I got to drive a S650 for the first time recently.. I'm underwhelmed

[Karguy]

I am not a Challenger guy as I like all cars that are fun to drive practical and still barely affordable like Mustangs , (Camaros) , (Challengers) , BMWs and Porsches and even the Audi inline 5s because they sound great and AMG V8’s As such I share the sentiment with the original poster and tried to point out where the problems lies as the S650 still being the same old car with the same old heavy chassis and the engine in dire need of some more displacement to give it more Torque that makes V8 so much fun besides the beautiful music they make with a 90 degree crank…I hate flat plane cranks as they dont sound sweet.And for the touchscreens inside showing wear or paw prints that is a step in the wrong direction not only Ford can be accused of…I hope this is a fad that will be gone quick because these screens without real buttons will really suck when they turn dark the day the warranty expires or it says all when people say the best they like about the screen is that they show Fox body gauges…A hint to Ford as also the lighter weight that made the little 302 feel strong and the few with the 5.8 even stronger

Sponsored

 

[roadpilot]

The s650 is total pile of junk and most horrible car ever built in the history of cars #historychannel

ford needs to put on the Red Bull RB19 chassis #gokart …….then add a top fuel motor #moretorque ……then lower the weight by 3000 pounds #elephant

then when challenger guy buy he can ask Ford to add on widebody kit to lose weight and then sue Ford because all the women running to his door are ruining his sidewalk #homeimprovement

maybe too Ford can add Ram logo and make option to cover up half Mustang windows to make Camaro and Dodge feel more at home #tapredshoes

almost forgot. Ford needs lower price by 50k so same as new fox body price #backtothefuture

only way they saving s650. .

I feel really bad for anyone who bought this disappointment of a car #dontmeetyourheros

ROTF! I think you and I would get along well over a barley pop or three ...

 

[GripTime]

The 650 has more than enough power and is probably the best combo of power and comfort I’ve owned.

This is what I have been most amazed by. The power comfort combo. And I will add handling to that as well. The enthusiasts crowd at large will likely never understand this or get this and that's ok. I can't really think of another car that resembles the combo. If the aftermarket kicks in and allows people to mod the car to make it more raw, you will have yet another winner from Ford. Meaning out the box great, or mod it to your specific tastes.

 

[Vapor Blue GT]

This is what I have been most amazed by. The power comfort combo. And I will add handling to that as well. The enthusiasts crowd at large will likely never understand this or get this and that's ok. I can't really think of another car that resembles the combo. If the aftermarket kicks in and allows people to mod the car to make it more raw, you will have yet another winner from Ford. Meaning out the box great, or mod it to your specific tastes.

yes handling also. I know there are other cars that have power and comfort like some bmw’s and other makes but not for the price. I’ve had my share of stiff suspension rides and family cars that rode like you were on a cloud but my body cant take the stiff rides very long and when I hit the gas I want to move.

Maybe if Ford put out a Grand Marquis with a supercharged 5.0. I always liked how those rode but dog crap slow

 

[Gregs24]

yes handling also. I know there are other cars that have power and comfort like some bmw’s and other makes but not for the price. I’ve had my share of stiff suspension rides and family cars that rode like you were on a cloud but my body cant take the stiff rides very long and when I hit the gas I want to move.

Maybe if Ford put out a Grand Marquis with a supercharged 5.0. I always liked how those rode but dog crap slow

You can have ride comfort and good handling. A few car makers have worked it out, but many haven't

 

[Apeman]

OP I genuinely feel the same way, I was absolutely underwhelmed by the S650 yet was super excited for it when it came out. The value for the money just isn't there. I'm glad it is still around but I don't see much difference besides a worse interior design, stuck on tablet screens and missing pieces on the back end (deck lid panel). I'll hold out for a Shelby version but not holding my breath on that one.

I'm thinking I'll be grabbing one of the 60th anniversary ones 2nd hand, maybe 3 or 5 years down the road. Good luck on your Shelby, somehow I don't think the new Super Snake is gonna be it

 

[Pony2015]

It’s a strange time for the Mustang.
I don’t like to rain on the parade of those who love this time, but it’s a bit weird.
Yes, we all know Fords reasoning for keeping the status quo with some sheet metal updates here, some screen here, and twin throttle bodies over there. What that has resulted in is a facelifted s550 that calls itself s650. Performamce is the same. Heck, even plenty of the interior is the same. What should have been the standard GT is now branded “dark horse” and sold at an upcharge.

I don’t blame Ford for this. They have to find ways to remain profitable, keep some enthusiasm going in uncertain times, and ensure an American icon lives on when some of its peers are in their death throes.

but for those of us who really love the Mustang, it’s a bit… sad. Sure it looks ok. It performs ok. And it is basically ok. But it’s not exciting. Perhaps a gt500 will change that. But if it’s the same or barely faster than the last one, is that actually exciting? Others are cranking out performance home runs with hotter models on the way and those cars don’t sell in Mustang numbers.

so… I feel along the same lines as the OP and I don’t disagree.

First, the 2024 Mustang GT is an fabulous car (test driven one and also drove one owned by a friend). I'm personally not a fan of the screens (prefer to punch a button to warm seats, not hunt through menus to do the same thing) -- but I'm old school and born before the the first Mustang was released -- and the 2024 was not designed to appeal to my generation anyway. But the 2024 will provide an exhilarating and powerful RWD experience as do the previous S550 mustangs.

Now, looking at yearly sales numbers at this LINK, they do seem to support the sentiment expressed by OP and 9secondko. There is of course a lot that goes into yearly sales numbers (overall market sentiment/competition, migration to EVs/SUVs, condition of the economy, segmentation into so many more manufacturers/models today versus 60 years ago, etc.) making them hard to compare year over year . . . but . . . even so, 2024 seems to have the lowest yearly sales of all time - and notable in that there is generally a bump up in sales when a new generation is released as clearly visible on the bar chart for 1974, 1979, 1994, 2005, 2015, but not 2024. (As an aside, I was reminded just how popular the Mustang was in the day: 607,568 units sold in 1966 versus 47,212 in 2024 -- that is over 12 mustangs sold in 1966 for each one sold in 2024!)

Overall, Ford clearly took the "safe" approach for the seventh generation -- because they have essentially no competition and a dwinding mustang customer base -- with EVs looming). So they chose "don't fix what isn't broken" -- and keep in mind that when innovating there is a lot that can go wrong, especially when starting from the high S550 bar. Since innovation carries substantial risk and investment, there needs to be anticipation of a compensatory pay-off -- ie, lure back a large enough buyer base from hybrids and EVs to a a gas chugging V8 to justify. I'm just not seeing that happening even if they make the "perfect V8", especially in my area (Sunnyvale CA) where it seems like every other car is a Tesla or EV.

Sponsored