2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Road Test | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com

2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Road Test | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com conducts a road test of the 2015 Ford Mustang, where we drive the EcoBoost model with its turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine.

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emajor

I'm not a real pony car fan, but the outgoing Mustang with its revised retro styling really caught my eye. It looked fantastic, distinctive, tasteful in lower trims and menacing in weaponized trims. Both the V6 and V8 were winners. I just don't get that same gut attraction for this car. They ruined the styling for me, especially that bloated schnozz. The handling may be better but now you essentially have to get a stupid turbo-4 instead of the V6 that earned so many praises. I'll have to wait for some full tests by the media and more Fuelly members to log in, but I'm guessing real world fuel economy is hardly better than the six. Oh well.

bankerdanny

I've seen this car in person a couple of times and for a '69-'70 Mustang guy like me it is heavenly.

I have two complaints (other than the 200 excess pounds of car):

First is that the sport package wheels come only in black. While I know you guys like all black wheels, I just can't stand them. Ford could take a page from Mini here and offer one or two other no cost optional wheels for the sport package.

Second, the V6 doesn't get the sport package and Recaro seat options. That is still a very nice engine and it's cheaper than the EB version. My dream would still be a Coyote powered GT, but I could live with a V6 car, especially considering the almost 100hp boost over the 5.0 in my 1987 LX hatch.

subatomic

The grill looks better with the brightwork of the 50 Years Appearance Package which can be selected along with the Performance Package. Unfortunately, the 50 Years Appearance Package and the Recaro Sport Seats are mutually exclusive. Too bad. A Mustang with the 50 Years Appearance Package, Performance Package, and Recaro Sports Seats would have been the BOMB.

subatomic

I agree with bankerdanny. All of the option packages (Appearance, Performance, Recaro Seats) should be made available on the V-6 which is the least expensive model. Currently no option packages are available on the V-6 model.

tacomamudpit

Nice looking car, IRS nice addition, but 4 cylinder turbo's run real HOT, typically need to be revved up tight to get max power, are "course and loud" and not in a good way from my experience! In this and most applications premium fuel required. Long term, turbo's could be a very pricey maint issue? I'd rather just deal with a timing belt and not worn out turbo's. I'll take a proven V6 with less options. OK the V8 works too - nothing replaces the punch in the seat of true V8 or the music to the ears except a V8 growl!

bankerdanny

I think worn out turbos is a very very minor worry. Many thousands of turbo Volvo's and Saabs are on the road today with 100,000-200,000 miles on their original turbos. I personally had an '81 Saab 900 Turbo with 100k miles on it. The turbo never gave me a problem of any kind.

Given the modern synthetic oils new cars use these days compared to the standard dino oil I used in my Saab, there is no reason to expect turbo failures.

ab348

The photos I have seen of this car to date do not thrill me. Perhaps it is a design that needs to be seen in person to look good, but the front end/hood just does not look good in the pics. The same holds true for the interior, where the design looks very busy and incoherent. Time will tell.

axelfoley

Premium Fuel--- That means that the 2014 V-6 model will get better gas mileage.

chrisngrod

Wouldn't gas mileage be miles per gallon and not cost per mile?

aquineas

I'm not wowed by the styling; it seems like we've been seeing previews for this for forever, and it's not exactly a big change from the previous model (which is either/both a good thing and a bad thing). I will qualify that by saying that I haven't seen it in person yet, however. Still, if I were in the market for a Pony car, there's no question that I'd pick the Mustang.

mittzombie

A 40 hp loss for not using premium seems like a lot...

mittzombie

bankerdanny said:

I think worn out turbos is a very very minor worry. Many thousands of turbo Volvo's and Saabs are on the road today with 100,000-200,000 miles on their original turbos. I personally had an '81 Saab 900 Turbo with 100k miles on it. The turbo never gave me a problem of any kind.

Given the modern synthetic oils new cars use these days compared to the standard dino oil I used in my Saab, there is no reason to expect turbo failures.

A hybrid battery pack also lasts 150k miles and costs about 2k now, about the same as a turbo, that is significant.

My last car had 110k miles before its first 100 dollar repair and less than $1,000. in repairs total by 220k miles, that includes brake pads but not tires.

ezra7676

I saw pics on my local dealers website and love this car, especially the rear view with the wide fenders. I had a Thunderbird turbo coupe back when and loved that car. The ecoboost with a 6spd. manual in a convertible would be a midsummers dream.