2015 AutoGuide.Com Car of the Year Nominee: Ford Mustang
FAST FACTS
| Engine: | 2.3L Turbo 4 Cyl. makes 310 hp, 320 lb-ft of torque |
| Transmission: | 6 speed manual or 6 speed automatic |
| Fuel economy: | 22/31 MPG city/highway |
| Price: | $30,010 as tested |
There probably isn’t anything more American than independence and appropriately, that’s exactly what the Ford Mustang’s rear end is gaining in 2015.
By now you almost certainly know that the fifth-generation Ford Mustang is ditching its solid rear axle in favor of an independent rear suspension across the entire model line. But that isn’t the only change for America’s pony car, no sir.
It is also being sold with a turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that puts out 310 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. It’s the newest and most revolutionary Mustang on the market today, so we invited it to be a finalist for our 2015 Car of the Year Award.
While it isn’t the quickest or most powerful model, the EcoBoost model feels far from slow. The turbocharger creates enough torque to give it purposeful acceleration without laying waste to gasoline with the sort of reckless abandon tied to owning the five-point-oh…
Ford also improved the manual transmission it uses in the Mustang for this generation for smoother shifts. The stick feels light between gear changes and more refined than the now-gone fourth-generation car.
Perhaps most importantly, the Mustang is finally being sold worldwide as a “global” car. Is that enough to make it the 2015 AutoGuide.com car of the year? Stay tuned for our official announcement on Monday, December 15.
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LOVE IT
- Style
- Fuel economy
- Direct driving feel
LEAVE IT
- Exhaust note (or lack thereof)
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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Great value proposition - the GT plus Track Pack, a V8 for @36k, what is not to like.
don't like the "global grille" - I don't want a generic global car - I want an American Mustang, like my 99 - interested to see how the different engines fare as far as durability, repair costs, and insurance costs (turbo cost more in insurance?) - etc -