On January 19 2016, I purchased a 2012 Ford Mustang GT from Carmax here in San Diego, CA. Although it was the exact color combination that I wanted (white exterior with black interior), it did have more options on it than I would have preferred.
I like simplicity when it comes to my “fun” cars. Cloth seats and crank windows are fine by me, as long as it’s really fast, rear wheel drive, with a manual transmission of course.
This Mustang was all of that (and more). What a car!
What it was like to drive a 2012 Ford Mustang GT for 12,000 miles
This was the car that I purchased to replace my aging (but well loved) 1996 Mustang GT. Although I don’t define myself as a “Mustang brah,” the fact that this 2012 GT was my third one probably made it so (whether I liked it or not).
Quick overview:
Not only has this been one of the best sounding cars I’ve ever owned, it has also been the most reliable. It’s also worth noting that I didn’t purchase this thing to be a daily driver. I had a 2010 Honda Fit for that purpose.
| Trim package | GT Premium |
| Engine | 5.0 L V8 (412 hp / 390 lb-ft torque) |
| Transmission | 6 speed manual |
| Date purchased | January 19, 2016 |
| Date sold | — |
| Length of ownership | 9 years (and still going) |
| Purchase price | $22,998 |
| Sold price | — |
| Total miles driven | 12,287 |
| Average miles per day | 3 (blasphemy!) |
| Issues | Notchy shifter (getting it into 3rd gear under hard acceleration was always difficult) |
| Maintenance costs | $3,503.85 |
| Repair costs | — |
The day that I purchased it
There are a lot of pros and cons to purchasing a car from Carmax. The pros outweigh the cons in my opinion – especially when they have pretty much the exact car that you’re looking for. Here it is as I saw it for the very first time:
This Mustang was equipped with the “Premium” package (featuring leather seats, Shaker sound system, and various trim details). It had 40,821 miles on the odometer – but it looked and smelled brand new.
It was in perfect condition. Even the key fobs (two were included) looked brand new:
I can’t even put into words how excited it was to have purchased this Mustang. I tried my best in a video the very next morning:
My first (and only) mods
I’m not normally the type of guy to modify the cars that I own, but the stock chrome wheels had to go. I didn’t have any issue with the design – it was the chrome that was bothering me.
I purchased a set of Sparco Pro Corsa wheels (18×8) from tirerack.com, and had them delivered to my nearest Pep Boys wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport XL tires (235/50ZR18). They were installed on the car February 4, 2016:
The first full year of ownership (2016): Wheeee!
The very first year with this car was a good one. It was by far the fastest car that I’ve ever owned up to this point my life, and put a smile on my face every time that I drove it. Speaking of which, I was driving it about three times a week back then. Mostly to work and back, which was 14 miles round-trip.
Perhaps my only gripe about this car right off the bat was how big it felt. This generation of the Mustang (the S197) is not a nimble little sports car. Not only does it feel heavy, it’s a pain to squeeze into tight parking spots. She’s a bit of a porker.
It’s also worth noting that someone stole my retro-style California license plates during the first year. Reporting the plates stolen (and then having to get new ones) was inconvenient.
The second year of ownership (2017): Reality sets in
Reality was starting to set in by the second year. Of course I still loved this car beyond words – and to say that I babied it is an understatement. It’s just that the new car feeling was wearing off, and real life often got in the way of proper care and maintenance sometimes.
Fun fact: I got the chance to drive a 2016 Hertz Shelby GT-H in early 2017. It was an amazing car, but I was slightly worried that it would make me think less of my 2012 GT. It didn’t. The 2012 is far more raw and analog feeling, which makes it just as enjoyable (If not more).
Other than routine maintenance (and fuel), there were no surprise expenses in 2017. Just a lot of smiles. Lots and lots of smiles.
Years three and four (2018 and 2019): What Mustang?
I transitioned to self-employment / entrepreneurship when I got laid off from my corporate job in early 2018. For the first time in my life, I was able to work from home. The Mustang sat. Neglected.
I hardly drove this car during those two years. Not because I didn’t enjoy it anymore. It was only because I didn’t have the time (or need) to do so. I did make a point to take it for a 15 mile loop around my house every Tuesday morning though – just to keep everything lubed and in proper working order.
By the end of 2019, I was seriously considering selling it.
Year five (2020): Falling in love with it all over again
My main source of entertainment became the Mustang (again) once the Covid pandemic shut everything down. I must’ve felt really bad for not driving it, because I ended up taking on its first major road trip this year. Not only that, I even took it hooning up in the local mountains.
I took it to the local Ford dealer for an airbag recall in February or March (I can’t remember exactly). I had them change the battery while it was there.
A drive to Palomar Mountain
On July 29, I took this thing to one of the best driving roads in all of San Diego: Palomar Mountain. Long story short: maybe the 2012 Mustang GT isn’t the best car for tight mountain roads? It was still fun though:
The road trip to Phoenix and back
On August 6, 2020, I drove this car to Phoenix and back from San Diego (712 miles round-trip). I did it all in one day. For fun. Just because.
TLDR of the entire road trip: the Mustang is a perfect car for high-speed cruising. It performed flawlessly (and was very comfortable) in the triple digit heat. I even made a video about this experience. My apologies in advance for the cringe music:
Year six (2021): Thinking maybe I’ll sell it
Once I had my fun with it in 2020, I was starting to toy with the idea of selling it again. Money was getting a little tight, and it was becoming awfully tempting to flip the Mustang for cash. Especially considering how crazy used car prices were at the time! I just couldn’t do it though.
Year seven (2022): Maintenance required
I was back to driving this thing just once a week as 2022 began. I was also still thinking about selling it, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger.
It was about this time that I started to notice moisture getting into the car overnight at the base of the windshield. Water was dripping down from the dashboard onto the carpet – which was obviously concerning. However, once spring had come (and the weather became warmer and drier), the problem went away.
I ended up purchasing a full set of Toyo Proxes Sport tires to replace the Michelin pilot Super Sports. Not because the Michelin’s were bad or anything – I just wanted to try something different. Total cost with installation: $905.28.
Year eight (2023): “You gonna drive that thing, or what?”
2023 was the year of indecisiveness. At one point I was pretty much sure that I was going to sell this car. I even dug out the title from the closet in preparation for a sale. But as it always happens, I just couldn’t do it. I loved this car too damn much.
The first four months of 2023 required jumpstarting the car every time I wanted to drive it. That sucked (and was not sustainable). The solution to this problem was driving down to my local auto parts store and purchasing a brand new heavy duty battery for $266.57. I even installed it myself.
Year 9 (2024): You can’t make me sell it
I made it a point to drive this thing as much as possible in 2024. Despite my best efforts, I probably put 1000 miles on it (max). Working from home and traveling so much meant that I didn’t drive all that often. Poor car.
It’s early 2025 as I type this, and nothing has changed. The car continues to sit, and I’m still struggling to find the time to drive it. I ain’t selling it though. At least not yet.
To be continued…
