03 cobra or new 5.0???

**White5.0** · 02-05-2011, 11:05 PM

so im gonna be graduating in april and one of the first things i wanna do is get a new car. IMO the two best mustangs ever to come off the assembly line are the 03/04 cobras and the new 5.0 (not counting special editions and rare ones like saleens, boss, cobra R, etc.). So what would you guys choose? i havent driven either, but have been for a few rides in 03 cobras before.

from what i hear the 05+ stangs feel like a whole different vehicle. less rattles, more refined, and feel more solid overall. so im having a hard time deciding.

i didnt graduate yet and i know that buying a car first thing might not be the most beneficial thing for me to do right away but im just day dreaming.

so which would you go with?? and why???

**PaxtonShelby** · 02-06-2011, 12:54 AM

I think you need to drive both to decide. I haven't driven an '03/'04 Cobra, but I have always liked them. For the money it is hard to beat their performance. However, I did make the "mistake" of test driving a new 5.0 and now I am absolutely hooked. It is a lot more $$ than I wanted to spend ( initially I wanted a 2005-2008 GT which would have been a LOT cheaper ), but I am going to find a way to get a new one in the next year. The build quality is excellent, and the power, handling, braking, and road manners are fantastic. Once I get it, I will only use it between May and October.

Whichever you choose, do you have a garage to keep the car in, and do you have something else to drive during the winter? I have owned 3 foxes ( one right out of college ) and drove each of them year-round, which makes it really hard to keep them nice here in Pgh. In my case, those cars were used, and while they were nice, I didn't have a lot of $$ tied up in them. But if you drop $30k on a 5.0 that's a different story, and you don't want to destroy it cosmetically on these winter roads.

Maybe some of the guys here on SCS can offer you a ride once the weather breaks to help you make up your mind??

**White5.0** · 02-06-2011, 01:11 AM

that is one of my biggest concerns...im not 100% sure ill have a garage to keep it in...wether it be a new 5.0 or a terminator, and that makes me sad haha...i dont one to get either and not be able to keep it in a garage...that would be a sin LOL

another reason why i want to move south! haha

**Hawkeye** · 02-06-2011, 01:23 AM

The biggest difference will be the money.
You can get a kickass fully built Term for 25k
A new 5.0 is like 8k more?

I think the new 5.0 will be the new "terminator" in a few years. This car seems to be the car everyone will want to buy and mod once the market gets some used ones floating around.

Not sure if its the market alone, or the fact that the new 5.0 is out, but terminators seem to be taking a dive in selling prices.

Get what you can afford...

**97LaserRed** · 02-06-2011, 01:39 AM

tough call let me ponder on it and ill call u tomorrow!!

**03 OW SVT** · 02-06-2011, 08:02 AM

Coming from someone who has had a Terminator and now has a 2011 GT, let me say if you can swing the 2011, or 2012....Do it! But don't put yourself into to much debt. I loved my Terminator for the many things it was, fast, fun, and the looks and thumbs up i got when driving it, and many others. It was mod friendly and handled fairly well. The whine of the supercharger was intoxicating.

However, the new 2011's are all that, and so much more over what the Cobra was. The refinement is night and day over the New Edges. The interior is so much better. The shifter is in a much better location. Its not so far forward like the New Edges were/are. The new Coyote 302, is fantastic and runs so nice and smooth and will take to mods well. (so i've heard, mines still stock except for exhaust) I love how the motor looks, it is a work of art. The power it puts out naturally aspirated is crazy. I saw yesterday on Horsepower TV, they put one on the engine dyno and it put out 465hp and 412tq at 7300 rpm's...WOW!... I can't comment on the gas mileage yet because i only have 105 miles on my car, but its used a half a tank already. Ouch!

Handeling wise, even thou this car is a solid rear axle and the Cobra was an IRS, the new 2011's handle like a dream. I can't wait to take it on a road course or Beaverun for a Flat out Day to see how well it does.

I know of a couple others on here that have new GT's. Hopefully they will chime in and comment themselves.

Price wise my car stickered at $37,600 with the HID's, 3:73 gears, Comfort pkg, and Security pkg. I was able to get X-plan and there was a $1,500 rebate, which gave me almost $4,000 off of sticker.

**03 OW SVT** · 02-06-2011, 08:26 AM

I'm also willing to give someone a ride in it for the cheap price of a car payment.

