fair considering a stock 350 is going to beat a stock 6M S650 GT 10 out of 10 times

That being said- I'm not so sure I would daily drive a 350 - when I wasnt working from home my ride of choice was a 10 speed GT PP1 .... I was driving 50 plus miles a day ....

If my commute was 4 or 5 miles .....I might go for the 350 - but yes you have to look at service history - all sorts of things when buying a 350 - they are higher maintenance ....but for a daily.....I would be very tempted to go with the GT with a warranty - my 350 is not my main car.....

But the 19 and 20 350s have proven to be reliable......many with lots of miles and no issues....

I will also say this- until I drove my first 350....they really are a completely different car then a GT....you may hate the difference....you may love it....they are definitely more on "edge" which might become tiresome after a while.....

And for the tech argument- are we on a Tesla forum or a Mustang forum?

Listen to this video and then tell me again about all your tech : )

ZR1 hunting in a GT350R Pure beautiful noise! (youtube.com)

 

[Q6543]

That’s actually the fastest GT350 I’ve ever seen. Excluding fathouse cars.

 

[High-top5-0]

I currently own a 2024 GT Premium Rapid Red. I saw a GT500 that just called out to me. When I started to try to make a deal my 24 list 55K dropped to 42K (first year depreciation) trade in and the 2020 GT500 was still close to MSRP. At this point I wasn't deterred. I started to look at financing. Used car is in the 10 percent range. That stopped the deal. I did not do any formal finance application. Just went off published used car rates. So go to the dealer and get the new car financing. My 2024 is the best Mustang I've owned. The reason to go to the GT500 is totally ego. And it's my fair weather car not my daily driver.

 

[MAGS1]

I currently own a 2024 GT Premium Rapid Red. I saw a GT500 that just called out to me. When I started to try to make a deal my 24 list 55K dropped to 42K (first year depreciation) trade in and the 2020 GT500 was still close to MSRP. At this point I wasn't deterred. I started to look at financing. Used car is in the 10 percent range. That stopped the deal. I did not do any formal finance application. Just went off published used car rates. So go to the dealer and get the new car financing. My 2024 is the best Mustang I've owned. The reason to go to the GT500 is totally ego. And it's my fair weather car not my daily driver.

Why do you say going to a GT500 is pure ego? It’s a fantastic car, there are way more reasons to own one than ego. Some of the most humble, unassuming people I know own GT500’s. You’d never know they had them if you didn’t seem them in their garages

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