2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost

I’m bemused like a academy babe if the Mustang shows up. This is my ride to southern New Jersey for the 24 Hours of Lemons race, and it’s a absolute apparatus for the job.
I anticipate the new Mustang looks abundant bigger in getting than pictures Japaneses cars dealer in Dubai. This blush aggregate is adulation at aboriginal sight. Aloft afterpiece inspection, it has the coveted Performance Package, and a blink central reveals its alternative Recaro seats and, a lot of importantly, a able six-speed chiral transmission! Yes, the car Gods accept smiled aloft me.
Yet, the better abruptness is if I alpha the engine…
2015 ford mustang ecoboost engine
…which sounds like the Ford Escape.
Yup – it’s the new four-cylinder Mustang EcoBoost. That abysmal V8 tone, arresting by a candied boom at start-up that makes the hairs on the aback of your close angle up, is gone. Instead, I get the complete and acerbity of a CUV.
I accumulate an accessible apperception because absolutely no one at Ford would put this four-banger into a Mustang if it’s annihilation but great. To be honest, to me, this is the a lot of absorbing engine of the three available, if for no added acumen than I artlessly don’t not apperceive what to expect.
Right away, this engine feels altered than a lot of adventurous turbocharged fours. For one, it feels heavy. It does not rev actual freely, as if there is a abundant flywheel attached. Interestingly, I said the exact aforementioned affair of the 1.0-liter three-cylinder in the Fiesta. Secondly, the torque ambit is actual collapsed and afterwards abundant lag, both good. Ford says the engine’s aiguille 320 lb.-ft. is accessible amid 2500 and 4500 rpm. There are 310 application at 5500 rpm and it seems to bead off if abutting the redline.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost rear side
Accompanying that ability from 2500 rpm up is the candied complete of turbo blare – absolutely addictive. During artery dispatch or artery passing, this engine whistles acquiescently while affairs hard, and it about makes up for the abridgement of the V8 sound. Almost. But I catechism the noise: is it amoebic or is Ford bluffing me?
So it’s got torque, but is it fast? That’s depends on your analogue of fast. Buff books say the EcoBoost ‘Stang will accomplish 0-60 mph in 5.5 abnormal and complete the division in 13.9 seconds. That was fast some years ago, but today that’s hardly quick; a V6 Accord is just two tenths slower through the traps. The EcoBoost Mustang requires alignment to absolutely move fast, admitting a V8 engine would acutely accept all the power, all the time.
Even if apprenticed in anger, I wouldn’t go antagonism any V8 Mustangs and, assurance me, every Mustang disciplinarian on the alley will ambition to chase you. Just attending away. If you’re into modifying, you’ll be blessed to apperceive there are EcoBoost Mustangs active about with 400 application at the rear wheels.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost dash
Despite getting the aboriginal of the three American beef cars, the Mustang isn’t a baby sports car, getting six inches best and two and a bisected inches added than the BMW 428i coupe. It weighs 3,532 pounds, which is about 100 pounds added than the Bimmer and 170 beneath than an agnate Mustang GT.
While it feels heavy, Ford has somehow managed to accomplish this weight work, and it’s abuse fun to drive on any road. Admitting getting at a chase track, I did not accept permission to do any laps in the ‘Stang, but I am assertive it would do absolutely able-bodied with the Pirelli P-Zeros as allotment of the Performance Package.
What I’m aghast with is the actuality Ford went through all this accomplishment to accomplish the F-150 physique out of aluminum but alone the awning and fenders on the ‘Stang. Beneath weight, which one would apprehend in the change to a four-cylinder engine, would drive the fun agency way up. It would advance the ammunition economy, too, which the EPA ante at 22 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the artery and 26 mpg combined. On my somewhat accidental New Jersey Turnpike drive I got about 27 mpg. With the all-embracing cruise average, which included the fun Merritt Parkway and awash Bergen County, I averaged 23 mpg. For comparison, the chiral V6 gets 17 mpg city-limits and 28 highway, while the V8 chiral is rated for 15 mpg city-limits and 25 highway. Not that ammunition abridgement is a affairs point of the Mustang.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost autogenous data 2
The blow of the car, to be brief, is great. The Recaro seats, admitting defective ancillary bolster adjustments or basal beanbag extension, are actual adequate for the six-foot-two me and drew acclaim from the dozen guys who asked me if they could analysis out the car. While supportive, the seats are not difficult to get in and out of and not at all backbreaking over my six hour drive. Unlike the accepted seats, the Recaros are not acrimonious or ventilated, and they don’t acknowledgment to their aboriginal position afterwards accessing the rear seat. If I had one wish, it would be for hardly added allowance for the times one is cutting a helmet. The rear seats are best ill-fitted for beneath folks.
The shifter is abuse abreast absolute for agog active – not too short, with alone the sixth accessory not consistently area expected; little to the right Honda used car. It was as if the car capital to about-face by itself from fifth to fourth, but traveling into sixth requires added decisiveness, which makes sense. The clamp pedal feels a bit stiff, reminding you this is no econobox, but it is not difficult if ashore in chock-full cartage on the George Washington Bridge approach.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost exoteric details
Once seated, advanced afterimage is actual acceptable and abundant bigger over the antecedent generation, but the ancillary mirrors are a bit small. The birr is accurately laid out, with all controls aural simple access. Some things, such as the toggle switches chrome-like trim or the “ground speed” speedometer, may not be to everyone’s taste, but aggregate formed actual well. It has taken me abounding years, but I accept assuredly broiled up to the love-it-or-hate-it, anon to be replaced MyFord Touch system, which in this car was complimented by the Shaker audio system. The HID headlights are excellent, too.
What irks me are the selectable drive and council modes. There are four active modes (normal, snow-wet, sport, and track) and three council modes (comfort, accustomed and sport). With anniversary restart they absence to normal. I accept all automakers do this now for assorted reasons, but I shouldn’t allegation to acquaint my Mustang to be adventurous anniversary time I get into it. It should accept two modes: Go! and LMHBSMA!, let-me-hoon-but-save-my-ass clue mode.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost added details
The 2015 Mustang EcoBoost starts at $25,300. This Premium archetypal punches it up to $29,300. The Shaker audio arrangement is $1,795, adaptive cruise ascendancy is $1,195, Performance Package (19” auto with Pirellis, 3.55 LSD, thicker rear amplitude bar, bracing, beyond rotors and 4-piston foreground calipers, beyond radiator, barometer pack) is able-bodied account $1,995, $1,595 for Recaro seats, few added accessory options and destination allegation accompany the amount of the advised car to $38,585. For comparison, an appropriately able GT archetypal would amount over $5,000 more.
Minor annoyances aside, I absolutely like this ‘Stang. I adulation how it looks (especially in this blush combination, which seemed abnormally catchy to photograph). I like all the features, the fun-to-drive factor, comfort, refinement, and its decidedly ample block – but it does leave me somewhat puzzled. It’s not decidedly lighter, cheaper, or economical than a Mustang with the able V8 engine. It’s aswell not abundant faster than the V6. It exists so Ford can advertise the Mustang about the world, but anyone who buys one anywhere will be reminded they should accept gotten the V8 every time they alpha the engine.
2015 ford mustang ecoboost
Kamil Kaluski is the East Coast Editor for Hooniverse.com. His ramblings on Eastern European cars, $500 racers, and added assorted automotive being can be begin there. He and his aggregation were accomplishing absolutely abundant in the chase appropriate until they blew the engine.
Ford Motor Company provided the car for the purpose of this review.