Mustang UK: Day one

Ten months of waiting, delays, a useless dealer (who was promptly replaced with a far superior one) and an employment scare that almost made me cancel the order – its safe to say I’ve been through a bit of an ordeal, and that I also possess the patience of a saint.

In my first day of ownership I’ve clocked a total of 85.1 miles on my brand new 2016 Ford Mustang GT, totalling 102.2 on the odometer. Many cars need a week or so in order for the driver to get adjusted and acquainted, to truly see their new ride’s personality after you’ve chipped away at its outer surface. Turns out the Mustang just needs one afternoon, an empty road, and a Diet coke from McDonalds in the cup holder; because day one has taught me all I need to know. Its just a case of refining it.

So, after one day with my new Mustang, what have I learned?

Living with the car will be easy

Regardless of what you do with the toggle switches on the centre stack - doesn’t matter if you’re in Track or Sport Plus - the car only has two settings in reality: “Putter around town” and “I’m going to die”. Thus is the nature of what is essentially still a rather unsophisticated car.

Its a classic example of a lazy American V8, and in all honesty I wouldn’t have it any other way. At low revs the throttle response is still instant with a good amount of pull for confident overtaking, giving the Mustang a wonderfully docile attitude as it charmingly burbles down the street. Its less taxing to drive as a daily since the fear of leaping forward into the proceeding car’s bumper is outright eliminated, and regulating the throttle is always simple. A BMW 328i I test drove is a good example of the opposite, with even as low as 1750rpm being far too “crazed psychopath” in its power delivery that would’ve made traffic a chore if not a little scary at times.

With instant throttle response also comes rev matching, and I was slamming gears with ease by the first roundabout. It has caught me out however, catapulting star-crossed-lovers style into the horizon when I gave it too many revs on a down change, but these things come with practice (Heel-Toe is absolutely out of the question without an extension on the throttle pedal though).

All of this together, plus a not disastrous turning circle and good visibility out the front and sides, makes it easy to live with every day. It can be a commuter car when you want it to be and I love that about it.

Mileage isn’t actually that bad either. With a few WOT runs and 100% city driving for an extended period of time as I went from house to house to show off the car to family (and family friends), I managed to average 19.5mpg. On the motorway utilising cruise control the car even reported that it was achieving 35mpg. I guess the American stereotype of “uneconomical engines” is something of the past now with figures like this.

Its utterly terrifying

So, about that docile engine… above 3500rpm its SAVAGE. This is the Mustang’s “I’m going to die” setting I mentioned earlier. Dropping into second as the road changes from a 30-zone to National Speed Limit prompts the entire car to rock backwards on its rear tyres relieving them of all their tread. Twice in one afternoon I’ve had the car snake and skid in a straight line.

In a corner its even worse – roll on the throttle a little too much and you can feel the rear teetering on the brink of adhesion at still very sane speeds. The mere suggestion of extra power causes the pony to shrug its shoulders and proclaim “well, you asked for it!”

I’ve driven reasonably powerful rear drive cars before but I’ve never owned one, therefore allowing me the opportunity to truly explore its boundaries and boy, the Mustang’s boundaries are very easily reached. This is still a very American vehicle, and British roads are already making it a tad uneasy. Uneven camber is what it doesn’t like the most but I am more than willing to put that down to my inexperience with large rear-powered Coupés.

“Car Guys” hate me

First, to preface. There are Car Guys like you and me, and then there are “Car Guys”. The latter is the type to dawn skinny jeans, a sideways cap and vape out of the window as they cruise along on fake BBS wheels with the seat set so low it’s a wonder they can even see the speedometer, let alone over the dash itself. I call them “vape guys”, but lets just cut to the chase and call them Douchebags.

Even with just one afternoon of driving I can already pinpoint the exact people who will hate me – and its BMW owners especially that take issue with the Mustang. Though I have had a Suzuki Swift Sport (with sticker bombed rear windows) challenge me at the lights. No, I’m not kidding.

For those in the USA: before the Mustang the only affordable way to get into a rear-drive car with some sporting ability AND power (which is why the GT86 doesn’t qualify) was to buy a BMW. After all, a BMW 228i starts at around £30,000, the same as a Mustang EcoBoost (albeit with less power) putting it right in the “affordable” bucket for a lot of people in the country to buy new.

So here are the Douchebags with their BMWs (often Diesel powered, amusingly, and always used fleet vehicles) instantly trying to pick a fight with me. If they don’t pick a fight they instead drop a gear and roar past me in the fast lane whilst I’m minding my own business with the cruise control switched on.

They’re no longer in the fastest car you can buy at this end of the market, and that irks them to absolutely no end since these are the types of people who just want a status symbol above all else.

Want to ruin a BMW meet in England? Arrive in a Mustang.

Conclusions

Given this was only day one of Mustang ownership, you can forgive this review for being a little thin on the ground. But check back in one week and I’ll let you know if anything has changed (or broken…).

Though, I can say with upmost certainty that the ten month wait was worth it, at least in terms of initial impressions.