@@fishels3895 the first gen s550 are the best looking by far. Wider body, sits lower, better taillights, front ends are debatable. But looks aside driving them is no competition. The s550 outclasses previous mustangs in every way. It actually handles like a sports car.
S197 will always look more aggressive and meaner in my opinion. The 15+ still hasn’t grown on me yet. I still like them but just not as much as the 13/14
It will do the straight line 100 times better than the s550. Put a gen2 coyote in a S197 and you have the perfect combo to go low 7s with a blower fairly easy compared to ho much more its gonna take the s550 to hit low 7s.
The point is that you "have to get used to" the S550 front end, the S197s always looked good. I really hope whoever designed the new Mustang front end is off of the design team.
S197 was a work of love. Since the introduction of the concept car, later the 2005, rebirth of the gt500, the redesign in 2010, the new engine in 2011, all the while maintaining the retro look and feel. The S550 is a nice sportscar it just doesnt look or feel like a mustang, the same way anything after 1970 didnt, until the 2005-2014. The GT350 looked great, they just messed up the front end in the v6 and L4 and GT. The 2018 is a significant improvement in the looks department. I was tempted by the 2018 and I will buy a 2019 bullit next year, but I think 2005 to 2014 will age much, much better than the newer ones.
I respect your opinion but this wasn't much of a one vs one video... this is more of a "you should get this"... there wasn't much comparison. What about the fact that the S197 is lighter, and have reported better times in both 1/4 and 1/2 mile? I will admit that the interiors are better, but thats with every new generation of car... so that's to be expected.
The S197 is only lighter by 40-80 pounds depending on which package you get from the S550. Explain to me what difference 80lbs heavier does???? These cars are not too far from each other when it comes to performance, that said, It's easy for a broken in S197 to beat a 0 mile S550. But once that S550 has broken in, say bye bye, S197 does not have a chance. But it all comes down to what mods you have. Just CAI can make the difference in both cars. Type in the search S197 vs S550, 80% of the videos you see the S550 smokes S197. Before my S550, I had 2013 S197, and believe me, S550 is better all around. It really just comes down to your personal like in the body style. And that is a personal opinion, not a fact.
Kristofer Pribble Better yet, here you go bro. blog.caranddriver.com/dont-worry-yall-2015-mustang-curb-weights-revealed-gains-are-minimal/ Keep buying into that weight bullshit that everybody was talking about at the beginning of 2015. Keep listening to the haters.
Kristofer Pribble Hell, all you have to do is search in google 2015 mustang gt weight and in a different tab search the same for 2014 mustang gt weight and bang you get the TRUE facts. Smh!!! Hope this info helps you bro!
Man i talked too much shit! I was at the dealer in August and they had just taken a black 550 off the truck. I looked at it ...well to make a long story short I drove in with a 2014 S197 and drove out with a 2019 S550 GT! What a car,I went back to a 6speed stick and Im loving every minute of it,the autos may be faster but you cant get that sound without a stick! My wife and I are old but we still have that need for speed!
Im an old guy,I drive a 2014 s197.I prefer the older look as compared to the S550.I have road tested the S550,everything you have said about the S550 is true.In my opinion the newer mustangs have the European look which the younger crowd like. I liked the car,but not good enough to trade my S197 for.
mihkal Have you driven a regular GT350? That's a mean sounding animal. I'd trade that 2011 Shelby for a 18 or 19 GT500 when that comes out but that's just me!
I actually have a friend who has one. It just haven't gotten around to driving it lol it does sounds amazing though. As far as the 18-19 Shelby goes I'm sure they'll be monsters but I rather mod my 11 to my taste lol too much sentimental value lol worked my ass off to get it lol
Well, just my two cents worth, the reason I bought my 2012 WAS the retro style. After all ,it is a Mustang. That being said, the S550's are a much improved package. Maybe someone will make an IRS system for the S197. I could really go for that!
2014 S197 mustang. Last mustang I’ll ever buy I love it and gonna keep it till I die or give it to my kid....it’ll be a garage queen im gonna look into collecting a new corvette for another muscle
Ditto, minus the garage queen part of the equation. I searched long and hard for my 2013 Grabber Blue Boss 302. Now I plan to keep it and drive it until it dies, or I do. It'll probably become a weekend car at some point, but I think it'd be pretty cool to see if I can take it from there 30,000 miles that I bought it with to 200,000+ miles eventually. The car loves to run. I plan to indulge it.
