Learn Me - 2006 Mustang V6

[JMTombstone]

So my sister in law is looking for a car to replace her 2000 Ford Escort ZX2. Her criteria are:

-Coupe/Sedan
-Automatic
-No hatchbacks/wagons/suvs
-visibility (she is small)
-RWD/AWD/FWD (doesn't matter they will be moving to NC)

Today I went with her and my brother to look at a few cars (2005 Jetta 2.0 & 2005 Sentra).

The Jetta was immaculate with 1 owner, serviced at the dealer it was purchased from, and low millage. She test drove it and did not really like it enough to say yes to it (the braking was too soft for her).

The Sentra was a bit rough, had evidence of a rear end collision (dealer said it was never in an accident), and did not have enough torque for her. She really had to punch it to reach 40.

Later in the day they went to another dealership and took a look at a 2006 Mustang V6 (auto). She really likes mustangs and according to my brother she was overjoyed when she sat in it and took it for a test drive. From what I know...

-2006 Mustang V6
-Red w/ red leather interior
-Auto
-~12k Miles
-$15,000

What should my brother know about this year of Mustang, the engine, transmission, etc?

The dealership is closed tomorrow, but he is planning on going back on Monday with a mechanic to take a look at it.

Pics of said car

[TooFitToQuit]

That red interior is horrible.

[ToucheTurtle]

My only piece of advice is make sure it doesn't have the dreaded cowl leak that causes water to drain into the cabin of the car and all over the SJB thus causing everything electronic in the car to short out in a rain storm Ask me how i know.

[JMTombstone]

That red interior is horrible.

Yea I agree with you on that. Though it is not my car.

[Uk in NY]

knock them down to 14k and buy it.

it has 12k miles on it. unless you can see signs of obvious abuse it should be fine.

reality is that SHE really likes it. battle is won!

[elementpb]

really nothing to recommend it, other than the mustang badge. The 4.0 V6 is a boat anchor.
also, that seems like a REALLY high price for a v6 mustang of that year even with the low miles. I'd have a hard time getting that for my 2011 if I traded it in. Back when it was still 2011, I saw a used premium v6 auto 2011 mustang with HID, sunroof, and pony package go for $17,500 at a kia dealership, and it took them 5+ months to sell it.

[mm3]

Agreed about the red interior, pretty ugly. But, it's a chick's car, and she's a chick. I think she'd like it. A buddy of mine has an '06 convertible V6, and he likes it. Don't expect excellent mileage, it's rated just a mere 1mpg more than the GT's V8. It's pretty reliable, from his experiences, of course, with proper regular maintenance.

$15k though, I wouldn't. Seems pretty pricey for a used, 6 year old car.

[TooFitToQuit]

Yea I agree with you on that. Though it is not my car.

$15k is horribly overpriced as well for as poor of a car as that is. No performance to speak of, nor gas-mileage, handling, etc. No real good aspects to that car other than the girl will "feel pretty" or "feel fast" in it.

[Aonarch]

Ugh. Truck motor and terrible mpg.

[Aonarch]

4.6l gets better mpg.

[BRealistic]

This car is on Consumer Reports' The best used vehicles for under $X list.
So a low mileage example could be relatively trouble-free for may years to come.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2...-000/index.htm

But yeah- it does seem quite expensive.

According to Edmunds, the True Market value is 11-13k dealer retail final price depending on premium or delux V6 model and options.
($15k would be good if it came with a really nice warranty)

Does it have the traction control and ABS options?
I think this is important considering it is rear wheel drive, has more power than it would seem on paper, and you are in Connecticut (unless they do a really good job clearing the snow off the roads)

................(regarding boat anchor comments)

This boat anchor 5 speed automatic Mustang probably has better 0-60 acceleration than many of the daily drivers here.. (0-60 in around six and a half seconds).
The handling of this car is light years ahead of many TCL favs- like the 90's LS400 and Cressida- and depending on the wheel/tire (Premium Mustang?) is probably even a better handler than a stock 4th gen VW GTI.
It is a perfectly acceptable "sporty looking" daily driver.
Fuel economy is really the only weak spot- but it still manages to beat its EPA estimates (on cheap regular gas).
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.d...rue&details=on

She really needs to go into this knowing its fuel use.
(maybe they might let her take it for a long test drive- overnight? Especially if she brings it back with a full tank of gas. If so, fill it up, drive it around, then fill it up again when done to see how many gallons it used for how many of her typical driving miles)
But then again, I seriously doubt a 4 speed automatic 2.0 Jetta would do much better since it has to be floored all the time just to move around.
At least the Mustang can move around quickly.

[JMTombstone]

This car is on Consumer Reports' The best used vehicles for under $X list.
So a low mileage example could be relatively trouble-free for may years to come.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2...-000/index.htm

But yeah- it does seem quite expensive.

According to Edmunds, the True Market value is 11-13k dealer retail final price depending on premium or delux V6 model and options.
($15k would be good if it came with a really nice warranty)

Does it have the traction control and ABS options?
I think this is important considering it is rear wheel drive, has more power than it would seem on paper, and you are in Connecticut (unless they do a really good job clearing the snow off the roads)

Thanks a lot for the link . But they will not be living in CT for much longer. They are moving to North Carolina by the end of the summer.

[kimilein]

For $15k, why not get a Versa?

[BRealistic]

For $15k, why not get a Versa?

Yeah... maybe she doesn't like the way they look?
They may only have a few dealers in the area...

I would think a low mileage Focus coupe would be a much more practical sporty looking daily driver (and is also on that CR list).

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...16361581&Log=0

[roadtripper]

because a versa is a terrible car, and because she is cross shopping a mustang! but yeah, the point being for that money, she has new car options, why go for something with questions attached.

i wouldn't go 15K for an aging base stang, but of course, it's a personal decision. i will argue the suggestion that it handles better than a mkiv gti. i'm not saying one is better than the other overall, and i'm not guessing she cares about this particular virtue or lack thereof. but having driven both, i would not agree. at all.

fuel mileage ought to matter to her in this price range. as well as practicality. for 15K, she could get a mkv GTI with close to those miles, which is much better at both. 15K is a HUGE price category used. she has all kind of options. no need to spend premium dollars for a car with tons of available examples that is average in almost every way. if she wants to know how much she'd like it, she could rent practically the exact same vehicle for a few bucks a day to know for sure.

[JMTombstone]

because a versa is a terrible car, and because she is cross shopping a mustang! but yeah, the point being for that money, she has new car options, why go for something with questions attached.

i wouldn't go 15K for an aging base stang, but of course, it's a personal decision. i will argue the suggestion that it handles better than a mkiv gti. i'm not saying one is better than the other overall, and i'm not guessing she cares about this particular virtue or lack thereof. but having driven both, i would not agree. at all.

fuel mileage ought to matter to her in this price range. as well as practicality. for 15K, she could get a mkv GTI with close to those miles, which is much better at both. 15K is a HUGE price category used. she has all kind of options. no need to spend premium dollars for a car with tons of available examples that is average in almost every way. if she wants to know how much she'd like it, she could rent practically the exact same vehicle for a few bucks a day to know for sure.

Her mother has a Versa and she HATES it. Also about the GTI, she does not want a hatch. I tried suggesting one, and even my brother wants her to get one (even though he doesn't like them, he understands the utility of them).

Brothers woman happy = brother happy

[BRealistic]

because a versa is a terrible car, and because she is cross shopping a mustang! but yeah, the point being for that money, she has new car options, why go for something with questions attached.

-or even something that is just two or three years old with low miles (like the Focus coupe I posted).
But any used car has questions attached.

i wouldn't go 15K for an aging base stang, but of course, it's a personal decision. i will argue the suggestion that it handles better than a mkiv gti. i'm not saying one is better than the other overall, and i'm not guessing she cares about this particular virtue or lack thereof. but having driven both, i would not agree. at all.

Did you drive a stock base 4th gen GTI and a 2006 V6 Mustang with the pony package? Note I said "depending on model and options" when I said MK4 GTI.
For 2006, the pony package gave the V6 Mustang much better handling than before (closer to GT settings).

fuel mileage ought to matter to her in this price range. as well as practicality. for 15K, she could get a mkv GTI with close to those miles, which is much better at both. 15K is a HUGE price category used. she has all kind of options. no need to spend premium dollars for a car with tons of available examples that is average in almost every way. if she wants to know how much she'd like it, she could rent practically the exact same vehicle for a few bucks a day to know for sure.

I would agree that a 5th gen GTI is a nice car with a refined interior.
But fuel economy- the GTI likes premium and with the auto doesn't get that much better real world fuel economy.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/mpg/MPG.d...rue&details=on
And to get one with similar equipment and low miles, we are talking about a five/six year old turbo VW.
You really think that a better choice for a chick wanting a sporty daily driver?
I would bet dollars to (cheap grocery store) donuts that this Mustang will cost less to own even including fuel consumption just based on its low maintenance and repairs costs.
I would even make that bet against a GTI with half the miles and age (for much more $$$).

But whatever. She will buy what she wants to buy regardless of logic and what we say.

[JMTombstone]

But whatever. She will buy what she wants to buy regardless of logic and what we say.

Basically this

I am just curious on what to look out for with the car so I can warn my brother of possible problems to look out for.

[BRealistic]

Basically this

I am just curious on what to look out for with the car so I can warn my brother of possible problems to look out for.

It's a used sporty car..

-Look for signs of abuse and/or accident repairs. Tho with just 16k miles, past abuse might not be an issue.
-Is it still rocking the original (now old) tires?
-Based on the comment about water leaks, you might take it to a cheap drive thru car wash and look for water leaks.
-Do they have the original owner(s) maintenance records? You may be able to take the vin and get the Ford dealership service/warranty records from a Ford dealer. That could be useful, to at least check to make sure it has had the oil changed more than once since new.

I don't see an issue with the Mustang if it proves to be a solid car, she really likes it and can easily afford it.
Just watch the price.
I don't like seeing anybody upside-down on a car loan.
If the car is totaled/stolen, she will still owe money as the insurance just pays what they deem it worth.

[SSLByron]

$15k? Can't you get decent-condition GTs for $15k? I mean... Jesus... it's a 2006.

[Aonarch]

Where in NC? Along the western side in the Smokies you need at least FWD.

Get the GT. I drove one for several years and loved mine. With a Bama tune, intake, and exhaust I got 28+ on the highway.

[BRealistic]

$15k? Can't you get decent-condition GTs for $15k? I mean... Jesus... it's a 2006.

Must you summon my assistance on everything?

I mean Jesus.. er um. Me.. er um... nevermind.

[BRealistic]

Where in NC? Along the western side in the Smokies you need at least FWD.

I live on the western side of the smokies, but it is called Tennessee.
(and only drive rear wheel drive beesitch)
There is no "Western side of the smokies" in North Carolina.

[50fridge]

Tell her to keep looking because that car is way to expensive. Tell her to look at an 1st gen Acura TSX. I think she would like it more then the Mustang because it is a solid car that blows the V6 Mustang out of the water.

[BRealistic]

Tell her to keep looking because that car is way to expensive. Tell her to look at an 1st gen Acura TSX. I think she would like it more then the Mustang because it is a solid car that blows the V6 Mustang out of the water.

Auto versus auto, the V6 Mustang would blow the TSX away in a straight line.
Heck, the Mustang is even lighter than the TSX.

[babarber]

just gonna say you can get an 03 cobra mustang for for 15k why would you spend that much on an 05 v6

[Fritz27]

There's no freaking value in buying used cars nowadays. Why not look at something new for $15k (or close to it)?

[Jrod511]

$15k? Can't you get decent-condition GTs for $15k? I mean... Jesus... it's a 2006.

That price isn't out of line for the miles. Many with 30-40k are still crossing auction blocks at 12-13k. You're paying a premium for the low miles.

[Jrod511]

just gonna say you can get an 03 cobra mustang for for 15k why would you spend that much on an 05 v6

You can buy an 03 Cobra with 100K+ Miles and beat to SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZ. And this is a 2006 with 15k on it.

[roadtripper]

yeah, i was just using the gti as an example, no need to get excited. like i said, lots and lots to choose from in this price range, not to mention all the financial lounge ramifications. how about a GTO? seems to click all the boxes without being so . . . plebian. a mustang might be "cheap" to maintain, but there's a real fundamental reason for that.

OP, you are 100% correct that if "she happy, everybody happy;" but make no mistake, this decision will say a lot about her. i was with a woman in a very similar situation about 20 years ago (crashed her college era tercel; had insurance cash + ten grand saved up, three years into career, great credit, thought pony cars were cool). she could have bought practically anything, we test drove a whole bunch (including a 9 month old SLC with 6,000 miles ), and she bought a . . . saturn. i wasn't there with her when she signed that document, nor forever more. you just can't trust a woman who gets something like this soooo wrong.

[BRealistic]

That price isn't out of line for the miles. Many with 30-40k are still crossing auction blocks at 12-13k. You're paying a premium for the low miles.

I think we are just getting the typical TCL "OMG it's a POS V6 Mustang!" responses even though this gen V6 Mustang is reliable and a fine daily driver.

[TOMPASS]

IIRC, the leather interior was not available on the base Mustang, which would make this a Premium. The red leather (regardless of your opinion or taste) was a package option over the standard leather. V6 engine performance aftermarket upgrades are virtually non-existant, but suspension and appearance stuff is readily available. Don't know if this is still the case, but Mustang mags had at least one source that sold the OEM GT suspension and front and rear body components removed from modified cars.
And I'd have to pretty desperate or brain-dead to pick a Versa over this low-mileage Mustang, unless the $15K before negotiations is way out of line. Good luck.

[vasillalov]

The only thing I know about those early models is that I rented a convertable one while on vacation in Miami. The rental had 3000 miles on it at that time, felt extremely heavy, the car felt like a land yacht (prob because it was a vert), the brakes were terrifying, the throttle response was inadequate and the steering was more of a guessing game...

It did surprisingly well on fuel economy though for an autotragic car...

[BRealistic]

The only thing I know about those early models is that I rented a convertable one while on vacation in Miami. The rental had 3000 miles on it at that time, felt extremely heavy, the car felt like a land yacht (prob because it was a vert), the brakes were terrifying, the throttle response was inadequate and the steering was more of a guessing game...

It did surprisingly well on fuel economy though for an autotragic car...

Well, the car came with P215/65R16 BFGoodrich Traction T/A Spec tires- which is not exactly a great tire or size (high sidewall) for a heavy car.

[SSLByron]

I think we are just getting the typical TCL "OMG it's a POS V6 Mustang!" responses even though this gen V6 Mustang is reliable and a fine daily driver.

I don't have a problem with it being a V6 Mustang. Chick wants a chick car. BFD.

What I do have a problem with is spending $15,000 on one that is six years old. Low mileage or not, that's just completely pointless. I mean, if it were at least a 'vert...