AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING9/10
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Safety8/10
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PRACTICALITY8/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES7/10
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POWER10/10
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COMFORT8/10
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DRIVING FEEL7/10
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FUEL ECONOMY5/10
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VALUE8/10
A lot’s been made in recent years of the Ford Mustang’s move from the tradition in which it’s rooted toward something a lot more like a sports car.
The switch away from a solid rear axle was the real impetus for the perception shift, allowing the sixth-gen car to corner unlike any of its predecessors. That alone has led to a sense that perhaps this pony car is more of a Nissan Z competitor than one built to take on the likes of the Dodge Challenger.
That’s the idea, at least. In reality, with a snarling V8 stuffed between its fenders, the redesigned 2024 Ford Mustang GT remains a properly performing – and proportioned – muscle car, albeit one that’s been thoroughly modernized.
Power: 10/10
Opting for the entry-level engine, a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder, removes all kinds of weight from the front of the car, making the Mustang feel a little more light and lively as a result. No, it’s never going to be confused for a car like the tiny (and tidy) Toyota GR86, but cutting something like 109 kg (240 lb) compared to the V8 version has a way of altering the way this Ford operates.
Sticking with the Mustang GT is to get it the way the car gods intended. That means a 5.0L V8 under the hood that generates 486 hp and 418 lb-ft of torque when fitted with the optional performance exhaust ($1,495). Those numbers drop slightly without the upgrade, with 480 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque to work with. Either way, that’s on an expensive diet of 93-octane gas, but it’s well worth the money for all the angry noises it makes, not to mention the way it performs.
Driving Feel: 7/10
Fitted with three pedals and a six-speed manual transmission, the 2024 Mustang GT feels like a barely tamed beast in the best ways possible. The gearbox is incredibly forgiving, thanks in no small part to all that torque that builds steadily towards its peak at 4,900 rpm, while the notchy gear stick and heavy-ish clutch pedal quickly and clearly relay what’s happening back to the driver. (The auto rev-matching function doesn’t hurt, either, taking the pain out of heel-and-toe downshifting for those who haven’t mastered it.)
With all the engine’s torque heading to the rear wheels, it’s easy enough to change direction using the throttle pedal; however, doing it the conventional way leads to turn-in response that’s almost sports-car-like, with the Mustang darting and diving into corners despite a soft and supple suspension setup that has just a bit of sloppiness to it.
Comfort: 8/10
That suspension tune – it’s conventional; no fancy adaptive dampers here – provides outstanding ride quality in most circumstances. Yes, slowly rolling over broken pavement or potholes is a little unpleasant, something to keep in mind before the next boulevard cruise or Sunday evening ice cream run. But anything faster than about 50 km/h is right in this car’s comfort zone, both literally and figuratively.
The front seats are more comfortable and supportive than they might appear at first glance, with hours behind the wheel passing by with barely a hint of trouble. The ones in this tester were heated and power adjustable (the seatbacks are managed manually), although that’s only after a $2,900 upgrade package was applied. In truth, that’s among the few disappointments in this entire car, which those with their glasses half full will surely appreciate. Those with less optimistic outlooks might well see it as nickel-and-diming in a car that costs nearly $50,000 before freight and tax.
Styling: 9/10
A subjective disappointment is the Mustang’s move away from the retro-inspired styling it’s boasted for years. It’s not like this redesigned version looks bad by any stretch, but the overall aesthetic is much more contemporary than the two or three generations that came before it. And yet it still looks very much like a modernized version of the previous Mustang, while new additions like the functional heat extractor on the hood provide a proper freshening up.
The essence of the old car carries over in the cabin, too. Yes, there’s a ton of new technology, including a digital instrument display and massive 13.2-inch infotainment screen. But those simply look like add-ons to the old interior. Likewise, the row of toggle switches that was previously found at the base of the centre stack has been replaced by rubberized buttons, but the idea’s the same even if the execution is a little different.
User-Friendliness: 8/10
Those buttons are flanked on the left and right by the push-button ignition switch and stereo volume knob, respectively – and that’s it for physical controls on the centre stack. It’s a big departure from the previous layout, which featured a full complement of climate and infotainment switches. This time around, all those and more are operated via the big touchscreen.
