Ford Mustang, test drive (Engine, performance, handling and consumption)

A few months before the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Ford Mustang, which will take place on 17 April 2014, we have had the chance to test this icon of the automotive world, a sports car with a V6 or V8 engine producing between 300 and 640 CV which is, together with the Chevrolet Camaro, the greatest exponent of American ‘muscle cars’ or ‘pony cars’, sporty coupés with a long bonnet and a short rear end. More than 8.5 million units produced over these five decades vouch for what is surely the most representative model of the brand that Henry Ford founded at the end of the 19th century, with all due respect to the Ford T, the vehicle with which assembly-line production reached the automotive sector.

The Mustang, now in its fifth generation, is not available in Spain today except through parallel importers, as Ford does not sell it through its dealer network. That is why we could not pass up the opportunity to test it and see first-hand whether this American sports car lives up to expectations and has the qualities to rival European competitors in terms of concept and engine power. At first glance, we can say that, broadly speaking, it can hold its own against some sports cars from the old continent. We will go into more detail on this later.

This American icon, whose current generation is built at the Ford plant in Flat Rock, Michigan (USA), conveys a sporty feel. Whoever takes the wheel will get an outstanding response in terms of engine, chassis and steering, with a sporty feel that is not overly pronounced but more than enough for enjoyment to be the predominant feeling on almost any journey. A slight press of the accelerator pedal is enough for the engine to release a deep, attractive sound that will catch the eye of pedestrians and bring a smile to the driver’s face.

Engine and performance

The Ford Mustang range consists of four versions, which differ in engine output: V6 of 309 CV (Mustang), V8 of 425 CV, V8 of 450 CV (Mustang Boss 302) and V8 of 639 CV (Mustang Shelby GT500). At Highmotor we were able to test the 309 CV V6 variant with the six-speed ‘Selectshift’ automatic gearbox. A six-speed manual transmission is also available. All versions are rear-wheel drive.

The 309 CV Ti-VCT V6 engine, with a displacement of 3.7 litres, responds very well to the accelerator, pushing with great force from around 3,000 rpm up to practically the fuel cut-off (7,000 rpm). The driver feels outstanding acceleration, which presses the back firmly against the seat backrest. The more than 300 CV available under the right foot can be felt with just a little pressure on the accelerator pedal.

This good engine response allows speed to be gained very quickly and makes for lightning-fast overtaking. It is a pity about the restrictive speed limits in the United States, which hem in this and other sports cars. Despite this, they are plentiful: seeing a Mustang, a Camaro or an Avenger, the third model in contention among the most popular ‘muscle cars’, as well as the ‘R’ and ‘RS’ variants of Audi, the ‘M’ of BMW and the ‘Mercedes-Benz AMG’, is common on American roads, at least on those in California, the state where I have been driving over the past few months. The proportion of this type of sports car is much higher than what is usually seen in Europe, with Germany as an exception, along with places like Monaco. By the way, driving a Mustang on German autobahns, which have no speed limit, must be quite an experience for the senses.

When driving a Mustang and accelerating to try to get the most out of its V6 engine, the only thing missing is a faster response from the gearbox, since when the accelerator pedal is pressed decisively, the transmission takes a few tenths of a second longer than one would like to downshift and let the engine deliver its best performance. When accelerated flat out, the engine emits an intoxicating sound, that of an engine with many CV and litres of displacement, typical of classic American models.

The automatic gearbox, while not a prodigy of speed, works correctly. It shifts from one gear to another smoothly, without any noticeable vibrations or jolts in the cabin. It has two automatic operating modes: ‘D’ and ‘S’. The first (‘Drive’) is the one to use for normal driving, as it upshifts as soon as possible in order to consume the minimum amount of fuel. The second (‘Sport’) holds each gear for longer, prioritising acceleration.

The driver can also operate the gearbox manually, choosing which gear is appropriate at any given moment. To do this, there are two buttons on the left side of the gear lever for downshifting or upshifting.

The 309 CV V6 engine of the Mustang we tested delivers its maximum power at 6,500 rpm, very close to the fuel cut-off (7,000 rpm), while maximum torque (380 Nm) is delivered above halfway through its working rev range, at 4,250 rpm.

Handling

The Mustang fulfils to perfection what is expected of a sports car. It is quick, has good steering feel, gives the driver a sense of security, goes where the driver points it with the steering wheel and responds rapidly to changes of direction. Perhaps, for the European driver, the only element that may feel a little out of place is the suspension, which is softer than in models of similar characteristics sold on the old continent.

