Ford Mustang Review

When American cars come to Europe, there are always a few thoughts in the back of your head – will the chassis be set-up for European and UK roads? Is it going to be refined enough for our market? When Ford announced it was going to offer the Mustang in the UK and make it as a right-hand drive car – a lot of whoops went up but could the Blue Oval get it right? For 50 years the Mustang has been in production but this was the first time that it would come to the UK as a ‘proper’ model and not an import. The Mustang certainly looks the part, it has taken design cues from the original car and evolved them in to this new car. There also seems to be a little bit of Jaguar F-Type in this car – that is no bad thing, the Mustang looks sleek, for Europe and more importantly our home market of the UK, which is surely going to see it through. The Mustang is a legend in its own right, the silver screen did it a lot of good – remember Steve McQueen in Bullitt.

Priced competitively the Mustang will take sales off rivals including the Audi A5 and the BMW 4 Series. Is this sixth generation a pony or a thoroughbred? Read on to find out…

The Mustang is coming to the UK with two power plants – the entry-level four-cylinder engine is a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine producing 309bhp. Step on the right pedal and the four-cylinder 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine is fairly lively. This car is aimed at those wanting a Mustang but also keen to have fairly low emissions – in fact this car is a key model for Ford in the user-chooser fleet market. Imagine, a Mustang as your company car. It’s no slouch either as this version will cover the benchmark sprint in 5.8 seconds. Overtaking slower traffic is child’s play, while the six-speed gearbox has a smooth shift making it a joy to use.

However, our advice is to opt for the V8, well, as long as you don’t have to worry about those exhaust emissions. The flagship car is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 with 413bhp, developed at 6500rpm, it has 400lb ft of torque at 4250rpm. In a straight line the V8 is epic, it will reach 62mph from a standing start in 4.8 seconds making it the fastest accelerating Ford Coupe since the Ford GT of 2005. Press the accelerator, the guttural roar is something else, the V8 has a raspy noise and it sounds glorious at full tilt.

American cars can be a little lack lustre when on the road especially when you pitch them against their European rivals. The sixth generation…wait for it, is a different animal. This Mustang is a global project and therefore Europe and Ford UK has had much more say and development time with this car – it shows, the chassis is brilliant, press on through flowing bends and the Mustang will certainly put a smile on your face – it feels just as good as we hoped it would…

Nipping in and out to overtake slower traffic is fun, especially if you are sitting in the V8 – you can whoosh by slower vehicles and that raspy V8 engine is a joy to listen to in full flight – you won’t need a stereo with Katy Perry singing ‘Roar’, no, the only roar you’ll need is the mighty 5.0-litre V8. The six-speed ‘box mated to the V8 is just as smooth and crisp as the unit mated to the 2.3-litre engine.

The Mustang is not as engaging as a BMW 4 Series but it has very little bodyroll and is rewarding to drive. It feels surefooted in the twisty stuff – it is easily on a par with an Audi A5 if not better. You can optimise the car’s performance to suit your mood, you can leave it in normal or flick it in to Sport + or use the ‘track’ or snow/wet settings. Opting for Sport+ adjusts the throttle response to make the car even livelier while it also adjusts the Advance Trac electronic stability control.

If you fancy taking the Mustang on to a track then there is a track setting and launch control, allowing you to make a clean and quick getaway. This system works at a pre-set value of between 3,000 rpm and 4,500rpm with the accelerator fully depressed. Release the clutch and the power is delivered to the rear wheels and you’re off. The Mustang has also got an electronic Line Lock system which allows you to warm the rear tyres by applying braking to the front brakes.

Garish and brash usually sums up a car of American descent, the Mustang is a very different animal – it is refined and delivers a sophistication that the luxury German makers would be proud of. Indeed, changed times are here for the Mustang, this is a classy product with real verve. The interior is simple yet effective but the boffins have used a variety of first class materials.

The Mustang is a 2+2 and although it may not be appropriate for fully fledged adults in the rear, it has got Isofix attachments, which makes the case for the Mustang as a family car. The seats are incredibly comfy and have more than enough bolstering for your back when on long journeys. The Mustang like its rivals has a sloping coupe roof and this only adds to the attractiveness of the car. Standard equipment includes a nine speaker sound system and an eight-inch colour touch screen which features sat nav, entertainment and Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps and a rear diffuser. There is a lot of standard kit on the Mustang when you compare it to its German rivals and no doubt this will help it in both the consumer and fleet markets when it goes on sale. 

Sitting in the Mustang cabin, well you’ll have a cheeky smile to yourself, it is a place of splendour, this is not a typical American cabin, this is a refined European interior. There are a few chrome fittings but there is nothing outlandish to put would-be buyers off. The cabin is relatively clutter free while the touchscreen is very easy to use and has an integrated sat nav, entertainment including radio and connectivity for an MP3 player, there’s Bluetooth for telephone connectivity and of course the aircon. The cockpit is wrapped around the driver making the driver’s seat a focused place while the driver’s seat can be lowered a lot giving the optimum driving position for enthusiasts. Fit and finish is impeccable – have a look along the base of the central console and you will notice a few little switches – one is called mode and this is where you can optimise the Mustang to your driving style and the conditions.

Overall the Mustang’s interior feels more special than any of its direct rivals including the Audi A5 and the BMW 4 Series. Now that is quite something. Ford has come up with a cracker, the Mustang at long last has arrived in Europe. 

Even though it is a coupe, the Mustang is actually quite family friendly. It has a good amount of interior space and even in the rear, leg- and headroom is fairly decent. If you have small children then you also have the benefit of Isofix attachments – surely the other half can’t say no now. The boot will stow two golf bags or a pram whichever you need to load as it has 408 litres of load space while this expands to 2,392 litres with the rear seats folded. The convertible is slightly smaller but still offers 332 litres and with the rear seats folded this expands to 2,287. 

Ford has been very clever with the Mustang offering it with a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine that is sure to record interest from company car drivers on user-chooser deals and of course the V8 for enthusiasts. This sixth generation of the Mustang really does give you the best of both worlds. The 309bhp EcoBoost engine in the fastback has a claimed economy of 35.3mpg when mated to the manual ‘box and with the auto it stands at 28.8mpg. Co2 emissions come out at 179g/km and 225g/km respectively. Opt for the convertible with the same engine and a manual gearbox and it produces 184g/km and averages 34.4mpg while the automatic transmission in the same car will return 28.8mpg and emit 225g/km of CO2.

If you fancy the 5.0-litre V8 with the manual ‘box in the fastback bodystyle, it has a claimed average economy of 20.9 when paired to the manual gearbox and 23.5mpg with the auto – emissions are 299g/km and 281g/km of CO2 respectively. The convertible is much the same returning 20.8mpg with the manual and 22.1mpg with the auto while emissions are 184g/km and 225g/km of CO2 respectively. Prices for the entry-level 2.3 EcoBoost start from £28,995, while the V8 should cost around £32,995.

For a fleet driver, the EcoBoost is very appealing but if you want it as a weekend car then opt for the V8 – the V8 is what a Mustang is all about.

Thanks to being a global project we expect the Mustang to fare very well in the customer surveys and polls. The EcoBoost engine has been around for a while so we foresee no problems and as for the fit and finish, Europe has had a lot of say in this car and therefore it should stand up to our harsh winters and (not so hot) summers.

We expect the Mustang to attain the maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating when it is put through its motions. Ford has added a decent amount of safety kit on the Mustang which should help with the overall score. Kit includes Active Anti-Theft system with perimeter alarm, Active glovebox, driver and front passenger personal safety system, driver knee airbag, driver/passenger side-impact airbags, dual front airbags, electronic locking centre console, emergency assistance, illuminated entry and Isofix points. It also comes with stability control and various driving modes to improve traction in wet and snowy conditions.