Ford Mustang (2015 – 2022) Review

There were cries of “at last!” from UK enthusiasts when the sixth generation of Ford Mustang was announced in 2015. Finally, America’s iconic sports car was offered with right-hand drive, and UK drivers lapped it up. Although available with a more economical 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine, most customers opted for the full 5.0-litre V8 experience. Admittedly, the Ford Mustang is not as sophisticated as rivals such as the Audi RS5, exciting BMW M4 or stylish Mercedes-AMG C63, it scores big on looks and drama. Read on for our full Ford Mustang review.

It took Ford 50 years before it officially brought its iconic muscle car to Europe, and – surprise, surprise – it was an enormous success. The UK is the Ford Mustang’s second biggest European market after Germany, outselling the Porsche 911.

What other iconic V8-powered sports car could you have bought in 2015 for less than £45k? The Ford Mustang is a car that makes a statement, screaming “look at me” at all times. It’s a car you should buy if you want to stand out in a car park full of monotone German cars.

Updated for 2018, the Ford Mustang was given a slight facelift, with a more aggressive front end made up of a larger front splitter and revised LED headlights. To the rear, a revised bumper, optional rear spoiler and quad-tailpipes for the V8 provided an even more boisterous appearance.

That V8 – the engine most people want – delivered up to 450PS (up from 416PS when first launched), and provides exactly the driving experience you’d expect from a Ford Mustang.

It’s loud and deep on start-up, while being aggressive with the throttle will get the ’Stang out of shape pretty quickly.

The downside is that this is a car that’s far from relaxing to drive in the way a powerful Audi, BMW or Mercedes can be. The clutch – if you choose a manual – is heavy in traffic, while the gearchange is clunky.

The more wallet-friendly 2.3-litre Ecoboost with 290PS (down from 314PS pre-facelift) has its benefits – it’s more economical, obviously, and more docile. But it’s not what the Ford Mustang is all about, and the majority of buyers went down the V8 route.

We like the 2.3-litre engine in the Ford Focus RS, but it’s underwhelming in the Ford Mustang. The noise is disappointing and the performance is adequate at best.

Although much thirstier than the Ecoboost, it’s hard to justify not going for the full-fat Ford Mustang experience.

Whether you opt for the sleek coupe or the soft-top is down to personal preference. We prefer the appearance of the Fastback, but the multi-layer insulated fabric hood of the convertible does a fine job of hiding wind noise.

And, besides, being able to drop the roof and enjoy the V8 sound in all its glory is a very tempting proposition.

Ford gave the interior a more premium finish for 2018, but it’s still the area that lets the Ford Mustang down compared with more premium rivals. Its naffness is part of what makes it a Ford Mustang, though – it’s still a blue-collar rebel at heart. If you want soft-touch finishes and a slick infotainment system, buy an Audi.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar's Ford Mustang review.

Although Ford Mustangs have never been known for their handling, this model features independent rear suspension and – in the UK – a performance pack as standard. That means all models come with stiffer suspension, larger brakes and a limited-slip differential.

While the Ford Mustang feels like a big car on twisting British roads, it gives you plenty of confidence to drive assertively. The steering is heavy – would you expect anything else? – but there’s plenty of front-end grip.

Selectable drive modes tweak things like the steering weight, throttle response and electronic stability control. For the first time, Ford Mustang drivers could alter these using a customisable ‘My Mode’. 

As well as feeling the Ford Mustang’s size on rural roads, you’ll also notice it around town. At close to 4.8 metres long, it’s not much shorter than a BMW 5 Series – although, with the Ford Mustang, it seems to be mainly bonnet. That means there’s a big turning circle, making tight multi-storey car parks a challenge.

Like all rear-wheel-drive cars with a gargantuan levels of power, the Ford Mustang requires a certain level of respect. Even in Normal or Snow/Wet mode, the rear end will feel unsettled when you push things along in wet or wintry conditions. Only really confident, competent drivers should ever venture towards the Sport+ mode. 

Combine that with a heavy clutch and notchy gearchange, and you’ll find the Ford Mustang a tricky and tiring companion for day-to-day driving.

While enthusiasts will be happy to make this compromise, others will long for the ease of something like the Audi S5. On the plus side, it rides well on the motorway and is a surprisingly competent long-distance cruiser.

New in 2018 was a Good Neighbour mode which closes a valve in the exhaust of the V8 when starting it between preset times. This allows you to creep off without waking up the entire street, should you be leaving home early in the morning or late at night.

Let's be honest. If you’re after a Ford Mustang, you’ll really want the 5.0 V8.

The big 5.0-litre is a classic American muscle car engine. There are no turbochargers here; it’s a normally aspirated V8 developing 450PS – the same as an Audi RS4 – or 415PS in earlier form.

So it’s not short of power or pace. On paper, it accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds with the manual gearbox.

Despite 529Nm of torque, you can’t be lazy when driving the Ford Mustang. Be prepared to drop down a few gears, and it’ll accelerate aggressively, but don’t expect it to comfortably pick up pace from sixth gear when cruising on the motorway.

Considering the power output, it’s bonkers to think that you may wish it had a little more go, but you might find yourself wanting more. Fortunately, there are many aftermarket tuners on hand to increase power – indeed, even Ford admits that few buyers leave their car as standard.

Alongside the V8, there’s a 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine designed to offer a more relaxed driving experience, combined with better economy. It’s the same engine that was used in the Ford Focus RS, so it comes with a strong reputation. 

There is a school of thought that suggests this is a better fit than the V8. You can drive it harder without the rear wheels becoming unstuck, while the lighter front end means it flows through bends with more finesse.

Combine better handling with 290PS and 31.4mpg, and it’s easy to see why you’d be tempted. But we’re not convinced.

In reality, it’s disappointing, especially if you opt for the 10-speed automatic gearbox. Even with a manual, it just doesn’t offer the performance you’d expect from a Ford Mustang.

The Ford Mustang did not cover itself in glory when it was first tested by Euro NCAP, scoring a meagre two-star rating.

It was reassessed in 2017 and upped that to a three-star score with the help of Collision Assist automatic emergency braking that became standard from July 2017. These cars also gained lane keep assistance.

Every Ford Mustang comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags, as well as one for the driver’s knees. There’s also ABS, ESP traction control and adaptive cruise control. 

There are no official figures for the Ford Mustang’s towing capacity.

There’s good news in the front of the Ford Mustang’s cabin, where you have plenty of room for heads, legs and shoulders.

This is due to the sheer size of the car and the amount of road space it occupies. On the downside, this make it tricky to manoeuvre in tight car park spaces, even with parking sensors as an aid.

Try to fit an adult in the back and you’re likely to encounter strong resistance. Even with the size of the Ford Mustang overall, room at the rear is minimal.

At least the boot is a good size, although the opening for the coupe is on the small side.

If there’s one area that really lets the Ford Mustang down, it’s the interior. Although improved in 2018, it still fell short of the standards of other Ford cars. The Ford Mustang’s low list price compared with German rivals made up for it to an extent, but it was and still is an expensive car.

It gets the basics right – the driving position is good, and there’s plenty of adjustment in the steering column, plus we like the supportive yet comfortable seats. But that doesn’t disguise the fact that it feels rather dated.

Things like the row of switches at the base of the centre console highlight this. They may look like metal, but they are, in fact, plastic that’s painted silver.

The same goes for the dials on the stereo, and the air-conditioning controls. It’s all distinctly low-rent in what’s supposed to be a feelgood sports car.

Even small details, such as the buttons for turning on the interior lights, show where costs have been kept down. Unforgivably, these look like they've been lifted from an early 90s Nissan.

It’s not short of kit, though. All models come well equipped with dual-zone air-con, keyless entry and start, while the Ford SYNC system (initially SYNC2, but later upgraded to the much better SYNC3) is excellent, with an easy-to-use and responsive touchscreen.

There’s also a reversing camera, although we’re surprised that navigation was an optional extra.

We’ve also got gripes with the change to right-hand drive. The handbrake is on the wrong side, while the cupholders get in the way when changing gear.

An eight-inch infotainment touchscreen was the standard fitting in the Ford Mustang, although it could be ordered with an upgraded 12-inch display.

The graphics are clear and sharp, and the various menus respond quickly to the touch. However, the overall impression is of a system that’s a little dated compared with the latest offerings from Ford and most others.

However, the Ford Mustang can be used with a smartphone via Bluetooth, as well as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You can also use the screen to see Ford’s Track App, which records data such as 0-60mph times, lap times and more.

There’s a clear choice when it comes to picking a used Ford Mustang: do you go for the 2.3-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost model or the 5.0-litre V8?

Most people prefer the V8 and that keeps used prices stronger, so expect to pay from £26,000 for a Fastback model. With the 2.3-litre engine, this drops to an entry price of £22,000 for an eight-year-old car with average mileage

Those after a late three-year-old Ford Mustang should find a V8 Fastback for £42,000 with low miles. A 2.3 version will come in at £33,500, which is a substantial saving if you can live without that V8 soundtrack.

Convertibles don’t come with a particularly hefty premium over the coupe, so you should find one for about £1500 more than the Fastback.

The 5.0-litre V8-powered Ford Mustang is that very rare thing – a car that exceeds its officially claimed fuel economy.

Where the stated figures are 20.9mpg for the manual and 23.5mpg for the auto, our Real MPG data shows these Ford Mustang models routinely turn in an average of 25mpg.

The 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine promises up to 35.3mpg with its official figure, but real-world driving sees that closer to 27mpg.

As for carbon dioxide emissions, the 2.3 emits a minimum of 207g/km, while the V8 produces 299g/km, so you’ll have to base your road tax calculations on these numbers.

Insurance for the Ford Mustang comes in at group 41 and rises to 47 depending on the model and engine.

That’s still less than most of the car’s key rivals, and the Ford Mustang is considerably cheaper to service at a main dealer thanks to Ford’s lower prices compared with, say, a BMW M-approved dealer or Porsche main agent.

The Ford Mustang comes with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, plus 19-inch wheels, performance brake package, automatic HID xenon headlamps, LED tail lamps and a rear diffuser.

Further standard equipment includes leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, a nine-speaker sound system and SYNC 3 voice control connectivity with an eight-inch colour touch screen.

Additional options included climate control seats and premium 19-inch alloy wheels, with Lustre Nickel finish (available as part of the optional custom pack).

There were 11 exterior colour choices, including exclusive Orange Fury and tri-coat Triple Yellow.