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Mustang to Scat Pack

29K views 128 replies 42 participants last post by  Vinny Marcone 
#1 ·
Hey, guys - I'm a newbie here.

Just a brief background: I've been driving one of the new '15 Mustang Ecoboosts since the beginning of the year. Awesome and surprisingly fun/quick car to drive. However, long story short, I had my eyes on a Challenger for a long time and really want to get the V8 power and oomph that my Turbo 4 currently lacks.

I haven't made a final decision yet, so I just wanted to start a thread to find out what you guys like/dislike most about your Scat Pack rides to help me make up my mind as I will not have the opportunity to test drive one.

I suppose the main aspects of the car I'm wondering about are power delivery, handling, if/how many Q/C issues there have been with it (Q/C is plaguing the '15 Mustangs right now). I've read quite a few reviews, but just wanted to get drivers' personal opinions.

Thanks!

(Apologies if this best belongs in another thread/forum).
 
#39 ·
I went from a 2011 Mustang V6 to a Scat Pack. I really liked the Mustang for 3+ years but once I got in the Challenger I never looked back.
I had a 2013 Mustang GT, but when my son was born, I traded it in on a 2013 4 door charger, now, 2 years later, I have a 2015 Scatpack. The Challenger is so much more pleasant and fun to drive than the Mustang. The mustang was cramped, the trans sucked, I replaced the shifter trying to get a better feel, but that didnt work. It was a a mistake I made buying that car, I enjoyed the Charger R/T so much more, especially with a family. Now that we have an SUV for the family, I was able to go back to a 2 door car, original plan was to sell my 68 Dart and trade the Charger in for a Hellcat Charger, but dealer markup and timeline made that plan go away. I saved $20K and still have a fun car to drive!



See my Thread...
How to have legal fun with a Scatpack!
I had a 2011 Mustang vert , a 2013 Mustang GT vert and a few others before those. When I saw the 2015 Mustang design I knew I was looking for another car. I was thinking about a 60's/70's resto-mod. I looked at the new Challenger and decided that was really what I wanted from the perspective of design, function and technology. I got the Challenger SRT 392 and have been extremely happy with the car. Fun, functional, comfortable and a great design!:thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
If you go and take a ride in a scat pack the game is OVER for the mustang.
 
#5 ·
If you like power, the 392 has way more power and torque than the turbo 4. I'm quite satisfied with my Scat Pack. :D I haven't had a single issue since I picked it up last September.
 
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#6 ·
Never owned a Mustang or Challenger, my Scat pack is on order. I have owned a Camaro, just so know my background.

First off I dont if were talking apples to apples when your talking the Mustang Eco and a Scat pack. Your talking 50% more power. So power will not be in the same category. Now if your talking the GT vs scat pack, even though the scat pack has 50 more HP, mustang is lighter and really in a race it would be a drivers race. The mustang will obviously handle better any day of the week. Whether you like the stang or not, the Mustang GT is probably in dollar terms the best buy out of what any of the big three are making, in terms of price, power, handling. One thing to think about is you will probably see a 30% decrease in MPG on the scat pack.

For me personally I like the styling of the challenger the best out of three. I almost ordered the Mustang instead until I found the scat pack. Not to knock anybody but there are so many mustangs out there, to set yourself apart a little with a mustang you have to spend 60k to do it. With challenger it only cost you 37k to be in a scat pack, I personally think the scat pack is the best buy in the challenger line up. The regular RT is a good car as well, but I think for what it offers and price point, mustang GT and Camaro SS are better buys than the regular RT.

If you go to youtube, you can type in 2015 mustang vs challenger vs camaro, 2015 mustang and challenger review. Theres lots of drag races, reviews etc comparing all of them. Also you youtube 2015 challenger scat pack review, there are 4-5 out there, one is 30mins long, and goes over everything in the challenger offers.

One ding for the scat pack I alread mentioned that you are concerned with is going to be the challenger is a bigger car, is going to burn a little more fuel and isnt going to handle as well.
 
#7 ·
I came from a 2011 Camaro SS with a manual trans. Here are some things that I can tell you about the Scat Pack vs. the Camaro SS:

1) The manual Scat Pack 392 will turn the 2011 manual SS Camaro inside out. The torque is immediate upon clutch release and remains strong and constant up to the red line.

2) The Scat Pack is a larger car and you can feel it when you sit down behind the wheel. Because the Camaro was no petit super model, I was already used to a larger car so this was not a problem for me.

