Ford Mustang Review (2014-present)

For many car fans the Mustang is an icon, but it was one that was denied to UK buyers for the best part of half a century. This good ‘ol American muscle car has been a US staple for years, its blend of style, value and performance earning it legendary statues. Originally launched in 2014, the Fast Ford was given a mid-life facelift in 2018

Now in its sixth generation, this heavily retro-inspired machine was the first to be officially available in Britain, and while the A6 isn’t quite as alluring as Route 66, there’s no denying the Mustang’s appeal on this side of the pond. in Britain. As with rivals such as the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger, the Ford has been designed to invoke the carefree spirit of the Sixties – throwback styling is no less a part of the muscle car proposition than a rumbling V8 engine.

Well-proportioned with a long bonnet and a shallow glasshouse, and with design flourishes that call to mind the 1964 original, the current Mustang arguably combines retro and modern styling more deftly than any of today’s American muscle cars.

Its cabin clearly takes inspiration from the model that started it all, too, the double-cowl dashboard layout instantly recognizable. The Mustang’s enduring success has always been predicated on value for money – the interior plastics may be hard and scratchy as a result but, when bought new, there’s no more cost-effective way into a V8-powered performance car.

As a used buy, a ‘Stang offers even more bang for your buck, as the initial hit of depreciation makes an already great value car even more affordable.

It’s a big car on the outside, but unfortunately that doesn’t translate into a particularly roomy interior. Ford bills the car as a four-seater, but while those sitting in the front have little to grumble about, your rear seat passengers will soon by moaning more loudly than that thundering V8. Kids will be fine in the two rear seats and they’re bearable for adults if it’s just a short hop, but any longer than a few minutes and they’ll be complaining of cramps.

Yet in other respects, the Mustang is surprisingly usable, with Fastback versions getting a fairly handy 408-litre boot. The Convertible’s is smaller at 332-litres, but it’s a usable size and, crucially, it is the same size whether the roof is up or down (some drop top models have less space for luggage when their hood is lowered). Speaking of which, opening and closing the fabric roof is an electrically-powered doddle - just release a catch, prod a button and eight seconds later you’ll be enjoying some wind-in-the-hair thrills.

Regardless of the bodystyle, the Mustang offers a wide range of seat and wheel adjustment for the driver, so you’ll have no problem getting comfortable. There’s also the usual array of cupholders, a decent glovebox and a handy roof-mounted sunglasses holder (obviously Ray Ban Aviators do fit), but the door bins aren’t that generous.

As mentioned, the Mustang’s is a big car, measuring nearly 4.8 metres long and about two metres wide. That means parking requires precision, making you grateful for the standard parking sensors and reversing camera.

The current Mustang was the first to be built for right as well as left-hand drive markets, but perhaps more importantly, it was the first to use a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension arrangement. Between them, those two developments made the Mk6 Mustang a more suitable car for use on narrow, bumpy British roads than any other US muscle car.

That more advanced rear suspension arrangement did endow the chassis with better control and more precise responses than earlier versions, but the Mustang remains an old school bruiser at heart. It therefore feels sizeable on UK roads, and it steers more lazily and rises and falls on its springs more markedly than a European sports car. The Mach 1 versions get uprated suspension and brakes, helping them feel the most agile and responsive Mustangs of the lot, but this is still not a delicate driving machine with scalpel sharp responses.

Even so, it’s hard to deny that the Mustang oozes charisma and a sense of fun. That’s particularly true of models equipped with the 5.0-litre V8, which most definitely puts the ‘muscle’ into muscle car. It’s not a particularly sophisticated unit, but its bellowing soundtrack and hairy-chested power delivery never fail to raise a smile. The turbocharged 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder is hardly a slouch and it’s much more efficient, but it sounds a bit flat by comparison and, well, it’s not really in keeping with the gas-guzzling, good time-vibe of a proper muscle car.

A big part of the Mustang’s appeal has always been the fact you get a lot of car for the cash. So while it can’t match rival European machines for sophistication, it makes up for it with toys. Regardless of specification you’ll get luxuries such as leather seat trim, climate control air-conditioning and either xenon or LED headlamps. In fact, it’s probably quicker to list what you don’t get.

In terms of infotainment, Ford’s touchscreen SYNC system is standard across the range and on earlier cars it features sat-nav, digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity. On post 2018 facelift cars Ford added the more intuitive and even more feature-backed SYNC3 set-up, which packs crisper graphics, clearer menus and useful upgrades such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. All cars regardless of age have the Track Apps feature, which allows you to view endless performance data, such as 0-60mph times, cornering g-forces and even the temperature of the air entering the engine.

When it comes to safety kit, the Mustang is very much a mixed bag. There are multiple air bags (including a driver’s knee bag), electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes, plus adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning but that’s about it. There’s no autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist or any of the other hi-tech assistance systems seen in European rivals. It’s perhaps no surprise EuroNCAP awarded the Mustang just two stars in 2017….

It’ll come as no surprise to learn a muscle car with a 5.0-litre V8 that generates more than 400bhp can be somewhat costly to run. Given its head, the bigger of the two engines won’t manage much more than 15mpg, with 20mpg a realistic average figure. Drive a V8 Mustang the way it was designed to be driven, then, and your fuel bills could be eye-watering.

You’ll save at the pumps by choosing the EcoBoost engine. With rather less power and torque, the four-cylinder motor won’t burn through rear tyres quite so quickly, either. Use the GT’s Line Lock function – which holds the car stationary on the brakes as the rear wheels spin noisily – and it’s possible to roast a pair of boots without moving a yard.

The serious message here is to be mindful of the cost of replacing the rubber, particularly if yours is a heavy right foot. Expect to pay around £600 for a set of brand-name tyres, whether the engine beneath the bonnet has four cylinders or eight.

Apart from fuel and consumables (and insurance, too, particularly for V8 models), Mustangs aren’t particularly expensive to run. They do need to be serviced annually or every 10,000 miles, whichever comes sooner. A Ford main dealer will charge from £200 to £450 for a V8 model, and from £170 to £350 for an EcoBoost car. (Mustangs have a four-step service schedule, the cost rising incrementally from service one to four. The cycle restarts after the fourth service.)

EcoBoost models aren’t much cheaper to insure than GTs, despite a 100bhp power deficit. Both versions sit in group 43 of 50. Less secure convertible cars, however, sit in group 46 and are slightly more costly to insure as a result.

Affordability is a core muscle car attribute. You’ll burn plenty of fuel and work your way through lots of rear tyres, but Mustangs are simple machines and they tend not to use very expensive componentry. They’re built to last, too. Expect to pay rather less to keep one on the road than you would a Porsche 911, for instance.

Mustangs might be built to last but they’re also built to a cost. This is more evident in the cabin than anywhere else, the hard and scratchy interior plastics often showing signs of wear and tear sooner than you’d expect. There isn’t a great deal that actually goes wrong, though.

Owners have reported air conditioning compressors failing, so check the a/c works as it should and ask the salesperson if the compressor has ever been replaced. Oil coolers are a known weakness, too, but not a frighteningly common one. Check the car bumper-to-bumper for gaping panel gaps and patchy paint quality – the rate at which these cars are produced and the surprisingly low price point they’re sold at does inevitably mean build quality isn’t on a par with that of a BMW M-car or Mercedes-AMG.

If you’re considering a convertible, check that the fabric hood operates as it should and that when in position, it fits snugly against the windscreen header rail and the side windows. That isn’t always a given with a second-hand Mustang.

These are high performance cars and they’ll often be driven spiritedly. That’s not a problem as long as the car has been properly maintained and serviced on schedule. Look for signs of the car having been mistreated – kerb damage on the wheels, car park scrapes and mismatched budget tyres should be red flags, if not exactly reasons to turn on your heel and walk away.

A responsible dealer with talk you through any relevant manufacturer recalls and show you proof of remedial work. Only one recall has been issued for the sixth-generation Mustang so far: according to the official 2018 statement, “The battery wiring harness in the engine compartment may have been incorrectly installed”. The harness can come into contact with the hot exhaust manifold, which, in a worst case scenario, could cause a fire to break out.