4 vs 8
The 2.3 cylinder Mustangs will always be dogs as not only is the engine built for economy but the Mustang is well over 3,000 pounds, much more than the four cylinder Japanese cars carry.
You can do a few modifications to a 2.3 Mustang or even a Escort with the 1.9 engine but it'll still be slow compared to a V-8. Fact of life. They are economical.
On the other hand, a 5.0 Mustang is a powerful car that I can't imagine a new driver being able to handle with confidence. They can 'get away from you' very easily as a tap on the gas pedal can have you from point A to point B in a few seconds, leaving little room for new-driver mistakes.
The 5.0 also fishtails very easily on any kind of slippery road, including sand or wet. They are almost impossible to drive in snow without weight in the rear, very good snow tires and a light foot on the gas. Even then, not that great.
That said, the 5.0 'Stang is a great car - obviously - but I wanted to point out the possible drawbacks to having it as your first car, ever. Of course, that's between you and your father but just realize that you're talking about driving a car that doesn't forgive driving errors easily.
The brakes are fairly weak and although they handle well, it's no Corvette on sharp turns. Mostly at it's best in straight-line driving, mild cornering and a pretty decent highway cruiser, although not economical, especially around town. You can watch the gas gauge drop when you 'get on it a few times', which you will.
Although an Escort may not be exciting, it might be a better first car to get comfortable with and then move up to a Mustang 5.0 next year.
Just a thought; it's all up to you.
|