Best Mustang Ever? Or Major Disappointment? Our First Impressions of the 2024 Ford Mustang
The 2024 Ford Mustang is finally here, and it has elicited some strong positive and negative reactions. Well, the haters are wrong, and this is why.
Whew! That was a hell of a Mustang reveal, wasn’t it? The new styling and tech of the EcoBoost and GT cars. A surprise new performance model called the Dark Horse. And a collection of six racing Mustangs that will compete in global racing events. We all needed a few days to take it all in. And there are still many things we don’t know. Pricing, performance specs, and of course no one in the press has driven it yet. But I have now had some time to absorb everything I do know about the 2024 Ford Mustang. And it is time to offer my first impressions. Spoiler alert, if you are one of those disappointed with the all-new Mustang you probably aren’t going to like this article much either. While not perfect the S650 Mustang could be the best Mustang ever.
Again, these are first impressions, and all the info is not available yet. If the 2024 Mustang ends up weighing 4,500 pounds and starting at $80,000 then that obviously changes things. But I don’t expect that to be the case. I am judging the car based on what Ford revealed and what can be extrapolated from there. Will it be better than the current S550 generation? Will it be more beloved than the Fox Body cars? Time will tell. But sitting here just a couple days after the reveal it seems that the S650 generation Mustang could be the best we will ever see.
Powertrain
The EcoBoost is getting a new engine, but let’s be honest we are here for the GT. The 2024 Ford Mustang GT will have the fourth-generation Coyote V8 which will make it the most powerful Mustang GT ever. And it will come standard with a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission. Do I even need to continue? Every automaker is going all-electric. For the 2024 model year we can buy a Mustang GT making nearly 500 horsepower from a naturally aspirated V8 with a MANUAL transmission. List all the other cars that offer that. The Camaro is dead. Dodge killed the Hemi-powered Challenger and Charger. The Corvette still comes with a naturally aspirated V8, but you are stuck with an automatic transmission.
I can’t make a big enough deal out of this. Say what you will about any other aspect of the new Mustang. You can’t take away the fact that it is offered with a powerful V8 and a manual transmission. This could very well be the final car ever made in such a configuration. And as if that is not enough there is the Dark Horse high performance model. It is the most track focused 5.0L V8 Mustang ever built. Kudos to Ford. This is a BIG win for the all-new Mustang.
Styling
I have read all the complaints online about the looks of the 2024 Mustang. It looks like a Kia and Subaru from the front. Ford copied Camaro for the profile. And so on. OK, fine. A couple things. First, the designers have to work under more constraints than ever. There are pedestrian safety requirements that need to be considered. There are also functional considerations. The new Mustang has a dual air intake so the grille needs to be designed in a way that it can feed all the air needed. And there are 60 years’ worth of Mustang heritage to deal with. The new Mustang must look like a Mustang. With all these things considered I think Ford did a great job giving us a more modern and sharper looking Mustang. I am willing to bet that as the years go on more and more people will appreciate the looks.
Impractical Fun
People buy a Mustang because it is fun. You want a simple vehicle to take the kids to school, the Ford Escape will do a fine job. But a Mustang needs to stir up some emotion and it needs to make you smile. The 2024 Ford Mustang should have no trouble producing grins. My favorite feature is Remote Rev. It makes no sense and there is no practical reason to rev your engine using your remote. That is exactly why it is so fun. There is also the drift mode that will make you look like a drift champion. You can even configure the digital dashboard to display gauges from the Fox Body era. These are all examples of what makes the 2024 Mustang as fun as a Mustang should be.
Technology
The 2024 Ford Mustang will be the most advanced ever. The interior is completely revamped and looks much more modern with the big screens dominating the dash. There is also a full suite of driver aids with Ford Co-Pilot360 features, including Speed Sign Recognition, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane Centering Assist, Evasive Steer Assist and Reverse Brake Assist. There is even an Active Pothole Mitigation feature.
Summary
The 2024 Ford Mustang may be the last vehicle on earth with a naturally aspirated V8 and a manual transmission. This is the most powerful Mustang GT ever. The most technologically advanced Mustang ever. It will be the safest Mustang ever. In Dark Horse trim it will be the most track focused 5.0L Mustang ever. It will also be the most customizable Mustang ever with a host of options to make your Mustang truly unique. So how is this not the best Mustang ever? Because it might look a little bit like another car? I think Ford has a major hit on its hands. If you don’t agree, that is fine. It will just make it easier for me to buy mine without a dealer markup.
Photos: Ford
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