02-15-2018, 05:28 PM | #45 |
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I sold my 2016 M4 and purchased a 2017 Shelby GT350. Was in the same boat as you about 6 months ago. I never test drove one, and from reading all the great reviews, did not really even need to.....buuut, 6 months later, I have a 2018 m4 on order and trading my GT350 for it. The first 2 months, the car was amazing!!! The sound, is freaking ridiculous! The manual transmission is awesome. Now everything else, isn't all that great, but the two things I just mentioned, made me overlook all that. After driving it two months and getting used to it, you really start to notice all the bad (compared to the M4).
The build quality is really bad. When I stumbled upon a thread on the Mustang forum that explains how to get rid of bumper gaps, I was just shocked that was the norm. Also the car tramlines, like a mofo. Especially in New York, it is very apparent and does not make it all that great to drive the car, because the car just doesn't drive straight, instead just keeps jumping from left to right. If the roads are straight where you live (which I think in most places the roads are a lot better than New York, than this is not really an issue). My friend recently got a 2018 m3 (manual), which I get to drive from time to time. The build quality of the car is just amazing compared to the Shelby. The clutch pedal feel is a lot better on the M3 (to me at least). The car actually has a new car smell (The Shelby did not have that from day one, probably due to the lack of any leather). I think the GT350 is a great car to purchase and drive on the track. The M4/M3 are just great overall cars that you can daily and also track if needed. If you search on youtube, you will find the only negative review for the Shelby GT350, that was left by me. People were not too happy with the review, because I dislike the tramline on the car a lot. Everyone keeps telling me that tramline is normal, because of the wide tires, but its hard to say the car handles great, when I have to keep fighting the steering wheel to keep it going straight (due to the messed up New York roads). My f10 m5 has 275 front tires, and does not tramline at all, so not sure if the wheels are the only culprit here...maybe the difference between 275 and 295 is that significant, but kind hard to believe that its only the tires.
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02-16-2018, 01:17 AM | #46 | |
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However, I do have to say I find it funny people complain about build quality. Of course it's not as good, it's a Ford, lol. You're not paying for "Full Merino leather". You're paying for American plastic built by the lowest bidder. At the end of the day it's a Ford. Ford and BMW will always be apples and oranges. The GT350's bread winner is the FPC and trans, that's it. You write a fair review, I just find the one part funny and it's a common theme amongst the "BMW elitists". Enjoy the M4, that'd be my second choice. Lol.
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02-16-2018, 03:14 AM | #47 |
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I had bad tramlining with front 285s. Then I took it for an alignment and the toe was some high positive number. Not sure if it left the factory that way or if it was just a result of the immaculately surfaced Houston roads. But it decreased a ton once the toe was in spec.
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02-16-2018, 09:49 AM | #48 | |
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Technically you can get in to a bone stock m3 (new), for the same price as a new GT350. It seems that for the money, even with a bone stock M3, you are still getting a lot more for the money. Dealers really do not move much on the MSRP of the GT350, while the m3 can be found for Invoice pricing. So it would make sense the quality being a minus, if you at least get to save some money, but that isn't really the case here.
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02-16-2018, 09:51 AM | #49 | |
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02-16-2018, 09:59 AM | #50 |
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I disagree with you guys in a general sense that the GT350 only offers the FPC and sound over an M3. I think it offers other things in the chassis, breaks and especially suspension department. Also the TC is much better programmed than MDM IMO.
As for DD of course the M3 wins and build quality, but as I said in my M3/4 (mostly M3) I had a ton of creaking/rattles etc in my M3. They also have their share of plastics, especially if you don't have the full leather option. That being said, I have no issues driving DDing my GT350 even with my 7 year old daughter etc. I also find the ride in comfort (even sport) is much better than the M3/4. It does tramline on bad roads a lot. |
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02-16-2018, 11:44 AM | #51 | |
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The driving experience definitely felt sportier in the GT350, but M4 seems like the overall package. So much customization with coding and tuning, car already turboed and pretty much instant torque. Much classier too. GT350 just didn't feel complete. Super slow revving engine (heavy flywheel) created confusion for me (I was expecting a fast revving motor) and the car lacks the torque down low. Upside is the GT350 has ventilated seats, and a gnarly high revving V8 that comes with the sick exhaust note. Interior quality is ultimately still mustang quality vs M tier. If I was in my 20s, I probably would have gone with the GT350, but now in my 30s I would rather have the classier car.
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02-16-2018, 12:47 PM | #52 |
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02-16-2018, 01:44 PM | #53 | |
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I do keep the Shelby in Sports mode, most of the time, so maybe the traction starts working more like MDM in this mode, that might be a factor, that I just am not aware of. In that case they should have marked that in some way, as BMW shows a different indication when MDM mode is on, instead of traction being completely off. On the Shelby in track mode, it instantly shows that the traction is completely off, so that does make sense. Which makes me think that the traction control does not change from going from normal mode to sport mode.
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02-16-2018, 01:53 PM | #54 | |
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I had the same choice as you guys about a year ago. Trade my base M3 for a new comp pack or buy a GT350. Man I wish I would have bought the GT350. I went with the new M and sold it in under a year. No more F8x for me. |
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02-16-2018, 01:54 PM | #55 | |
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It does tell you that you are in sport mode just like when you are in MDM mode on the dash. Differently of course, but it does tell you and it should be noticeable because the exhaust valves will be open as well. |
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02-16-2018, 03:00 PM | #56 | ||
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02-16-2018, 03:06 PM | #57 | |
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I personally had flaws in both my brand new F8x. The 15 had a big wrinkle in the rear seat it took them almost a year to fix. The 16 had a few discoloration spots in the paint. |
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02-16-2018, 03:07 PM | #58 | |
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02-16-2018, 03:09 PM | #59 |
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02-16-2018, 03:10 PM | #60 |
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Roger. Guess I'll cancel my order and get the Kia Stinger.
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02-16-2018, 03:13 PM | #62 |
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Okay, cool. Don't pick it up until July in Wurzburg, Germany.
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02-16-2018, 03:16 PM | #63 |
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02-16-2018, 04:06 PM | #64 | |
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2 mazdas 1 ford 2 infinitis 2 lexus 2 mercs 1 acura 1 audi 7 bmws Not to mention countless more bmw's, lexus, mercs from the company fleet. Only had real issues with the '07 N54 335i. Owned many of these cars past warranty and the bmws are on par or better than most. You seem to go from one extreme to another in your posts, and I've read many of them over the years.
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02-16-2018, 04:46 PM | #65 | |
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But going back to OP post and the reason I decided to shime in. M3 and GT350 are two completely different cars. My opinion is that the M3 is a better overall car (daily and track). The GT350 is a beast for the track, no so much for street driving (especially in New York). Either way, both cars are fun as hell.
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02-16-2018, 07:19 PM | #66 | ||
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