3) The clutch and transmission feel MUCH better than those in the Camaro. I know that Chevy uses the same TremecTR6060 but the Scat Pack feels and operates much better.

4) The Scat Pack has a softer ride than the Camaro when in default mode, but the second I flip into sport mode, the Scat Pack can easily carve down a windy mountain road without skipping a beat. I will say that if you plan to track the car, it would be best served with a few suspension upgrades from the aftermarket along with a slightly larger tire on all 4 corners. Other than that, you're good to go.

5) Build quality is significantly better than the 2011 Camaro.

6) Blind spots on the Scat Pack are a little worse than the Camaro but with the rear camera and blind spot monitoring features, I have more confidence in road placement than I ever had before. It helps to know the proper way to set up mirrors too. This is better than any technology features for blind spots.

7) The infotainment system takes some time to get used to if you are coming from a car that is around 5 years old. Digging through menus is a pain at first but once you learn where things are, the system is a delight.

I hope this helps you.
 
#9 ·
Yeah I had a 2010. The tranny is the same. I havent driven my SP yet as I dont have it. Everything ive read though is the difference is the stick in the challenger vs the camaro. The stock stick in the camaro, beyond being ugly and looking like something out of a corolla, was it was really sloppy and loose. I ended putting a hurst in mine and it was night and day experience.

I probably would echo a lot of what you said. Although since the camaros we had were the 1st gen of the the 5th Generation, I suppose there probably is going to be some lacking between the 5th gen camaro and the new challenger.

The 2016 camaro will be out in May, I full expect it to either trump or match a lot of what challenger is doing or mustang is doing. I was dead set on challenger as I already had a camaro. But if I were on the fence I may wait to see what the camaro offers.
 
#8 ·
I was actually interested in the new 5.0 and they actually let me take one out for a few hours. If it werent for, at the time, the stupid markup on them, I would have owned one. Its definitely more nimble on its feet with the performance pack than the scat is.

It depends on your driving style, are you a fan of taking high speed corners on back roads? Then this isnt your car. It handles fine for a big cruiser, but its a 4200lb car in the end. The tires that come on it suck and are super skinny. However comfort is definitely better in this than the stang.

Are you going to be doing a lot of straight line cruising? Then this is your car.

Sound? No comparison whatsoever, this thing just sounds mean.

A fully loaded scat, I felt, you get more for your money than the mustang. Hence why im driving one today.
 
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#10 · (Edited)
Replacing a mallot with a sledge hammer.

First off, you know you're going to take a major financial hit when you try to get out of your current car.

Is it safe to assume that you went for the Turbo Boost because you wanted to go Green? The Scat Pack, which is a faithful throwback to the muscle cars of yesteryear, is anything but green; it's like swatting flies with a hammer.

I've owned a 2003 Mustang Terminator (that model has become a legend in the Mustang world). I eventually built that car up to 700 HP. The Terminator was a killer at the track, but wasn't as much fun to drive on the street as a Scat Pack.

I was now looking for a true reproduction muscle car and the Scat Pack was a no-brainer. It's all about shoe-horning a big motor into an economy model car, which was the mantra of the original muscle cars. Of course, the Scat Pack is a much more refined muscle car, but it still reminds me of my original LS-6 450-HP Chevelle when it comes to the overall driving experience.

I say if you're looking for the perfect boulevard cruiser, go for the Scat Pack. If you're looking for a great handling car for a road course, go for a Porsche. :grin2:
 
#26 ·
I just cant get past the redesign. I grew up with the muscle cars. I had a buddy who had a 71 SCAT Pack. Spent a lot of time in it. Thats an obvious draw for me to the Scat Pack.

When I bought my 2005 Mustang, there were few on the road, first year of the remodel etc. Now, they are everywhere. Good thing for Ford but I want a more unique car.

I'm spending $51K on my Scat Pack Shaker from the factory. Another $2-5K in secondary market mods. I'm pretty sure that is in the price range of a GT500, correct? Thanks to the redesign, I'll still take the Scat Pack Shaker.
 
#13 ·
Most of the mechanical components have been in production for the LC (now LA) chassis for years.

The new major mechanical items for the '15 are the ZF 8-speed automatic and the ZF differentials. The interior trim and the revised front and rear facias are new for '15.

The electronics and entertainments systems have been around since the '11 revisions for the Charger and 300 models, so that eliminates the glitches that are common on many new models.

The IP clusters are very closely related to the '11+ Charger / 300 models as well.
 
