I'll have this one for a while
Written: May 07 '04 (Updated Sep 26 '07)
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Pros: Plenty of power, classic styling, easy to repair.
Cons: Tends to go through tires quickly, not the safest car in bad weather.
The Bottom Line: I'll keep this car until I can't drive it any more and go buy yet another Mustang GT.
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| jccoun's Full Review: 1998 Ford Mustang |
I've owned Mustangs for over 20 years. I always buy them used and I usually keep them for a long time. So when it came time to let go of my beloved 1987 GT, I strolled down to the local Carmax and bought a beautiful 1998 GT that was optioned exactly as if I had custom ordered it from the factory. It's Rio Red with a black cloth interior. And it's got all the options that were sorely missing in my '87 including airbags, four wheel anti-lock disc brakes and cruise control. I bought the car without even test driving it, I was sure of my purchase.
It's been three years now, and I've got a keeper. I love to take long road trips --- and regularly make trips to the mountains that require 13 hours in a car. And the GT has been my faithful companion, making the trip without a hitch. Some people complain that the Mustang is uncomfortable on long trips. Sure, it's not a Cadillac --- it's low to the ground and has a stiff suspension system. But unless you're on a extremely rough highway, it's a smooth car to drive. And the gas mileage is good. I set the cruise on the speed limit and get about 26 MPG on the highway [This also prevents me from getting speeding tickets, which can happen easily if your not careful in this car]. I have a five speed car, and that makes a big difference in the gas mileage you get.
I had reservations about giving up a car with the ultra-reliable 5.0 for a less tested 4.6. So far, I've noticed a little less torque from the 4.6, but that may turn into a blessing, as I'll discuss below. Performance wise, the car has all the horsepower you'll ever need. This is a car that attracts hot rodders and high school kids. The testosterone filled male lusts after the GT because it can easily be turned into a 400 horse power monster. But why bother unless your daily commute is exclusively on a quarter mile drag strip?
I'm very pleased with the interior. It's simple and it reminds me of the 1969 Mustang I had in high school. The seats are comfortable. But like every Mustang built since 1964, the back seat is small. I purposely chose a cloth interior car, which can sometimes be tough to find in a GT as most have leather. But it's also hard to find a Mustang with leather interior that doesn't get cracks in the seats within a few years. Ford uses cheap leather. And unless you want to put leather treatment on your interior every week, the seats WILL crack. The air conditioning on the car is superior, which is crucial in Texas. And the Mach 460 sound system is incredible --- no reason to upgrade unless you're a big audiophile. I do have two complaints about the interior though. The 1998 GT does not have a locking fuel door --- which was standard feature on older GTs, the release was found in the glove compartment. I also miss having a low fuel warning light --- again a standard feature on GTs the Ford dropped for the 1998.
The exterior paint is holding up well. I keep the car washed and waxed and it still looks new.
Now for the bad stuff. Mustang GTs use up tires at a furious pace. I'm a very conservative driver, and I assume that even with H-rated tires, I'll only get 30,000 out of a set of tires. That was common with my '87 GT. The reason is partly because the tires on the GT are fairly wide, and combine that with the fact that the car is so torquey means tires will go bald in no time. When I bought the 98, it appeared to have brand new tires on it, although I think they were a cheap no name brand. The lasted 30,000 miles. I have Perrelli's on them now, and I'm hoping that because the 98 has less torque and the new tires are better quality that I might get another 10,000 out of them.
My 87 GT had trouble while driving it in the mountains above 9,000 feet. It couldn't take the thin air and would stall out. The 98 GT has had no such problems. Apparently the computer system on the car is more advanced. The 87 GT was also very prone to hydroplane on wet roads because of its wide tires. The 98 seems to be a bit better in this respect --- I've yet to feel like the car is coming out from under me when the roads are wet.
Three years, and 40,000 miles later, I've only had to make one repair to the car. There's a valve on the intake that went bad, making the car nearly impossible to start. I bought a new valve for about $120, put it on in about 3 minutes, and was back in business. That's it. I haven't even needed a new battery.
I'm going to drive this car until I can't drive it anymore.
*** Update 11/18/04 ***
The car now has 72,000 miles on it and is still running as smooth as silk, with little outward appearance of wear. I've had to make to some minor repairs. After six years of service, the original Motorcraft battery finally gave up the ghost in September. Even though I kept it filled with water and regularly cleaned the posts, I'm still amazed that it lasted this long.
In October, the car wouldn't start, just a few weeks after I'd replaced the battery. I had no idea what was wrong. I had it towed to a garage and they replaced the ignition switch. That cost me $129 for parts and labor.
*** Update 6/2/06 ***
At 88,000 miles, the car is still running just as it should. I have noticed that if the car sits for several days, it runs a bit rough when it's initially started. The engine smooths out after it idles for about one minute. This may have something to do with a spark plug --- the platinum plugs are due to be changed at 100,000 miles. I just replaced the front struts and the rear shocks at a cost of $600 for parts and labor. I expected I would have to make this repair. However, the struts and shocks may have lasted longer had I not been driving on battle-scarred Dallas streets, which are roughly comparable to third world roads. Also with fuel prices a concern, the car is still getting very good mileage --- up to 26 to 27 mpg in highway driving. The car will run on regular fuel without a problem in city driving. However, the 4.6 engine really needs mid-grade to excellerate on the highway without knocking. I have not purchased premium fuel in quite a while.
*** Update 9/26/07 ***
At 95,000, I've been stung by two fairly expensive repairs in as many months. The first came when I notice anti-freeze leaking near the front of the engine. I thought I had a broken water pump, but my mechanic informed me I was wrong. I had just been biten by the scourge of all 1998 Mustang GTs --- the plastic intake manifold. Ford engineers, in a fit of idiocy, put cheap plastic intakes on the 1998 4.6 engine. And after a while, they all start to leak. It cost me $600 to get this repaired. But at least the new intake isn't all plastic and should last another 100,000 miles. And now, the computer in the car has failed. The problem with the computer failure is you are almost obligated to take the car to a Ford Dealership for high cost repairs because only they possess the equipment neccesary to sync a new computer with the passive theft system in the car (there's a chip in the key that won't allow the car to start unless the computer recognizes the key.) So another $800 went out the door. But still, I'm not complaining. I've owned this vehicle for nearly seven years and have had no troubles up until now. However, I thought the odometer would have registered well over 100,000 before I had my first expensive repair.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 14,000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1998
Model and Options: GT --- 4.6 V8, 5 speed, cruise control, Mach 460 sound system
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Epinions.com ID:
jccoun
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Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 1 member
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