Question regarding new Mustangs

Hello everyone! :)
I typically post in here regarding an older 1994 Cutlass Ciera (okay, well not specifically HERE...but you know what I mean) and well now, i'm putting money in a savings account towards a used car (mainly for a huge downpayment) and, upon looking at cars, I noticed that I really, really like the look of that new Mustang. I'm not really sure if I'd shoot for the GT or the V6, though. I live in Minnesota and i've seen people out driving those new Mustangs even when the weather really sucks (and it sure can get bad here in the winter, i'm sure anyone from MN in here can agree with that one) in the heart of winter.

So what i'm wondering is....is the traction control really good with those new ones or something? I'd like a really sporty coupe since I probably won't have a need for a Sedan. The only thing that makes me unsure about it is the RWD aspect. I just seem to have better success with FWD in the winter (though AWD would probably be perfect), but is it perfectly balanced out with the rear so as to not slip bad or something? I'm sorry if the answers are obvious, I just have to work soon and I don't have the time to search. You people are always so prompt and nice that I figured SOMEONE here must drive the newer Mustangs :). Now, i'm not completely decided on a mustang or any vehicle and my purchase is at least 4 months away, so i'm just kind of scratching my chin about it. It looks pretty darn safe for a coupe, at least when I scope it out. If it is decent in the winter with RWD and its ABS/Traction Control, then I won't mind.

It will probably be better than what I use now, though. I've been driving for the last 3 or 4 years in the winter without any traction control or ABS system! The control hub for those features went bad in 2002 and I didn't want to shell out $300 for the new part. That cutlass sucked in snow even before it went bad, so in fairness....it probably would be better than that thing in snow anyways:).

Thanks for any help you guys can be on my questions. If not, well hey thats okay...I just thought i'd try.

Have a good 4th of july!

well i drive mine in some decent snow in the winter, not quite like minnesota though. i do ok with it, its a 2000 though not a 05 but my guess would be that the new ones arent any worse. ive heard that they are fine with some snow tires, although i wouldnt know because ive never had snow tires. it is rwd, but atleast its got more weight on the back than a truck.

I had the privilege of putting a 2006 Mustang through destruction tests and they hold up extremely well under heavy rain, ice and melted slush. They have a little play in the rear end but that is the be expected with and rwd car. But in complete honesty if I was living in a snowy prone weather I would invest in truck or a heavy sedan (Taurus, Lincoln, 300c)....actually I would probably keep my Jimmy or go out and but a 3500.

What gen do you mean when you say "a new Mustang"? Are you talking about 05+'s or 99-04's? Anyways the "trac off" button retard's the timing to keep the wheels from spinning so you would definatly want to leave that on in the snow. I cant tell you from personal experence how they are in the snow since I live in Florida but other people say with sandbags(or somthing in the trunk to put more weight on the wheels ) its fine as long as you dont go to fast around corners or anything.

try not to stop in snow uphill either, chances are youll have to back up if you do

In response to one question, I meant the 2005+ models. The previous years all seemed to look the same to me, so I meant it as in when they put out a new design. Most of the problem would be slush, because Minnesota doesn't get lake-effect snow like the northeast does. There are a few times that a large amount of snow falls on the roads, but I assure you that it is absolutely nowhere near as large an amount on a daily basis as new england gets from the great lakes (probably a fraction of the amount they get). Features aside, it is hard for me to figure out its winter performance, but this gives me a pretty good idea. The only main thing is the bone-chilling temperatures in Minnesota (this january, the high temperature never went above 0 degrees for 2.5 weeks).

So, let me clarify the situation in winter because I had no time to do that earlier. How can I get decent accounts if I just say 'winter in Minnesota'? I had realized that it probably would give the perception of blinding snowfall every week. Most of the major roads/bridges have automatic de-icers in them, so if it is slippery...it won't be for long. After a huge, major storm went through in January, for instance, there were huge amounts of snow on the roads at night when it fell. The next day, the roads were all wet with no real ice threat, though residential streets had some packed snow. A few days after it, the streets are usually bone dry and they stay that way most of the winter because the cold temperatures stifle snow storms here. Trust me, a bulk of the time in winter here, the roads are dry and harmless.

My Cutlass Ciera sucks so badly in winter storms, its like you turn a corner and slip n slide in snow quite a bit at any slow speed. Just like someone at work said....if it has ANY kind of decent traction control (all I saw tonight was that it does have traction control), it would most likely be better than mine is. I'm mainly looking for something that is decent in the snow. I am a very good driver and snow doesn't overwhelm the state on a daily basis in winter, so i'm not necessarily looking for a vehicle that I can drive through some snowbank. I have also taken some extensive defensive and winter driving courses, if that helps give you an idea of driving abilities. The current car will also spin easily when it just rained lightly and though it is fast, its not like its some 300hp V8 car. If anything, the summer rains occur heavier and more frequently than our snowfall does :).

Also, I believe it wasn't until late December that we actually got any snow fall that stayed. Our main winter drag is low temperatures. I should have clarified that it isn't necessarily for massive snow fall amounts on the roads, but mainly for instances where it snows a decent amount and i'm still trying to get home. I'm not talking about a blizzard either...because if I get caught in that, i'm SOL no matter what vehicle i'm in ;).

I'm keeping my options open, yes, but I got a chance to drive one tonight and I really, really enjoyed it a lot. If its got plenty of weight in the back end, it should probably do good for me. I used to have to drive, briefly, a gray Chevrolet Caprice sedan my dad had. Though it was 305 and not a 350, it was a very fast car that had an outrageously light rear end. It would spin the tires on DRY pavement :P. Surely it is better than that :). I have no problems with weighting down the rear with sand bags or something heavy, like bags of salt for water softeners.

Also, I am looking into a sedan as a secondary option, but not a truck. I really, honestly, have absolutely no need for a truck. I don't mean to toss your suggestion aside like that, but its just that it would be a very impractical purchase for me is all. If I decide against a Mustang, i'll probably lean towards a 2003/2004 Mazda 6s V6. If not that, then I'd probably lean towards something with AWD. I mean, if i'm going to get a sedan than I might as well shoot for an AWD version. The main thing that I would need is stability and proper ABS brakes. Does anyone know how the traction control functions in the new mustang vehicles? If someone mentioned it, I must have missed it sorry.

Sorry for writing so much, I'm just trying to set a goal here for myself and I need some first-hand advice on it. Thanks for these posts, it really helps a lot with my choices.

oh i was indeed under the impression that winters in minnesota called for massive snow, in that case i probably get more than you here in ohio. also in that case, the mustang will work just fine. slush isnt much of a problem at all. im sure with any type of traction control it would make it even easier. i have a 2000 v6 mustang, it has an open differential and no trac control at all and ive managed just fine so far over two winters. except for the black ice incedent...

basically i was at a resturant and it rained and froze a half inch of black ice while i was in the resturant and covered literally every thing in the entire county. after i spun off the on ramp to the highway 4 other cars did to. luckily my car wasnt damaged and none of the other cars hit me. it was remarkable because after we pulled the car out and were driving home we had to have passed about 10 cars in the median. absolute worst driving conditions ever i think. there were 4 wheel drive jeeps spinnin out.

I think I probably will gun for one of those 2005 models :). Yeah, Ohio and on up to Maine get way more snow than we do. Since we're west of Lake Superior, things generally form here and move east and then drop the snow. Sure, we get our fair share of snow but it definitely is nothing compared to areas that get lake-effect snow. We do, however, have the coldest weather on average :). I found on the NWS site that the northern part of the state gets about 70 inches of annual snowfall and my area gets about 40 inches annually. I'm sure you probably do get more snow annually than we do :) especially considering this winter was the first normal winter in about 8 years. Hardly had any snow every winter for quite a while. Of yearly precipitation, the NWS says more than 75% of it occurs during the summer months. Hence the reason that snow REALLY isn't the topmost concern. Basically, we get two MASSIVE winter storms and it drops 12+ inches of snow each time and then thats it for weather for the winter, lol..its just that its so damn cold in the winter that none of it melts. It is nice that way, actually, because I like snow but hate ice. They clean off those roads so quickly that I probably wouldn't have to worry anyways :). As long as its not going to feel like i'm driving a motorcycle in a snowstorm, I should be okay.

Thanks for your experiences, it really put my worries at ease. I have absolutely no need for a sedan or a larger vehicle, so I really wanted a nice, sporty coupe that had a good size to it with good safety features. I never have had one, so ya know...I just had to ask!