Dark Horse at Dealership

[Lorne34]

I was at my Ford dealership getting the Shelby GT350 serviced and spotted a Dark Horse in the show room. There were some things I really liked about it, others not so much. The front end should have been used during the 2018 s550 refresh. It is the best feature of the new body design. From the back I get the narrow tail lights being a nod to the old school fast backs, but I don't think it works on the modern design.
The interior feels more upscale, but the lack of tactile knobs, buttons, and switches for often used controls really bothered me. Everything is stuck in those ipad screen displays.
The seats were pretty comfortable.
Not sure if I like the dark horse logo/badging.. just kind of meh.. maybe it's the size and placement.
Overall for the price I would not desire to own one of these. For 15k less I'll keep my Shelby.
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[GregO]

I get the narrow tail lights being a nod to the old school fast backs, but I don't think it works on the modern design.

The design team really blew it on those wacky taillights. There’s a DH parked daily at one of the places I do contract work and it’s been three months of seeing the taillights and I can’t get past that design. Everything else on the exterior of the S650 works well.

 

[Mike Pfeifer]

The design team really blew it on those whacky taillights. There’s a DH parked daily at one of the places I do contract work and it’s been three months of seeing the taillights and I can’t get past that design. Everything else on the exterior of the S650 works well.

The tail lights are weird to me too, looking forward to a mid cycle refresh to see what ford does with them. The rest of the car I’m ok with, including the “iPad on the dash” so many complain about. As a BMW tech, I see that all day every day and it’s fine.

 

[ChitownStang]

To me the Front end is the worst part of the new design. Also the rear diffuser looks cheap.
Interior is not sports car.
$70k for the same thing I paid $56k for in my 21. Mach 1 premium... what you smoking Ford?!
$14k for 200 more pounds?? LOL

 

[Hack]

I was at my Ford dealership getting the Shelby GT350 serviced and spotted a Dark Horse in the show room. There were some things I really liked about it, others not so much. The front end should have been used during the 2018 s550 refresh. It is the best feature of the new body design. From the back I get the narrow tail lights being a nod to the old school fast backs, but I don't think it works on the modern design.
The interior feels more upscale, but the lack of tactile knobs, buttons, and switches for often used controls really bothered me. Everything is stuck in those ipad screen displays.
The seats were pretty comfortable.
Not sure if I like the dark horse logo/badging.. just kind of meh.. maybe it's the size and placement.
Overall for the price I would not desire to own one of these. For 15k less I'll keep my Shelby.
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I don't mind the horse on the side instead of the 5.0 logo. To me the 5.0 is played out. But Ford should have taken advantage and put a 6 liter engine or larger in the Dark Horse.

I agree deleting interior physical controls is probably the biggest miss on that car. That - and the price - are my biggest objections to the car.

I like the styling. I'm glad Ford made a significant change as the S550 styling has been around way too long. It was past due to change the tail lights especially. Yes they are great looking, but the last refresh really didn't change the look from the rear of the car.

 

[K4fxd]

Everytime I think maybe it's growing on me, I go look at one in person. Hard pass.

 

[Lorne34]

I really don't mind the "ipads" they look better in person, but please please leave the manual control options for heating cooling, stereo, etc..
It definitely looks more refined and not raw muscle or sports car as well.
Here is a picture that I think represents what Ford was getting at with the rear taillights. Still don't like it on the newer style..
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[RazzaRossa]

The only thing I like about the DH are the wheels. Front end is no getting use to for me, hate the rear view as well. I've seen several up close and personal, and a hard pass for me. But, opinions are like buttholes....

 

[Gregdd]

Isn't the 15k price increase inflation ? Everything has gone up.

 

[Hack]

Isn't the 15k price increase inflation ? Everything has gone up.

I think Ford decided to raise prices as much as the market will bear. I don't think they looked at costs/profit margin to make that decision.

For the most part I like it ok and I think it's a well tarted-up Mustang GT. I would consider one for around $40K, but $70K? I would feel like an idiot for spending that much.

 

[ChitownStang]

I think Ford decided to raise prices as much as the market will bear. I don't think they looked at costs/profit margin to make that decision.

For the most part I like it ok and I think it's a well tarted-up Mustang GT. I would consider one for around $40K, but $70K? I would feel like an idiot for spending that much.

Plenty of idiots in this country! Look who’s president… lol

 

[shogun32]

Here is a picture that I think represents what Ford was getting at with the rear tailligh

right and on THAT car they look CORRECT. The dimensions on the S650 are all kinds of WRONG.

A 1st year design student would have been slaped across the face and made to sit in the corner with the dunce cap on, had they turned in a paper depicting the S650 rear end. I bet if they showed it to the School for the Blind down the street from HQ they too would heap redicule on it.

 

[DarthMalice]

I am so polar opposite of the design/marketing team of S650-i am more of the Porsche school of thought...if it is working, don't change it. You know what S650 would have been if I were king for a day:
little to no exterior changes - certainly no truck front end with Honda/Camaro headlights nor those awful rear lights and Camaro bumper
-Interior - certainly no glued on iPads: I would have removed the cd player and physical sound/radio controls to enable a larger center screen...keep buttons for radio/volume on steering wheel; no change to digital dash from S550 - that was perfection
retain A/C physical controls
-retained the toggles but make them bi-directional and subdued coloring like Shelbys
no Bronco steering wheel center-too bulky and looks like it belongs in a SUV/truck; retained round but kept the flat bottom larger diameter wheel
Minor interior material updates are fine...I don't see what the big deal is because they are minor anyways -if I needed to save costs...this would be first part of refresh to go
Retained dual brow, analog gauges, and circular vents (I don't know what the complaint ever was on those...allows for maximum adjustment)
Big adds for interior tech: PDR, optional heads up

Majority of refresh money to:
dual intake coyote - again, didn't really improve performance much but it is cool looking and a "talking point" upgrade - no ECU lock...probably the single dumbest thing they did
Handling - chassis work/stiffer bushings and magneride and much improved steering - whatever they did didn't really work...just sped it up but it got worse from a feeling perspective. Hell, Ford "stopping the hop" from the factory probably would have led to more sales than anything else alone.

The irony is that S550 Mustang was selling (10 years in a row best selling sports car)...this honestly would have addressed all of the concerns of the demographic that actually bought the car. Now we have a divisive car that really hasn't been selling well as most mustang fans are just keeping the S550.

 

[gone_n_60]

While attending a wedding near Phoenix a really, really nice Budget Fastbreak guy did me a solid when I asked if he had my Mustang (had my Mustang hat on) and set me up with a 2024 Red 4 cycl for less than $100 more that what I was getting. Nice to drive even the 4 cycl, but I was trying to adjust the fan without driving into the oncoming lane 3 times. Had my wife finally deal with it. Tried to change the temp, again over the double yellow because you HAVE to look at the gd screen so close to get the control working.

Okay If you grew up texting during your driving test maybe this works but ffs why make controls you HAVE to look at, taking your eyes off driving to just get cool air??! I'll keep my 2020 manual controls though S650 drove nicely.

fwiw note: if you want to make cracks about older dudes can't coordinate, I play drums pretty well, both feet and hands doing different strokes, upbeat, downbeat. So not a slacker there.

 

[shogun32]

but ffs why make controls you HAVE to look at, taking your eyes off driving to just get cool air?

because it was designed by a cubicle gnome who never took human factors and in true "computer weenie" fashion thinks that OF COURSE you have to hit the graphically depicted touch point and not even 10 pixels off.

This is what happens when you let "computer guys" design interfaces and interaction. They are bloody horrendous at it.

At least VW had the "good sense" (back in 2020?) to actively disable the whole damn screen when the vehicle was in motion. So you couldn't even TRY to change stuff.

And whatever blithering idiot designed Ford's cruise control button MESS on the steering wheel deserves a week in the hot box as well. My Audi uses a stalk. Couldn't be easier and can be done via casual feel. Even if you just HAVE TO do the controls using a button pad, you can do it in 4 buttons, not 6 and frankly you can do it with just 2. Again WITHOUT looking at it.

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