@@Bertinator-nm9ld hell yeah, I drive my 12 gt everyday, literally everyday I plan to run it as long as I can then just swap the block for a Gen 2 and keep it alive 🤙
I'm a Hellcat guy and find these videos fascinating! Great info & summaries.🤔 Amazing how much strength is in the stock Mustang engine architecture and driveline.😮 Plus...so refreshing to see an adult put out this information. Nice!
Just ran a datalog tonight on a tune you wrote on Friday. Did a 4 gear pull and I was surprised to see almost 30 degrees timing. Damn! I backed off the throttle at 7100... didn't know where the limit was. The tune is super smooth. Just came from that Walmart of tuning with the so called fastest 2015 coyote with the 11-14 motor.
I find hilarious how yolo and Alex are completely polar opposites lol. one's a cocky fuck and the other a humble dude. Keep up the videos man, great funny, educational shit on here.
Thanks for speaking on this. I want my own personal S197 or S550 California Special, and I love the looks of the S197 CS/GT, but the S550 with a stick is such a dream to drive. Plus the coming 18' CS/GT has the 10-speed.😁
Alejandro Flores actually I've made a couple of s550's around here get used to the rear end of my 13 gt ;) nice car tho I would've bought one but I didn't like the BMW wanna be feel the car gave me. I have a '10 535i BMW so I wanted a different feel from a regular car. Sweet mustang
What? LOL have you not watched any of my videos? Truth be told. the s550 is simply better in many ways. Ford got it right with the motor, suspension and interior of this car.
+Alejandro Flores no I have man and I agree it's upgraded quite a bit just pride of being a S197 owner hurts to admit it's not as good when I could have gone with the 550. The supercharged option is badass didn't have that when I was in the market
I had a 2014 GT premium w/track pack, but a blind old bat ran a light and totalled her. Now i have a 2016 GT premium w/track pack. i like the rear end of the 2014 better, and The 2014 has the advantage in a straight line race due to the live axle, but was at a major disadvantage when it came to turning. Yea it can do 1/10 of a second faster and the axle is stronger, but the daily driveability is inferior to the S550 and with a half shaft upgrade it can take just as much, if not more, power than the S197 I like the front of the S550 better. She looks much more aggressive from the front, she handles like a completely different animal, the interior is superior, the engine and it's components are superior, it can take more timing, and the ECU is better. S197 When choosing between the 2, the only reason, IMO, to choose the S197 is for looks.
I have a boss and wife has a S550 5.0 loaded out. it's nice and all but I prefer the boss. I feel more connected to the car in the boss as opposed to hers. they are nice but not my cup of tea I'd get rid of hers before the boss
Alejandro Flores I didn't say they were weak, I said the s197's is stronger which is true. I've raced a 2015 GT who tore out a half shaft on take off so from my personal experience I wouldn't want one.
They have been low 9s... but for how long? Just because a rear doesn't break on the first launch doesn't mean it won't break on the 3rd or 50th launch. Good to know they're pretty strong though
FWIW, both the S197 and S550 chassis have distinct issues with their rear ends when it comes to hard launches at the strip. The S197's have been spinning axle tubes since 2005 when the 3V's were hitting the drag strips with sticky tires. Sure, you don't rip out the splines anymore like the Fox/SN95 cars did, but you are finding all the other weaknesses in the driveline. Furthermore, the S197's have problems with crush sleeves compressing on hard launches. The S197's rear axle also wheelhops like a mofo due to unbelievably poorly designed UCA bushings. The S550 has problems with half shafts on unmodified IRS due to wheel hop caused by bushing and subframe compliance. They wheel hop like a mad mofo, that's for sure. Welcome to the modern era of "everything must ride nice!". That's really the only failures I'm seeing from drag racing an S550. The S550's 8.8 has a much beefier pinion gear. Not that the older S197 pinion gear is weak, but Ford went to town on the pinion bearing issues with the 8.8 gearsets (it only took them 4 decades to do) and that caused a slightly larger and longer pinion gear which interestingly enough strengthened it quite a bit. S550 auto equipped vehicles come with aluminum diff housings, manuals come with cast iron diff housings. The housing itself is pretty beefy. The S550's suspension geometry also has about 20% more Anti-squat built into the geometry compared to the S197 which helps at launch but the problem is that this geometry is fixed whereas it can be changed easily on the S197. In truth, neither car is perfect in stock form, but for drag racing (yawn) the Live Axle setup just offers more flexibility for tuning in the long run than the S550 will and it'll be less expensive to do. For handling, both cars are pretty solid, but the S550 wins just on the braking package alone.
