Road test: Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost Fastback Manual

Classic Mustang on a power run, says Mike Stone

Smooth mover: the Ford Mustang comes in a choice of two engines — a five-litre V8 and a 2.3-litre Ecoboost

3 June 2016

The last time I drove Ford’s latest Mustang was on marble-smooth German roads. But this is the first Mustang to be officially imported into Britain, so how will it fare on roads about as smooth as a ploughed field?

Well, as expected, there is far more road noise than in Germany but all in all it coped rather well.

The engine choice is between a five-litre V8 producing 421PS or a 2.3-litre Ecoboost unit with half that number of cylinders. The V8 may sound like a no-brainer but the “small” engine still kicks out 317PS and can reach 145mph.

If what you want is theatre, it must be the V8. The exhaust rumble alone is worth the extra cost and the greater power is impressive rather than nerve-tingling. But with your sensible hat on, the 2.3 makes a good case for itself.

For a start, it’s smoother. The V8’s driveline is a bit lumpy — you feel it each time the auto box swaps down a gear and you must feed the power in gently on anything but a dry, smooth surface or the rear wheels will spin. It is easier to extract the performance from the 2.3, which is no sluggard, reaching 62mph in 5.8 seconds from rest. The engine also makes an agreeable grunt when pushed, even if it is partly artificially created.

Ford also claims 35.3mpg against the V8’s 23.5, although in the real world you would not approach these figures in either car. Talking about cost, the V8 is remarkably good value at £35,995 in fastback form and the 2.3 starts at £30,995. Darned good value for a slice of classic Americana.

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Road test: Ford Mustang 2.3 Ecoboost Fastback Manual

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