Ford Mustang (US) review

A Mustang EcoBoost coupe starts at $32,515, including the mandatory $1,595 destination fee. If you’d rather go topless, be prepared to shell out quite a bit more money: $40,615. Mustang Convertibles are a staple of the Los Angeles and Miami rental car scenes, so there’s still a market for ‘em, but given the price hike compared to the coupe, it doesn’t seem worth it. How often are you actually going to put the top down, anyway?

$44,090 gets you a Mustang GT coupe, but a V8-powered convertible can’t be had for less than $54,110, because it requires the mandatory Premium trim level, which adds things like heated and cooled seats and some additional driver-assistance features. On the GT coupe, adding the 10-speed automatic transmission is a $1,595 upcharge, the Performance Package is $4,995, and the active exhaust is $1,295.

Bad news time: Ford’s awesome MagneRide suspension is only offered on the GT Premium, where it’s an extra $1,750. At that point, you might as well add the $995 bronze pack to get the best-looking wheels.

The upper-crust Mustang Dark Horse Premium, which comes with all the performance, tech, and comfort amenities, runs $64,860.

What cars are going to try to race me at a stoplight?

Obviously, the Mustang’s chief rival is the Chevy Camaro, but that rear-drive coupe isn’t long for this world. There’s also the Dodge Challenger, which is incredibly old and quite a bit larger, but can be had with a ton more power. It’s way more of a traditional muscle car.

Really, given the Mustang’s overall on-road precision, its closest foes aren’t what you might expect. Think Nissan Z or Toyota Supra – even German sports cars like the BMW M4. Yes, really.

So what’s the most Mustang-y Mustang?

The GT, without question. If you’re just going for sheer V8 thrills, the base GT will satisfy, but if you want something sharper and more engaging, you’ve got to get the GT Premium with the Performance Pack and MagneRide suspension. That means you’re looking at no less than $55,355 – a lot for a Mustang, sure, but tens of thousands less than a bucktoothed M4.