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#14 ·
I owned a Fox body 5.0 and two Gen 4 Camaros. Before I made my decision this time I decided to drive the Mustang and the Camaro. All were low mile 2015's, manual trans and tested in the following sequence.

The Camaro SS did not have anything about it that really grabbed me. I always assumed the ones I had played with in the R/T were autos since I always fared well. The car just didn't feel like it had a 50 hp advantage. I didn't see any quality issues but just was not excited about it at all. I wondered if the Challenger didn't exist if this would be my pick. The 99 SS I owned is currently the fastest car I have ever owned, a wrong that needs to be fixed. I hoped the Mustang was more impressive.

The Mustang 5.0 was more impressive. I really like the look. I was able to go out on some back roads and the car handles very well. I think of the 3 this one shifted and handled the best. While it had more power than my R/T it reacted much the same, pulled really hard when you got on it but then the power seemed to fall off as the Rev's climbed. The radio was so confusing even the salesman couldn't figure out some basic functions. It was hard to get in and out of due to being low and having a very high step over. Once I was in I was fine, I'm 6'2" and ... husky, lol. The back seat is worthless. I noticed some poor fit on plastic ground effects, looked like it might pop into place but would not. I really liked the car but walked away thinking, If I'm going to upgrade I want to really know it when I open it up.

I have never been bothered by the spartan interior of my 2011 R/T but once I got in the 2015 I knew right away this was far more functional, ergonomic and appealing. I was not able to really exercise the suspension but I could tell it would handle better than my current ride. The 392 however was shocking! It pulled HARD all the way to the next gear, my daughter and I were laughing like little kids. This is what I was looking for! I don't really care about time slips, I am more interested in the seat o' the pants fun meter. Meter successfully pegged, now take my money!

I was so glad my daughter got to go with me, for some reason she likes to go fast. >:) I'm sure she will never forget that "test drive."
 
#16 ·
I had a 2013 Mustang GT, but when my son was born, I traded it in on a 2013 4 door charger, now, 2 years later, I have a 2015 Scatpack. The Challenger is so much more pleasant and fun to drive than the Mustang. The mustang was cramped, the trans sucked, I replaced the shifter trying to get a better feel, but that didnt work. It was a a mistake I made buying that car, I enjoyed the Charger R/T so much more, especially with a family. Now that we have an SUV for the family, I was able to go back to a 2 door car, original plan was to sell my 68 Dart and trade the Charger in for a Hellcat Charger, but dealer markup and timeline made that plan go away. I saved $20K and still have a fun car to drive!



See my Thread...
How to have legal fun with a Scatpack!
 
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#17 ·
Bottom line is, if your being a shopper and comparing. I would go look at them all physically, and see about driving them and determining what you like. If it were me and I was on the fence about what I was buying, I would definitely wait till the 2016 camaro comes out.

If I were a betting man, GM is going to offer a stripped down SS version like the 1 SS again. I would also guess camaro is probably going to come out with an engine package thats going to trump stang and maybe get close to the scat pack. If camaro offers an engine in the 440-480hp class in a 1 SS trim prices around 33-35, your going to have a car thats cheaper, faster, and better handling.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Those little ECO Boost....

....Stangs can be modded for real cheap to be FAST. I didn't like the look of them at first, but they have grown on me. The only mistake they made with that car is the headlights. But, if you keep it, know that Saleen has a front end kit that makes the headlights look like Mustang headlights (vice Fusion). Bet it won't be cheap, but the kits do look good. The 15' Stang rear end, like the 15' Challenger is better looking than the earlier cars.


But....IF....you drive a 392, you will never want to go back. "The 392 Challenger is to the car world......what a triple cheese burger is in the food world." Bigger, More, Better,... It's like a "meat house chick," it's a "Whole Lotta Rosie."


I'm already seeing 15 Stangs EVERYWHERE! I do see the 15 SXT's every now and then, but the SCATs are rare here in Norfolk.


Welcome to the forum. "Come to the dark side." "Man up" and join the Challenger Club. Your Mustang bubbas will be jealous. They won't admit it. But they will. "You know it, I know it, and the American people know it."
 
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#25 ·
.I'm already seeing 15 Stangs EVERYWHERE!
Simply put, the Challenger is the best looking muscle car around and it is still relatively rare compared to how many Mustangs are on the road.

