2024 Ford Mustang GT & EcoBoost First Drive | A Powerful Pony | Driving Impressions, Interior, More!
2024 Ford Mustang GT & EcoBoost First Drive | A Powerful Pony | Driving Impressions, Interior, More!
The 2024 Ford Mustang is all-new, and we finally had a chance to get behind the wheel of both the Mustang GT and Mustang EcoBoost variants. In this first drive video, Edmunds’ Clint Simone dives into the new ‘Stang, from driving impressions to the totally revamped — and way higher-tech — interior. Check out our thoughts on the 2024 Mustang in the video above!
2024 Ford Mustang pricing \u0026 review: https://edmu.in/3QC5m1D
00:00 Intro
00:49 Mustang GT
02:12 GT Power
02:57 GT Driving Impressions
06:16 EcoBoost
06:50 EcoBoost Power
07:12 EcoBoost Driving Impressions
07:46 Interior
11:07 Exterior
12:42 Autocross
14:25 Edmunds’ Take
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Content
0 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
0.34 -> CLINT SIMONE: All right.
0.83 -> First things first.
1.79 ->
8.78 -> [LAUGHS]
10.69 ->
11.65 -> Things feel different this
time around for the Mustang.
14.95 -> This could be the last American
muscle car that's gas powered.
19.3 -> And in just a few years,
and we don't know what
21.91 -> Chevy is up to with the Camaro.
23.59 -> And Dodge has things coming.
25.63 -> But those are all
going to be electric.
27.25 -> So not to get all dramatic, but
this has a lot to live up to.
30.82 -> Let's not waste any more time.
33.92 -> New is really a
relative term here.
36.48 -> This seventh gen Stang is
new but in the same way
39.65 -> that the latest "Mission
Impossible" movie is new.
42.33 -> It's something we literally
haven't seen before,
44.51 -> but we're very familiar
with what it's all about.
46.67 ->
53.51 -> I get to sit in a lot of
driver's seats for this job.
57.44 -> And it is a rare day where
I have a V8 ahead of me,
61.31 -> three pedals beneath me, and
a good old-fashioned six-speed
65.66 -> manual next to me.
66.8 -> Call it nostalgia, call
it whatever you want.
69.95 -> But this just feels right.
72.12 -> Here we go.
72.92 -> [LAUGHS]
74.86 ->
76.56 -> So based on that
little outburst,
78.36 -> you can probably tell that I am
driving the GT model right now
81.87 -> with its glorious five-liter V8.
84.12 -> We'll also get a chance to
drive the ecoboost Mustang
86.85 -> a little bit later
on in the video.
88.53 -> And just to let you know, this
is the official first drive
91.29 -> launch for the
new Mustang, which
92.91 -> means we're going to be in
a bunch of different cars
95.37 -> over the course of this video.
96.78 -> And that new Dark Horse Mustang
that everybody's talking about,
99.81 -> that we'll have the chance
to drive in just a few weeks.
102.64 -> So come on back
soon for that video.
104.61 -> I started this day
like a detective.
106.53 -> I wanted to figure out if Ford
has made this new and better.
110.31 -> And then I started
driving for a few minutes.
112.65 -> And I suddenly stopped caring
about that question altogether.
115.59 -> Because if you're buying a
V8-powered Mustang in the year
119.28 -> 2023, what you want is a
little bit of old school.
122.88 -> And, rest assured,
this has every bit
125.79 -> of that recipe that you love
and keep coming back for.
128.85 -> However, it's also better.
130.76 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
132.53 ->
133.98 -> Ford has reworked the 5.0
V8 to offer 480 horsepower,
138.58 -> or 486 with the active
exhaust added hey.
142.09 -> Every, bit counts.
143.14 -> There's a new dual intake along
with structural improvements
146.35 -> and an upgraded oil pan.
147.94 -> A six-speed manual
comes standard.
149.68 -> And a revised version
of the 10-speed auto
151.96 -> will set you back $1,600.
154.25 -> The big ticket item is
the performance pack.
156.85 -> It's $5 grand.
158.45 -> Oof.
158.95 -> But it adds quite a bit--
upgraded wheels, bigger Brembo
162.31 -> brakes, a limited slip diff,
and some cosmetic changes.
