03 Cobra vs. 03 Mach 1

NC98GT

New Member
Jun 3, 2003
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Charlotte, NC
Need some help here guys, which is the better bang for the buck? The Cobra is Black/Grey interior 5,000miles, asking $27,900. The Mach is Blue/Grey interior 3,200miles, asking $22,900. I love the look of both cars, but need some opinions. Please help. :shrug:
 
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With this choice .... you should talk to your insurer first. That conversation may lead you to your decision.

Biggest difference ... supercharger and rear axle (straight vs independent). Which one meets your needs and desires best?
 
What do YOU want in a car. Do you want crazy suck you back in your seat and hold on for your life power, or an every day car that will handle almost anything but an 03 Cobra? The real upside to the Cobra is the motor. You can throw almost anything at it and it will come back and smile at you. The Mach has the same BS rods and pistons that the GT has, and you know what happens when you take those above 400hp.....BOOM. I have a Mach and my brother has an 03 Cobra. There both very good cars, but of course I have to say I like the Mach a little more :)
 
you need to drive both cars to get a good understanding of them...

me personally when I sat in an 04 Cobra the seats were very uncomfortable. too stiff, and didn't seem to want to support on long drives. Probably be good enough for a trip down the track, but anything more than that would be unbearable. When driving it, the steering feels a little numb at times, but the raw power is pretty F'n sweet.

For the Mach, well what can i say? I love it...it took me over a week too stop staring at that shaking hood. The seats are the most comfortable of any Mustang I've ever sat in. The first gear grunt actually tops that of a cobra. It just pulls and pulls and you get tons of looks. The bad aspects are it's instrument cluster...way too small to read when going fast...other than that...it's been very good to me.

You really need to drive both the cars and get a feel for what you like!
 
BLK_ROUSH said:
With this choice .... you should talk to your insurer first. That conversation may lead you to your decision.

Checked that already, not much difference between the two. $773.82 for the Cobra, and $712.00 for the Mach every 6 months. I'm gonna drive both of em tonight. I called and scheduled a test drive and they told me they have another Cobra, this one is Yellow with 19k miles for the same price as the Black one, I think I can get the price knocked down on that one!
 
I've driven both, own a Mach and good friend has '03 Cobra. If you want all out performance and mod potential go for the Cobra, if you want great stock performance and better everyday driveability go for the Mach. Mach seems lighter on its feet and more tolerable in everyday driving vs the sheer brute force of the Cobra which is a kick in the pants to drive but seems pretty cumbersome with all the extra weight. My.02
 
Since the difference is negligible a test might sort it out in your mind.

Me .... I'd recommend the Cobra, but I'm biased also. Seats fit me great, even on long drives. {first weekend after purchasing it .... drove to Eastern NC to show DAD}

Good luck and BTW black always loks better. :D
 
If I had the money for both I'd go for the cobra, go for the black one, but I'd get the mach before the yellow cobra just because its mostly new, the yellow one you never know who droved it and how they droved it.
 
Depends, the mach is cheaper, gets better MPG and might be slightly less to insure. I'm willing to bet the Mach is more reliable also, as there are many issues on the 03, albeit most people don't have them.

I personally would take the Mach and save the $$, and put a blower on it if you want. If you ever blow your motor it won't cost you that much to rebuild it forged style.

Does anyone know if the pistons on the Mach 1 have the lame ass Teflon coating like the 03? Actually, is it on the piston or cylinder head, thats a big concern for me as people are reporting it rubbing off with under 10k miles.

I'm currently selling my 03 Cobra (for many reasons), and considering looking at a used Mach 1 (altho I will probably just end up going with a mazda 3 and getting a special edition 05 bodystyle when one comes out.) so take it for what its worth. The cobra is an absolute blast to drive, is very fast, but it does have its quirks.
 
I like the mach better than the cobra looks wise. the cobra has more power. really comes down to your priorities. I would proably get the mach dump some gears in it and add a nice exhaust. once a car is in the 12's if it is my driver that is fine. The cobra's just look plain to me. mustang people like them but to average joe they don't look much different than v6. the mach really stands out from the crowd IMO. Then again I think looks and power go hand in hand. some poeple just what power and look stock.
 
GoBabyVroommm said:
Cobra is faster, looks better, IMO and it has a 6speed. If you get the mach you'll kick your self in the A...
The way the cobra is geared it might as well be a 5 speed, the difference between 5th and 6th isnt really that great IMO. Although it is a stronger, beefier tranny which is an advantage, but the 6th gear is mostly "neat" factor instead of that useful.

I do agree the Cobra looks better, it is a very beautiful sleek car. The mach 1 is more "in your face" but looks great also. Really depends on your preferences, if I had to do it again and go back I would get the Mach simply because I want a N/A motor again.
 
Well ok i can understand where you guys are coming from. I like the fact that my car is sick fast and its all N/A like the Mach1s. Machs are really nice cars but when it comes to preformance on totally going with the 03. Then again that is me and not everyone is going fast.

The mach1 is in you face but you know what, "I AIN'T SKKUUURRREDDD." :)

Come on guys time to post pics!!!! If i had either of them i would be postin pics but i have a slow 96 GT. :notnice: :rolleyes:
 
Cobra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hail2:
Although the Mach is one bad ass ride as well. i like the muscular looks of the Mach a little more than the Cobra, but the suspension and power of the Cobra is unbelievable. test drive one and you will see what i mean. Plus, with the Cobra, you have a 6-speed tranny!!
If i had the money, i would buy a Mach 1 and swap an 03/04 Cobra motor into it and then I would have the best of both worlds :)