Over the years, look at the awards the Challenger has amassed:

Best of Show- 2006 Challenger Concept-North America International Auto Show (Detroit) Concept*
Best of Show (2006)- LA Auto Show*
Best Concept Car (2006)- Autoweek*
People's Choice Award for 2006- NAIAS*
2008 Collectible Car of the Future- Friends of the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC)*
CNET Editor’s Choice- October 2008
Top Owner Satisfaction List for 2009- Annual Auto Survey
Consumer Reports 10 Best Looking Cars for 2009- Vehix.com*
Most Appealing Mid-Size Sporty Car- J.D. Power & Associates 2009 APEAL Survey*
Best of Class Ideal Vehicle for 2009, Sporty Car Category- Auto Pacific*
The 25 Most Collectible Cars of the Last 25 Years (SRT8)- Consumer Guide Automotive Recommended Buy for 2009- Consumer Guides Automotive*
Motor Trend Car of the Year (contender)-Motor Trend*
5-Star Safety Rating (2009 Challenger)- NHTSA*
Most Beautiful Cars 2010- Forbes*
2010 Polk Loyalty Award- Sports Car
10 Cars that Will Look Good in 10 Years- U.S. News & World Report (March 2011)
Top Ten Most Fun to Drive Cars- Fast Car Lane (2011 Challenger SRT)
Best Mid-Size Sporty Car 2011- J.D. Power and Associates (Initial Quality)
America’s Best-Loved Cars- J.D. Power & Associates 2011 APEAL Survey-1st Place Midsize Sporty
2012 Shoppers’ Choice Award- cars.com “Best of 2012” NAIAS Event
Top 10 Cars to Drive to the Big Game- Roadfly TV
2011 Polk Automotive Award- Sports Car Category- Polk Loyalty Awards
Best Affordable Sports Cars 2012 (4 of 8)- U.S. News & World Report
MSN 2012 “Manly Machines.”
Auto Industry’s Greatest Hits (2013 Retro Cars)- bankrate.com
Fox News- Challenger SRT- One of the Five Best Remakes, Future Classic.
2013 Shoppers’ Choice Award- cars.com
Strategic Vision- 18th Annual Total Quality Index Study- Runner-up, Specialty Coupe
10 Affordable Cars with High Exterior Design Ratings- J. D. Power
2013 Polk Loyalty Award- Non-Luxury Sport Mid-Size Car
Top 10 Future Collectible Cars- 2014 Challenger Shaker- Hagerty Insurance
Top Gear (BBC): The Cool 500- The Coolest Cars Ever Made
Top 10 Cars with the Best Resale Value (2014)- Kelley Blue Book
7 of the Best Cars for the Money- Insider News
Initial Quality Study Award- Mid-Size Sporty Car- J.D. Power (2014)
Top 10 Most Appealing Cars- J.D. Power & Associates 2014 APEAL Survey
One of the 7 Best 2014 Cars for the Money- InsiderCarNews
 
#22 ·
Hey, all

Thank you very much for taking the time to give some fun/thought-out responses - I greatly appreciate it! After seeing what people are saying, and doing a little research of my own, I figured I probably should have gone with my gut and gone with the Scat Pack in the first place.

As some pointed out, it's not going to handle as well as the 'Stang, but I decided straight line power is more what I'm interested in. Got an appointment with the dealer tomorrow - I'd love to pick one up, but it all really comes down to how much of a financial hit it will be to swap rides.


Thanks again!
 
#24 ·
Hey, all



Thank you very much for taking the time to give some fun/thought-out responses - I greatly appreciate it! After seeing what people are saying, and doing a little research of my own, I figured I probably should have gone with my gut and gone with the Scat Pack in the first place.



As some pointed out, it's not going to handle as well as the 'Stang, but I decided straight line power is more what I'm interested in. Got an appointment with the dealer tomorrow - I'd love to pick one up, but it all really comes down to how much of a financial hit it will be to swap rides.





Thanks again!
The SCAT handles similarly to my SRT. I have driven many non PP V6 Stangs. My large Car handles better. If your car has PP, it will handle better as it is lighter, but you will be pleasantly surprised by the SCAT



Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#23 ·
I had a die hard mustang fan/owner ride in my scat pack and he was very impressed with how it rode and the power that it has. Lets say that it gave him a new view about the Challenger.
 
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#29 · (Edited)
Personally, I don't look at the size and weight of the challenger as a hinderance. I do see the lack of room in the others as one though. The trunk has ample room, the back seat can actually be used, and i enjoy the room and comfort. This is more applicable than how it would perform on a road course for me, as it's a daily driver. Buuut, that hasn't stopped me from modifying and having fun with it the past 2 1/2 years.

