2024 Ford Mustang Review: Stomping Into the Future

Jul 30, 2023

2024 Ford Mustang Review: Stomping Into the Future

Ford has redesigned one of its icons, the Mustang, for the 2024 model year, and we recently had our first opportunity to drive the seventh generation of the fabled sports car. We tested both the EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder engine (which makes 315 horsepower and 350 pounds-feet of torque) and the V-8-powered GT (which has a standard 480 hp and 415 pounds-feet of torque).

Our drive route took us on challenging and scenic mountain roads north of Los Angeles, and we also put the EcoBoost Mustang through its paces on autocross and drifting courses Ford had set up at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif.

From its new exterior styling to its screen-centric interior, the 2024 Mustang sees a number of significant changes that modernize it without diluting the car’s core driving characteristics; if anything, the GT’s updated V-8 engine is even burlier and louder than it was before.

Find a 2024 Ford Mustang for sale near you: https://www.cars.com/shopping/ford-mu…
See the 2024 Ford Mustang’s pricing, trims and specs: https://www.cars.com/research/ford-mu…
Read more about the 2024 Ford Mustang: https://www.cars.com/articles/2024-fo…

Chapters:
0:22: EcoBoost convertible driving impressions
2:53: EcoBoost autocross impressions
3:26: EcoBoost drifting impressions
4:17: GT coupe driving impressions
6:40: Recaro front seats
7:22: Interior screen technology
9:07: Interior materials quality
9:54: On-sale date

Editorial mission:
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Content

0.12 -> - Hey, we're here with the 2024 Ford Mustang.

2.58 -> It's the seventh generation of Ford's iconic muscle car.

6.72 -> We have both EcoBoost and GT versions to take out.

10.11 -> We have some great California roads.

11.76 -> Let's go see how it does.

13.686 -> (upbeat music)

22.44 -> So we're starting off in an EcoBoost Mustang.

25.17 -> This is a premium convertible version,

28.2 -> and we've been driving now for a bit

30.51 -> on the canyon roads outside of Los Angeles.

33.21 -> So we're starting to get a feel for the new Mustang,

36 -> and it's pretty interesting to look at the Mustang

39.3 -> first just kind of when you walk around it

41.19 -> and then get behind the wheel

42.27 -> because there's kind of a clear difference.

44.19 -> It has this really menacing aggressive look

47.01 -> with the new styling on the 2024 model.

49.71 -> But when you get in and start to drive it,

51.48 -> you really notice how much refinement

54.36 -> Ford has brought to the driving experience

56.67 -> with this version.

57.87 -> It comes through in a number of different ways.

60 -> There's the steering, which is really precise,

63.81 -> really lets you place the Mustang where you want

67.11 -> on these narrow roads,

69.18 -> and it's a pretty light effort

71.58 -> in terms of what it takes to turn the wheel,

74.25 -> not much at all.

75.57 -> And this model does not have the MagneRide system,

79.14 -> but it stays relatively flat in corners

82.26 -> even when you're kind of pushing it harder.

84.12 -> So it's a nice balance

85.44 -> between reasonable comfort for a sporty car.

89.4 -> You definitely do feel the pavement

91.47 -> when it turns rough in spots,

93.3 -> but it's not abusive or too harsh by any means.

96.93 -> Another way refinement comes through

99.09 -> is really the brake tuning.

100.86 -> It's got a nice pedal feel,

102.87 -> really easy to dial in the amount of braking that you want.

108.09 -> Now this being the EcoBoost,

109.43 -> it has the turbocharged 2.3 liter four cylinder.

113.58 -> It works with 10-speed automatic transmission.

116.28 -> There's been a lot of updates

118.26 -> to the engine for this model year,

121.32 -> and it delivers strong performance.

124.68 -> It's a light engine up front,

126.24 -> so the nose doesn't feel overly heavy,

129.39 -> which is nice when you're navigating

131.28 -> all these winding roads.

132.84 -> I noticed a few times when it was working

135.3 -> with the 10-speed it's paired to a few stumbles,

138.3 -> but most of the time

139.29 -> when you have it in the sport drive mode,

142.89 -> the transmission was also in the right gear, which is good,

145.77 -> 'cause this version, it doesn't give you the ability

149.52 -> to control which gear you want besides just driving low.

