2009 vs. 2010

[Chronos]

When I was looking at the 09 vs 10s, there didn't seem to be any real difference between the two. Any improvements are minor and cosmetic. Same drive train for both years. Any real improvements at the track are probably attributable to a good driver. If you are looking for good looks get the 09, if you are looking for performance, wait till 2011, if you are just looking to get the latest, then get the 2010. I got my 09 cause it just looks freaking hot compared to the 2010, but that's just my opinion and my taste. Aside from that the rebate was awesome, so I was (am) one happy camper.

 

[gijosh28]

getting blown daily is more fun!

rep for you sir.

 

[pacettr]

When I was looking at the 09 vs 10s, there didn't seem to be any real difference between the two. Any improvements are minor and cosmetic. Same drive train for both years. Any real improvements at the track are probably attributable to a good driver. If you are looking for good looks get the 09, if you are looking for performance, wait till 2011, if you are just looking to get the latest, then get the 2010. I got my 09 cause it just looks freaking hot compared to the 2010, but that's just my opinion and my taste. Aside from that the rebate was awesome, so I was (am) one happy camper.

The interior on the 10 is head and shoulders above the 05-09.

 

[alloy6ix]

The interior on the 10 is head and shoulders above the 05-09.

You own a PJ!!! how can you say such blasphemy??! lol.

 

[Kaiser]

The interior improvement I like the most with the 2010 is the rounded edge to the center console. My leg rubs against the abrupt edge in my 09 GT and this wouldn't bother me if I hadn't driven a 2010.
Either way, with the money I saved buying the 09, I would have not even considered getting a 2010.

Yeah, this is the one thing that bugs me with my '06. I'm trying to figure out a way to correct this as it would give me more leg room to smooth the edge out like on the 2010's.

 

[Kaiser]

From what I've seen so far, it seems that the 2010's don't pick up as much from a CAI and a tune like the 05-09's do. As for acceleration, a couple of tenths in the quarter mile are likely due to the magazines testing the track pack cars with 3.73 gears as well so an 09 with gears and a CAI and tune should have it covered.
The difference in braking is likely mostly due to the compound of the brake pads in the track pack, the rotors and calipers seem to be the same so a switch to something like a Hawk HPS pad would likely net similar results.
I am not sure what specifically changed as to improve the handling and steering-hopefully someone can chime in with specifics.
The interior improvement I like the most with the 2010 is the rounded edge to the center console. My leg rubs against the abrupt edge in my 09 GT and this wouldn't bother me if I hadn't driven a 2010.
Either way, with the money I saved buying the 09, I would have not even considered getting a 2010.

Yeah, i need to figure out how to round that sharp edge on the center console of my '06 to get a bit more leg room/comfort. Be nice if there was a simple rounded replacement piece for the console sides.

That center console is the one thing i'd like for my '06.

 

[gijosh28]

I do like dual zone climte control. I always thought that was a weak point in the mustang.

 

[swat 79]

Well, if i can ever sell my car, I can get either a loaded 09 gt or a base base base 2010 gt....any reason as to why I should go newer?

 

[fhlh]

Well, if i can ever sell my car, I can get either a loaded 09 gt or a base base base 2010 gt....any reason as to why I should go newer?

Creature Comforts and an ugly ass...
the 2010 interior is nicer.

 

[Phantom357]

I don't care for the looks of the '10, so I personally would go for the '09. The performance differences are negligible and will be eliminated when you start modding.

 

[timfoster405]

I paid $21,650 for my 2007 Mustang GT Prem Automatic in May 2008 w/ 8k miles. I had an Edelbrock E-force blower by Tillman speed (Stage 1/2) for about $7,000. (450/475 rwhp) added some exhaust, Drag Radials... and went 11.66 at 117 mph on Stage 1 (7-9.5 psi)

 

[jroc07gt]

Well I guess if you wanna brag about how much you paid for ur mustang...

Bought my 07 GT 3 months ago for $13,600 with 9085 miles on it.

 

[topbliss]

if the drivetrain is the same(and it is)between the 09 and 10, 15 hp at the crank is 15 hp gain at the rear wheels.

So I'm in the process of getting a 2009 mustang gt, and I can't wait, however, the more research I'm doing, the more I see this 2010's putting up fantastic numbers.

So I want to ask, how far away is an 2009 performance wise from a 2010?
Handling? Acceleration? daily driving?

I know it has 15 hp at the crank, but what about to the wheels?

And lastly, what would I have to do to make a 2009 around the same in the above as the 2010s?


Hopefully this topic hasn't been beaten to death...I'd search but its a pretty simple question.

 

[Chronos]

The interior on the 10 is head and shoulders above the 05-09.

Well, that's your personal opinion. I happen to like the interior in my 09 better. To each their own. That's why I ended my post saying that the comments were my personal taste because not everyone will agree. I wouldn't trade my 2009 for a 2010.

 

[pacettr]

Well, that's your personal opinion. I happen to like the interior in my 09 better. To each their own. That's why I ended my post saying that the comments were my personal taste because not everyone will agree. I wouldn't trade my 2009 for a 2010.

No, it's not my personal opinon, it's a FACT. The new interior is BETTER. Period.


Your personal opinion is that YOU like the older interior better (hard to fathom why).

Hell I have two cars that I love, one being a PJ Saleen with nicer seats, gauges etc and I even like the new interior better.

 

[Chronos]

No, it's not my personal opinon, it's a FACT. The new interior is BETTER. Period.


Your personal opinion is that YOU like the older interior better (hard to fathom why).

Hell I have two cars that I love, one being a PJ Saleen with nicer seats, gauges etc and I even like the new interior better.

That has got to be the dumbest argument I have ever heard. Show me the empirical analysis that led to these so called facts. Has there been a publication made by an intellectual group proving conclusively that the two interiors are so vastly different and divergent in quality that one is therefor superior to the other? If you like it, fine, but don't try to piss on my foot and tell me it's raining. There are no facts when it comes to stuff like this, just personal taste. You were better off just saying that your personal opinion was that you liked it, anyone can accept that, but now your just flapping your gums and looking the fool.

 

[fhlh]

Well I guess if you wanna brag about how much you paid for ur mustang...

Bought my 07 GT 3 months ago for $13,600 with 9085 miles on it.

That is sick! Awesome deal.

 

[pacettr]

That has got to be the dumbest argument I have ever heard. Show me the empirical analysis that led to these so called facts. Has there been a publication made by an intellectual group proving conclusively that the two interiors are so vastly different and divergent in quality that one is therefor superior to the other? If you like it, fine, but don't try to piss on my foot and tell me it's raining. There are no facts when it comes to stuff like this, just personal taste. You were better off just saying that your personal opinion was that you liked it, anyone can accept that, but now your just flapping your gums and looking the fool.

So you haven't been in alot of arguments where facts pwned your ass...?


I think it's raining sparky...

The foundation of this world-class interior is a new, one-piece soft instrument panel exquisitely crafted in seamless TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin) skin, fully encompassing textured or genuine aluminum-finish panels. Morales said extending the soft skin and foam around the center stack was critical not only for better appearance and craftsmanship, but also to provide a softer, more comfortable rest for the driver’s leg.

“Gaps between parts – the chrome ringed air registers, for example, are accurate to within fractions of millimeters,” said Gelardi. “This attention to detail is the bedrock of the new interior and what sets Mustang miles apart from the competition. Our goal was a product goes above and beyond perceived quality to offer premium experience. We were absolute maniacs about the selection of materials and executing every detail.”

The goal for every design element was a hand-crafted appearance with world class-detail. The steering wheel emblem, now a genuine stamped aluminum disc, proudly showcases the new 2010 Mustang pony emblem. The premium trim steering wheel spokes are also genuine aluminum with integrated audio controls.

Further evidence is the design of the traction control and trunk release buttons. Instead of just a generic car symbol, the graphics were designed to show an actual 2010 Mustang.

“Once we achieved the shapes and surfaces we wanted, we continued advancing world-class execution to every last detail,” said Gelardi. “We never stopped at, ‘Good enough.’ We only stopped at ‘right,’ ” added Morales.

Mustang offers significant technology upgrades
The 2010 Mustang features SYNC, the award-winning, in-car communications and entertainment platform, developed jointly by Ford and Microsoft. It allows users to control most MP3 players and Bluethooth-enabled mobile phones hands-free voice commands. SIRIUS® satellite radio and next-generation navigation are available along with dual-zone temperature controls.

“For most of our customers, the Mustang is a daily driver, so you want to have those convenience features,” said Mustang program manager Jackie DiMarco. “SYNC also offers 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report for 2010.”

Mustang owners are well known for personalizing their cars, and the MyColor system provides a unique level of customization. MyColor features a “welcome sequence,” greeting the driver with a sweep of the cluster needles, as well as staged halo and cluster lighting. Customers can create more than 125 background colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette.

The available ambient lighting system can coordinate the gauge cluster color, footwells, cup holders, door map pockets, rear footwells, even the “M U S T A N G” logo in the aluminum door sills.

Hopping out of a 2009 Mustang GT and into a 2010, the first thing you notice is the improved interior panel fit and trim, especially the one-piece molded instrument panel. Once you start driving, the interior continues to impress with its lack of cabin and wind noise. So quiet is it that the signature Mustang V8 rumble is piped in by way of a tube from the new cold-air intake to the driver's-side air register.

While the exterior improvements are the most noticeable change from a curbside view, the moment you slide inside, the interior absolutely stands out as the single greatest improvement to this car.

Comprehensive Interior Upgrades
Better quality and enhanced features make it a much-nicer world inside every 2010 Mustang. Highlighting the mix are a new one-piece soft-touch dash and more finger-friendly controls that are further complemented by variable interior ambient lighting and selectable MyColor illumination for the instrument cluster on Premium models.

What our smooth roads and high speeds also reveal is that the 2010 GT's vastly improved interior heightens awareness of the car's tauter reflexes. The one piece, soft touch, thermoplastic instrument panel means no odd squeaks distract from the road ahead. Premium touches like real aluminum trim and the leather-wrapped wheel help focus the mind, as does the quieter cabin.

I've spent nearly a week around 2010 Mustangs, and I really appreciate the new car's interior. Sure, it's not a luxury car, but the Premium package interior impresses. The optional interior lighting package includes illuminated doorsills that say Mustang; a classy touch. MyColor (which allows you to change the hue of the instruments and ambient lighting) is still an option, but works better than before, thanks to the revised gauge cluster. A lot of money has gone into the instrument panel. The easy way to see the quality is to look at the chrome rings that surround everything and inspect how tight a fit they have. Also feel the dash, and note that it's one big soft piece. There is a minimal amount of hard plastic, and that alone is a huge improvement.

The interior is beautiful, and it's the upgrade Mustang needed to seriously move forward. A more rugged interior, such as the one in the current Mustang, may please enthusiasts and Ford fanatics, but it's never going to convert customers accustomed to more luxurious cars.

The dash now flows across the cabin, a piece of aluminum highlighting the center of it. The heater vents are sunk into the dash and the gauges are nicely outlined with a sparkle of chrome accents. It's complete and satisfying.

Ford replaced all of the hard touch points with softer, more appealing spots. The emergency brake was also shortened and no longer pushes up against the center stack. That may seem insignificant, but it was the single most important change for me. Whenever I drove a Mustang on a long trip, my knee would rest against the edge of the emergency brake. At the end of some journeys, I would have a bruise on my leg.

While this change may only affect me, I'm certain everyone will appreciate the new curvy center console.

The Ford guys have always hated hearing that the interior of the Mustang felt and looked cheap. This is because they knew it was true.
As a result, a fair amount of effort has been devoted to improving the interior by using better-quality materials. In particular, the instrument panel looks nicer, with a new one-piece design that Ford says has reduced squeaks and rattles by 33 percent (and here we didn't even know that you could quantify squeaks and rattles so precisely).
They've redesigned the center console also, giving it a smooth, attractive arc.

Emperical data highlighted for emphasis...

 

[RED09GT]

Despite all of that, I don't feel any improvements in the seating position, the steering wheel position, or where my arm sits on the center console, or where the shifter sits in my hands. The only thing I really see as an improvement is the rounded edge on the center console.
The "soft touch" controls or whatever, one piece panel and so on sound great in a sales pitch but do not significantly improve my overall driving experience. After all, I have zero squeaks and rattles and everything is within my reach-the only real problem with the 09 interior is that it is that it is no longer the latest and greatest.
Plus, I'd rather be able to add my own in-car electronics rather than being stuck with what ford puts in these things-for example, if you don't have the factory Nav system and wish to add one, it will definitely take some talented work to make it look like it belongs in the car.
As for the wind noise, the 2010 that I drove had a definite "leak" at the top of the driver's side window at highway speeds-this may have been a flaw in just this car but because of this I could not appreciate the difference the marketing guys assure us that we'll notice.

 

[Chronos]

^^ Absolutely.

That was some interesting reading but it wasn't the empirical analysis that I asked for. In case you don't know, empirical data means when an impartial body does an analysis of a subject and gives detailed information as to the variances between the two. All I saw in all of those articles was opinions, sales pitch, and hype, disguised as fact. One of them even quotes Ford, that is a joke in itself. As if Ford would ever say anything bad about their products. To this day Ford still claims the Pinto was a great little economy car. All the others you quoted are car publications which have a vested interested n producing an interesting, exciting, but somewhat less than factual set of information for their readers. If the publications put out all the negative information about any vehicle, 1-The car manufacturers would never let them near their vehicles again, and 2-People would stop reading them because people always like to get good news.

A "Head and shoulder" difference (to quote you) would be between a 1969 and an 2009, but from the 2009 to the 2010 it is merely a refinement of what was already there. The SYNC option that they make such a big deal of I already have in my car but it went by a different name. I can control a bluetooth phone with voice commands no problem. I agree with RED09GT that there are a lot of benefits to the dash and vehicle that we have which is much more modular and parts can easily be swapped out and still have them look like they belong. In the 2010 if anything goes wrong with your dash you are stuck with a crappy looking replacement or a stock unit. Face it PACETTR this is an argument you are not going to win no matter how much you keep trying.