And the styling is my favorite of the 3. The Camaro seems more "futuristic", and the 15 Mustang seems to have European influence, or something.
:beer:
 
#30 ·
Not sure anyone touched on the QC stuff so here I go.

1. I have the "SPAG" Scat Pack Appearance Group (You'll see this acronym a lot) From the factory the thinner part of the stripe was lifting on the trunk lid. No big deal. Only took 3 days to fix.
2. My passenger side exhaust valve actuator went bad. Again, no big deal. It was fixed along with the stripe.
3. SGII groups sound great most of the time. There is some kinda software bug that causes weird problems with loudness and bass.
4. The rear bumper cover wasn't clipped into my rear passenger side quarter panel. No big deal. I took the tail light off and snapped it in myself.
5. The plastic surround on the trunk that completes the surround for the tail lights flares out on the edges. Not sure if its supposed to be like that.
6. The tail light housing fills with water. Real annoying when washing the car and may cause problems down the road.
7. My real driver side rotor has ridges. Deals says its normal.. Its not.
8. Tires were inflated to 50psi (This was the dealers fault. They are suppose to air down after shipping)
9. The biggest problem of them all is everyone thinks you have a Hellcat. <-- Not really a problem :)

Am I mad about these problems? no. I knew going into a model refresh that I would have problems. The biggest annoyance is the SGII. I don't understand how this got put into production with so many bugs.

I'm sure not everyone will have the same problems I have. Overall I am extremely happy with this car.
 
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#33 ·
Sorry to hear about the issues - thanks for letting me know!

As far as my Mustang, so far I've had:

1. Trunk/Hood misaligned (got those fixed)
2. A few other body panels misaligned ( not really that noticeable so I'm leaving them alone)
3. Clunking in the Trans
4. Vibrations/rattles in certain parts of the cabin (especially noticeable at high RPM's)
3. Passenger door rubbing on a soft insert in the door well.

As well as a few other things I'm keeping an eye on. If you head over the Mustang 6g forums, a lot of other guys have had major problems with theirs, so I've been a little on edge with mine...

From what I've seen though, the Challengers don't seem to have as bad/many Q/C issues
 
#35 ·
Water in the taillight? In the actual housing, if that is true, id be taking it back.




Yeah the guy with the GT500 explained that car, Camaro ZL1, and hellcat are totally different classes of cars. All very nice in their own right. But hard to draw comparisons.


I wouldn't buy a car due to awards, Id buy it because its what I liked, quality, and the price fit my budget. One thing is all of these cars are fairly illogical an uneconomical to buy. we buy them because of the fun we have with them
 
#36 ·
I had a 2008 mustang bullitt that i put fr500 axle backs on but otherwise left stock.

I love my rt scatpack. It is a lot faster and sounds great although honestly the bullitt sounded lumpier and meaner.

I test drove a mustang like yours and to me it was fine- but didn't sound it feel like a muscle car. To me it felt like a better Hyundai tiburon or a not as nice 4 series bimmer.

To me the scat pack is like liberace- people can imitate the big queen but no one ever can be more Liberace than Liberace. The scat pack is a big dumb fast muscle car and it's the ultimate expression of such. Anything the newer mustang or camaro do better- are not really things muscle cars do well anyway.

You can make the thing handle better- I certainly will with mine- but as the ultimate expression of a stripped down big two door with the biggest engine they could stick in it- the rt scat pack is absurdly perfect.
 
#37 ·
My 13 RT and 14 SRT were flawless. Maybe it's luck. I've driven German imports the 15 years prior to my Hemi. They were not better built. They were often in the shop.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#40 ·
^^ and it photographs well.

I'm not a big fan of the sepia interior but it looks best with redline. Nice.
 
#42 · (Edited)
I've owned a 4th-gen Camaro Z28, an '06 Mustang GT, and currently a '11 Mustang GT with the Brembo brake package.

When I saw the '15 Mustang for the first time on the web back in late '13, I wasn't crazy about it at all. However, over time, as better images and more information became available over the web, I was dead set on getting a '15 GT Premium coupe with the Performance package.

