Wanting a little feedback.......

[Phatt_daddy]

In the next couple of months my wife and I will be purchasing a new GT and I would like some feedback on the automatics in those cars. You see I am ofthe mindset that if you are going to own a performance car then the only way to go is with a stick but my wife has a bad back and doesnt know if she could handle shifting the gears.(two ruptured discs, one bulging disc and a severly degenerated spine all in her lower back) Also what could you do to beef up or to firm upthe tranny in the 05 up cars?

Thanks,
Nate

 

[Mr_Q]

The best thing you can do for your automatic is the following.

1 ) Go to www.brenspeed.com
2 ) Order their cold air kit and tuner combo (SCT and CnL)
3 ) Have installed or do it yourself, it's easy.
4 ) Enjoy your automatic GT that will now shift tight, light the tires, and be all it can be!

 

[stanmckinney]

I have similar problems and also had to give up a 5-speed for an automatic. No regrets.

 

[bigcat]

the auto in the new stangs is very good, and 5 speeds as well. with just a tune, they can become a completely different beast!

 

[Unbrdld07]

You won't regret the automatic.

 

[Phatt_daddy]

So the new autos aint the slush box it used to be? On to more questions........ according to the local dealer info tags they still come with 3.27 gears. if this is correct what could be the better gear the 3.55, 3.73 or the 4.10? Keep in mind this will be my wifescar with me driving it every now and the. AND it will be seeing some long road trips ( some as in a few not the very long kind)
I would like to keep fairly the same amount of gas mileage as they do from the factory.

Nate

 

[bigcat]

no, 3.27 is not available on S197 (05+) mustangs. 3.31 is the standard ratio for 07, while 3.55 is optional for an extra $100. 05-06 standard ratio for the GT was 3.55.

i have 3.55s and see 25+ MPG on roadtrips. my high has been 28.6 MPG! since it is your wifes vehicle, i suggest getting the 3.55 option, and enjoy it while you get to drive it. there is not a huge difference between the 3.31 and 3.55, but for only $100 its wirth it to me.

 

[ShowYa06]

I love my auto 5 speed tranny, always on the move!

 

[Osiris]

I've been happy with mine as well, and coming from a close-ratio six speed in a turbo Miata it's one hell of a difference, but the auto works really well with this car.

I've gone with 3.73's and with a CAI ( JLTII ) the transmission does indeed shift much firmer and the driving dynamics have indeed changed a bit. I'm lovin it....

However....My wife; which I feel I should mention since we're talkin' Mustangs and spousal usage, does NOT.

She took the car a couple weeks ago and in the rainy weather the car got a little too squirrely on her. I'd say unless your wife is seasoned with Mustangs you really take some time showing her how it handles wet weather or absense of traction overall.

Changing the car's performance could end up getting you in trouble.....

 

[kooldawg6]

I've gone with 3.73's and with a CAI ( JLTII ) the transmission does indeed shift much firmer and the driving dynamics have indeed changed a bit. I'm lovin it....

However....My wife; which I feel I should mention since we're talkin' Mustangs and spousal usage, does NOT.
Changing the car's performance could end up getting you in trouble.....

I plan on getting the WMS CAI/SCT Tuner and 4.10s...my girlfriend is afraid to drive it now nearly bone stock!!!!!

 

[351CJ]

The 5 speed auto is a quantum performance leap over the old 4 speeds. In the old days of 4 speed autos, most anyone could drive a 5 speed manual faser. But with the 05+, acceleration times are very close between the manual & auto. I'd guess that there aren't many drivers who are really faster in a manual 05+ stang than an auto.

I learned to drive a on a manual and for the past 25 years I've always had a manual trannie car in the garage. But I'm starting to think I've already bought my last manual trannie vehicle.

 

[YardSpecial]

Auto !!

We have the auto due to sitting in traffic all the time.

Most can not out row a auto anyway, so its a matter of driver on whats faster.

Or you can do what we did, 2 stangs in the driveway. 1 stick and 1 auto.

 

[Phatt_daddy]

From the standpoint of power, I have complete confidience in my wifes driving ability, after all she can handle a car a good as if not better than I can. Me personaly, I have never owned an auto in anything but the windstar I currently have. I mean I have three sticks in the driveway right now (two mustangs and one corolla) My fear with the auto in a stang was all about the performance. I hang around with a few stang owners but most own the areo 87-93 ones and all I hear if how crappy the tyranny is with the aod. I am just not wanting to invest in a peice of crap (the tranny not the stang) if I have other options.