The operating system is modern, streamlined, and straightforward, with a dedicated icon in the top left corner that makes navigating back to the home screen a cinch – an underutilized feature in today’s touch-crazed auto industry. While both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be configured to occupy virtually the entire display, that home button is always there, as are the simplified climate icons that span the bottom of the screen.
Value: 8/10
There’s no question its starting price – $48,500, to be exact – puts the 2024 Mustang GT in rare company these days for delivering big bang for a reasonable buck. Beyond simply offering so much muscle for the money, it’s competitively priced, too. The cheapest V8-powered version of the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro starts at $50,199 (it makes less power but more torque), while even the Nissan Z is a pricier proposition at $50,998 before freight and tax.
Meanwhile, this tester was fitted with a few desirable features – the GT High package and its heated seats, as well as a fantastic adaptive exhaust system, among others – while barely breaking $57,000 before tax. In short, there’s a lot of car here for the money.
Features: 7/10
There’s no denying that the cheapest V8-powered Mustang has been stripped of some of the features that might be expected for the money. The seats are manually adjustable (and they aren’t heated) and the climate system is of the single-zone variety, to name a couple surprises inside a car that’s priced at nearly $50,000 before freight and tax. But then there are those big, bright displays inside, wireless smartphone connectivity, and a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot. Plus those skimpy features can be upgraded for a relatively reasonable price, as they were in this tester.
The GT High pack ($2,900) upgrades the stereo from six speakers to nine, adds satellite radio (which requires a subscription), heated front seats, power adjustability for the driver’s side, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Meanwhile, all that and more is included with the Mustang GT Premium trim that starts at $54,400.
Safety: 8/10
There’s a surprising selection of standard advanced safety features, with most (but not all) included in the cheapest Mustang GT’s asking price. Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, and the back-up camera that’s mandatory on all new vehicles are all included. So is blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and automatic high-beam control, leaving adaptive cruise control as the only outlier. (That can be added to the GT Premium trim for $1,700.)
Practicality: 8/10
Getting back to the exhaust, adjustable baffles inside allow the system to be cycled through a handful of settings, each louder than the last. There might not be a better-sounding production car on the market, period. If there’s a complaint worth levelling it’s that even the so-called quiet mode isn’t all that quiet, with the Mustang GT roaring to life with neighbour-angering authority.
Otherwise, this sizable coupe possesses all the practicality the driver of a modern-day muscle car could ask for. The lack of a sunroof means there’s plenty of headroom up front, while there’s enough small-item storage to stash wallets, phones, keys, and whatever else might need a temporary home inside. The trunk’s a good size, too, with room for a weekend’s worth of stuff inside.
Fuel Economy: 5/10
Less practical is this car’s appetite for expensive fuel, with the 2024 Ford Mustang GT rated to consume a combined 13.8 L/100 km. (That number improves to 13.1 with the automatic transmission in place of this tester’s manual.) Even so, overachieving is easy enough, even without a light foot on the throttle, with this test resulting in an indicated average of 12.9 L/100 km combined across a little more than 500 km.
The Verdict
For all the surface-level changes to the 2024 Ford Mustang GT, it’s still damn good at being what it’s meant to be: a raucous coupe with more power than it needs, all of which it requires little effort to unleash. If anything, it’s better than before in that regard, handling a little more like a sports car while unquestionably maintaining its muscle car status.
| Engine Displacement | 5.0L |
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| Engine Cylinders | V8 |
| Peak Horsepower | 486 hp @ 7,250 rpm |
| Peak Torque | 418 lb-ft @ 4,900 rpm |
| Fuel Economy | 16.6 / 10.2 / 13.8 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 382 L |
| Model Tested | 2024 Ford Mustang GT |
| Base Price | $48,500 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $2,095 |
| Price as Tested | $57,390 |
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Optional Equipment
$6,695 – GT High Equipment Group, $2,900; Performance Exhaust, $1,495; 19-inch Polished Aluminum Wheels, $1,250; Yellow Splash Metallic tricoat paint, $800; Premium Floor Liners, $250
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