Then, last Fall, I had an issue with the shocks on my current GT. To make a long story short, the local dealers in my area and Ford Customer Service failed miserably over such a simple problem (Sales department twisting my arm to get me a new Ford, while their service department is dragging their heels on fixing my old one), and after replacing the shocks myself, I let them know how they blew a $40k sale on a $70 pair of shocks and vowed never to buy another Ford again. I'm still getting junk mail from Ford, offering me great deals on a new F-150, Fiesta or Focus...:rolleyes:

After scratching the '15 Mustang off my to-buy list, there were only two cars I had considered purchasing. I seriously considered a Camaro SS 1LE, but after the 2014 refresh, the styling took a turn for the worse, and I still remember the interior from when I test drove one in 2010. The interior had improved somewhat over the years, but the sightlines were just as awful now as they were then. The fact the Chevy dealers and sales reps here as just as bad as their Ford counterparts also helped scratched that car off my list.

Still wanting an RWD V8 coupe that was agreeable with my price range, I was left with the Challenger. It's not the first time I considered one before; I was thinking of a 2010 R/T, but was turned off by the size and weight (which was and is a bit bigger than I prefer) interior (which, in my opinion, wasn't much better than the Camaro, and well behind the Mustang) and what I felt was lack of performance for the money compared to the Camaro SS and '11 Mustang GT. The SRT-8 had the performance I wanted, but not for the price.

Then, last year I heard about and saw the improvements for the Challenger for 2015. I was always a fan of the car's styling, but the '71-inspired exterior tweaks really struck a chord with me (especially considering I'm not really a fan of the '71 Challenger's styling. Go figure!). The redesigned interior was also a huge improvement. But of course, the biggest improvement to me was the introduction of the Scat Pack model.

I've known about the previous SRT Core model, but it just didn't really grab me. It was still a bit too much for me price-wise, nor was I crazy about the features and options it had (or didn't have).

With the Scat Pack, all three issues I had with the Core were addressed. I still considered it too big and heavy though, and was still planning on getting a '15 Mustang, especially after finding out the GG tax would still be applied to 6-speed cars, and I had no interest in an automatic (despite all the good things I heard about the Torqueflite/8HP70).

Then, as I stated above, Ford decided to screw me over, and with the Camaro also firmly off the list, I gave the Challenger a second, much harder and longer look this time around, to the point where I actually test drove one - a TorRed Scat Pack...with an automatic. Honestly, I set my expectations pretty low.

After driving it, compared it to my Mustang, it was a very different, but surprisingly positive experience. Without a doubt in my mind, my GT is the better handling car. It's smaller, 600 pounds lighter, with wider, stickier rubber. It simply feels and is more nimble. Despite that, I still found the Scat Pack to be no slouch in the handling department. Indeed, I was actually surprised that such a large car with comparatively skinny tires could handle that well.

I also felt the Scat Pack had a better ride, and handled rough pavement much better than my Mustang (in the forever ongoing live axle vs. IRS debate amongst Mustang owners, I'm firmly in the latter camp). The slotted, 4-piston Brembos (on all four corners, no cheaping out like Ford) did a great job stopping 4200+ pounds of Challenger and look great, too (the rear single-piston calipers and 11.8" rotors look ridiculous on my GT compared to the 14" 4-pot Brembos up front, and the rear pads are a PITA to change out compared to the Brembos).

The Scat Pack I drove had the 8-speed Torqueflite. All of my previous cars have had manuals, but I was utterly blown away by this automatic. I've experienced some decent and some REALLY bad automatics (the crap dual-clutch trans in the Focus is up there), but nothing that I really considered 'good' up to now. The 8-speed just seemed to shift at the right time, every time. The shifts themselves were very quick yet smooth. At the end of the test drive I realized I didn't even put the transmission in Sport or shifted with the paddles, and I still came away extremely impressed.

The fact that the Torqueflite is only $246 more (invoice) than the manual, and is made in the U.S., unlike the 6-speed commie time bomb from China bolted to my 5.0 pretty much sealed the deal for me to go with the auto. In terms of straight line speed, I felt that the Scat Pack would get a good run from my 5.0, but would pull away without too much trouble in the end. As far as exhaust sound goes, I heard several reviewers and a couple owners state that the exhaust sounded so good, that they wouldn't bother with an aftermarket system. After 20-25 minutes to listening to that sweet 392 music from the active exhaust, I heartily agree.

As far as interiors go, I feel the Challenger is now at least on par with the Mustang in terms of interior materials and quality, but in design and technology the Challenger has a substantial lead. I love the 7" and 8.4" LCD displays on the Challenger. My Mustang only has two simple green/blue LED displays on the instrument panel and stereo. It's like comparing an Atari 2600 to a PS4. I found the seats to be more comfortable, as well. The only things I didn't really care for in the interior were the open cupholders and no parking brake lever on the center console. Outside visibility isn't as good as my Mustang, but nowhere near as bad as a 5th-gen Camaro, in my opinion. Oh, and I really appreciate the fact it has a back seat that can actually be realistically used by adult humans.