153.72 -> In terms of some convertible commentary on it,

156.9 -> you know, it's a pretty quick acting top,

159.42 -> about 10 seconds to power up and easy to latch

162.99 -> with a central handle right above the rear view mirror.

167.16 -> And it's nice, it doesn't intrude on trunk space

170.73 -> when it's lowered either.

172.62 -> So in addition

173.453 -> to driving the EcoBoost Mustang on the street,

175.86 -> we also took it

177.09 -> on a pretty sizable autocross course Ford had set up

180.78 -> and also got to try out the electronic drift brake

185.19 -> that is available with the car.

188.52 -> And the autocross highlighted some of the same things

192.69 -> we noticed on the street drives,

194.19 -> kind of that nice steering feel, the strong brakes,

198 -> definitely some more body roll

199.5 -> as you're really tossing it around on the autocross,

202.59 -> but it felt pretty controllable overall.

206.34 -> The drift experience was pretty fun.

212.37 -> I'd never done any drifting so complete newbie to that,

215.79 -> but it was fairly easy to pick up on with some coaching

220.86 -> how to use the electronic drift brake

223.65 -> that comes with the performance pack

226.32 -> that's available for the Mustang

228.33 -> and really lets you make the rear of the car swing around

232.74 -> and have a nice drift going.

236.04 -> The thing I wonder about is where you're gonna use it

237.9 -> besides kind of an empty parking lot,

240.24 -> which is sure to attract attention immediately

243.09 -> if you're using it there.

244.95 -> And I mean, you could always use it

246.78 -> I guess coming outta cars and coffee.

248.52 -> But we've seen those videos, how that turns out.

251.04 -> So a cool feature, maybe limited use in day-to-day life.

257.31 -> So we're in the GT now, and this is a coupe

260.88 -> with the six-speed manual with the V8,

263.4 -> and moving to the V8,

265.14 -> you obviously are gonna get that more muscle car experience

268.74 -> that was lacking in the EcoBoost.

270.78 -> While the EcoBoost has good power,

273.15 -> it doesn't have the sounds of the V8

275.79 -> and the sounds in this one can be amplified or minimized

279.6 -> depending on how you have the active exhaust set up.

283.08 -> It's just a great sounding car

285.24 -> when you're kind of running it through

287.64 -> on these winding roads.

289.77 -> It also makes great power

291.18 -> as you'd expect from this big engine.

292.77 -> Lots of torque on demand

294.3 -> and it works with a six-speed manual that has short throws

298.41 -> that have kind of that mechanical engagement that you like,

301.41 -> and the clutch pedal isn't so heavy

304.71 -> that you're gonna tire out your leg

306.93 -> just slogging through highway traffic.

309.99 -> Some neat features you get,

311.37 -> you can turn on and off a rev match feature for downshifting

315.57 -> to kind of match engine speed with the gear.

318.54 -> There's also launch control and a line lock feature

322.56 -> as well as you can use the drift brake,

324.57 -> which we talked about before with the EcoBoost.

328.23 -> One thing I would've liked to see with this though

330.57 -> would be more difference in the steering tuning.

333.18 -> There's different settings,

334.44 -> there's comfort, normal, and sport,

336.12 -> but there's not a real noticeable difference to me

338.61 -> just shifting between them.

340.62 -> There's light effort mostly overall.

343.2 -> It's not really a weighty feel to the wheel.

345.42 -> And it could also do with more feedback,

347.37 -> just kind of a better sense

348.72 -> of what the tires are experiencing at the road.

351.84 -> I would've liked to see more from that.

354.36 -> This model has the MagneRide adaptive suspension

357.78 -> that also changes its behavior

360.12 -> depending on what drive mode you're in.

362.7 -> And in sport, it has no trouble

365.7 -> really reining in body motions

367.38 -> even when pushing hard through winding roads,

370.35 -> and at the same time,

371.7 -> switch it back to normal kind of when you're commuting,

373.92 -> more leisurely driving,

375.57 -> it won't beat you up in that sense.

377.64 -> It's firm, you're gonna feel what's happening,

380.43 -> like what you're going over,

381.9 -> whether the roads are in rougher shape

383.7 -> or there's kind of cracks in the pavement.

385.62 -> But even though it's firm,

387.36 -> it doesn't go to harsh, which is nice.

389.58 -> So a livable setup in the normal mode.

393.6 -> This model has the optional Recaro seats,

396.93 -> and I like how the big bolsters really hold you in place.

401.31 -> They hug me pretty tightly,

404.4 -> which is good when you're kind of

407.16 -> running through these curvy roads.

409.8 -> The downside though is that

411.63 -> you're always kind of bumping into the bolster

413.61 -> when you're downshifting,

415.53 -> kind of hitting it with the back of your arm,

418.44 -> or even steering, kind of making a tight turn,

421.38 -> you're rubbing against the bolster there.

423.24 -> So that's kind of a downside for day-to-day driving.

427.23 -> But these would be the ones you'd choose

429.36 -> if you're taking your Mustang on the track or something

432.6 -> where you're driving more aggressively.

436.11 -> So Ford wants the new Mustang to appeal to younger buyers,

439.59 -> and one of the ways they're going about

441.6 -> trying to get the interest of younger buyers

443.67 -> are adding more tech features and screens to it.

446.49 -> And you can see them in this vehicle we have here.

449.7 -> There's a 12.4-inch digital instrument panel

452.22 -> and a 13.2-inch touchscreen

454.74 -> that's running Ford's SYNC 4 system.

457.38 -> But there's also a gaming engine

460.41 -> that's really powering the technology here

462.48 -> and the result is really nice-looking displays.

467.61 -> And Ford uses screens,

470.4 -> whereas some automakers,

471.69 -> they have the ability with a digital screen,

473.37 -> they don't make use of it.

474.3 -> But with Ford you can see it.

476.43 -> When you shift modes,

477.69 -> you get different instrument panel views.

480.78 -> You can also customize it using the center screen,

484.71 -> the different colors that are available.

487.65 -> You can customize the gauges.

489.12 -> One of the things that I think is pretty cool

491.1 -> is you can pick Ford Fox body Mustang gauge clusters

494.58 -> from the eighties and nineties.

496.41 -> If you want that to be your cluster,

498.03 -> it's kind of a throwback look that's pretty neat.

500.28 -> Also, you have wireless Apple CarPlay,

504.42 -> and it looks really good.

507.39 -> If we come over to it here,

509.37 -> you can see screen graphics are really nice.

513 -> You can fill up the whole screen if you want to,

515.31 -> which is a cool feature you can't always do in some systems.

518.91 -> So they've done a nice job with these screens.

523.05 -> One thing they've also brought into the screens

525.42 -> are the climate controls.

526.47 -> So they persist at the bottom

529.26 -> and are pretty easy to use,

532.38 -> but if you want like a physical control,

534.69 -> you're not gonna get it anymore

535.89 -> because it's all migrated up into the screen.

539.64 -> In terms of interior quality,

541.32 -> Ford's made some improvements to this area.

544.17 -> Like, the center console used to be

545.46 -> kind of a really hard plastic piece.

547.47 -> Has kind of a nicer finish now.

549.63 -> Nicer like soft touch finishes on the doors.

552.99 -> One thing though that is a little confusing

555.51 -> is lots of this fake carbon fiber look plastic

559.59 -> that's on the doors, the center console, part of the dash.

563.16 -> It seems like it would've been good

564.9 -> if they had spent a little bit more money,

566.76 -> either made it look a little more like carbon fiber

569.25 -> or go with some trim

570.99 -> that was not trying to imitate carbon fiber.

573.84 -> So overall, a nice update

575.22 -> to the screen technology in the Mustang.

577.2 -> It helps keep it current with the rest of the Ford lineup

579.78 -> and what we're seeing across the industry right now

582.3 -> in terms of big screens dominating dashboards.

586.08 -> The 2024 Ford Mustang should be arriving at dealers

589.2 -> by the end of this summer.

590.28 -> And if you want to read more about it,

592.02 -> be sure to check out our coverage on cars.com.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgkzBYijfK8