Trying to understand the Ford Mustang GT | Car Review

I’ll admit that unlike many others, I was never a fan of the Ford Mustang. I always saw it as a mainstream car especially considering how common it is in the United States where it originates. Here in the Philippines, it is seen as a status symbol, even a car to flex for some.

We got the chance to try it out for a weekend to which I’ll tell you now that it didn’t exactly satisfy me, at least I tried my best to understand and here we are.

It wasn’t long ago when Ford Philippines unleashed the all-new seventh generation of the iconic muscle car nameplate for our market. The American automaker has consistently offered it in our market since 2012. This new one, codenamed the S650, was revealed for the world in 2022 and brings modern enhancements to what is one of the Ford’s longest running nameplates today.

Let’s start with design because the Mustang surely does not disappoint. 

The exterior is classic Mustang wearing a tough-looking exterior with signature elements around. It’s eye-catching for sure especially with the very bright Yellow Splash paint job, yet subtle enough to not give you too many stares if you’re not comfortable with that sort of thing. I would personally get it in silver (pictured below).

The front fascia is definitely its meanest feature with an aggressive design from the headlights and front grille which are somewhat boxier than before. Of course, the iconic Mustang emblem is in the middle and will catch everyone’s attention.

The 19-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in Pirelli PZero tires and definitely add a lot of flair to this pony car. At the back, the tri-bar taillights are distinctively Mustang, with the GT emblem in the center letting everyone know you got the V8.

Step inside through the very long doors and you’ll see that Ford has taken this into the modern world, giving it cues that you’ll find in their most recent products such as the single panel housing the dual screen setup, but retaining classic Mustang design cues as well. 

The 12-inch instrument cluster is highly configurable, even coming with a theme that is inspired by old generations of Mustang. On the other hand, the 13-inch infotainment screen uses Ford’s SYNC4 system.

 

While generally easy to use, I found it a bit confusing at times. Some controls which were supposed to be at reach all the time were unfortunately hidden in the menus of the system.

Recaro seats are standard and wrapped in very nice leather upholstery. I was actually surprised by how comfortable they were as I was expecting them to be a bit firm. 

Like I said, I’m trying to understand the Mustang as I really am not a fan. That’s why let’s start with the stuff I did not like first.

What initially threw me off is its rather large-feeling dimensions. At 4,811mm in length, 1,915mm in width, and 1,397mm in height, it’s already approaching midsize sedan territory. I really like driving big cars, but this just felt too big for me.

While I was able to fit it perfectly into my condo parking slot, I couldn’t get out of the vehicle as the doors were too long. Is it a problem with the car? Maybe not. Condo? Yes. But that ruined my first impression for sure.

I’m also the type of person to not rely on cameras when maneuvering vehicles but this one really needs a 360-degree camera. Ford had only equipped it with a reverse camera and sensors. While that’s fine, seeing over the hood in front is a bit difficult thanks (not) to the high hood.

Lastly, the active valve exhaust system seemed to always want to start in Track mode. I set the default to quiet mode but it just always wanted to tell everyone that I was about to leave. Hey, at least it sounded amazing.

These are subjective and as they say “to each his own.” My opinions will definitely not reflect what others think. I just found these to be a bit of a deal breaker but anyway, moving on.

Powering the Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback is a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that produces 493 horsepower and 567 Nm of torque, exclusively mated to Ford’s 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.

Once you get on the road, the Mustang obviously shines with loads of power at your disposal. We’ve driven this on the track and there we were really able to push it to the limit. In fact, you’ll find yourself doing burnouts if you really push hard. 

Thanks in large part to its natural breathing, you won’t deal with any unnecessary turbo lag and power is very linear, as it just all comes in regardless if you drive calmly or not. The transmission has also been tuned very well with smooth shifts and no unnecessary gear hunting present.

These cars aren’t all about power though as in a real-world setting, will you really use all that?

Thankfully, one way Ford has improved the Mustang over the years is when it comes to handling. This new one is much easier (and safer) to deal with on track or on normal roads. Changing lanes on the highway, especially when doing some overtaking maneuvers is an amazing feeling. The vehicle just really holds itself together so well.

Steering is now obviously tuned with comfort in mind as it is very light and some would say feedback is lacking. I still found it very responsive as it should be, and just right when it comes to overall feedback.

What surprised me here is its NVH insulation which is actually excellent. Most of these performance vehicles would have loud tire noise, but this stays impressively quiet even at highway speeds.

It also rides really well thanks to the MagneRide active dampers. Even in track mode which makes the suspension a lot stiffer, it will still be able to provide a good amount of comfort. Now I started to understand why people are willing to use this as a daily driver.

But wait, fuel economy? This came as a surprise to me. Well, buyers of this probably won’t care at all but here it is anyway. I was able to achieve 6 km/l inside the city and 12 km/l on the highway, both in mixed Friday conditions. I did almost empty the 60L fuel tank but for good reason…we had fun.

And fun is not all the Ford Mustang GT is about. It is one car to love despite the sacrifices you’ll have to make when driving this.

It still gives you pure muscle car energy which many people like. It’s not for me, but I’m sure it has its niche out there which will always appreciate it for what it is, the history behind it, and the bragging rights that come with it. 

2024 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Fastback | Key Information

Engine	5.0-liter Coyote V8
Output	493 horsepower, 567 Nm of torque
Transmission	10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission
Drivetrain	Rear-wheel drive (RWD)
Seating Capacity	2+2
Driver Assistance	Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert and Braking, Auto High Beam Headlights, Post Impact Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Lane Centering Assist, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Evasive Steer Assist.
Price	Php 3,999,000 (as of November 2024)
Pros	Feels amazing to drive, Very comfortable for a performance car, Eye-catching design, Fully-loaded with features, Not too expensive
Cons	Feels too big, No 360-camera, Too loud