Ford Mustang Convertible review

There is nothing else of the same size and performance as the Mustang Convertible available for the same price. The BMW 2 Series Convertible is the closest rival for outright performance and, even then, you don’t get a hairy-chested V8. If you want one of those, you’d looking at the far pricier Mercedes-AMG C63 Cabriolet. So, by any standard, purchase price of the Mustang Convertible – regardless of which engine you choose – is very good.

Ford hasn't scrimped on standard equipment, either. This includes keyless entry and start, a selectable drive mode switch, LED headlights, 19in alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, a rear parking camera and a limited-slip differential.

However, running costs are going to be fairly extortionate. 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 still going to be very expensive to fuel (think MPG in the mid-20s on a good day), albeit not quite as outrageously thirsty as the V8.

Insurance and tax costs are also going to be higher than that of rivals, all of which are substantially more efficient for CO2 emissions, although that’s unlikely to come as a surprise to anybody seriously considering the Mustang Convertible. Whichever way you look at it, and despite a sorely tempting purchase price, it’s an expensive prospect. At least the Mustang should be worth more than many European rivals when the time comes to sell.

The Mustang Convertible doesn’t feature in our latest reliability survey but the fastback model came a slightly disappointing seventh out of nine in the coupé class, with an average of 50 faults per 100 cars. Ford as a brand, however, fared much better, ranking ninth out of 32 manufacturers.

A three-year, 60,000-mile warranty is standard and can be extended up 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-keep assist are standard in every model. While Euro NCAP hasn’t crash tested the Mustang Convertible, it’s worth remembering that the fastback model gets a lowly three stars.

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