Thanks,
Nate

 

[07gtfolife]

I say do the tune/cai combo first. Then go 3.90's and if you can find one ( cause I dont have an auto and don't know who makes them) go with like a 2500 stall

 

[TGJ]

I say do the tune/cai combo first. Then go 3.90's and if you can find one ( cause I dont have an auto and don't know who makes them) go with like a 2500 stall

A 2500 RPM stall TC is less than the stock TC...

The 5 speed auto is a quantum performance leap over the old 4 speeds. In the old days of 4 speed autos, most anyone could drive a 5 speed manual faser. But with the 05+, acceleration times are very close between the manual & auto. I'd guess that there aren't many drivers who are really faster in a manual 05+ stang than an auto.

I am not sure I agree with you...

The 5R55S auto in the 05+ Mustang is actually weaker than the 4R75W auto it replaced from the previous generation mustang. Had Ford used or converted the 4R75W into a 5R55W, I would have got the auto in mine. I have shown this in previous posts elsewhere on the stangnet forum but short version is:

The 75 in the 4R75W is the Torque rating of the transmission, the 55 in the 5R55S is it's Torque rating. 75 > 55 hence the reason the newer auto is weaker. For comparison, the F150 gets the 4R100.

That said, I think that the auto is ok and is showing that it is better than the TR3650.
Now as to what is faster, that is debatable. I like autos for consistency in 1/4 racing and am willing to sacrifrice a bit better run for that consistency.

 

[351CJ]

A 2500 RPM stall TC is less than the stock TC...

I am not sure I agree with you...

The 5R55S auto in the 05+ Mustang is actually weaker than the 4R75W auto
That said, I think that the auto is ok and is showing that it is better than the TR3650.
Now as to what is faster, that is debatable. I like autos for consistency in 1/4 racing and am willing to sacrifrice a bit better run for that consistency.

I wasn't talking about the strength of the internal parts in the different auto trannies.

I was talking about performance of the vehicle, that is acceleration, downshifting, etc. We can argue whether most drivers will be faster with a 5R55S auto or TR3650 manual. But take a step back to a last gen Mustang with a 4R75W vs. TR3650 and there is no argument, the manual was clearly faster than a 4 gear auto.

And you have a point about the TR3650 not being the greatest manual tannie.

 

[TGJ]

I wasn't talking about the strength of the internal parts in the different auto trannies.

I was talking about performance of the vehicle, that is acceleration, downshifting, etc. We can argue whether most drivers will be faster with a 5R55S auto or TR3650 manual. But take a step back to a last gen Mustang with a 4R75W vs. TR3650 and there is no argument, the manual was clearly faster than a 4 gear auto.

And you have a point about the TR3650 not being the greatest manual tannie.

I would actually argue that the older 4R70W and 4R75W is as fast if not faster than the 5 spds of their time when an aftermarket TC is used. In stock trim I would agree that the older auto's are slower than 5 spd manual about 4 - 5 tenths of a second in the 1/4, but I would also argue that against the new 5 spd auto in stock trim versus the TR3650, the auto would lose by about 3 - 4 tenths as well.

What the big difference is, is the Torque Converter. The stock one does not stall high enough to come off the line like a standard can. If a guy can't launch with a stick, he is done against an auto of the same car and that goes for the 96 - 04 Mustang GT's as well.

Put a good aftermarket TC in the older 4 spd auto or the newer 5 spd auto and the guy/gal with the manual has their work cut out to beat the auto. The reason is that now the auto can launch almost as hard as the standard can. The advantage the standards had is gone, and the computer controlled autos have the advantage because they can shift faster than a person can.

 

[stangguy94]

I love my automatic. It's a ton better than the old slushbox aod. I am gonna order my sct tuner from brenspeed tomorrow. I already have the c&l.

 

[351CJ]

I would actually argue that the older 4R70W and 4R75W is as fast if not faster than the 5 spds of their time when an aftermarket TC is used.

Well, one can put an aftermarked TC on a 5R55S too and make it even faster.

The discussion is really about stock to stock trim.
In that case a S197 Mustang with auto is only a couple tenths slower vs the 5 or 6 tenths of a SN95.

Plan and simple the extra gear in the 5R55S makes for faster acceleration, almost as fast as the manual.

 

[TGJ]

Stock 5R55S VS Stock TR3650, sorry to say, there is still 4 tenths of a second or more difference, just like the 4R75W was to the TR3650 in 04. I have seen a few 05+ GT's at the track, and the only one to run faster than me was a Vortech/Nitrous 5 Spd, but that is beside the point.

One of the days I was at the track with my 05, I was running faster than a more modded 06 GT auto. I never ran the auto side by side, but my best that day was better than his. I ran a best that day of 13.8 @ 102, to his 14.0 @ 99. All I have for mods is a SLP LM axleback, the auto had a C&L CAI, Diablo Predator, Magnaflo cat back.