165.49 -> Oh, but don't put
your wallet away yet.
167.47 -> There's more.
168.13 -> MagneRide dampers
are almost $1,750.
171.55 -> And that active exhaust
I mentioned is $1,125.
175.12 -> But what's it like on the road?
178.48 -> The new Mustang GT
is a good sports car.
181.93 -> It's intuitive.
182.92 -> And it makes me feel better.
185.26 -> When you're knocking on
the door of 500 horsepower,
188.2 -> that's what you want.
189.17 -> You don't want to
feel overwhelmed.
190.63 -> And something about
this car kind of just
192.64 -> makes you feel like
you have a cape on.
194.47 -> But let's talk about
this specific setup.
197.05 -> GT V8 and a six-speed manual.
200.13 -> It's so good.
201.24 -> And you're so focused
on the engine,
203.67 -> it feels like the
rest of the car
205.89 -> just fades into the background.
207.36 -> It feels like you're
buying the powertrain
209.33 -> and you just happened
to get a good sports
211.08 -> car that comes along with it.
213.6 -> The power is abundant,
but it's not overwhelming.
219.7 -> And I think that's an
important distinction.
221.62 -> Third gear feels
absolutely heroic.
224.16 -> You just roll onto the throttle.
226.5 -> And it's not
sketchy, but there's
228.36 -> plenty of torque to get
you home when you need it.
231.51 -> For me, I've had this
thing a gear above what
234.33 -> I thought I needed.
235.5 -> And it's been great.
236.73 -> As a no-cost option,
the six-speed manual
239.25 -> is an absolute no-brainer.
241.66 -> The catch point in
the clutch is super
244.2 -> high up, which means
you have plenty of space
246.75 -> to get it wrong a few times
and then get it right.
249.24 -> It's pretty easy to pick up
on your first day of driving.
252.45 -> And the learning
curve is simple.
253.86 -> The actual gear shift is good.
257.78 -> It's not quite Porsche
or Civic Type R good,
260.89 -> but the throws are really short.
262.54 -> They're direct.
263.32 -> And if you own a
current gen Mustang,
264.94 -> it is going to
feel very familiar.
266.8 -> The steering has really
caught me off guard.
269.78 -> But that's because it's quick.
271.66 -> It reacts to very small
inputs almost instantly.
275.43 -> I don't want to call it
twitchy, because that
277.3 -> would be doing it a disservice.
278.83 -> But what I like is
that as you start
280.66 -> to pick up speeds in the
corner, it settles in
283.48 -> and it's very easy to
predict and work with.
286.27 -> Now, we have plenty planned
for this GT in the future,
289.67 -> including some quick driving
around our performance track.
293 -> But, for today,
on-road exclusively,
295.12 -> these six-piston Brembos
have had no issues,
298.66 -> even in 95 degree heat.
300.22 -> So we're in the middle
of Angeles Crest Highway
302.47 -> right now, which is a
perfect winding road
304.66 -> to feel out this GT.
306.19 -> But getting here was a
bit of a different story.
309.13 -> And that stoplight to
stoplight, the suspension
311.98 -> is a little bit stiff.
313.69 -> If you want that
performance package,
315.31 -> you got to commit to
what that entails.
317.47 -> And that means around town,
it's not as comfortable
319.99 -> as it could be.
320.62 -> But up here, it
feels just right.
322.92 -> The good thing about being in
so many different spec cars
326.17 -> in such a short period
is you learn some things.
328.91 -> Number one for me, convertible
is a pretty different ballgame
332.83 -> from the hardtop.
333.7 -> I don't mean how they look
or anything like that.
335.74 -> But the strength that
you feel in the chassis,
338.59 -> the rock-solid feeling that I
have right now in the hardtop,
341.74 -> you just don't get
in the convertible.
343.78 -> It shakes quite a bit
more going over bumps.
347.05 -> The other thing
is kind of random,
348.83 -> but I just got a reminder
around that corner--
351.4 -> these RECARO buckets,
goodness gracious.
354.43 -> They put the
squeeze on you, man.
356.26 -> And you don't get
heating nor ventilation.
359.29 -> And I'll probably get roasted
for this in the comments.
361.63 -> But I love the
rev-matching system.
364.41 -> And the thing is, you can turn
it off if you don't want it.
367.03 -> Some people are
adamant that they
368.56 -> want to do it on their own.
369.74 -> And you can.
370.55 -> But if you want to leave this,
it's a perfect companion.
373.75 -> And it just makes the Canyon
drive that much more pleasant.
378.03 -> So as promised, here we are in
an ecoboost-powered Mustang,
381.72 -> in this case a Florida
rental car spec special.
385.51 -> Nice gray, convertible top.
387.24 -> In due time, we will see
plenty of these on their way
390.15 -> to Disney World, no doubt.
391.8 -> So the thing about the
ecoboost-powered Mustang
394.44 -> is nobody is out here
proclaiming their love
397.14 -> for the four-cylinder.
398.22 -> This is an underappreciated car.
400.65 -> Thing is, over a
third of new Mustangs
403.71 -> will be specked with
the four-cylinder.
405.82 -> So that means, some of
you are in the closet.
408.24 -> But it's OK.
409.01 -> We're right there with you.
410.13 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
412.46 -> The 2.3 liter is now good for
315 horsepower and 350 pound
417.65 -> feet of torque, tiny gains
over the last generation.
420.38 -> But the revised
four-cylinder also
422.42 -> ekes out a few more
MPG on the highway.
424.67 -> And like the GT,
the performance pack
427.07 -> is separate from the MagneRide
dampers and the active exhaust.
430.36 ->
433.46 -> The 10-speed auto
and the Mustang and I
435.65 -> have not always been friends.
438.05 -> And now, this is the
only transmission
439.82 -> you can get with
the four-cylinder.
441.42 -> So I was looking
for it to be better.
443.41 -> And long story
short, it is better.
445.86 -> It's not perfect, but they made
some meaningful improvements.
449.1 -> Ford has gone
through and they've
450.47 -> sworn that they have redone
the shift mapping in a way that
453.89 -> basically just makes the
automatic a little bit smarter.
457.22 -> This does not have that
buttery smooth quickness
461.18 -> that a DSG has in a Volkswagen.
But it gets the job done.
465.2 ->
467.99 -> Now, this is a Ford Mustang.
469.69 -> At the end of the day,
this is a fun car.
471.76 -> It is supposed to be fun.
473.38 -> You'd be surprised to
know some of the most fun
475.87 -> that Ford had building this
thing was in this brand
478.81 -> new infotainment setup.
480.55 -> You want proof?
481.28 -> Go down to the Mustang
button down here.
483.7 -> Here's a little thing
called Cluster Theme.
486.13 -> Look at this.
487.03 -> Fox body gauges.
488.5 -> Look at that.
489.04 -> Suddenly it's 1989
and I'm driving
491.32 -> something that is definitely
not a four-cylinder convertible
494.69 -> Mustang.
495.19 -> But that's beside the point.
496.54 -> This is hilarious.
497.95 -> And it shows that they
have a commitment not only
500.14 -> to their heritage,
but they like to have
502.33 -> fun with the new things
they're building.
504.04 -> I love to see that.
505.49 -> But let's take a step
back here and really
507.28 -> look at this
infotainment system,
509.11 -> because this is a big deal for
this new generation Mustang.
512.92 -> My guess is that some of
you are watching right now,
515.41 -> and you own a
current gen Mustang.
517.36 -> And you're thinking to yourself,
is it worth the upgrade?
519.79 -> Is it all that different?
521.48 -> This is an area where
Ford really went to town
524.08 -> and made some
thoughtful changes.
525.88 -> Right in front of me
I have a 12.3 inch
528.08 -> digital instrument cluster
and a 13.4 inch touchscreen.
532.13 -> Those two screens are
going to come standard
533.96 -> on every new Mustang.
535.4 -> But this is the
upgraded unit where
537.08 -> it is one giant piece of
glass right in front of me.
540.89 -> I have to say, it
is a lot of screen.
543.18 -> This is not a big car.
544.52 -> I was kind of worried that it
would be hard to see over it.
