"bwp240" (bwp240)
07/04/2019 at 14:15 • Filed to: Test Drives, Car Review
3
13|
"bwp240" (bwp240)
07/04/2019 at 14:15 • Filed to: Test Drives, Car Review | 3
| 13 |
What is more American than a Ford Mustang? Back in the Spring, we were running into the waning phases of auto show season. And what is more synonymous with auto show season than Ford Test Drive offers. I was given the opportunity by Ford to go annoy one of their dealers and test drive one of their automobiles for only the price of my email soul.
Full Disclosure: Ford wanted me to drive one of their EcoBoost Mustang so badly that they offered me to bother one of there dealers to drive a car, they didn’t tell the dealers I was coming though. They were nice enough to build a EcoBoost Mustang and offer it wholesale to the dealer so that I could come in and drive it. They even provided enough gas for me to drive the car for 7 entire miles.
Whenever Ford offers these test drive opportunities, most people pick one of 3 vehicles: a Mustang, a F150 (usually a Raptor to which they are politely, but firmly asked to leave), or their own car as they just want the dealer info to get the gift card. This is not my first rodeo with Ford, and at this point, I probably need to report their gift cards as taxable income. As such, I have driven most all of the Ford lineup that is relevant to my interests.
So now it was a matter of finding the car to drive. I came up with 2 options: the Edge ST, and the EcoBoost Mustang. The Edge ST is silly, a high performance “sport” utility vehicle that feature no sharp edges contrary to its name, and the EcoBoost Mustang simply because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t the second incarnation of the Mustang II.
What convinced me to pick the review saturated EcoBoost Mustang, well I was combing through the dealer websites looking for test drive candidates and stumbled upon a myriad of Edge STs and automatic EcoBoost Mustangs, but then out of the corner of the features section, I found this car. I peaked my interest because of its 6 user based speed selections.
Here are some basic details about the Mustang and my test drive...
Engine: Turbocharged 4 cylinder that I am told this time is not out of a 1970s houseboat
Transmission: 6 speed manual because Ford can’t let a human select from 10 speeds.
Environment: Suburban shopping and office district during rush hour - brilliant for manuals
Number of pedestrians struck during drive: 0
As for all of my reviews, they will be based off my patented subjective 5 point rating system which makes it nearly impossible to gain any consumer advice from this column as your experience may be completely different. The ratings are as follows...
0 - I hate it
1 - I don’t like it
2 - meh
3 - I like it
4 - Great Scott!
There are 13 categories with a total score of 52 points possible.
Exterior - 4
I like the look of this generation of Mustang. The lines are much more refined and it is pleasing to the eye. Previous generations of the Mustang softened its muscle car appearance and they have been steadily returning to its muscle car roots of sharp yet flowing edges.
Interior - 2
The interior of the Mustang is not a bad place to be. Though the EcoBoost Mustang is thought to be the more economically friendly model of the Mustang lineup, the interior materials are pretty nice. The wheel and dash are wrapped in decent materials (not alcantara, but not beef jerky either). The toggle switches add some fun to selecting drive modes and other features. I remember sitting in the Mustang in 2005 when they made the initial retro redesign and thinking that it felt more like a family sedan than a muscle car. The interior proportions were too large and boxy feeling, not curved and sporty. This Mustang feels much more sporty. It sits a little lower to the ground, but I did not feel like my butt was dragging on the pavement.
Acceleration - 3
Most people like the V8 Mustang for its power and sense of performance; many were worried that the 4 banger turbocharged Mustang would be a major disappointment in this department. I am happy to report that the EcoBoost does not disappoint; however, you should not expect the same type of performance as the V8. If you expect the same performance characteristics you will be disappointed. Objectively, the acceleration is pretty good. Not mind blowingly good, but it will gladly get you on the highway and have plenty of power to pass grandpa in their V6 Challenger. One thing I didn’t expect was that the turbo lag in the Mustang is substantial. It feels like they put a mid-range turbo in the Mustang and power doesn’t kick in until around 3000-3500 rpm. This means you need to put some foot in it for hoonage, but you also won’t be breaking the speed limit.
Braking - 2
It has brakes, the car stops. This will certainly come in handy as you are hurtling towards a crowd..
Ride - 2
It is stiffer because it is a sporty car; however, it is not unbearable. Most sports cars are quite stiff and you would be hard press to want to take it on a 200 mile road trip; however, the ride of the Mustang is nice enough that I could ride in it for a decent length road trip. It might be a bit claustrophobic after a while, but it is much better than sports cars of the past.
Handling - 3
The EcoBoost Mustang has the advantage over the V8 in this category because it can turn. With just enough power to have some fun, but not overly much so you can power through a corner without the back-end coming around and striking the portrait mode film acquisition society gathered on the shoulder. The different drive modes in this car noticeably alter its performance characteristics. This is no Miata though, and it still handles more like its large displacement brethren. It is mildly disappointing, this was a great opportunity to use the lighter weight of the engine to increase handling and cornering. However, Ford decided to retain many of the characteristics of the big block muscle car and created a small displacement drag racer more so than a canyon carving sport tourer.
Gearbox - 1
The transmission in this car wasn’t terrible, but is it too close a higher performance sports car. The clutch is fairly stiff with a narrow catch point. This is great for a Roush Mustang, but on a entry level, filthy casual manual performance car it is a bit obnoxious. A softer clutch would be better for daily driving which most people would use this car for. One thing that irritates me about many modern manuals is that there is no display in the gauge cluster about what gear you are actually in. I know I should just feel it (and in this car you can easily feel what gear you are in), but I would like to have that feedback in the display so that I have another avenue to verify that I am not about to spin the flywheel into the next galaxy. I also felt that the shifter just clunks into place, as if I was merely suggesting it go into that gear. However, this could just be because it is a short throw shifter, and I have no talent. I wouldn’t say the gearbox is a deal breaker, but experiencing it in rush hour city traffic, I didn’t like it. I prefer the shifters in the Focus ST and Fiesta ST.
Audio/Infotainment - 3
This EcoBoost Mustang is equipped with the most current edition of Ford ’s Sync system. The display was very clear, responsive, and easy to use. I didn’t get a chance to fully test its functionality, but I believe it is one of the easiest to use on the market. The radio was adequate, providing good audio quality, but not mind-blowing.
Sound (Engine) - 3
It is difficult to review this portion because the noise is obviously fake. As you pull onto the interstate a deep rumble comes from the car which doesn’t seem tangible with the tiny engine in front of you. It is kinda cheesy, but really it is all about noise anyways so it makes you feel good. Exterior exhaust notes are not offensive. It doesn’t sound like a weed eater, but definitely does not have the V8 rumble.
Dash - 2
The EcoBoost Mustang features an all digital dash which overall I like with the exception of 2 things. 1) the previously mentioned lack of gear notification and 2) the RPM gauge does this hokey start as a circle and then turn into a line above the dash thing. It is kinda stupid (and I am sure there is a way to change it if I looked at it for more than 12 seconds). It made eyeing shift points difficult. There is a fully digital tach readout to back it up though which is nice. The gauge display is very clear and easy to read otherwise, and is one of the best I have seen.
Visibility - 3
I really wasn’t expecting much in this category, and the prime reason I gave it a 3 was because it was better than I expected. Minus the plethora of dealer stickers that obstructed the view (they should really not put those in the line of site of the passenger window), visibility around 3 sides of the car were really good. Rear visibility is completely garbage outside of the rear view mirror. The back up camera and accompanying beepers are great assistants for reversing.
Utility Value - 2
The Mustang has great utility values for the sports car segment. The trunk is cavernous and you could pack a full weekends worth of clothes inside. You could use it to do many practical household tasks. However, 2 things kept me from giving this a 3. First, the back seats are pitiful (then again you aren’t buying this for them). Second, it is time to bring back the fastback with a lift back trunk. The new Buick Regal lift back greatly increases it utility value and makes it much easier to get stuff in and out. It is time for the fastback Mustang to return.
Value - 2
The car I drove was being offered by the dealer on the internet for $33,000, which is not a bad price for the performance. It is a decent entry level price for those wanting a pony car. You get good enough performance to engage in the driving experience while also getting enough utilitarian value that you won’t have to rely on your roommate’s/spouse’s/friend’s car should you need to buy IKEA furniture.
Total: 32/52 - 62%
Summary
Yes, the EcoBoost Mustang is not the heart thumping V8 that everyone desires, but it certainly is not a disappointment. It is an alternative; a rework of the existing design to create something new. With other performance oriented cars, getting the lower displacement model seems like you are settling and just buying for the name and image (*cough* Challenger *cough*).
That being said, I think Ford tried a little too hard to make the experience of the EcoBoost Mustang close to the muscular V8. This is especially true with the manual EcoBoost. Soften it up a little, no one is taking their 4 bangers to the drag strip or make it electronically adjustable to the drive modes (I don’t know if this is even possible). I don’t think they need to move too far, just open the tolerances a little to shift the balance a bit more toward daily driving versus weekend hooning.
The EcoBoost Mustang gives you a different experience than its V8 counterpart. However, it doesn’t feel like it leaves anything on the table. The performance plus gas mileage return makes the EcoBoost Mustang very attractive to those that want something fun and useful to daily drive. If I were to purchase one, I would take a convertible automatic and a sunset on the Pacific Coast Highway.
jimz
> bwp240
07/04/2019 at 14:46 |
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I’m with you on the transmission; the MT82 and its remote-mounted shifter have never been very good feeling. I wish it still used Tremec boxes; those can still be notchy but at least on a Tremec you don’t occasionally find yourself trying to jam the shifter between gates.
It is difficult to review this portion because the noise is obviously fake. As you pull onto the interstate a deep rumble comes from the car which doesn’t seem tangible with the tiny engine in front of you.
heh, my group is responsible for that; Ecoboosts get ESE (engine sound enhancement,) while hybrids and Lincolns get ANC (active noise control.) both use the same hardware in the radio, just applied differently.
This EcoBoost Mustang is equipped with the most current edition of Microsoft’s Sync system.
SYNC 3 is not Microsoft. The hardware is running Panasonic’s automotive multimedia platform which uses QNX as the underlying OS.
(and to nitpick, it was never “Microsoft’s” SYNC system; SYNC has always been a Ford trademark. Way back over 10 years ago, Microsoft partnered with Continental AG to create a multimedia hub platform based on Windows Embedded Automotive and shopped it around to all the car companies
. Ford was the first to bite and branded it SYNC. Kia and FIAT also used the same platform for Uvo and Blue & Me, respectively. SYNC gen 2 (MyFord Touch) was still running on Windows Embedded Automotive, but the UI and apps were developed by a third party. SYNC 3 is a completely new platform. IIRC it actually has more in common with UConnect than it does any previous version of SYNC.)
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bwp240
> jimz
07/04/2019 at 15:10 |
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Did not know about the SYNC thing. TIL, article corrected.
JMordu becoming “savethemilanos”
> jimz
07/04/2019 at 15:28 |
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I would suggest ford should change the name from sync if they want people to know it isn’t Microsoft, that initial branding was so strong it will take decades before people generallyassociate the sync name more with ford than MS.
K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> jimz
07/04/2019 at 15:28 |
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The shifter in my Focus ST was definitely better than my Mustang, and while I don’t struggle to find gears, it definitely doesn’t feel that great.
P.S. I figured out how to disable the ESE :p
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jimz
> K-Roll-PorscheTamer
07/04/2019 at 15:41 |
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P.S. I figured out how to disable the ES E :p
yeah that one is different :p
Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
> bwp240
07/04/2019 at 15:45 |
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This is one of the best looking cars on the market today. Simply gorgeous, and I love that color.
Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> bwp240
07/04/2019 at 15:49 |
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I don’t want a Mustang V8, and I don’t want an EcoBoost either. I thought that the V6 was the sweet spot in the lineup, just so long as Ford added a few performance bits like Chevy did with the Camaro. But that’ll never happen, so I’ll happily keep driving my minivan...
WilliamsSW
> bwp240
07/04/2019 at 16:02 |
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If you didn’t hit any pedestrians, you clearly didn’t push the car hard enough. Great review, thanks!
dogisbadob
> bwp240
07/04/2019 at 17:11 |
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So in other words , it looks like an Accord and you wish it drove more like one too :p
Ford knows a lot of people will mod the Mustang, even the turbo-4 and thus used a stronger clutch that can handle it. That’s my best guess
But they should’ve used something more like the Focus RS’s transmission, which is better supposedly
A softer, less-powerful base model wouldn’
t be a
bad idea
at all. Maybe 200-250 hp, like the 2.0T from the
Focus ST, starting around
20k
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K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> jimz
07/04/2019 at 20:11 |
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Fair enough :p
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K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
07/04/2019 at 20:12 |
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See, I thought the V6 was the sweet spot too, until it wasn’t.
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K-Roll-PorscheTamer
> dogisbadob
07/04/2019 at 20:14 |
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What we needed was a transmission that’s shi fter isn’t linked remotely. The MT82 is durable enough for any stock or modded EB or V6, or stock GT. Actually, I think it’s good enough.
BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast.
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
07/05/2019 at 01:00 |
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Yup, I hate to say it, but Ford went the wrong direction, should have made Turbo 4 the economy model, and the V6 with performance package as the understudy to the big V8s.
or maybe the 2.7 EcoBoost V6 instead of the 2.3 EcoBoost I4...
GM has it’s own problems with Camaro, but the RS V6 sport package is a good middle ground.