2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe 5.0 6-speed - One of the best Mustangs ever!

 

I have to admit it, I am an avowed Ford and Mustang man. I've owned many Fords and a handful of Mustangs. But the last new Ford and Mustang I owned was way back in 1989, a Fox-body 5.0. 

Since that time I've drive many new Mustangs and although I've like them all I can say unequivocally that the 2024 is the best over-all 'Stang I've driven.

This isn't the most muscular Mustang available from Ford, that would be the Dark Horse. But with 480 hp (you have an additional 6 hp on tap with the Active Valve Dual Exhaust as on the test model) and 418 lb-ft of torque the "base" GT is no slouch. But I'm no kid so I didn't drive around with the extra loud exhaust, and 480 hp is nothing to sneeze at. 

I like manual transmissions even though they can be a pain at times. I have not been enamored with 6-speed manuals though. I have found that the gear slots or gates are often too narrow and too close together so that it is difficult to be precise, especially when down shifting. This is one area the 2024 Mustang GT shines - as long as you don't try to force the shifter but instead let it guide you, you always end up in the correct gear. The throws are nice and short, just use a delicate touch and Bob's your uncle.

Back to the engine. At low rpms there is a nice rumble from the exhaust but as the revs build you hear the scream of a high revving race engine. Not that I did that often but once or twice (okay maybe more) I took it up to near its redline of 7,500!

The amazing thing is, and this applies to all modern performance engines, is the flexibility. This Mustang 5.0 pulled smoothly from 2,000 rpm in 6th gear!

Despite the 2024 Mustangs size - 189.4" long, 81.9" wide, and just a smidge under two-tons - once I got comfortable with it, it didn't feel that big. 

Personally I'd like a little more comfort from the suspension. This has been a problem in my opinion for a few decades - street cars with track suspensions. I live in the real world, one with bumps, potholes, and debris. I do not need to feel every single little pebble. On the plus side the ride got better at highway speeds.

What everyone wants to know is "how fast is it?" I have to turn to Car and Driver for that info simply because exploring the 2024 Mustang GT's limits might end up with me behind bars. So here it is: 0-to-60 in 4.2 seconds, 1/4 mile in 12.5 seconds at 114 mph, top speed (limited) is 155 mph, and 0.99g on the skidpad. 

You can tell by the numbers that traffic where I live is terrible. I averaged 27 mph over 222.7 miles, some highway miles! EPA says the Mustang will get 23-mpg on the highway, and 17 combined so I was in the ball park.

Like so many new cars the 2024 Mustang GT has about a zillion operator settings. It seems to me that the only one most owners use is the MAKE IT AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE mode. This is the mode that makes the rest of us hate these people. I fooled around with a few settings but other than changing the background color of the screens, and changing the gauges to Fox Body style for a little bit, I just left things alone. 

In some ways I wish we could go back to the "build it your way" years. I'd leave out a lot of the tech, soften up the suspension a little, and I'd be set. But those days are gone so, if I could afford it and if my wife would let me, I'd have another Mustang, something like this, in my garage.

The base Mustang GT starts at $41,960 (www.ford.com). With the GT Performance Package (highly recommended as it includes Brembo brakes plus, plus, plus) adding $4,995, and the fees tacked on you're looking at a tad over $50,000 out the door. I know that seems like a lot of money but in todays market it really isn't.