In today's world where inexpensive compact SUVs and expensive electric vehicles (EVs) take center stage, a two-door enthusiast vehicle needs to be very special to stand out. But, the Ford Mustang has never been special, per se. It has been positioned as a workman's ponycar/muscle car coupe that couples good value with great performance.
The seventh-generation Mustang, inaugurated in 2024 with EcoBoost, GT and Dark Horse models, is a little more special than the rest considering it will be the only American V8 muscle coupe left after the Chevrolet Camaro exits and the Dodge Challenger and Charger mesh and switch to smaller engines and electric power in the coming year.
There's one thing it needs to keep its place on the Mount Rushmore of muscle cars that this test vehicle didn't have: a manual transmission. They do sell it with a six-speed, which lowers the price over $1,500 from the version with an automatic transmission.
I drove the top version of the 2024 Ford Mustang in August, called Dark Horse. It carries the same new edgy design cues as the GT version ($42,492) tested here. The headlights are thin compared to the outgoing model but the grille openings, especially on the GT, are quite aggressive (each of the three trims comes with its own grille).
The 2024 Mustang has new hood vents and a redesigned front splitter. It keeps the three-piece taillights but with a new more angular and modern interpretation, compounded by the sharply concave rear end. Ford sells the in two new colors, Vapor Blue and Yellow Splash, while the high-performance Brembo brake calipers can be painted in black, red or blue. Wheels sizes choices include 17-, 19- and 20-inches.
The tuned-up 5.0-liter V8 now makes 486 horsepower in the base GT. There's more in the Dark Horse grade, but it's not necessary. This coupe is a cushy missile on the road with a fixed suspension and an attitude that will annoy the neighbors with customizable exhaust sounds. The power, along with 416 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque is massive enough, with wheel-spinning takeoffs available at every stoplight.
With the ten-speed transmission the Mustang GT does a good job of staying in the right gear where there's lots of power but the shifts are lackadaisical when they need to be lightning speed. The older Chevrolet eight-speed automatic and the Dodge version were both better and faster when using the steering wheel mounted paddles.
However, with a manual transmission, all of those woes go away.
The vehicle feels heavy, meaning most normal road imperfections won't upset the ride, something my Michigan-based test drive put to the ultimate test with construction season in full swing.
Mustang is planted and sticky around corners with the big 19-inch wheels, and the steering effort is adjustable via the drive modes for Comfort, Normal, Sport, Track and Drag. That last mode lets you spin and warm up the tires for a fast quarter-mile run.
The last Chevy Camaro is probably still a little sharper in the handling department, but in the right skilled hands either of the coupes can produce a fast lap time. The brakes were adequate, but not aggressively firm like the Dark Horse or other previous Mustang versions.
The cabin, like the ride, is cushy and comfortable from the wide and soft front seats. Narrower passengers will want more bolstering for their legs and hips through sweeping corners. It all looks modern and shiny with perforated seats, accenting stitching and a giant infotainment touchscreen display with new graphics and features.
It's a great system with easy access to Apple CarPlay and permanent climate icons on the lower portion of the screen for easy access. There are redundant controls on the front of the steering wheel along with the paddle shifters on the back. It's also customizable, so owners can keep their important information on screen.
The digital instrument cluster is also customizable with a handful of modes including classic Mustang gauges that look like standard analog needle instruments in white, which turn green when the lights are on at night.
The back seats are expectedly small, and booster seats are hard to center in the rear buckets, which also makes it difficult for a child to fasten their own seatbelt. But, it's still fine for small children for small amounts of time. The trunk is cavernous though the opening could be bigger for larger cargo.
The new 2024 Ford Mustang GT comes equipped with Ford Co-Pilot360, a suite of driver assistance and safety technology that includes traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centering, steering assist and reverse automatic braking features. New Pothole Mitigation tech preemptively adjusts the suspension on broken roads.
Though Mustang's ($42,495 with destination and handling) main competitors are leaving and changing, they're still on sale now. The Dodge Challenger Scat Pack with a 485-horsepower V8 is $48,265. The Camaro SS is just $41,295. The more-expensive Mustang Dark Horse's 500-hp, 418-pound-foot (lb-ft) V8 overpowers them both. Dodge and Chevy buyers would have to move up to the Challenger Hellcat ($72,290) and Camaro ZL1 ($68,695) to lead the way, making the Dark Horse's price of $59,720 seem more reasonable.
It's not the end of an era for the Ford Mustang, but it is the end of the American sports car era as we know it. We know the Dodge's next act, a mix of engine, hybrid and electric power, and surely the Chevy Camaro name won't die forever in 2024.
This Ford is a good car at a good price, continuing its legacy as a vehicle for the working man, while incorporating technology and comfort that make it a great daily driver option.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