Ta'Darrius Stanley Yeah bro. I got my 07' GT in 2013 and I felt bad about all the talk about my car being scrap metal compared to all the newer versions.
Keep financing and never get out of debt. Just be happy with what ya got 1/4 is only seconds. I’ll own a Shelby but I’m throwing cash at it. I have the money but I won’t regret it down the road. Shits about to tank hold on to your $$
I like the 13 all the way to 18 mustang. I think I would buy a 15 or newer for that independent rear suspension. Depends on my budget when I'm ready to upgrade to one. Another great video sir
Hey, VMP is great company I do business with them.I really enjoy watching your Videos and the information provided for us ford mustang guys keep up the great work.
I have a 2010 GT with the 4.6. I feel like I'm the last one left that drives a 4.6 GT lol... Everyone else may hate it but I still love it.. Rather have the 4.6 over any V6 or turbo4... Couldn't afford a 5.0 :)
It's a great reliable engine. I could have bought a 2018, but it had no soul. It felt like a luxury car, the clutch and transmission sucks, and so does the electronic steering. Also, they have defective shift forks. Granted my 07 has about 15 grand worth of modifications on it so it's nothing like it was stock.
3644Darrell I agree! I have a 03 gt thats heavily modified with a blower and the 4.6 is a very stout motor for what it is. Plus that 99 to 04 body style will never fade away imo.
And the fact that the 13-14 taillights and headlights look so much better and the fact that the 15 and up have a long ass hood that nobody can see over😂
The 197 will go down in history. The 550 will eventually be a fail once the “new” car hype goes down... in the dark in my garage, it was eerie how the lines on my ‘14 looked like my ‘68 camaro. And yes, I know they’re two completely different things. The designers nailed it with the 197, the 550... not so much. Just an opinion, and I don’t really care for new cars anyway, except the sweet ass innovation that is the coyote.
Alejandro Flores huh? It’s an opinion BRO. Read my comment. This question is subjective in nature. I BELIEVE THE S197 IS BETTER. I don’t care what others think, it’s my opinion. Which everyone is entitled to. I don’t care about all of these “it was the first all stock 6r80 that was red with a black ice air freshener to do 7’s at some track.” It’s ridiculous.
No it's a lot simpler. NO s197 has gone faster with a 6r80. Drive a s550 and it will change your mind, Looks are 1 thing, performance is another. And a stickshift S550 with a blower is a dream to drive.
Alejandro Flores CAN YOU NOT READ. I don’t give a RATS ASS about speed alone/ET’s. I’m driving this thing to work every day, etc... this is subjective. I’ve driven m3’s, vettes, every v8 under the sun. It’s up to the individual on what THEY like, not some dude hawking crap on RU-vid videos bro. I would be much happier driving an s197 daily than a 550. That’s my opinion, which again, everyone is entitled to their own. I prefer the 197. There are many things to consider than speed alone. For me, the eurotrash of the 550 isn’t doing it. If I wanted speed, I’d just twin turbo my 68 and drive that every day. 8’s in the 1/4. Not everyone cares about speed. And really, for a daily, you shouldn’t.
Am always beating those S550 GTs with 14 GT on the streets they get pretty piss off and end up chasing me around cuz obviously they think they are superior to my S197 and i got to admit I love it
10/14 look much nicer. 13/14 are plenty fast. Even the spartan interior in them looks timless and will age better. The 15/19 is a better car but that is to be expected with tech. But they will allways look uglier
Luv this vid. Thanks Alex. I traded my 12 s197 brembo for an s550 and I miss the rawness of the s197. But in the s550 I don’t feel like I’m going to hit a pole if I get on it in the rain or around a corner. Oddly though I miss the thrill of nearly hitting a pole in the s197....
I guess I am biased towards the 11-14's because it just looks like a dragstrip car, don't ask me why I identify the car this way....but I understand the benefits of the 15 +......thanks for your insight.
Great video! Have been thinking about one and this video pretty much convinced me! Best part is i work for a ford dealer definitely will get a good deal on one !
