Five-Point Inspection: 5 Reasons Ford Needs to Modernize the Mustang

An all new Mustang is due out tomorrow and from what has leaked out already it’s a dramatic change. That, no doubt, will enrage pony car loyalists and anyone over the age of 50, but it’s necessary.

Some recent market survey data revealed that while the Mustang is the No. 1 considered car by Baby Boomers looking for a rear drive sports car, it’s last among Gen Y. Ford absolutely must modernize the Mustang because fans of the current car won’t be around for much longer, or at least not in the market for a sports car, and without new buyers Ford might as well send its pony to the glue factory.

Recently we spent a week driving a 2014 Mustang with a V6 engine and a six-speed manual transmission. Equipped with the Mustang Club of America package and some eye catching paint we can credit it as our muse for this piece, highlighting five things Ford absolutely must change about its performance icon.

Ford briefly offered the Boss 302 Mustang in School Bus Yellow. Wrap your hands around the steering wheel in any current ‘Stang and you’ll understand why. It’s massive.

It may seem like a trivial trait, but it’s not. A car’s steering wheel is one of the few places a driver touches. It’s also what allows them to control the car’s direction and get feedback from the road. Electric power steering magic aside, a smaller wheel makes for naturally quicker inputs, helping give the driver a sense of control.

Is it essential that a sports car get a small steering wheel? That’s like asking if power should go to the rear wheels.

The current Mustang is both too heavy and too big. Yes, it’s lighter than its muscle car competitors, but it’s a bit hefty for a sports car, which it has transformed into.

The current Mustang V6 weighs in at just over 3,500 lbs, though our convertible tester is a more hefty 3,630 lbs.

High strength steels and other components are certain to help the new Mustang shed weight – early reports suggest the 2015 model will shed 200 lbs. Hopefully it can also minimize its dimensions, or at least make the car feel smaller. The car’s massive front prow does nothing to diminish any sailing metaphors you can dream up holding onto that steering wheel.

Ford will replace the solid rear axle in the Mustang with a fully independent rear suspension (IRS) in 2015.

Long overdue, debates about what what’s best for drag racing are irrelevant. For the car, and for the vast majority of drivers, IRS is better.

Certainly it’s better for road racing, though the flaws of the current ‘Stang’s setup are never really as obvious on a smooth racetrack. Rather, an independent suspension will deliver a vastly superior ride quality, something all drivers will appreciate.

The 2015 Mustang’s new suspension will do away with excessive wheel hop and our tester’s horrendously choppy ride .

A touch crude, the Mustang’s V6 has to go. Ford has done a fine job of updating it to have newer technology, but it’s torn between making power and delivering decent fuel economy.

As a result, the V6 has been saddled with a lazy six-speed manual transmission in our tester. Both sixth and fifth gears are excessively tall so as to reach a fuel economy goal of 29 mpg highway. The result is that with zero throttle response in either of them, you’re only left with four gears to actually drive the car with.

A new EcoBoost 2.3-liter 4-cylinder is a welcome addition with plenty of around-town torque and and fuel economy that should ( in theory) improve.

The 2015 Mustang has leaked out ahead of its official debut, revealing a familiar shape and a more modern look. In many ways the transformation is less dramatic than expected, though the shift in design is much needed.

Like it or not, stereotypes are real and a car says something about its driver.

The Mustang we just finish driving screams “I’m an old man” and that’s a message no one but old men want to send.

The stigma is even worse if you live in a big city or either of the coasts.

Some among the AutoGuide staff admitted to being self conscious, shyly maneuvering through traffic in an attempt to not draw any more attention to the Gotta Have it Green paint so as to avoid the judging eyes of urbanites. All those lounging hipsters and smartly dressed banker-types would certainly expect anyone stepping out of a Mustang to toss back their mullet… if they still had hair.

The Mustang faithful might be socked to hear this but there’s an increasingly large portion of the population that won’t drive a Mustang for the very worst reason: they’re too embarrassed.

And when faced with that concern, does Ford need any other reasons to deliver a modern Mustang?

Discuss this story at our 2015 Ford Mustang forum.