They say that legends die hard. That certainly is the case with the Ford Mustang. Introduced at the New York World's Fair in 1964, the Mustang immediately became a sensation. In the pony car's first full model year, Ford sold over half a million of them. Nearly 3 million Ford Mustangs rolled off dealer lots into customers' hands in its first generation (1965-1973) alone.
Of course, those were the days when Americans bought cars, not crossover SUVs. Flash forward to this millennium, and crossovers have become the dominant vehicle type. Traditional sedans, coupes, and convertibles take a figurative back seat. But somehow, the Ford Mustang has been able to navigate the shifting tides and remain a popular model in an era in which the Detroit Three (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis-owned Chrysler) have walked away from building cars for the U.S. market. At Ford Motor Company, the Mustang is the last car standing.
Across town at General Motors, Chevrolet has announced that the Mustang's arch-rival, the Camaro, will end its production run following the 2024 model year. But in the face of a trend line pointing in the opposite direction, Ford has just introduced an all-new seventh generation of the Ford Mustang as a 2024 model. It is not doing it for nostalgia's sake but because many Americans still want to buy what Mustang is selling—a sharp-looking car with good performance at a price tag that won't clean out the IRA.
For the 2024 model year, the Ford Mustang lineup will consist of three major variants. At the top of the lineup is the all-new, high-performance Dark Horse Mustang. At the bottom is the 4-cylinder-powered EcoBoost, and smack in the middle is the subject of this driving impression—the 2024 Ford Mustang GT.
Ford first began building Mustangs with the GT nomenclature way back in 1964. Those special early Mustangs featured a V8 engine, just as the Mustang GT does today. So, the coconut hasn't fallen too far from the palm tree after all these years.
I recently drove and evaluated both the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost and the 2024 Mustang GT at an introductory event in Arcadia, California. JD Power last wrote about a high-performance Mustang in our 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 review. Here is the first driving impression of the brand-new 2024 Ford Mustang GT.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The seventh-generation Mustang offers car buyers the choice of three key variations: EcoBoost, GT, and the all-new Dark Horse. With 500 horsepower on tap from its 5.0-liter V8, the Dark Horse is the first new Mustang sub-model in over a decade. It's also the most powerful normally aspirated Mustang ever.
The EcoBoost models take a more progressive view of performance. They offer more than 300 hp from their turbocharged, 4-cylinder engines, delivering a nice combination of performance and fuel economy. In the middle are the V-8-powered Mustang GT coupe and convertible.
Ford offers the Mustang GT coupe in base and Premium trim levels; the convertible is available only in Premium trim. The least expensive Mustang GT has a base price of $44,090, including the destination fees. The GT Premium coupe has a base price of $48,610, and GT Premium convertible pricing starts at $54,110.
The subject of this driving impression review is a 2024 Ford Mustang GT coupe with the optional GT Performance package and Nite Pony package. Filled with performance-oriented equipment but light on creature comforts, it had a suggested retail price of $51,505, including the destination fee.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
Ford Mustangs have become known for many things through the years, but efficient use of space isn't one of them. Nor, one can argue, should it be, since the Mustang's mission has always been to give the average car buyer a stylish coupe or convertible with good performance chops at an affordable price. In terms of overall size, the seventh-generation Mustang GT is an inch longer and an inch taller than the 2023 model.
Ford bills the Mustang as a 4-seater, but adults will find the two rear seats confining. Again, if your goal is to transport four adults regularly, the Mustang and its chief pony car rival—the Chevrolet Camaro—are not for you. (The Dodge Challenger offers roomier accommodations for back-seat passengers.) Using the rear-seat area as an extension of the cargo space is a wise course, and, to that end, the Mustang's rear seatbacks fold down individually, opening access through the trunk. For a performance coupe, cargo space is very good. The Mustang GT Coupe offers 13.3 cubic feet of trunk volume, and the convertible offers 10.3 cubic feet.
While the GT's exterior channels the classic Mustang profile in a refined, modern interpretation, the cabin makes no attempt to dredge up references to Mustangs past. Instead, the new interior revolves around digital information presentation.
Every 2024 Mustang GT features a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch center-of-dash infotainment screen. To create a cockpit with a driver focus, the Mustang interior design team angled the displays toward the driver. Younger buyers who grew up with digital screens and love gaming will enjoy that both screens are easily configurable. You can customize each screen to display different animations and drive-mode-dependent visuals.
The Mustang's current setup displays on the center stack in real-time graphical renderings. The driver can adjust the settings by simply swiping the graphic to rotate the car, just like a video game. You can change the display's colors and the interior lighting at will. In fact, you can have a lot of fun with a well-equipped Mustang GT just by playing with the screens while standing still.
The base-trim GT, like my test model, has cloth seats. The GT Premium gives buyers the option of leather-covered seats or Recaro leather sport seats. The 6-way power adjustment standard across much of the GT lineup enables the driver to establish a comfortable position behind the flat-bottom steering wheel. Front seats in the Premium trim models feature both heating and cooling. That said, I liked the comfort of the Old School cloth seats in the base-trim test vehicle.
The base GT has single-zone climate control, but a dual-zone system is standard in the Premium trim. Ford integrated the heating and ventilating controls into the 13.2-inch digital "center stack" display in a logical place at the bottom of the screen, and they are easy to use. The console between the twin bucket seats houses cupholders, the transmission shift lever, and a handle that activates the emergency brake. The optional wireless charging pad also finds a home in the center console.