I went from an S197 5.0 to a Manual C7 that now weighs in at 3,180lb and makes 468whp /474wtq with ONLY LT’s, catless x, & e85 tune (while reading 51% ethanol). My 5.0 was great but when I test drove the C7 I knew It was on another planet. Best decision I ever made
Just like he said its all about your look preference. I for one hate the s550 and could care less to ever own one. However I love my s197 its got more of the old school true American muscle look vs that European look. You can get a s197 for so cheap add a stage 3 blower on it and still be less expensive than a s550 and blow the doors of a NA s550. S197 is better at drag racing and s550 better at track but for everyday driving you wont notice much of a difference.
Nice thanks! I really like both cars but give the edge to the S197 in the sound department with the right exhaust setup. Your videos are very informative, I have taken a lot of your information into consideration and can definitely see myself contacting you in the future for mods whenever I make my purchase.
The only S197's that ever sounded good were the 05-10's with the 3V. The coyotes all sound like complete ass. I miss my 2009 with a set of Roush Extreme Catbacks (I do have two vids on my channel of the setup). That car sounded insane when it revved to 7k RPM. I have yet to find an exhaust for a Coyote that doesn't sound like complete ass at WOT. Too much rasp and "european tones" in the exhaust note to ever make it sound like the 3V did.
@@UrPeaceKeeper Have you ever given a listen to a BOSS 302 with GT500 axle backs and the side dump restrictor plates removed? That's one deep and throaty V8 exhaust setup!
I don't care if they are more better than previous generation. Now anyone can upgrade the old car to be better and faster. Ford will not stop making face lifted mustang and say this is the best car of all time. I have seen the S550 before I bought my S197. God I really love the looks of it.
Zelmar Hernandez the Mustang is a pony car, a compact...true musclecars are hi-po versions of larger sedans. So to deadpools point of it not "feeling" like a musclecar, it shouldn't because it isn't one. It's a ponycar.
Half of the people that left comments on this video are biased because of the looks of a mustang. The S550 does in fact have incredible upgrades but that does not mean the s197 is a worthless car, it should be expected that the S550 would out preform a S197 1 because its an updated version of the same car and because their are different suspension and engine components. 1st with enough tuning/ calibration a car perform at any level, also in the video when he discussed timing the S550 can probably go with a higher degree of timing basised off of engine components but he also mentioned fuel which means the same can be for the S197 with the same grade fuel also a host of other factors need to be brought into play besides just fuel, like weather conditions. Humidity, temperature things like that also play a role, next for those who say a S550 is built to turn and a S197 is built for a straight line please get educated the reason that the mustang used a Solid rear axle for so long is because a IRS did not provide a substantial performance benefit: Lets compare a stock S550 and stock S197 on two separate tracks. The first track is WILLOW springs in which the S550 went 1:24.29 with randy pobst the same driver who went 1:25.77 in a S197. Next we have AUTOZEITUNG test track in which the S550 went 1:43.40 and the S197 went 1:41.10, in other words in one round the S550 one and in the other the S197 won. FORD used the Solid read axle for 50 YEARS i'm pretty sure they knew how to set a car up to get the best out of it. Each suspension system has its pros and cons but the IRS is a better all around performer, you give up a little straight line speed for better track performance, real world driving and ride quality. With a Solid axle you have less maintenance to worry over, weight and slightly better straight line performance. Now in term of Tech, the thing about technological advances is that they can be changed out relatively quickly for a reasonable price. So before bashing a S197 learn what its good at and before hating on the S550 learn that not everyone is the same.
We have a 16GT prem that my wife drives. I had an 08 Bullitt That was cammed with other bolt ons, 3.73 gear. My Bullitt was a funner car to drive. Felt like it handled better as well. I will agree the 16 has a much better interior feel and look, and yes the body grew on me. What I don't like is how big the nose seems when your in the driver seat. Never the less your videos are very informative. Thanks for the input. Matter fact, my old Bullitt was sold about 2 months ago to a very good friend that lives in Jax. It's a black one with 20" DF5 silver wheels and it sounds amazing. Just in case you see it rolling around.
Great video, thanks for posting. I'm out there shopping and this info helps. Is the overall NVH improved on the S550 versus the S197? You did reference the balance of the S550 engine, so the engine is smoother because it revs higher?? Thanks very much.
Lazy question, once I change injectors, smaller pulley, throttle body, intake, tune to 91 octane, will I pass smog? I know I can go to stock with the programmer but will it pass tje sniff test?
