Ford Mustang review

There is nothing else of the same size and performance available for the price of the Mustang. The BMW M240i is its closest rival for outright performance and, even then, doesn’t give you a hairy-chested V8; if you want one of those, you’d be looking at the far pricier Mercedes-AMG C63 coupé. So, by comparison, the purchase price of the Mustang – regardless of which engine you choose – is very attractive. Its healthy resale values will come as good news when it’s time to sell, too.

Ford hasn't scrimped on standard equipment, either. Every Mustang has keyless entry and start, LED headlights,19in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control and dual-zone climate control. You can also personalise your Mustang with distinctive add-ons, including bonnet-to-boot stripes and a black roof.

Worse news is that the Mustang’s running costs are somewhat high. Tyres and fuel will be among your biggest costs, and don’t be fooled by the ‘Ecoboost’ badge on the 2.3 engine; this four-cylinder unit is no friend of Greenpeace. Officially, it’ll return 31mpg with the manual gearbox and 32.5mpg with an automatic, while the V8 promises just 23.7mpg (24.8mpg with the auto).  

Insurance and tax costs will be still more of a shock to the system. While an Audi TT S can produce as little as 159g/km of CO2, the Ecoboost Mustang emits 199g/km and the V8 a staggering 277g/km under official tests. That places both engines in the top bracket for benefit-in-kind (BIK) company car tax.

In the 2019 What Car? Reliability Survey, the Mustang trails behind rivals such as the BMW 4 Series and Audi TT in the coupé class, while Ford as a brand ranked 14th out of 31 manufacturers.

A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is standard and can be extended to five years at a fairly reasonable cost. UK and European roadside assistance is also included for the first year.

Automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance are standard in every model but, even so, the Mustang scored a lowly three stars in Euro NCAP safety tests. While its score for protecting adults wasn’t too bad (if still below that of rivals), it was rated poorly at protecting children.

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