Stage 2 vs. 3 Pros/Cons

[Frank3]

Hi, I am new to FnSweet and this discussion board. I am hoping I can get some guidance from the Roush Mustang community…

I am seriously looking to purchase a new 07 Roush Stage 2 or Stage 3 Mustang. I have seen a S3, it’s beautiful, and driven a S1. The dealer will have a S2 within a couple days and I will be driving it then.

So the real question is S2 or S3? I am looking for guidance on which way to go. I know I would like the S3 hp, but not sure about sacrificing reliability and mpg, not to mention insurance premiums. What kind of mpg are you getting with your S3’s? How about brake pads or other replacement parts and costs? Any other comments on the S3’s are welcome too.

As for the S2, it appears to me that Roush does not touch the engine or computer at all. Is this true? Also, any recommendations on performance chips or tuning? Do it or stay away from it? Again, any other comments are welcome.

Thanks in advance for you help… Frank

[MysticCobraGirl]

First Welcome to Fnsweet!!!!

2nd... Go for the stage 3!!! All the way, you will wantthe supercharger int he long run! I started with a S2 and then was mad when I did not have the whine underneath the hood! Next thing you know I am at the dealer trading my S2 for a S3!

I remember with mine... Insurance only showed it as a GT, so the premiums were not that much different. My Cobra is a different story... they show that as a Supercharged car and charge me for it as well! Oh well, that is what you have to deal with when owning a bad a** car!

Make yourself at home here, it is a great close knit family!!!

Also, where are you from???

[Frank3]

MysticCobraGirl, thanks for the quick resply! Ya, I have been thinking along your lines. Sounds like you are happy with your S3 but a Cobra too? Cool.

What kind of mpg do you get with your S3?

I am in the Phoenix, AZ area.

[MysticCobraGirl]

Originally Posted by Frank3

MysticCobraGirl, thanks for the quick resply! Ya, I have been thinking along your lines. Sounds like you are happy with your S3 but a Cobra too? Cool.

What kind of mpg do you get with your S3?

I am in the Phoenix, AZ area.

I no longer have the S3... at one point I had both and had to make a desicion... I chose the Mystic because of the color! I amhappy with my choice. I still look at Roush cars and wish mine atleast was one, but that is a whole nother story for a different day!

If you stay out of the boost the mpgis not that bad... I actually get better gas mileage in my cobra then I did in my 02 IS300... but that was keeping my foot of the pedal and staying out of the boost!

[Scarface]

I know I would like the S3 hp, but not sure about sacrificing reliability and mpg, not to mention insurance premiums. What kind of mpg are you getting with your S3’s? How about brake pads or other replacement parts and costs? Any other comments on the S3’s are welcome

The only thing you will be sacrificing is a bit higher insurance and a higher gas price (91 octane). Roush vehicles are known for reliability, that's why its backed by both FORD and Roush for its warranty, bumper to bumper. I got my Stage2 7months before the Stage3 was released, if the Stage3 was avaliabled, it would gotten it in a heartbeat.

[Frank3]

Thanks for the info...

[Frank3]

Originally Posted by Scarface

if the Stage3 was avaliabled, it would gotten it in a heartbeat.

So far, the S3 is winning...

Thanks for the info...

[RED ROUSH WA]

I have a 05 Stage 2 at the time I would have gone for the Stage 3.In 05 they were not made in this year.As for upgrade I will go Roushcharging it for its realiability.As for owning a outright Stage 3 from Roush if you love the car as much to own it get the Stage 3. You will not say later I should have got the Stage 3.
Gas milage you can always pick up a good used car for that .Besides the milage you really wont even think of when you have that HUGE GRIN on your face as you POWER down the ROAD .

[gaberubin]

Originally Posted by RED ROUSH WA

Gas milage you can always pick up a good used car for that .Besides the milage you really wont even think of when you have that HUGE GRIN on your face as you POWER down the ROAD .

easy for you to say...wait until us cali folk are paying $5 a gallon!!!

[Carolina Rider]

I went with the Stage 1 and am uprading what I wanted options without getting locked in to the Stage 2 suspension Then I went after market with Headers, ATI Procharger, and other items at delivery.

You will find dealers who will make mods and keep your warranty intact. One is Dale Jarrett Ford in Indian Trail, NC, another is Lance Cunningham in Knoxville.

I decided against the Roush Supercharger, my research showed me the ATI Procharger was much more popular and had the relaiability record with other Mustang drivers plus more HP without risking the engine. My tuner is Steve Angell out of Knoxville, he has done 95 of these cars and knows the ins outs.

I can tell you by adding these items, you will have to address the suspension as the Stang does not respond well in stock trim to these HP increase, I have to consider what I am going to do supsension wise as the power is to wicked for the stock supsension.

[Mustanger]

Originally Posted by Carolina Rider

I went with the Stage 1 and am uprading what I wanted options without getting locked in to the Stage 2 suspension Then I went after market with Headers, ATI Procharger, and other items at delivery.

You will find dealers who will make mods and keep your warranty intact. One is Dale Jarrett Ford in Indian Trail, NC, another is Lance Cunningham in Knoxville.

I decided against the Roush Supercharger, my research showed me the ATI Procharger was much more popular and had the relaiability record with other Mustang drivers plus more HP without risking the engine. My tuner is Steve Angell out of Knoxville, he has done 95 of these cars and knows the ins outs.

I can tell you by adding these items, you will have to address the suspension as the Stang does not respond well in stock trim to these HP increase, I have to consider what I am going to do supsension wise as the power is to wicked for the stock supsension.

You don't know what you are missing by not having the Roush suspension... tuned, engineered, and specifically chosen to match & handle all the extra horsepower. Well looks like maybe you do now... sorry about that. As far as greater reliability of the RoushCharger forced induction, it's true, I trust the greater enginerering of the factory Roush stuff!! They deliberately keep an extra safety margin in their tune & design...even to sacrificing the maximum horsepower for better reliability! It don't get much better than that!

More Mustang folks know about the other brands than the Roush because they are more numerous not better! Different kinds of blowers with different kinds of power & torque... which do you prefer, real world everyday performance instantaneously at the tap of the throttle or more on the top end where you can hardly use it except for the track? Just my 2 cents...ignore at your own peril!! LOL

[06Roush_st_3]

Well since I went with a Stage 3, and waited 7 months to get it, I think you know what I am going to say.

STAGE 3!!. The suspension on this car is different then the Stage 2, and you get the Roushcharger. It is not that hard to get a little extra ponies out of these cars.

I plan on changing the pulley and a few other things after having the car for a while, still undesided how long. maybe a year or two, maybe after the warranty.

Just order what you want and be prepared to WAIT. It shouldn't be 7 months, but I know they have been making the '07 Stage 3 for a few months. Not sure how many they will build, so you might want to check on that so you don't have to wait till '08.

[Frank3]

Sounds pretty much like the S3 is the favorite , but haven't really heard from the S2 crowd. How about it S2 owners, any of you glad you chose the S2 over the S3? Why?

[RickRoush03]

welcome bro! if you have the cash go all the way and don't look back. MPG ratings on these car's is a waste of time. basically if you don't have the gas pedal on the floor all the time your mpg will be the same as a mustang gt.

[03 S3]

Why would you buy a Stage 2,when you can one up it?Besides save $$$ for the time being,until you mod it,or take a ride in Stage 3 and say dam why didn't i get the Stage3,and want to start the mods asap..

[snk1233]

Originally Posted by 06Roush_st_3

Well since I went with a Stage 3, and waited 7 months to get it, I think you know what I am going to say.

STAGE 3!!. The suspension on this car is different then the Stage 2, and you get the Roushcharger. It is not that hard to get a little extra ponies out of these cars.

I plan on changing the pulley and a few other things after having the car for a while, still undesided how long. maybe a year or two, maybe after the warranty.

Just order what you want and be prepared to WAIT. It shouldn't be 7 months, but I know they have been making the '07 Stage 3 for a few months. Not sure how many they will build, so you might want to check on that so you don't have to wait till '08.

I thought the suspension on the s2's and s3's were exactly the same other than the color?

Anyhow Id say get the s3....I got my stage 2 and had the roushcharger added on.....you will want the power

[Scarface]

STAGE 3!!. The suspension on this car is different then the Stage 2,

They are the same from the Roush Factory, plus/minus the strut bar.

You don't know what you are missing by not having the Roush suspension... tuned, engineered, and specifically chosen to match & handle all the extra horsepower. Well looks like maybe you do now... sorry about that. As far as greater reliability of the RoushCharger forced induction, it's true, I trust the greater enginerering of the factory Roush stuff!! They deliberately keep an extra safety margin in their tune & design...even to sacrificing the maximum horsepower for better reliability! It don't get much better than that!

+1 . Roush engineers ( & JR himself) spent a whole year working/testing the suspension system and the Roushcharger to make sure it works in conjunction with each other. Horsepower is for bragging but bragging is useless if you can't put it through the wheels. Vortech, Paxton, Procharger, Kenne Bell, etc.. they all promised 500RWHP+ but I've made many phone calls to these reps and they won't give me a straight answer to how reliable the S197 motor is holding up 500RWHP. Fact is fact, its been well documented here, other forums, and magazines that anything over 400RWHP will go KaBoom sooner or later. Anyone can buy a mustang, buy a bunch of parts off the shelve from different vendors and slap it together, but is the shock rated correctly for the spring??, is the spring compressed correctly to handle the supercharger?? is the suspension giving you too much or too little camber?? Buy a Roush Stage3 and let them work all the details out and sleep at night knowing its covered under warranty both from Ford and Roush.

[06Roush_st_3]

[quote=Scarface]They are the same from the Roush Factory, plus/minus the strut bar.

There is no strut bar offered by Roush for the 05-07 models. The Stage 3 does not come with a strut bar. The Stage 3 does come with a rear sway bar, the 2 does not.

The color of the stage 2 is blue, the Stage 3 is red. I was told that the springs and shock/strut tuning is different for the two models. That is why the Stage 3 are tested over 1g on skip pad tests.

I have no definate over the suspension, other then I know the 3 comes with the rear sway bar.

Of course the 3 comes with the 14" brakes, and a few other things as well. Plus, you get a Stage 3 numbered car, mine is #06-240, and has the Roush build number, I think mine is 06-1947, not 100% on that though.

[Scarface]

There is no strut bar offered by Roush for the 05-07 models. The Stage 3 does not come with a strut bar. The Stage 3 does come with a rear sway bar, the 2 does not.

I meant the rear sway bar, but I don't think there is a different between the the Stage2 & 3 suspension, if there is, there's probably won't be a big difference to tell.

[RED ROUSH WA]

[quote=06Roush_st_3]

Originally Posted by Scarface

They are the same from the Roush Factory, plus/minus the strut bar.

There is no strut bar offered by Roush for the 05-07 models. The Stage 3 does not come with a strut bar. The Stage 3 does come with a rear sway bar, the 2 does not.

The color of the stage 2 is blue, the Stage 3 is red. I was told that the springs and shock/strut tuning is different for the two models. That is why the Stage 3 are tested over 1g on skip pad tests.

I have no definate over the suspension, other then I know the 3 comes with the rear sway bar.

Of course the 3 comes with the 14" brakes, and a few other things as well. Plus, you get a Stage 3 numbered car, mine is #06-240, and has the Roush build number, I think mine is 06-1947, not 100% on that though.

I have a strut bar and the rest on my 2005 Stage 2 and at this time no Stage 3's were avalible untill Summer of 2006.I know the earler 2005 and 2006 Stage 2 have this bar.I know on the Stage 3 the suspension is the same except the color.This color change was one of the results of the car being color coded to be built as a Stage 3 through assembly.The vins on these cars are very much watched as they are very limited.As for the assembly this is a quick way to tell personell on the build of this car "HEY BUD ITS BEING BUILT AS A STAGE 3." Again the suspension on the Stage 3 is the same as the Stage 2 just a different build color(BMR RED/STAGE 3).
Roush did Test Stage 2 as to be upgraded to a Stage 3 as a result the suspension work for both but braking became more need for the Stage 3.Now you have the Stage 3 BIG BRAKES.= MORE GO NEEDS MORE WHOA...
I would love to have a Stage 3 but at the time I now have a 1 of 25 built 2005 Stage 2's.As long as I know I can bolt on a Roushcharger later, I'm happy to say that I have a very limited # Roush.Besides all the ROUSH's all years are all very COOL dont you think? Ps. My Info come from a couple Upper Engineers from ROUSH.(Names I must with hold)and as long as I hold info to a min.