Despite being softer, the suspension holds the bodywork adequately in place, preventing uncomfortable movements for passengers. It also isolates the cabin properly from potholes and road surface irregularities. The suspension layout is as follows: MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear, with anti-roll bars on both axles.

The sports car from the brand with the oval badge responds well in corners, not losing its composure and allowing several linked bends to be taken quickly and safely. It offers good steering feel, informing the driver at all times of what is happening under the wheels. It also has quality braking equipment that allows it to stop in a short distance, with bite from the moment the pedal is pressed.

The ventilated brake discs are 316 millimetres in diameter on the front axle, with aluminium floating calipers of 43 millimetres and two pistons, and 300 millimetres on the rear axle, with iron floating calipers of 43 millimetres and a single piston.

The Mustang comes as standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, with 225/60 R17 tyres from BFGoodrich or 215/65 R17 from Michelin, the ‘Energy Saver A/S’ model. Our test unit had the latter, tyres that are not considered sporty. They provide good grip, at least in the dry, which is the only condition in which we tested them. Surely, more sporty tyres, such as Pirelli P Zero or Michelin Pilot Sport, would make the Mustang’s handling even better.

Something that is not so important in this type of car, the soundproofing of the cabin, is not one of its strong points. But perhaps Ford has fitted only the essential insulating material needed to travel comfortably and no more, so that the occupants of the Mustang can enjoy the addictive sound of the engine under acceleration.

Although it measures almost 4.80 metres, the Mustang is a manageable car thanks to needing little space to turn. When manoeuvring, the parking sensors and rear-view camera are welcome, because from the driver’s seat it is not possible to perceive where the bodywork begins and ends. Its design, with the front of the bodywork much longer than the rear, means special care must be taken during forward manoeuvres if you do not want to scrape the front.

The driver’s visibility, both forward and rearward, is good, although the rear window is small, as are the rear side windows. This slightly hampers the view towards the rear three-quarters. The rear-view mirrors are of good size. The left one includes an area at the top that reduces the blind spot.

Consumption

The 309 CV V6 version of the Mustang, with automatic gearbox, like the one we tested, has an official average fuel consumption of 31 miles per gallon (mpg) on the motorway. In the United States, consumption is measured in mpg; the figure corresponds to the miles (1.6 kilometres) that can be covered per gallon (3.68 litres). In the city it drops to 19 mpg and in the combined cycle to 23 mpg. These correspond to 7.4 l/100 km on the motorway, 12.1 l/100 km in the city and 10.0 l/100 km on average.

Although the American homologation conditions differ from European ones, these figures serve to give an idea and to compare the Mustang with its main rival, the Chevrolet Camaro. The latter, with its least powerful engine, a 3.6L V6 of 327 CV, has an official average consumption very similar to the Mustang’s, though slightly higher: 30 mpg on the motorway, 19 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on average. In this case, it covers fewer miles per gallon of petrol. These figures correspond to 7.6 l/100 km on the motorway, 12.1 l/100 km in the city and 10.4 l/100 km on average. In Europe, the Camaro has an official average of 13.1 l/100 km with the automatic gearbox and 14.1 l/100 km with the manual transmission. The difference with respect to the United States arises because the way average fuel consumption is measured is different.

In real-world use, the Mustang can consume what is normal for a sports car of its size and power, or a lot if the accelerator is abused. Driving calmly, it is possible to see an average fuel consumption of 25-30 mpg on the central screen of the instrument cluster, between 7.5 and 8.5 l/100 km. If driven quickly, pushing the gears and with hard acceleration, it is hard to exceed 20 miles per gallon (20 mpg), that is, consumption in l/100 km sits around 12.0-14.0 l/100 km.

This is not a major drawback for the owner of a Mustang in the United States since, although things are not what they used to be, fuel remains much cheaper than in Europe. At current exchange rates, a litre of petrol costs roughly half as much in the United States as in Spain, about €0.75. During the test, we drove briskly and paid little attention to efficient driving, accelerating decisively and generally holding the gears. It is quite likely that lower consumption figures could be achieved without much difficulty.

In the second part of the test of the Mustang we will give all the details about its exterior and interior design and the quality of the materials it is built with, as well as the fit between parts and the interior space.

Photos | Jaime Arruz and test team

Technical specifications of this car

CoupeFord Mustang6 versions · from 62,405 €