FORD GIVES ICONIC MUSTANG MID-CYCLE REFRESHING FOR 2018; THEY GOT IT RIGHT

Having moved it into its sixth generation with a makeover for 2015 that carried over the retro design theme first revealed a decade earlier, Ford has given the iconic Mustang a mid-cycle refreshing for 2018.

Included among new features the company notes are a more powerful 5.0-liter V8 engine that is mated with an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission, new driver-assist technologies like Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and SYNC Connect, as well as refreshed front- and rear-end designs that result in a more aggressive look while improving aerodynamics for more confident handling and improved fuel economy.

With Ford announcing it is pulling out of the sedan market, it will be up to the Mustang to carry the company’s load in the traditional coupe-sedan passenger vehicle segment once the Focus morphs into the Focus Active Crossover for 2019.

To which we say, Hooray!

Not necessarily for the disappearance of the Taurus, Fiesta, Fusion, and the Focus compact sedan but for the continued existence of the king of the Pony Cars, the Mustang.

An immediate success at its launching when 22,000 were ordered on the first day of sales on April 17, 1964, and two million sold by March 1966, the Mustang continues to be a fan favorite.

Ford reports that the Mustang has been the world’s most popular sports coupe for the last three years with the 2018 model playing a key role in that momentum.

Keeping things fresh while not forgetting its roots — as the company did with the Thunderbird  — is a key.

In addition to the changes already note, Ford also dropped the V6model from the 2018 lineup, leaving Mustang aficionados with a choice of a fuel-efficient turbo-4 (21 mpg city/31 mpg highway) or a robust 5.0-liter V8 that is rated at 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque that can get you from zero-to-60 mph in less than four seconds when in enhanced, drag strip mode, according to Mustang chief engineer Carl Widmann.

Those horsepower and torque numbers are up from the 435/400, respectively, of the previous V8 Mustang.

I drove the Ecoboost 4-banger convertible last summer (see the July blogs for my thoughts on it) and generally found it to be a very capable performer.

But let’s face it. Muscle Cars are about the big bang, and that’s why I would recommend the V8.

Of course, it’s more expensive with the Ecoboost I4 carrying a base MSRP of $25,680 while the GT Fastback checks in at $35,190. The more upscale GT Premium Edition adds another $4,000 to that number, but makes for a slightly more sophisticated vehicle than your standard Muscle Car. It’s just nice, period.

Adjustments for such functions as ambient interior lighting (you can personalize the colors) and exhaust sound ranging form quiet to track can be made through the information display in the middle of the instrument panel.

You can also change what info is displayed there. If you want your trip and fuel mileage displayed or prefer gauges to keep you updated on oil pressure and water temperature, you can set the display to that.

Among standard features on the GT Premium are leather seats and leather-wrapped tilt and telescoping steering wheel with cruise and audio controls, dual zone climate control, capless fuel filler, LED headlamps and tail lamps, LED fog lights, intermittent wipers, quad tip dual exhaust, push-button start, and a rear-view camera with guidelines.

Optional equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning with cross traffic alert, a Shaker 12-speaker sound system, 19-inch wheels, and a GT Performance Package. The latter adds $4,000 to the cost, but will help you get the most out of your ride.

What I liked about the 2018 Ford Mustang: The Ford people definitely got it right with this incarnation of the classic Pony Car. It looks fast even standing still, and the ability to tune the Performance Exhaust system to your liking (normal, sport, track, and quiet modes) via the digital instrument display is a great feature. It has a pretty good size trunk (13.5 cubic feet) for a coupe.

What I didn’t like about the 2018 Ford Mustang: The backseat is almost useless. It is suitable for children only, and not very big ones at that. The roof slant gives the Mustang a sexy profile but intrudes greatly on rear headroom.

Would I buy the 2018 Ford Mustang? Frankly, I probably would go for the convertible over the coupe, but if convertibles aren’t your thing, then the coupe style is the next-best thing.

SUCCESS STORY CONTINUES FOR FORD

WITH 2017 MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE 

Sales of the Ford Mustang have hit a dip in the U.S. recently, but the car that inspired the Pony Car craze over a half-century ago may be more popular than it ever has been.

That’s because the demand for it globally continue to rise even as monthly U.S. sales numbers, which are still good enough to lead the segment by a wide margin, by the way, begin to fade just a bit.

According to an Associated Press report this week, the Mustang became the world’s best-selling “sports” car — more on why I put “sports” in quotes later — in 2016 with over 150,000 sold world-wide, even though U.S. sales slipped 13 percent.

Ford actually laid claim to the title last spring after scoping data from IHS Markit, an international company that collects data and information for analysis of various industries around the world. The automaker says that it will ship the iconic vehicle to over 140 countries in 2017 with Germany and China the most popular destinations.

Frankly, as long as they keep shipping them to South Florida I’ll be happy (even though it has been years since I actually owned one).

My recent time spent in a 2017 Ford Mustang convertible confirmed that.

Of course, I may be biased here. I don’t recall ever seeing a convertible I haven’t liked, so the Mustang that was delivered to my driveway one sunny morning (alas, the sun didn’t last all that long) was ahead of the game before I had even gotten behind the wheel and pushed the button down at the bottom of the center stack to start it up.

But my continued time did nothing to dim my original enthusiasm.

My colleagues in the Southern Automotive Media Association chose the Mustang as the winner in its category (full-size) in this summer’s Topless in Miami Presented by Haartz convertible competition, so I am not alone in my enthusiasm. It is also a very popular rental in the Florida Keys where on a drive on U.S. 1 it seems like one passes you every mile whether you are headed north or south.

There likely are many reasons behind its popularity, but I have to think its versatility rates high. It has been offered with a V8, V6 (for this year; it’s to be discontinued for 2018) or even a 4-cylinder engine with either an automatic or a manual transmission, which helps spread out the cost to fit more budgets. 

No matter what powertrain you select, the dual exhausts send forth that special Mustang sound that is a delight to the ears. And you don’t have to go up to the V8 for a fun drive.

The 2.4-liter Ecoboost 4-banger sends 310 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels, which is actually more than the 300/280 you get with the V6. The 5.0-liter V8 is tuned to 435/400, respectively.

But I think another factor is that unlike with the Thunderbird, which it introduced about a decade before, Ford stuck with the basics with the Mustang. The 2017 Mustang convertible I drove for a week in July 2017 was much like the same droptop I would have driven in July 1967 as far as the fundamentals go.

Obviously, the styling has been updated, and the 2017 model has up-to-date conveniences (like anti-lock brakes and traction control) and technology that we wouldn’t have dreamed of over 50 years ago when FM radio was considered exotic and eight-track stereos were just coming into being. 

And the top opens and closes with the twist of a handle and push of a button and folds neatly into a compartment behind the rear seat without intruding on the trunk space. No awkward opening and close dual clamps.

But it’s still a fresh-air ride for four-passengers (or one, for that matter).

The Thunderbird, on the other hand, morphed into a four-seater in 1958 after just three years as a two-seater and each succeeding generation it seemed to grow and grow and even was targeted as a competitor to Lincoln luxury before it was returned to a two-seater for 2002. It disappeared after 2005 while the Mustang lives on.

The 2.3L Premium edition I had came with a cloth top, HID projector headlights and LED fog lights, dual-zone auto climate control, leather trimmed seats, two Smart charging USB ports, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a rearview camera (especially handy for when the top is up), and selectable drive modes for normal, sport, and eco performance.

All that was included in the $35,695 base MSRP.

Throw in option packages that included Shaker audio to replace the standard premium sound system, a rear deck spoiler, heated and cooled seats, and the automatic transmission and the total MSRP came to $39,585 including the $900 destination and delivery fee.

Coupe Mustangs start at $25,185 and the V6 convertible at $30,685. You get into the low $40K range with the GT Premium convertible and on into the mid-$50K range with the Shelby GT350 Fastback.

Oh, yes. I put the word “sport” in quotes up there somewhere and said I would have more on that later, didn’t I? Well, here is why.

There is no doubt that the Mustang, even with the 4-banger and especially the GT, falls in the category of a performance vehicle. You can get it with a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and the firm ride certainly is sports-car like. It won’t jar your teeth, but you will know when you go over a bump in the road.

But when I was growing up to me a sports car was a nifty two-seater like a Triumph TR4 or an MG known more for their agility than their brute power. The Mustang with its backseat just didn’t seem to fit in that genre.

Still doesn’t to me, even though the backseat in the convertible is pretty much useless padding unless you move the front seats so far forward you are bumping your nose on the windshield.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

What I liked about the 2017 Ford Mustang convertible: Pretty much everything. Well, maybe not the backseat, but hey! I was driving all the time! It’s a quiet ride with the top up as well.

What I didn’t like about the 2017 Ford Mustang convertible: Ford really ought to take a closer look at how the top is secured. It’s not a major effort to turn the handle at the top of the center windshield to open or secure, but so many other manufacturers have found a way to see that the latches click into place automatically. Those who like to see their cars “glide” may not like the firm suspension, but it is a Muscle Car after all.

Would I buy the 2017 Ford Mustang convertible? Of course!