The exterior design of the 2024 Ford Mustang draws on the iconic profile, but Ford modernized the details at every turn. Compared to the outgoing model, the car's design features sharper angles, a sleek roofline, and shortened rear haunches. While each of the three major variants gets its own front end and grille, it's the new Mustang's rear end that grabs a lot of attention. In a bow to the 1968 Mustang, the new car features a radically concave treatment incorporating the famous tri-bar taillights. The convertible features a compact but fully lined top.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Mustang GT's Sync 4 system is the heart of the infotainment offering, but driver-oriented functions also find expression in the center display. The 13.2-inch touchscreen looks like an iPad glued to the dash, but an optional treatment integrates it with the 12.4-inch instrument display. You can decide if you like the two-tablet style or the integrated approach. Either way, the digital displays deliver clear, easy-to-decipher icons.
The Sync 4 infotainment system responds quickly to touch and voice commands. As you'd expect, Sync 4 includes Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The optional navigation system incorporates SiriusXM Traffic real-time data into its directions and expected-time-of-arrival predictions. The maps have pinch-to-zoom capability, and you can use voice commands to set destinations.
Sync 4 has noticeably better voice-command functionality than previous Sync iterations. It now responds to conversational-type commands instead of requiring the user to memorize specific commands and say them verbatim.
The base GT coupe offers a standard 6-speaker audio system, while a 9-speaker system is optional. The GT Premium coupe and convertible get the 9-speaker system as standard. Audiophiles can option up to a 12-speaker B&O sound system by Bang and Olufsen.
The seventh-generation Mustang offers buyers Ford Co-Pilot 360, which includes several advanced driver assistance systems. Keeping the car on the pavement is a key goal. To that end, the Mustang's Co-Pilot 360 includes lane-departure warning and a driver monitoring system. The good news is that the systems do their jobs without being intrusive or annoying, a common fault of lane-keeping in other cars. Co-Pilot 360 also features blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning.
Beyond the standard system, add-ons to Ford Co-Pilot 360 include unique stability control, electric power-assisted steering, and anti-lock brake tuning. Adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, lane-centering assistance, intelligent speed assist, and predictive speed assist are also available optionally. The newly available safe-exit system is designed to prevent a Mustang occupant from opening a door in front of a motorcyclist or cyclist.
Those seeking connectivity (and who isn't these days?) will find it in the FordPass app. Available by subscription after a trial period, the app offers remote engine start, door locking and unlocking, and a vehicle locator.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
While you have to give props to the turbocharged 4-cylinder Mustang EcoBoost for its all-around performance, it's hard not to view the V8-powered Mustang GT as the "real" Mustang. Some of that arises from the simple fact that the 2024 Mustang GT delivers 480 hp and 415 pound-feet of torque versus the EcoBoost's 315 hp and 350 pound-feet of torque. But that's only part of the story.
The Mustang GT also feels better developed and better sorted out in both throttle and steering response. Its standard 6-speed manual transmission also tips the performance scales in its direction, especially for those who like rowing gears on their own. While the optional 10-speed automatic is the right choice for many GT buyers, something is rewarding about the manual transmission. Happily, it includes automatic rev-matching, and in testing, it worked flawlessly.
A normally aspirated large-displacement engine delivers serious amounts of low-end torque—one of the aspects that made the Mustang with the 289-cubic-inch V8 legendary so many years ago. Now, not only is displacement up from days of yore, the engine's technology has advanced by lightyears. For example, the optional active-valve performance exhaust system enables the 5.0-liter (307 cubic inch) V8 to deliver 486 hp and 418 pound-feet of torque. While the added horsepower is welcome, the bigger benefit of the system might be the ability to curb the exhaust note or let it burble, depending on how you feel that day.
The GT's standard drive modes enable the driver to tailor steering effort, engine response, transmission behavior, and electronic stability control. The six settings include Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, and Track, plus a customizable mode containing as many as six individual profiles. The driver chooses each mode like configuring a car in a racing video game.
The GT's optional Performance package adds a slew of worthwhile performance enhancers, including a front tower brace, Torsen limited-slip differential, wider rear wheels and tires, and larger rear Brembo brakes. The addition of brake ducts aids braking, while an auxiliary engine oil cooler helps manage lubricant temperature. As mentioned, the active exhaust adds horsepower and torque to the already potent mix. A MagneRide magnetically adjustable active suspension is optional.
The test car, which included all this performance gear but was otherwise modestly equipped, indicates the kind of performance a Mustang GT buyer can get for around $50,000. It was an extremely tractable car with plenty of acceleration, good braking abilities, and tight steering. The high-torque engine made rapid gear changes unnecessary but fun, nonetheless.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the 6-speed manual-transmission version of the GT coupe at 17 mpg combined. With the 10-speed automatic, the EPA-estimated fuel economy climbs slightly to 18 mpg combined.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
If, after reading reviews of the 2024 Mustang GT and 2024 Mustang EcoBoost, you choose the latter, you can congratulate yourself on your rationality and analytic skills. But some of us can't help falling in love with the Old School/New Tech combination the 2024 Mustang GT provides. There aren't too many performance cars priced at $40K or so that offer 480 hp, along with the GT's handling prowess. Sure, a few new electric vehicles—including the Mustang Mach-E—might be straight-line faster than the 2024 Mustang GT, but I can assure you they aren't as involving to drive.
The V8-powered Mustang GT might well be the last of its breed. The car's special magic is that it is something you can buy brand-new at your local Ford dealer that can transport you back to the past and into the future. And that's a pretty neat trick.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
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