546.98 -> That is not a concern at all.
548.31 -> It's easy to see over it.
549.35 -> But this is a ton of screen
in your face in a small sports
552.71 -> car.
553.31 -> The good news here is
it's running SYNC 4.
555.51 -> So you'd be familiar
with that if you've
557.18 -> been in an F-150 or any of
Ford's current generation
560.45 -> products.
561.2 -> And this has an Unreal Engine.
564.08 -> So we're using stuff that
they use in video games
566.6 -> to make this super responsive.
569.24 -> And I'm not playing around here.
571.11 -> This is legit quick.
572.87 -> I mean, sometimes it's easy to
find bugs and things that lag--
576.41 -> none of that is going on.
578.13 -> It's easy to get through menus.
579.77 -> It reacts instantly.
581.51 -> It also comes with wireless
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
584.21 -> So the tech suite going on--
586.4 -> thumbs up.
587 -> And it's not just the processing
speed that really impresses me.
590.03 -> Look at these visuals.
591.05 -> This is just the drive
mode selector for the car.
593.33 -> So we're kicking it
out of normal here.
595.31 -> When you go into Sport,
there's this crazy visual
597.84 -> of the Mustang.
598.46 -> It even changes color.
599.93 -> You cycle through to Track and
some of the other modes too.
602.69 -> These are really neat things.
604.28 -> It just screams sports car.
605.77 -> It screams, hey,
we're having fun.
607.4 -> It shows you a GT
with a V8, which
609.28 -> is a little bit of a
letdown on a four-cylinder
611.24 -> but, hey, everybody can aspire.
613.04 -> One thing I'm not
such a huge fan of
614.81 -> is that they took away
some physical buttons
617.03 -> and moved them into the screen.
618.54 -> So that means if you want
to adjust your fan speed,
620.66 -> your temperature, you have to
go mess around in the screen
623.45 -> to deal with that.
624.41 -> It looks cleaner, but you
lose some convenience there.
627.89 -> As a whole, this interior
is a step forward.
631.1 -> It's not going to win
any awards for being
632.93 -> over the top incredible.
634.67 -> But it's incrementally better
than the last gen Mustang.
637.88 -> And when it comes
to a car like this,
639.74 -> a little improvement
goes a long way.
641.69 -> Then the rest of the interior,
apart from the technology,
644.51 -> which is a huge leap forward,
does feel very familiar.
648.8 -> The materials are similar.
650.81 -> Those are classic Ford Mustang.
652.67 -> And the space feels about
right compared to before.
656.09 -> It's good up here
for the front two.
658.37 -> But anybody in the back seat
is not having a good time.
661.97 -> If you got small kids,
you can make it happen.
664.11 -> But anybody bigger than
that, no, thank you.
667.28 ->
669.9 -> Look at this, cool little
Easter egg on the back window
672.33 -> here, all seven generations
of Mustang marching along one
675.57 -> behind the other.
676.33 -> Now, that's not only a cool
really thoughtful touch
679.05 -> that they added,
but to me, it shows
680.82 -> Ford recognizing just how far
the Mustang has come as a car.
684.39 -> And the design tweaks
are a part of that story.
687.03 -> Now, I say tweaks
because it's not
688.68 -> like they've rewritten
the book on this thing.
690.6 -> You still know exactly
what you're looking at.
692.64 -> This is a Mustang.
693.75 -> But some of these new
lines, oh my goodness.
696.51 -> This rear cut line is intense.
699.3 -> I didn't think it was this
crazy when I saw the car first
701.88 -> in pictures.
702.39 -> But now, here in person,
I mean, look at that.
704.61 -> The tail light is at
an angle like that.
706.76 -> [LAUGHS] This is a
really severe line,
708.36 -> and it draws your attention
to the back of the car.
710.49 -> It looks awesome.
711.58 -> I love what they've done with
the rear haunches on the car.
714.11 -> That said, this
is the angle where
715.53 -> it looks most like a Camaro.
717 -> Sorry, I had to say it.
718.53 -> Our car is done in a
very murdered out spec.
722.16 -> But look at these bronze wheels.
723.96 -> It's part of the bronze
appearance package.