**White5.0** · 02-06-2011, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by CST 03

I'm also willing to give someone a ride in it for the cheap price of a car payment.

Thanks for the descriptive answer. I was hoping there would be someone who has owned both. Can i give you a payment in monopoly dollars? Haha

**03 OW SVT** · 02-06-2011, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by White5.0

Thanks for the descriptive answer. I was hoping there would be someone who has owned both. Can i give you a payment in monopoly dollars? Haha

No problem man! I'll answer any ??'s you may have. Not sure i can except monopoly $$ thou. Only if i can cash it at a bank.:p J/k.

**Mater** · 02-06-2011, 11:07 AM

5.0!!!

**scott5** · 02-06-2011, 11:57 AM

Gt500

**Stroked03Cobra** · 02-06-2011, 12:17 PM

That would depend on what HP goals you are looking for. I love the new 5.0s but still have not gotten use to the rear end design but thats my opinion and not everyone elses. They both have a stout engine. Stock vs stock the cobra will handle more power but yet at the same time you may not be looking for 700 or 800+ hp. Like the others, Id say drive both. If the cobra is stock you will pick the 5.0 for some very good reasons but If you can spend 25k to 30k on a Termi youll have one sick stang!

**scott5** · 02-06-2011, 12:34 PM

It also depends are you going to use this for a dd, play toy, track toy?

**phillysrt4** · 02-06-2011, 12:53 PM

Do you plan to mod the car? If you like to mod cars and you're going to do more than an intake or exhaust, i'd go with the cobra. Nothing sucks more than to have to pay for a huge repair out of pocket while you're still making payments.

**White5.0** · 02-06-2011, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by scott5

Gt500

i was thinking about this also...maybe getting an 07-09 gt500...decisions decisions lol

Originally Posted by scott5

It also depends are you going to use this for a dd, play toy, track toy?

i would daily drive either one i got except for winter

Originally Posted by phillysrt4

Do you plan to mod the car? If you like to mod cars and you're going to do more than an intake or exhaust, i'd go with the cobra. Nothing sucks more than to have to pay for a huge repair out of pocket while you're still making payments.

ill mod a new 5.0 for sure but ill daily drive it so im not looking to make insane hp numbers...probably just bolt ons like intake exhuast tune blah blah blah.

but you did bring up a good point, if something goes wrong while im making payments that will be terrible

but if i got a termi, i would mod it more than i would a new 5.0...with a termi i'd be doing pulley swaps, maybe a little nitrous, etc. The one thing that worries me about the new 5.0 is its transmission. The Feb '11 5.0 magazine has an article on swaping a t56 into a 2011 GT...it pretty much explains how people are having problems when they start making bigger hp in the new 5.0's because the MT82 tranny is only rated to 383 ft lbs.

so they may have brought the 5.0 back but it seems like they also brought the T-5 tranny back LOL

**speedracer** · 02-06-2011, 01:03 PM

20 years from now the GT will be just another mass produced Mustang... The Cobra will be a rarer more valuable car. I plan on keeping mine but if you go through cars every 5 years it boils down to money. Come spring my Cobra will out handle the 11 GT...

**NateSVT** · 02-06-2011, 02:14 PM

If you don't plan on making big power I'd go with the GT.

**97LaserRed** · 02-06-2011, 02:49 PM

I'd go cobra. 5.0 has a warranty but you will void it lol. I know how you are!

**racefan** · 02-06-2011, 02:55 PM

Hell!!! I would get a job, then buy the car!!!!

**scott5** · 02-06-2011, 02:56 PM

IT all boils down to money and what YOU want.. Do you wanna spend 30k plus or do you wanna pay 15k to 20k? Which would you rather have, what feels better, what drives better in your opinion? No one is making the payments or paying the cash but you. I was in the same situation you are in when i was looking and after driving all of my options i found i was the most happy with the TB SS.

And if your spending somewhere in 30k market i would strongly consider a GT500. From everyone i have talked to that upgraded said they do not regret it one bit and say that the gt500 is built "better". As far as mods the GT500 will make alot more power mod to mod than both and usually you can find one still with warranty so you can have that as a safe haven till your comfortable with taking the leap of mods.

If you can pay cash for a termy then by all means do a termy, but just like what you said before if you have to finance and something breaks, depending on what it is, you will even have more sunk into it.

New 5.0 you have a warranty incase something goes wrong also. And they are running great times with very little mods.