by "Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
Published 01/19/2017 at 10:15
by "Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
Published 01/19/2017 at 10:15
Tags: 2018 Ford Mustang
; 2018 Mustang
; Ford Mustang
; Mustang
STARS: 4
Some of the major auto news outlets are giving the redesigned 2018 Ford Mustang mixed reviews. They’re raving about the 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, magnetic ride control, small power increases for the 2.3 Ecoboost and the 5.0 V8, and the demise of the V6 engine option. I agree that these are all wonderful changes for this version of the Mustang’s midlife crisis facelift. But Jalopnik calls the new styling a “ sad new face .” The Truth About Cars calls it “controversial,” with “ a taste of Jaguar XKR in the new look. ” Others are sticking to reporting the facts, mainly that there’s been a facelift - well, duh. But some of us at Right Foot Down love the new look. I know I do. It looks great in Orange Fury (the first leaked photos didn’t do the color justice), and I’m a huge fan of Kona Blue, which is making a comeback for 2018. (That’s the color I want my Focus ST, please.)
This split-screen comparison between the current and new nose is a great demonstration of the styling changes. The grills sit much lower in the new model.
I liked the earlier car
, but found some of its styling a bit busy - the odd angles around the turn signals and fog lights, for example. The 2018 model integrates the turn signal and fog light into one unit (all LED) for a much cleaner overall look. The corner air intakes - I don’t know whether they’re real or fake - are all cleaned up, partly because they no longer have to accommodate fog lights. And is that yet another intake I see in the large gap under the headlight?
Read on Right Foot Down or continue below
I also didn’t care for those weird asymmetrical triangular ridges on the hood. I prefer symmetry in car design, which is why cars like the Nissan Cube and Hyundai Veloster annoy the hell out of me, no matter how good they are (well, maybe not the Cube). I couldn’t even see the ridge on the passenger side while sitting in the driver’s seat of the current Mustang, which makes me wonder why they bothered adding that styling cue at all. But the new hood does away with the funky ridgey things in favor of heat extractors on all models. I have no idea if these are functional, and I don’t care. The original Subaru Impreza 2.5RS looked awesome with its fake hood scoop, and even if these heat extractors are fake, they look great, and are a legit styling throwback to some earlier Mustangs. Overall, I think the new nose looks cleaner and meaner than the previous one.
The rear isn’t much different, though the vertical tail lights are now vaguely C-shaped - a shape I’m seeing in many cars lately. Though these three lights are traditionally vertical, it’s a tasteful, if common, modernization, and definitely still screams “Mustang.” But I don’t like the new rear wing at all. It looks more Subaru STi than “Five. Point. OMG,” as
Ford’s web site
says (marketing to millennials much?) Fortunately, it costs nothing to omit this wing, which I would definitely do on my own Mustang. It’s not that it’s a bad wing in itself. It would look good on a sport compact sedan, like if the Focus ST was available as a sedan (I’d still take the hatch), or maybe on the Fusion Sport or Taurus SHO. But I think a rally car style wing looks seriously out of place on a pony car, even though
you can rally a Mustang
.
The interior is quite similar to the old one, though Ford’s photo gallery displays Apple CarPlay prominently on the infotainment system - a welcome addition for those of us with iThings. But the part I love is this optional 12" LCD instrument panel. It can replicate the original gauge cluster, and in sport mode it shows a variation with coolant, oil, and transmission temperature gauges - quite useful for attacking the twisties. But in track mode, it completely changes to show you exactly what you need to know on the race track.
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The horizontal bar tachometer is a modern throwback to the similarly shaped speedometers of classic cars, but it’s also big, bright, and at the very top of the screen - exactly where you need it in your peripheral vision at the track. Other information is quite intelligently laid out across all of the digital versions of the “gauge cluster.” We’ve seen digital dashboards before in more upscale cars, but this is the first one we’ve seen in a Mustang, and I love how they’ve done it here.
Overall, I think the 2018 Mustang is a winner. Many others seem to agree, except for the front styling. But styling is subjective. Everyone can believe what they want - even if they are wrong.
"SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie" (sidewaysondirt)
01/19/2017 at 10:18, STARS: 0
To me, it just looks like another current-gen Mustang.
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
01/19/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 2
I’m actually surprised it took them so long to kill off the V6. There were too many engine options and the ecoboost made the V6 pointless
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
01/19/2017 at 10:21, STARS: 0
I like this particular platform as I see a little Aston Martin VH in it, which is pure sex. I’m a fan.
A voodoo engine in a VH platform!?!?!?!? How awesome would that be?
"Future next gen S2000 owner" (future-next-gen-s2000-owner)
01/19/2017 at 10:21, STARS: 0
I like this particular platform as I see a little Aston Martin VH in it, which is pure sex. I’m a fan.
A voodoo engine in a VH platform!?!?!?!? How awesome would that be?
"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
01/19/2017 at 10:23, STARS: 1
I completely agree. Sure, it’s great that the (former) base V6 made more power than a 5.0 GT made not too long ago. But so does the EcoBoost, which makes the V6 redundant.
"thebigbossyboss" (thebigbossyboss)
01/19/2017 at 10:31, STARS: 0
For me I am dissapointed by all the electrionics in the interior. I have a 2010 GT Convertible with the 4.6L and I love the car, but I’d get rid of the infotainment system in a second no problem.
"nafsucof" (galinskiomatic)
01/19/2017 at 10:33, STARS: 2
See I like the spoiler. It’s a mini gt350r spoiler. To each his own!
"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
01/19/2017 at 10:37, STARS: 0
To each their own. My wife’s 2012 Flex has no infotainment, just a vast array of buttons, all alike, all up and down the center of the dashboard. And because they’re all alike, I end up turning up the radio volume when I’m trying to turn up the heat! I have to look away from the road and study the buttons for a long time to figure out which one I actually need to press to do what I want. I’d definitely prefer fewer buttons and good (not the original Sync) infotainment.
"Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast" (danimalk)
01/19/2017 at 11:06, STARS: 1
Fords just going trying the out angle the Camaro.
The two are more and more similar. I’d guess Ford drops the V8 first though
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
01/19/2017 at 11:06, STARS: 2
Just gimme a new Bullitt and I’ll be happy
This refresh isn’t nearly as polarizing as, say the latest Charger. I love the current gen Mustang - the only reason we don’t have one is because we have to buy a truck first - and the only thing I’m really on the fence about here is the headlight design. For some reason it reminds me of a 6 series.
"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
01/19/2017 at 11:34, STARS: 0
The more power they can crank out out of the 3.5 EcoBoost, the more likely that is. I love that engine - we have one in my wife’s Flex - but a Mustang should always have a V8 option.
"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
01/19/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 1
I never liked the mustang redesign, the backend looks cheap. That being said the new one is definitely an improvement over the last one.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
01/19/2017 at 11:57, STARS: 0
I agree with literally everything you’ve written.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
01/19/2017 at 11:58, STARS: 0
Three years of overlapping the I4t and V6 really isn’t all that much when you consider that the Mustang has had a six cyl option for 52 years.
"OKcarburetor" (okcarburetor)
01/19/2017 at 12:21, STARS: 2
I prefer the old headlights, but other than that it looks great. The grille sitting lower is fantastic. but more importantly...
When do we get an ecoboost V6 mustang?
"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
01/19/2017 at 12:33, STARS: 0
Yep of course, I was just referring to the new IRS models. I know it’s had a V6 option for decades!
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
01/19/2017 at 12:41, STARS: 0
Yeah, I guess Ford thought that we needed to be weened off of that V6 goodness slowly after all these years.
"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
01/19/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 1
I’m getting that spoiler. As for the design, I like it and think it’s alright. There are certain aspects that I like more than the overall package though. That being said, that rear bumper/diffuser can be swapped on early cars so I’m gonna do that too. :p
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
01/19/2017 at 13:54, STARS: 1
It’s brilliant in that it will drive buyers to the dealerships NOW, before the new one comes out...
"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54)
01/19/2017 at 13:59, STARS: 0
Those are dangerous words. I think the 3.5 EcoBoost is up to 375hp now. It wouldn’t take much work to match the GT’s 435hp. And a Mustang should have a V8 option. It’s like one of the laws of thermodynamics or something.
"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
01/19/2017 at 16:19, STARS: 0
“I couldn’t even see the ridge on the passenger side while sitting in the driver’s seat of the current Mustang”
So you haven’t driven one? Cuz it’s definitely visible
"19JRC99" (19jrc99)
01/21/2017 at 03:29, STARS: 0
Okay, I do not like the tail lights. They need to be vertical.
"19JRC99" (19jrc99)
01/21/2017 at 03:30, STARS: 0
Actually, they dropped the V6 in the 80s. For a few years, the only options were (and I’m not kidding one bit) a 2.3 4 cylinder and a 5.0 V8. Yup.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
01/21/2017 at 06:14, STARS: 0
Wow I didn’t know. Talk about all or nothing. Lol
"19JRC99" (19jrc99)
01/21/2017 at 14:33, STARS: 0
I just find it kinda funny since fox body Mustangs are my personal favorites.