As far as exterior styling goes, well, that's a subjective matter. I've finally seen several 2015 Mustang GTs in person in my area, and I must admit, they're sharp-looking cars. But the Challenger, to me, is simply a better-looking car. It just has a certain presence which the Mustang just doesn't have. And although I don't buy cars for exclusivity's sake, '15 Mustangs are already multiplying like rabbits on the roads around my neck of the woods over the past 5-6 months. In the same time, I've seen a 2015 SXT, an SRT 392 and possibly a Scat Pack in my area. It would be nice not to run into a few dozen copies of your car every day for a change.

In the end, I still think the Scat Pack is too big and too heavy, but I don't care. My Ivory White Scat Pack should arrive at my dealer next Wednesday...one of the first things I plan to do once I take delivery is to drive to my Ford dealer to personally return all the junk mail I've gotten from them over the past five months...>:)
 
#43 · (Edited)
I've owned a 4th-gen Camaro Z28, an '06 Mustang GT, and currently a '11 Mustang GT with the Brembo brake package.

When I saw the '15 Mustang for the first time on the web back in late '13, I wasn't crazy about it at all. However, over time, as better images and more information became available over time, I was dead set on getting a '15 GT Premium coupe with the Performance package.

Then, last Fall, I had an issue with the shocks on my current GT. To make a long story short, the local dealers in my area and Ford Customer Service failed miserably over such a simple problem (Sales department twisting my arm to get me a new Ford, while their service department is dragging their heels on fixing my old one), and after replacing the shocks myself, I let them know how they blew a $40k sale on a $70 pair of shocks and vowed never to buy another Ford again. I'm still getting junk mail from Ford, offering me great deals on a new F-150, Fiesta or Focus...:rolleyes:

After scratching the '15 Mustang off my to-buy list, there were only two cars I had considered purchasing. I seriously considered a Camaro SS 1LE, but after the 2014 refresh, the styling took a turn for the worse, and I still remember the interior from when I test drove one in 2010. The interior had improved somewhat over the years, but the sightlines were just as awful now as they were then. The fact the Chevy dealers and sales reps here as just as bad as their Ford counterparts also helped scratched that car off my list.

Still wanting an RWD V8 coupe that was agreeable with my price range, I was left with the Challenger. It's not the first time I considered one before; I was thinking of a 2010 R/T, but was turned off by the size and weight (which was and is a bit bigger than I prefer) interior (which, in my opinion, wasn't much better than the Camaro, and well behind the Mustang) and what I felt was lack of performance for the money compared to the Camaro SS and '11 Mustang GT. The SRT-8 had the performance I wanted, but not for the price.

Then, last year I heard about and saw the improvements for the Challenger for 2015. I was always a fan of the car's styling, but the '71-inspired exterior tweaks really struck a chord with me (especially considering I'm not really a fan of the '71 Challenger's styling. Go figure!). The redesigned interior was also a huge improvement. But of course, the biggest improvement to me was the introduction of the Scat Pack model.

I've known about the previous SRT Core model, but it just didn't really grab me. It was still a bit too much for me price-wise, nor was I crazy about the features and options it had (or didn't have).

With the Scat Pack, all three issues I had with the Core were addressed. I still considered it too big and heavy though, and was still planning on getting a '15 Mustang, especially after finding out the GG tax would still be applied to 6-speed cars, and I had no interest in an automatic (despite all the good things I heard about the Torqueflite/8HP70).

Then, as I stated above, Ford decided to screw me over, and with the Camaro also firmly off the list, I gave the Challenger a second, much harder and longer took this time around, to the point where I actually test drove one - a TorRed Scat Pack...with an automatic. Honestly, I set my expectations pretty low.

After driving it, compared it to my Mustang, it was a very different, but surprisingly positive experience. Without a doubt in my mind, my GT is the better handling car. It's smaller, 600 pounds lighter, with wider, stickier rubber. It simply feels and is more nimble. Despite that, I still found the Scat Pack to be no slouch in the handling department. Indeed, I was actually surprised that such a large car with comparatively skinny tires could handle that well.

I also felt the Scat Pack had a better ride, and handled rough pavement much better than my Mustang (in the forever ongoing live axle vs. IRS debate amongst Mustang owners, I'm firmly in the latter camp). The slotted, 4-piston Brembos (on all four corners, no cheaping out like Ford) did a great job stopping 4200+ pounds of Challenger and look great, too (the rear single-piston calipers and 11.8" rotors look ridiculous on my GT compared to the 14" 4-pot Brembos up front, and the rear pads are a PITA to change out compared to the Brembos).

The Scat Pack I drove had the 8-speed Torqueflite. All of my previous cars have had manuals, but I was utterly blown away by this automatic. I've experienced some decent and some REALLY bad automatics (the crap dual-clutch trans in the Focus is up there), but nothing that I really considered 'good' up to now. The 8-speed just seemed to shift at the right time, every time. The shifts themselves were very quick yet smooth. At the end of the test drive I realized I didn't even put the transmission in Sport or shifted with the paddles, and I still came away extremely impressed.

The fact that the Torqueflite is only $246 more (invoice) than the manual, and is made in the U.S., unlike the 6-speed commie time bomb from China bolted to my 5.0 pretty much sealed the deal for me to go with the auto. In terms of straight line speed, I felt that the Scat Pack would get a good run from my 5.0, but would pull away without too much trouble in the end. As far as exhaust sound goes, I heard several reviewers and a couple owners state that the exhaust sounded so good, that they wouldn't bother with an aftermarket system. After 20-25 minutes to listening to that sweet 392 music from the active exhaust, I heartily agree.

As far as interiors go, I feel the Challenger is now at least on par with the Mustang in terms of interior materials and quality, but in design and technology the Challenger has a substantial lead. I love the 7" and 8.4" LCD displays on the Challenger. My Mustang only has two simple green/blue LED displays on the instrument panel and stereo. It's like comparing an Atari 2600 to a PS4. I found the seats to be more comfortable, as well. The only things I didn't really care for in the interior were the open cupholders and no parking brake lever on the center console. Outside visibility isn't as good as my Mustang, but nowhere near as bad as a 5th-gen Camaro, in my opinion. Oh, and I really appreciate the fact it has a back seat that can actually be realistically used by adult humans.

As far as exterior styling goes, well, that's a subjective matter. I've finally seen several 2015 Mustang GTs in person in my area, and I must admit, they're sharp-looking cars. But the Challenger, to me, is simply a better-looking car. It just has a certain presence which the Mustang just doesn't have. And although I don't buy cars for exclusivity's sake, '15 Mustangs are already multiplying like rabbits on the roads around my neck of the woods over the past 5-6 months. In the same time, I've seen a 2015 SXT, an SRT 392 and possibly a Scat Pack in my area. It would be nice not to run into a few dozen copies of your car every day for a change.

In the end, I still think the Scat Pack is too big and too heavy, but I don't care. My Ivory White Scat Pack should arrive at my dealer next Wednesday...one of the first things I plan to do once I take delivery is to drive to my Ford dealer to personally return all the junk mail I've gotten from them over the past five months...>:)
Well said. I liked my 14 GT premium but love this heavy metal 392 and A8 combination. I haven't felt this way about a car since...my '87 Buick GN that was totaled with 20k miles on it in '99. It was a long wait! I've had some nicer cars in there too.

I looked at it this way...

Yes, it's heavy...but I'm also able to now fit my wife and 3 kids in it so we can enjoy the car as a family. That was convenient and good for some fun memories.
(I even "test sat" in the back seat and at 5'11" I had decent room. I never sat in the back of my GT.) Think of it like a B Body Mopar or a late 60's/early 70's GM mid-size muscle car like the Chevelle or Buick GSX with a big block...because you need those cubes to get that car moving but they were very capable cars with a more modern suspension at the time (control arms vs leaf springs). They were not cramped and the back seat...families were started there. lol

It is still faster than me (auto in the SRT vs the manual in the GT) in both terms of stock potential and ability to shift quickly...every time though my manual didn't have one iota of a problem. Shifted smooth...nicely broke in the last 1500 or so miles I had it and shifted like butter for some reason. Traded with 8k on it.

It took more money to do it, but it's faster, more comfortable, rides better, more people capacity, and a bigger trunk. The interior quality was not even comparable to the '14 GT. I was ok with the GT, but honestly, driving the Challenger back from the dealer in FL to KY was much nicer and I couldn't even appreciate the differences until I was in the car 10 hours...quieter, softer materials, and padding where it was nice to have soft padding like the armrests and console.

And these Brembo's....will put you through the windshield.:grin2: Safer too.
 
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