Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Ford Mustang review – performance and 0-60mph time

The Mustang GT is the UK's best performer, dispatching 0-62mph in just 4.3sec despite a lardy 1818kg kerb weight

Evo rating
Price
from £39,420
  • OK dynamically; imposing looks; Mach 1 the better option
  • Still falls short of its European rivals for ability and build quality

It comes as little surprise to say right away that a V8 engine is imperative for the Mustang. The old 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost was not only at loggerheads with its very ideology, but it was also objectively rough, slow, laggy and wholly unsuited to its use in a large four-seat coupe. Not that you’ll need to know, but the EcoBoost Mustang took a glacial 5.8sec to reach 62mph when fitted with the manual transmission (the automatic shaved 0.3sec off that time thanks to the short gearing).

Advertisement - Article continues below

The naturally aspirated 5-litre ‘Coyote’, on the other hand, is everything you might reasonably expect of an American V8. Performance is good, and since its midlife update has picked up some extra power and torque, but the powertrain needs revs to feel the figures, despite some serious cubic capacity.

As a result, the Mustang’s 1768kg kerb weight does take the sting out of the mid range, but rev the engine and it absolutely feels its power figure, hitting 62mph in 4.7sec when fitted with the automatic gearbox, and 4.9sec with the manual. Convertibles add 0.2sec to the respective transmissions.

Upon the Mach 1’s arrival, Ford killed off the previous Bullitt range topper. That car was more of an aesthetic special edition, whereas the new car is much more serious, with upgrades to both powertrain and chassis that, in the USA, bridge the gap to top-drawer Shelby variants. Performance is only marginally up on that of the standard GT, taking 4.4sec to reach 62mph with the automatic transmission, and 4.8sec with the manual.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024