Overview Athletic muscle car that actually corners
Pros Style inside and out, sport-tuned suspension, driving demeanour
Cons Frozen window, pitiful exhaust note, limited rear seat
Value for money Good
What would I change? Give the EcoBoost engine an exhaust note commensurate with its muscle car roots
With the Mustang turning 50, Ford turned to a blank computer screen and started from square one when engineering the sixth-generation Mustang. As a result, the iconic muscle car is better in just about every area.
To begin with the look is more muscular and it’s now as sexy as sexy gets — perhaps only the Jaguar F-Type Coupe outdoes the Mustang in terms of raw curb appeal. The better news is that the rework takes the Mustang to a level it has never been before. Slip behind the wheel and the reworked interior, which includes a commemorative plaque, speaks to the upgrades found throughout the vehicle.
The materials are rich and the Recaro seats in the test car were supremely comfortable and they delivered excellent support. Likewise, the layout is just about spot on — Ford’s engineers get kudos for including an oil pressure gauge and, with the EcoBoost engine along for the ride, a turbo boost pressure gauge. I also liked the Track Apps. It allows the driver to access a stopwatch to time the run to 100 kilometres an hour, check the brake performance and there’s an accelerometer, which gives feedback on the forces at play. The interior anomaly proved to be the toggle switches at the bottom of the centre stack — they reminded me of a Mini.
Read more: First Drive: 2015 Ford Mustang
Move rearward, and there sits the briefcase’s perch. As back seats go, the Mustang’s is tight, and if the driver and front passenger are tall the legroom all but disappears. That said, when ferrying a couple of kids to school it did function as intended. Behind that there’s the 382-litre trunk.
The biggest disappointment was what happened on a cold and frosty morning. Normally, when the door is opened the power window moves down slightly to clear the seal — it is a frameless window design. When the door is closed the window snugs up to create a wind/waterproof seal. On said morning the window froze in the up position. I could open the door, but when I shut it the glass slammed up against the black trim piece on the roof. This caused a terrible wind noise. When the window finally thawed, I lowered it and raised it back into its proper position. This is not good.
The Mustang is offered three ways. The base engine is a 3.7-litre V6 with 300 horsepower. At the top end there’s the 5.0L V8. Now this thing fires a hefty 435 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque to the tarmac with serious authority. Sitting between the extremes is the 2.3L, turbocharged, EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. It makes 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. Frankly, I was not expecting a lot, but it had the wherewithal to deliver a decidedly decent turn of speed — the EcoBoosted Mustang cantered to 100 km/h in a tick over six seconds.
The problem with this engine is what the driver hears. Virtually nothing! The boosted ’Stang sounds like a freaking Focus. Muscle cars are all about sounding big and bad — this thing mews like a kitten rather than roaring like a lion. To get the latter requires moving up to the V8. It does sound delightful!
The Mustang also benefits from its Selectable Drive Modes. It allows the driver to pick between snow/wet, normal, sport and track. Forget the wet mode. Normal is fine in the city, but the best setting for most driving situations is Sport. It sharpens the throttle response, alters the shift pattern on the automatic, as well as the manner in which the stability control system intervenes. It also tweaks the steering effort. The latter can also be adjusted independently (standard, comfort and sport settings). Again, Sport is best.
The power is relayed to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The manual in the test car proved to be a well-sorted gearbox. The clutch was progressive and the throws were short enough it was easy to row through the cogs with the speed required. Launch Control is also available with this gearbox. The icing is found in the fact the manual delivers better overall fuel economy than the slush-o-matic.
Also read: Car Comparison: 2015 Chevrolet Camaro SS vs. 2015 Ford Mustang GT
At long last the Mustang finally gets an independent rear suspension. The addition does a number of good things to the driving demeanour, especially when the EcoBoost Performance pack option is ordered. It brings firmer front springs, a beefier rear anti-roll bar, P255/40R19 tires and a 3.55:1 limited-slip differential to go along with the larger front rotors and four-piston calipers. The combination saw the Mustang go honking through my favourite set of sweepers with minimal understeer/oversteer and even less body roll. It was also more stable under hard braking. On the flip side, the ride comfort was everything it should be. It is a very nicely tuned set-up that covers all of the bases.
The latest Mustang takes enormous strides in the right direction. Yes, there were a couple of nits to pick, but, window issue aside, none are really worth fretting over. Truth be told, I was not much of a muscle car fan, but I could learn to love the Mustang in a hurry — but only when the V8 is booming like a bad boy!
The Specs
Type of vehicle Fastback Coupe
Engine 2.3L, turbocharged, inline four
Power 310 hp @ 5,500 rpm; 320 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000
Transmission Six-speed manual
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P255/40R19
Price (base/as tested) $24,999/$40,749
Destination charge $1,600
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km) 10.6 city, 7.5 highway
Standard features Dual-zone climate control with filtration, power locks, windows and heated mirrors, cruise control, six-way power front seats, leather, heated front seats, tilt/telescopic steering, MyKey, Sync with MyFord Touch and 8-inch screen, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with nine speakers, AUX/USB inputs and steering wheel-mounted control, back-up camera, smart key with push-button start, garage door opener, Track Apps and more.
Notable options EcoBoost Performance pack ($3,000), adaptive cruise control/forward collision warning ($1,600), voice-activated navigation ($800), enhanced security pack ($700), reverse park assist ($350), all-weather floor mats ($300), paint ($400)
