Which mustang to buy

The V-8 with the automatic saw 24 mpg in our hands, matching its EPA number. For more information about the Mustang's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website. The Mustang interior is better than ever, with an evolutionary design that harks back to Mustangs of old while managing to be fully functional and livable. While it's available with premium features such as heated and cooled front seats, its mediocre plastics and cramped Headless Horseman—only back seat are demerits.

Stellar performance combined with impressive cargo space makes the Mustang a high-performance daily driver. In our testing, it held the second-most carry-on suitcases and has the most interior storage space among rivals. The back seat stows by pulling a strap and folds easily by hand.

Should you need to transport up to 12 carry-on bags, the Mustang can do so. The Ford wins with the biggest center-console bin among competitors we tested. Ford's optional Sync 3 infotainment system has a clean design and a simple interface. While it's not as responsive or robust as some rivals, it does come with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a kickin' stereo. The Mustang is available with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Ford Sync Connect, which allows users to control and monitor their vehicle through a smartphone app, is included as standard.

The Mustang is also available with more driver-assistance technology than any rival pony car, so you can go faster and feel safer. That's how driver assists work, right? Key safety features include:. The Mustang has a solid but average warranty. I might have mine in the Heritage Edition spec, finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes, but the orange one I drove last year is rather tempting, too.

Associate Editor Byron Hurd: I'm developing a bit of a reputation for being "that guy" with some of my round-up picks, so why stop now? I chose the new Mach 1, and while "duh" might be an adequate explanation as to why, I do have more coherent and rational reasons for being attracted to this particular model. A few years and in many ways a lifetime ago, I actually owned a S Mustang.

It was a GT with the 6-Speed, Performance Package back then there was only one and a set of cloth Recaros — in other words, the exact configuration every forum dweller claims to want, but never actually purchases. Take that, trolls. When we first decided to pick a Mustang for this week's feature, I was merely going to duplicate my previous build, but add on the new Performance Package 2 to get the fancy MagneRide suspension, which wasn't available back when I bought my ' Once I priced that out, I realized that it was encroaching on special-edition Mustang territory.

Why not go for broke? Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I'm sticking with the spirit of the game and not picking a version of the Mach-E, as that's a different model, despite having "Mustang" in the name. I will bend the rules, though, and pick this Stage 3 build from Roush. It takes the base Mustang GT Fastback and adds a Roush supercharger, making it good for total of horsepower.

I've driven a handful of Roush Mustangs in the past, and have always loved the aesthetic treatment the outfit gives to the cars. In this case, I'm keeping it "simple" with the standard Signature package with Sport interior as opposed to the more expensive Competition or Podium packages and Premium and Track interiors. In the end, I'll be pushing up near to GT power from 5. Then I'm going to go for a nice, long drive and try not to think about how I could have just waited and gotten the Mustang Mach-E GT I really want for that same price before tax incentives.

Mine would absolutely have the 6-speed manual and be a coupe painted in Grabber Lime. The reason for going with the "lowly" four-cylinder is that it fixes my biggest issue with the V8 cars: the nose-heavy handling. They don't feel willing to dive into a corner, and it ruins some of the fun for me. Turns out losing a bank of cylinders and a set of cams takes a lot of that weight off the nose, making the EcoBoost HPP nice and pointy. It feels much better balanced and playful in corners.

And sure, it's not as potent as the V8 models, but it's not slow either, and you can floor it more often without the risk of attracting the attention of the police. It even makes a great snarly four-cylinder noise, and its turbo nature should mean there are cheap and easy power gains available. And of course, it's not nearly as expensive as some of the V8 models my colleagues have shared, and it's more fuel efficient , so there's money in the budget for upgrades.

Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski: With all due respect to Joel, who opted for a four-cylinder EcoBoost in his mythical Mustang build, I believe a proper 'Stang deserves a proper V8 and six-speed manual transmission. The valve bodies may be to blame if not. A clunk from neutral to drive or reverse may require replacement of the front transmission flange to remedy. Some manual gearboxes have suffered broken selector forks.

All that V8 torque should expose a failing clutch. Unless it's been crashed, poor quality control at the factory is to blame in the US, the Mustang is a budget muscle car. Examine the paint finish for imperfections. Scrutinise the whole car, but the rear end in particular, for evidence of crash repairs.

Make sure the wing mirror puddle lights come illuminate. On early cars check that corrosion hasn't taken a serious hold on the underside. Interior On earlier cars, fit and finish is only reasonable and a bit better on facelift models so be sure everything is works and is secure for example, the windows can drop a little.

Check the air con blows cold the condenser can fail. Facelifted car with additional safety kit was awarded three stars. In the What Car? Reliability Survey , the Ford Mustang ranked ninth out of 10 sports cars aged up to five years old. Ford Mustang 5. Ones we found.