Had a 2012 V6 S197 for the last 5 years. Just traded it in on a 2017 GT S550 a few weeks ago. The S197 is a great car but so far I'm enjoying the S550 much more. It drives/handles much better, has a better interior, and it looks better in my opinion. Only bad thing is that it weighs a few pounds more than the S197 but thats not a big deal to me. It's my daily driver not a race car.
I've watched a few of your videos but this one is the one that made me subscribe. I'm looking to get a mustang sometime and this is nothing but good information here. As mentioned elsewhere in the comments, wish you had talked more about the pros of the 11-14 vs the 15+, but I guess there aren't many from the way you were talking in this video. That's ass about the Brembos not coming in automatic... wonder if it was the same for the '13-'14? Finding an automatic mustang is really hard.
Camaro Joey I'll tell you that the 13/14 is the way to go, cause the s197 platform has been proven to last and has been improved on. You have all the ambient lighting and track apps you need and plus this is the last true mustang made. The 2015 and up stangs do ride good but to me it rides like a wanna be sports car. I had a 08 ls3 c6 vette and before I sold it I rode in a 2016 mustang gt and it didn't wow me at all. Good riding car but I have a 535i as a daily driver and it felt like driving a sedan/luxury ish car. Drove a 13 gt black with the peanut butter interior and has been riding in it since lol. Whatever decision you make it's the right one because it's a stang.
When I went to get my 13 there was a 16 available but I like the look of the S197 more ... and you'd have to do a lot more weight reduction on the s550 (which ultimately why I went with the s197) I didn't know there was the much of a difference between the two other than cosmetics .... and watching reviews the s550 was the only one out the big three that gained weight and was slower to 60 (stock form) but I may consider getting one or at least a GT350 but I'd have to see what the 18s are going to do ...
I own a 2012 s197 track pack i have test drove the 16 gt and the 16 gt350. When the s550 came out i wanted one so bad but i ended up getting a s197. I've always thought the s550 is a better car for your money not arguing that and it looks better. However i love my 2012 5.0 its a sturdy car with an aggressive feel i plan on porting the heads & intake with upgraded cams keeping it n/a.
Nah the 2012 looks so mean u saw one today and it broke my neck. Much more of a mean, raw ass muscle car. However the s550s definitely have better technology and better handling due to the IRS suspension system from the factory. I’m debating on which one I should get, a 12,14, or 15 bc both look so goddamn good and I’ve been stuck for months. Also I’m going from a Nissan Altima to a 5.0 so how is it? Fast right
It doesnt look like a muscle car though. At all. Wtf was ford thinking when they were designing it. Remove the back lights and it's your average japanese sports car
@@joshuanelson7790 nope not the 15-17s the s197 is lighter by almost 200 pounds and has the sold rear axle stock for stock and mod for mod the 14 gt is a lot better for na now boost is a different story due to the 15-17 being able to handle it a lot better
Spot on. Good info too. Didn't know a 15x10 winter fit. Guess when u do get one I'll have to sell off my current drag pack. So much for using on the new ride
The S550 performs better but the S197 (in my opinion) looks 100 times better. The S550 3 years later still looks like a Fusion Coupé to me. The S550 is to the SN95 what the S197 is to the 69 Fastback.....and that’s all I have to say about that.
Hey Alex, how can I request for your tuning? I've got a Coyote-swap 94 and ready to do some data logging with my SCT4. Great videos, btw! Very informative and entertaining.
I liked the review you did on the 2017 to the 2018 GT!!!! I'm glad I bought the 2017 base GT!!!!! Because after the warranty is up I'm increasing the horsepower!!!! Which won't be as easy on the 2018 GT!!!! Great review!!!!!
Better in what way, if you are just thinking about racing and abusing the shit out of the car. Most people just want to drive the car and have fun. So the engine don't make a difference, both are fast enough.
hey Alex, excuse me English is my second language I didn't get the last part for the stick Shift guys What did You mean with (buy a supply compound )? Thanks
He said "bias ply". That is the "old" style tire that works well for drag racing. If I recall correctly, the advantage of a bias ply drag radial is the massive distortion and increase of the contact patch at launch. A dragster on bias ply rear tires is "slapping" the leading edge of rubber onto the pavement for better grip; Radial belted tires are designed to have minimal distortion. For the past 30 to 50 years-ish, cars and light trucks come with steel-belted radial tires that have a lot of desirable attributes if you do anything but drive in a straight line. There is plenty of info and links on the "tire" article in Wikipedia if you want to learn more.
