Barev

Warning: LONG read.

To be specific, a 2012 Mustang V6 Premium Club of America:









Or a 2013 Fusion Titanium (not necessarily white):







My dilemma:

I've had the Mustang since September 2011 and since then, I've had numerous issues with it.
-At 200 miles, it start creaking from the rear which the dealer claimed was poor welding at the factory which has re-appeared now at 14,000 miles.
-The suspension creaks/thuds over speed bumps like a 30 year old car that's on it's last leg. It's truly embarrassing when people are near the car. The looks I get are interesting to say the least. They've already fixed it once and it came back 2 days later. It's notorious on Mustangs and Ford is apparently unwilling to properly fix it.
-When the windows are down, going over rough bumps will cause the doors to rattle/shake. They realigned and replaced the door latch with no success. My friend's 2012 Mustang does the same thing.
-The auto transmission shifter assembly had to be replaced as it would buzz/vibrate loudly when accelerating or on rough roads.
-The passenger side door speaker rattles as a result of them taking it apart when they replaced the latch.

The drivers door lock has been fussy for a while now. Sometimes it wouldn't lock/unlock when asked to, but it completely failed this morning and didn't work. It remained in the unlock position no matter when locking/unlocking from the key or the inside switches. I decided to take it in to a dealer near my house to get it fixed as it's pretty inconvenient.
While there, I decided to take a look at some cars on the lot. The first I test drove was the Focus ST. While it was a fun little car, I wouldn't want the manual transmission in day to day driving in LA.

The next car I looked at and test drove was the Fusion. I've already been pretty interested in the car as I feel it's a great value for the price and feature content. Not to mention, I think it's a great looking car inside and out.

So I told the salesperson helping me that I've been having issues with my car and if they could get me out of the lease and into another car for the same price, I would do it. To be honest, I wasn't expecting them to be able to so I was surprised when the finance manager came back and told me they'd easily be able to get me out of my car and into a Fusion Titanium for less money.

Currently I pay $370 a month for the Mustang. It's a 3 year lease and I'm only 18 months in, hence why I was shocked. It seems to make sense though. If you build vehicles on Ford's site, their payment estimator has dramatic differences.

A 2013 Mustang V6 built like my car comes out to around $30,000. Their lease price is $350 for a 39 month lease. A 2013 Fusion Ti with all the options, MSRP $36,000 is $290 a month for a 24 month lease. They have crazy high residuals right now. Nothing is set in stone, the only thing awaiting is my mom has to go in with me to run her credit as she would be co-signing it since she has very high credit scores and then we'd be able to get exact numbers re: payment prices and stuff.

Basically, I need advice and opinions. What would you guys do if you were in my situation?

I drive 16 miles one way to school from home. I work in the complete opposite direction about 8 miles from home. The Fusion parks itself, has adaptive cruise, precollision warning, blind spot/cross traffic assist, navigation, etc. It's also more fuel efficient, smoother, quieter, and more comfortable and can accommodate more people more easily.

I have a bit of emotional attachment with the Mustang as it was my (sort of) first car and well, I'm not sure how else to explain it other than I'm attached to it. However, if the dealer wasn't BSing, this could be an interesting proposition.

Would you ditch the "cool" factor, performance, good looks (subjective), and all the problems for everything else the Fusion offers.

Sorry for the long read but I would really appreciate any advice, opinions, criticism, etc.

nokiaman

I would personally go for the Fusion Ti. Saw one the other day and they look pretty good as well. Looking at your arguments, sounds like you have your mind made as well. Lease the Fusion and then once that's done, maybe get back into another Mustang. Having a car with issues sucks especially when it's new.

RPhilMan1

I would definitely go for the Fusion!

Demonface.24

I'd go for it , If you happen to not like it you can always trade it in for something else.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Whatever you do make sure you read, re-read, and have several other people read the contract. Car salesmen are in the business to make money. They seem way too eager to get you into a new lease. Just my

S A CHO

Just as an aside, I have a 2011 V6 and have zero of those issues you've mentioned. My rear end would creak if going slow over larger bumps on a cold morning but I shot all the rubber bushings in the rear with FluidFilm lubricant and it hasn't happened since.

If I were in your shoes I'd definitely look at getting away from that car. The Fusion is a great looking car and definitely the most attractive mid-sizer out there.

ZhenyaF

iTrader: (6)

QFT

I would get the Fusion also

charliemike

Fusion. New car and new model shouldn't bring along any of the old concerns.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

your first mistake was getting the six cylinder stang.


I vote Fusion as well

Moog-Type-S

Fusion is hot. Get one!

Then when the Fusion lease is up, get the all new next gen Mustang.

Solve two problems at one time. :wink:

Barev

I agree. I'm still doubting they'll actually be able to get me out of the lease and into a new one for less money. If they can do it even around the same price, I'll be happy. To be honest, I just hope they can. Is there anything I should look for to avoid being taken advantage of?

I agree, somewhat. At the time we got the Mustang, a base GT was around $28/29,000 and my premium V6 was $30,xxx. I don't want to know how much insurance would've been on a GT for a 16 year old driver, not to mention gas prices. And besides, at 16, there's no way I would've trusted myself with a 412 hp Mustang. 305 was more than plenty. Even now I don't think I could trust myself with the GT.

charliemike

The lease term, the capitalized cost, make sure there's no balloon payment, the money factor. The usual.

savage

I'd go with the Fusion. They look sharp!

leedogg

fusion hybrid

oo7spy

You're 18, and you want a Fusion?

65 Fury Convert

This.

If you're 18 and can get a Mustang get the Mustang.

charliemike

Lots of people on here had/have 2G and 3G TLs and TSXs ... What is the difference?

Sly Raskal

iTrader: (1)

The car should suit the person's lifestyle and needs.

mmafighta

I made this thread couple weeks back about the 5.0 stang based on my initial reactions after the test drive..

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/current-mustangs-overrated-882131/

Aside from the power (looks are totally subjective as well), I wasn't at all impressed with the rest of the car. Baased on the cheapness of the car, I had a gut feeling that this thing probably couldn't hold up for 1-2 years...My nearly 10 year old G35 with 100K miles doesnt rattle or creak, or ever suffered from transmission slipping as I read these stangs do. i guess this is why, you see why most favoring Japanese or German sports car over domestic ones.

Anyways, just my two cents...I'd probably go with the Fusion

Rick_TL-S

That's part of the reason I passed as well on a used GT a few months back as well; the interior is so cheap compared to what I've been spoiled by in the Acura.

Perhaps, if you get a GT with all the tech. goodies, track pack & the Recaros, everything becomes much nicer. But, it's no longer "bang for the buck".

neuronbob

Given your sitution....the Fusion. Save money, get rid of your lemon, and at the end of the lease, get a next gen 'stang, hopefully not a lemon.

Not to mention, the new Fusion is hot-looking with the Astonesque grille.

BTW, your thinking is quite mature for 16.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

I think there is a Fusion Titanium-it might be worth a look too.

oo7spy

I will leave the TSX out as it never would have appealed to me at 16. The difference to me is two fold: appearance and performance. My two options when I upgraded from my Legend were TL-S and RL. Both brushing up against 300 hp, both luxury sedans with an intended wealth demographic not typical of my age group. Why would a 18 year old want a car that is intended to be a mass seller to blue collar 30 & 40 year olds?

Is it a nice car? Sure. Is Ford the first American brand I would choose? Yes. But come on. Boy's about to be in college. Get something fun that is going to draw girls inside. Save the boring car for when life is boring.