Not Quite a Proper GT - 2015 Ford Mustang GT Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Not Quite a Proper GT - 2015 Ford Mustang GT Long-Term Road Test

Is our long-term 2015 Mustang GT worthy of the name? GT usually means Grand Tourer or Gran Turismo - which usually means a lot more than 300 miles per tank.

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kirkhilles1

Has the "GT" ever really applied to a car with more comfort? It's always been a higher performance, less forgiving, better handling, but rougher ride. I like this line from Wikipedia:

A true grand tourer is a luxury or performance vehicle intended for long-distance spirited travel in both comfort and style. The placement of "GT" on an automobile does not necessarily classify it as a "grand tourer."

texases

I've never considered driving range on the list of "GT requirements". 300 miles is enough.

kain77

I have a 2014 GT with a comparable fuel tank, and I was disappointed at first that the tank is so small. But then again, around the 200-mile mark on a road trip I'd want to get out and stretch my legs anyway (bad back).

bankerdanny

You haven't really equiped this car to be a proper GT, have you? Lose the sport package and the lower gearing and you likely get the 25mpg EPA rating and about 400 miles on a tank.

bucho65

Very few people are going to want to drive more than 300 miles on a road trip. I think I can count on 1 hand how many times I ran out a tank in any of my cars without stopping. At an average speed of 80 mph it would take you 5 hours to run out a the tank in a car with a 400 mile range. Nothing wrong with a 300 range.

bankerdanny

I've done many road trips over the years that involved 400+ mile days. But I do agree that for the most part 300 is a more reasonable number if you want to be able to sight see along the way.

I was going to post on how a classic GT, the Ferrari GTB/4 Daytona probably didn't have a 400 mile range. But then I pulled the spec's, it has a 31.7 gallon (!) tank. Even at 15mpg that's a 450+ mile range.

I still disagree about the Mustang GT not being a GT, but Josh may be on to something about the fuel capacity in a traditional European Grand Touring car.

defyant15

I have the Mustang GT-PP (similar to yours) and prior to this had a BMW M6 (Indianapolis red - manual, I had sent you all in Edmunds photos and an offer to buy it last year for the long term!). Yes, I like GT's. Unlike all out sports cars like the Boxster, Miata and 370Z, the GT class, when done right can handle extremely well, kick *** on the track and yet ferry you and you sig other (and kids or buddies for short trips) in comfort with the necessary luggage.

The M6 is supposed to be even more GT focused, with more lux (leather wrapped everything) and more weight (300 pounds heavier) etc - but BOTH cars had this issue of small tanks (the M6 has an 18-19 gallon tank but consumption is a good bit worse, best range I got was 270 miles!!!). I would def prefer a 20 gallon tank - less visits to the gas pump as well when daily driving!

s197gt

i think classically defined GTs don't have "GT" in their name anymore.

allthingshonda

The small fuel tank has always been a problem on Mustangs. The old Fox bodies, remember, had the saddle bag tanks that crossed over the drive shaft but even then I think the capacity was only 15 gallons. V8+small tank= a lot of pit stops.

explorerx4

@allthingshonda, Do you even know what a Fox body Mustang looks like? I've had one for 24 years, not my first, and your comment is as wrong as it gets.

s197gt

i'll prove myself wrong:

2016 Bentley Continental GT

Aston Martin DB9 GT

but, yeah, $200k+

s197gt said:

i think classically defined GTs don't have "GT" in their name anymore.

texases

300 miles is 4 hours or more. Next to nobody needs longer between stops. And Europeans drive much shorter distances, anyway. 

quadricycle

texases said:

300 miles is 4 hours or more. Next to nobody needs longer between stops. And Europeans drive much shorter distances, anyway. 

Have a European side of the family, and we actually love long road trips. (When I get to be there,) France or Switzerland in the winter, south for the summer, plus lots of driving to see family during the year.

Big range is nice, because even if you stop every 2 hours for leg stretching, you don't HAVE to find a gas station each time. Sometimes you'll hold out longer because gas gets cheaper in Luxembourg, sometimes you don't want to stop at gas stations along an infamous stretch near Lyon because it feels like every damn person in Europe is heading down to the south of France at the exact same time, etc. And yes, sometimes everybody is asleep in the car and you just crank out a 5 hour leg without stopping while you can.

I couldn't do a 300 mile tank.

darthbimmer

Every vehicle my family has owned-- sport car, econobox, and SUV-- has had a highway range of about 325 miles (meaning 300 before the driver starts to worry about how low the gauge is dipping). This is fine because at 75-80mph average speed it is still 4 hours between fills. Driving for more than 4 hours without a break is tough. Having extra tank capacity is nice but I don't see it as a make-or-break issue for determining whether a car qualifies as a grand tourer.

texases

Does anybody really think that "GT" means "Grand Touring"? I guess the next post for Edmunds needs to address the corruption of the "Limited" badge!

camrydriver69

I don't think anybody thinks GT means Grand Touring on a Mustang. This is a dumb post.