2024 FORD MUSTANG

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8 Jan 2024

Overview

Ford has delivered its seventh chapter of its storied Mustang muscle car with reworked-but-familiar styling, revised chassis hardware, an all-new interior, and two improved powertrains. While the new pony is saddled up for the future with a bevy of upgrades, the long-term fate of its closest competitors, the Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger, isn’t as rosy. The new-gen car continues to be powered by a 5.0-liter V-8, this time with output cranked to 480 horsepower. A 315-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost is also an improvement over last, but only slightly. Both powertrains come with a 10-speed automatic, but only the V-8 can be optioned with a six-speed manual transmission. Hardtop coupe and soft top convertible bodystyles are available too. The Mustang’s rethought cockpit and beefed-up engine choices keep the muscle car story alive.

What's New for 2024?

The Mustang enters its seventh generation. The new design brings the Mustang some desperately needed updates. Amid its many style and powertrain changes is a fresh roster of offerings for those with a true need for speed. Both Mustang GT and EcoBoost models will offer an optional Performance Pack equipment upgrade. The Performance Pack adds a front strut-tower brace, Torsen limited-slip differential, wider wheels and tires, larger Brembo brakes, and a MagneRide active-dampening suspension. Optional Recaro buckets and an active exhaust are also available for the performance-minded. Additionally, Ford offers a Performance Electronic Parking Brake that looks like a traditional lever-action handbrake and is said to make the Mustang easier to drift. An all-new Mustang Dark Horse track-ready model has also been added to the ranks, toting a more sinister 500-hp Coyote V-8 engine and a direct line to the Ford Performance parts bin with leaner and meaner equipment upgrades. Made available a few months after the new Mustang's initial launch, a GT California Special appearance package was added for Mustang GT Premium coupe or convertibles. The GT/CS package is an homage to the original 1968 car, wearing distinctive blue accents in the front grille and exclusive wheels.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The new Mustang comes standard with an upgraded turbocharged 315-hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine with 350 pound-feet of torque. That's 5 horsepower more than the previous Mustang, but still trails the last-gen EcoBoost Performance's 330-hp. While every EcoBoost Mustang gets a 10-speed automatic transmission, the Mustang GT, which continues to offer a 5.0-liter V-8, has a six-speed manual standard. The last generation’s Coyote V-8 produced 450 horsepower with 420 pound-feet of torque, but the new unit is rated for 480 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. The new Mustang steering feel and feedback are an area of obvious improvement. Ford says an optional performance exhaust increases output to 486 horsepower and 481 pound-feet. At our test track, a Mustang GT with the performance exhaust system ripped to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds; the EcoBoost wasn't too far behind, hitting 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The MagnaRide dampers soak up pavement heaves and expansion joints without disrupting life in the cockpit. The all-new Mustang Dark Horse model is a track-focused step-up based on the GT that uses a 500-hp 5.0-liter V-8. It's essentially an evolution of the lovely Mach 1 of the previous generation. Unlike the MT-82 six-speed manual found in the GT, the Dark Horse comes with a six-speed manual Tremec TR-3160 transmission from the Mach 1 and discontinued Shelby GT350. During testing, the Dark Horse didn't gallop all that quicker to 60 mph than the GT, reaching 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, 100 mph in 9.7 seconds, and crossing a quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds at 115 mph. The Dark Horse comes standard with 19-inch Pirelli P Zero PZ4s, but an optional Handling package from Ford replaces that rubber with sticker Pirelli Trofeo RS tires. The Dark Horse did shine during our recent 0-to-150-to-0 speed test where it returned to a stop in just 29.7 seconds, beating a Toyota Supra 3.0 to 150 and stopped quicker too.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The EPA estimates the four-cylinder Mustang is good for 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. Adding the optional Performance Package to that obviously erodes some fuel economy for the sake of power, but not dramatically (21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway). The last-gen Mustang's V-8 growled its way to an EPA-rated 15 mpg city and 24 mpg highway (automatic transmission) and that's still true with today's car. The Mustang GT with a six-speed manual gets 14 mpg city and 23 mpg on the highway. The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is the least careful with its gasoline, getting just 14 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. On our 75-mph highway fuel economy route, a GT model with a six-speed manual returned 24 mpg; the Ecoboost model with the automatic transmission delivered 32 mpg. For more information about the Mustang's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

From the driver's seat of the 2024 Mustang, every detail has been chiseled in place with what Ford is calling a “fighter-jet inspired,” design. Thankfully, it's more comfortable than it sounds and we found the seats to be plenty supportive. While we wait to find out if the Mustang’s performance will break the sound barrier, its standard 12.4-inch instrument cluster is a massive leap ahead of the previous car's. The configurable display can be customized to fit the needs of most red, white, and blue patriots, with selectable colors, gauges, and even a “calm” screen that reveals only the most necessary details. Ambient lighting and a driver’s display adapt to whichever drive mode you’ve selected. Base Mustangs come with cloth seats and available micro-suede vinyl inserts, while the Premium level adds stitched bits and pieces from door trim to dashboard. The Mustang GT gets leather inserts. Ford has also introduced a Remote Rev function that allows the car’s engine to blast up the RPMs with a simple click from the key fob while you admire the sounds from outside the car.

Infotainment and Connectivity

A major area of improvement for the new Mustang is its interior gadgetry. An available 13.2-inch infotainment screen using Ford’s Sync 4 software flows from the gauge cluster toward the center of the car behind a curved glass panel. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on this system, and an optional wireless smartphone charger helps drivers reduce the clutter of charging cables. Amazon Alexa and Ford Streaming allow voice commands to replace knob-turning or button presses, and every Mustang comes with Ford Power-Up software capability, allowing for over-the-air updates for later software and vehicle function improvements.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Mustang is also available with more driver-assistance technology than any rival pony car, so you can go faster and feel safer. Every Mustang comes with Ford Co-Pilot360. For more information about the Mustang's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include: