Ford Mustang GT and EcoBoost

Last year, the seventh-generation Ford Mustang was introduced and, as usual, there was a lot of interest in the car. At a time when the Mustang’s main competition is calling it quits, the Mustang is better than ever and has an all new version.

“Investing in another generation of Mustang is a big statement at a time when many of our competitors are exiting the business of internal combustion vehicles,” said Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company. Indeed, Ford understands that the Mustang and F150 are the heartbeat of the company, and they better get those right.

The new Mustang receives a lot of improvements, but it is not that much different from the old model. In fact, most people can’t even tell them apart. The new car even drives like the old car. A big difference is the interior, which has received a lot of attention. The 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster looks much more modern, but we kind of miss the charm of the old display. The GT has a cool feature where the theme of the instrument cluster can be set to Fox body, which makes the gauges look similar to those in the later Fox body Mustangs. Unfortunately, in the process Ford has decided to ditch many physical buttons and instead incorporate them into the center display. They claim their research has shown this is what the Mustang buyer wants. We are not a fan of ditching buttons.

Our GT had the standard seats and our EcoBoost model had the optional Recaro seats. The Recaro seats are definitely better than the standard seats, but we found both to be too soft for our tastes. Mustang has a standard cloth interior featuring all-cloth seats with optional Micro Suede vinyl inserts and black seat belts, while Premium models benefit from upgraded, wrapped seats and accent-stitched across the instrument panel and door trim. EcoBoost models feature Ford’s ‘ActiveX’ synthetic leather upholstery with multiple color options, while GT models gain leather seat inserts.

Of course, what separates the GT from the EcoBoost is under the hood. The GT is powered by a Coyote 5.0 V8 that puts out an amazing 480 horsepower. That may not seem like a lot to some people, but it is a very impressive piece of engineering. The port and direct injected V8 has a 12:1 compression ratio, yet only needs 87 octane to perform. And it performs really well with power delivery that is instant. There is no waiting for revs to climb or turbos to spool up. Floor it and it rockets forward. You just have to be careful which way the car is facing because it is very easy to break the rear tires loose. The other great feature of the V8 is the sweet noises coming from the engine. This is one of those engines that you want to rev just to hear it roar.

The EcoBoost’s engine is a totally different animal. It has a decidedly European sound to it and while it is not as fast as the GT, it is definitely not slow. With 315 hp on tap, the car is still a blast and can outrun a lot of cars on the road. The engine feels modern and pulls hard, but when driven at low speeds around town it sounds like an economy engine not befitting a Mustang. What makes matters worse is that the only manual transmission available is behind the V8 engine. In the past, you could get the manual transmission with the four cylinder, but not this year. The four cylinder is only available with the 10-speed automatic.

On a twisty back road or a weekend track day, the driver can quickly adjust steering effort, engine response, and transmission and electronic stability control settings through six available drive modes. These are Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track plus a customizable setting with up to six individual profiles.

Mustang GT and EcoBoost models are both available with an optional Performance Pack, which adds a host of track-focused features, including a front Tower Brace, Torsen® Limited Slip differential and optional MagneRide active suspension, wider rear wheels and tires, and larger, 390-millimeter front and 355-millimeter rear Brembo brakes. The GT Performance Pack adds brake ducts for even more enhanced cooling and a standard auxiliary engine oil cooler.

Both cars handle very well and have very sharp steering responses. The grip level is high when cornering, but due to the instant torque of the V8, you have to be much more careful with throttle inputs in the GT. The four cylinder feels a bit livelier than the GT due to less weight on the front end.

Mustang used to be about value and they were always great fun for the dollar. As Mustang has been improved and moved up, so have prices. The base Mustang is still a very good deal with a starting price of $30,950. The EcoBoost Premium will start at $36,445 and has most options you need, except the Performance Package should you want it. The GT is a lot more expensive and starts out at $41,960 while the GT Premium is $46,480.

With lots of options, it is easy to get the GT into the mid $50’s and that is when you start to consider what else is out there at that price. The GT really stands out because the engine is truly special and sounds amazing and of course we like it a lot, but the EcoBoost is lots of fun and is a great value.

Mustang GT Specifications

Ford Motor Company

Mustang Ecoboost Specifications