725.85 -> They're covered in
brake dust right now
727.83 -> because that's the kind of
day we've had when you drive
730.12 -> a Mustang for the first time.
731.38 -> But you can see it a little bit
better here on the 5.0 badge.
733.81 -> It's cool.
734.31 -> It stands out really bright
against the dark color scheme.
736.99 -> Speaking of colors, you
have a ton to pick from.
739.33 -> Some are brand new for
the 24 Mustang as well.
741.43 -> You can pair those with a bunch
of different wheel options.
743.89 -> You're relegated to
19 and 20-inch wheels
745.78 -> if you go for the GT.
746.87 -> One more thing I wanted to point
out at the front of the car.
749.41 -> With the performance package,
this gets blacked out
752.59 -> and the grille gets blacked out.
754 -> And something about
that, regardless
756.07 -> of the color you pick on
the car, just looks right.
759.08 -> The black looks awesome.
760.24 -> Consider that if you're looking
at the performance pack.
762.57 ->
765.05 -> All right.
765.95 -> We're going to do a little
siding lap first here
768.83 -> in the ecoboost Mustang.
770.72 -> They have a little
autocross for us.
774.14 -> All right, here we go.
775.83 -> So, [LAUGHS]
immediately, you notice
779.51 -> the engine doesn't
sound all that great.
782.81 -> But once you get over that,
the next thing you notice
787.04 -> is that when you are not
shifting by yourself,
790.78 -> transmission isn't as
quick as I'd like it to be.
793.27 -> Brakes, fantastic, really
easy to figure out there.
797.2 -> I could have been much harder
on them if I wanted to.
799.87 -> We're just getting a quick
shot at this autocross,
802.03 -> so I'm learning as I'm talking.
805.16 -> Picking up a little bit
more speed this time.
807.86 -> Again, really stable, easy
to control through the cones.
811.62 -> Let's hit the brakes a
little harder this time.
813.8 -> Wonderful.
814.88 -> Huge fan of the brakes.
816.11 -> So far, that's my
favorite thing to feel out
818.51 -> around this autocross.
820.04 -> Pitching in a little
harder into the corner.
823.55 -> It is stable.
824.54 -> There is a good
brake right there.
826.37 -> Let's hit the slalom a
little bit harder this time.
828.88 ->
832.26 -> And I guess we're going to
get one more hot lap, which
834.51 -> is good.
835.01 ->
838.46 -> Control the speed,
steering is really easy.
842.46 -> You know exactly how
much input to give.
844.37 -> Hard on the brakes
around the corner.
846.5 -> Perfect.
847.55 -> The transmission does get
caught dumb for a little bit
850.94 -> of a second there.
852.71 -> It doesn't shift the
way you want it to.
854.69 -> And the car is in its most
aggressive mode at the moment.
857.54 -> So 10-speed letting me
down just a little bit.
864.46 -> And there's the end
of our autocross.
866 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
867.3 ->
868.7 -> Lots of seat-time, lots
of different Mustangs.
871.07 -> Here's my breakdown for you
after driving all of them.
873.62 -> The ecoboost is a very
well-rounded sports car.
876.9 -> One of those with a performance
pack and the convertible top
879.5 -> would be an incredible
daily driver.
881.72 -> And you wouldn't cry every
time you go to a gas station.
884.66 -> But if your heart is
really in it, this is it.
888.63 -> This is the one to get.
889.61 -> GT performance
pack, specifically
892.37 -> with this combination,
the six-speed manual.
894.59 -> There's something about this
powertrain, the tweaks it
897.3 -> they've made to the
5.0, the six-speed,
899.73 -> it is at the top of its game.
902.76 -> And that's good.
903.9 -> Because if I had
to guess, it's not
905.6 -> going to be here
very much longer.
907.02 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
908.75 ->
913.13 -> Let's not waste any more time.
915.89 -> I said, I want to
drive the new Mustang.
918.83 -> Woo hoo!
921.2 -> It's hot!
922.12 -> It's really hot!
922.79 -> Why did I wear black?
923.54 -> [LAUGHS]
924.04 -> [MUSIC PLAYING]
925.99 ->
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAEOshwzrgw