The 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost
is the answer to a question that was asked during the last oil crisis.
Which, if you were born later than 1979, was blessedly over by the time
you arrived. In the aftermath, Ford took a whack at the challenge of
creating a sporty fuel-sipper with the turbocharged four-cylinder
Mustang SVO, which was available from 1984 through 1986. The market
yawned. Fuel prices crashed, and anyway, we don’t buy pony cars for
their efficiency. A four-cylinder, no matter what its output on paper,
is nothing short of the downright emasculation of the American dream.
For the Mustang's 50th year in service, Ford went back to the drawing board
For the Mustang's 50th year in service, Ford went back to the drawing board, we think with the distinct goal of eliminating the stigma of the non-V8 Mustang. While the V6 is still being offered (your local Avis and Enterprise lots wouldn't be the same without them), it's best to think of the new, four-cylinder, turbocharged Mustang EcoBoost as the entry-level model.
But will the addition of forced induction – from an engine that will see action in the upcoming, enthusiast-centric Focus RS, no less – be enough to appease those pony car fans that believe that only Mustangs with eight cylinders are worthy of the galloping stallion badge? After a week at the helm, we certainly think it is.
It's just a V6 Mustang." That phrase, so often spoken with derision and disdain, has haunted owners of Ford's more affordable and economical pony car since roughly April of 1964. Even after Dearborn finally paid some attention to its entry-level muscle car by eliminating telltale V6 features – the company fit dual exhausts in place of the single-exit pipe in 2011, negating the budget offering's biggest visual giveaway – the car was still hard pressed to shake its reputation as a hairdresser's car and rental fleet queen.
Like the V6 before it, certain boxes are correctly ticked. Dual exhausts? Check. 18-inch alloys? Check. (Our EcoBoost Premium model even shares its wheels with the base GT). HID headlamps? Check. Up front, there's a surprisingly meaty chin spoiler while the muscular lines of the 'Stang's long hood tie in nicely with the fastback shape, which terminates in a neat rear spoiler. There's even a body-colored diffuser at the back, between the chromed exhaust tips. The bottom line is, unless you're a true Mustang aficionado, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between the turbocharged car and its 435-horsepower brother.
Of course, where the EcoBoost really stands out from the GT is in all the real estate under that long hood. The compact 2.3-liter mill doesn't take up that much space, despite delivering a robust 310 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, available in full at 3,000 rpm. For those keeping track at home, that's more power than the old 4.6-liter Mustang GT. Hell, at just over 3,500 pounds, this four-cylinder Mustang is lighter and more powerful than a six-cylinder BMW 435i.
If you've driven a lot of last-generation Mustangs, prepare to be surprised by the EcoBoost car. The Mustang's linear power delivery is bookended by some turbo lag at lower revs and boost that drops somewhat as redline approaches. Keep these two issues in mind, though, and the relatively quick-spinning 2.3 is an able partner, with strong, accessible power at the heart of the rev range, between 2,500 and 6,000 rpm. Estimates that the run to 60 miles per hour takes just a shade over five seconds seem correct to us after some hard pulls from a standstill. Sport mode sharpened the throttle appreciably and made for more aggressive behavior from the six-speed automatic, although there was little to complain about in either category in Normal mode.
It is worth noting that the coupe's 6AT is no longer some dullard. Rather than fitting in the Mustang recipe like a pickle in a cr̬me brulee, the addition of the auto trans is more like relish on a hot dog Рnot everyone's favorite thing, but something that will be quite palatable to many drivers.
The 6AT is smooth and reasonably fast to upshift and downshift in normal mode, and it does so without any histrionics or drama. It's a different beast in Sport mode, though, where you can really dig in to the Mustang's first ever set of steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The engine blips on downshifts and delivers a restrained burp on wide-open-throttle upshifts, while tiny paddles come packaged with a clicky action that makes working them out a smile-inducing experience. We can even praise the actual automatic shifter – it looks and feels great, particularly in the way the metal release on top of the right-sized knob functions. It feels like a very premium item. Oddly, though, you can't use the shifter to operate the manual mode.
If only we could ignore the way it sounded. Even with technology like Active Noise Control, the simple fact is that the 2.3-liter is more Adam Sandler's Opera Man than Pavarotti. It might be loud and bellicose, but there's an artificiality and hollow character to the soundtrack that we'd just rather not put up with. It also has a tendency to drone at speed, although that's a widely recognized problem with high-output four-cylinders and is far from exclusive to the Mustang. Here's hoping Ford adds to the selectable driving modes with a dedicated setting for the ANC and exhaust.
Of course, the EcoBoost's soundtrack could simply be ignored by buying the V8, right? Well, sure. But you'd be missing out on what is sure to be one of the hidden benefits of the turbocharged Mustang – its poise and handling.
And yet there’s not much to complain about this EcoBoost Mustang other than it’s more expensive than the base V-6 while offering very similar performance. Also, it drones like, well, like a four-cylinder. Ford has tried to punch up the exhaust note via the stereo system, but it’s no use. This turbo four speaks with no more verve than any Audi turbo four. And that’s a high compliment, because the engine, as well as the car it’s installed in, is quite refined.
Just a few minutes behind the new Mustang’s wheel convince you that Ford was aiming high with this car. The cabin isolation, the structural stiffness, the body control, and the finish quality are huge improvements over the last model. Is it all down to the independent rear suspension? Sure, some of it is. Over cracked pavement the car doesn’t shudder or clomp as hard as it did before. And a midcorner pavement heave isn’t going to have you fighting the steering wheel as you once did, because such things are now digested without complaint by the unsprung bits.
but what about the four’s acceleration? On the track, it lays down numbers almost identical to the last V-6 model, which was more than 100 pounds lighter than our Premium-trim automatic-transmission 2015 Mustang EcoBoost. The 60-mph mark comes in 5.2 seconds, the quarter-mile covered in 13.9 seconds at 98 mph. This is about what pre-Coyote-engine Mustang GTs once ran. So the EcoBoost is no EcoDud.
As with any turbo, there’s some hesitation as the turbo boils up. But this a high-tech aluminum engine, fitted with direct injection and cam phasing (it even takes regular gas!), and it doesn’t make you wait long. Nor are its power lumps especially pronounced. The torque flows in a pretty even rush to the transmission, and in most situations you have to be looking for the turbo lag to really notice it. As we said, refined!
Ford tuned the six-speed automatic to be a willing partner, meaning it downshifts quickly and gets the 2.3-liter spinning when you want a rapid departure. No, it’s not as neck-bending as the V-8, nor is it quite as instantaneous as the V-6, but when the power comes, it comes big enough to break the rear loose.
The EcoBoost drives similarly to the new GT, in that the basic suspension tune is forgiving and bumpy roads produce not a slamming but only a light rocking in the body. Around corners, this highly optioned car’s hefty mass—it weighed 3663 pounds—pulls the body into a noticeable lean, but the car doesn’t wallow or flop. It lets the weight set and then cuts a clean path through the corner.
Everything about this Mustang is upgraded, from the dashboard trimmings, which now include the optional full-zoot MyFord Touch system, to the way its stretched sheetmetal and slip of a roofline look modern going down the road. Ford’s job was to update its icon, and we’d say the mission was accomplished with aplomb.
As mentioned, our car was a Premium model, which adds four grand and a pile of equipment—the full rundown can be found here—to the $25,995 EcoBoost. Our car also had the $1195 automatic gearbox, $795 navigation, and $1195 bundle that combines adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, and rain-sensing wipers. The spicy-sounding Equipment Group 201A brought convenience features and a 12-speaker audio system for $1795, and the $1995 EcoBoost Performance package added black 19-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero summer tires; a fatter rear antiroll bar; sportier steering, brakes, and suspension tuning; an upgrade to GT-spec rotors and four-piston calipers; a 3.55:1 limited-slip rear end; a larger radiator; and some aesthetic upgrades. With some other minor baubles stirred in, our EcoBoost Mustang cost almost $38,000, or five grand more than a base manual GT.
Now, about the fuel economy. When you put a small turbo engine into a heavy car, the savings are generally not that grand. Ask a Fisker owner if you can find one. We saw 19 mpg overall, and you can probably expect low-to-mid-20s if you like to use your car as anything other than a nun’s taxi. Don’t be surprised if a few C7 Corvette owners snicker at you at the car show. They can often approach 30 mpg with their cars (while driving like nuns) or match your economy while also taking a few 455-hp licks of the underhood candy. The EPA says this Ford can achieve 32 mpg on the highway, though, for what it’s worth.
Thus, the Mustang EcoBoost isn’t as much about efficiency as it is about refinement and technology (and, we guess, the potential for efficiency if you drive cautiously). That makes it somewhat un-Mustang-like. It certainly doesn’t sound like a Mustang, and it is far more reserved and civilized than any Mustang you’ve driven in your life. It’s more like an American Audi A5 than a pony car. Alas, if only it were lighter. There’s no doubt, though, that a certain Audi-ness was what Ford—who will sell this car in Europe and around the world—was going for. View Photo Gallery
For the Mustang's 50th year in service, Ford went back to the drawing board
For the Mustang's 50th year in service, Ford went back to the drawing board, we think with the distinct goal of eliminating the stigma of the non-V8 Mustang. While the V6 is still being offered (your local Avis and Enterprise lots wouldn't be the same without them), it's best to think of the new, four-cylinder, turbocharged Mustang EcoBoost as the entry-level model.
But will the addition of forced induction – from an engine that will see action in the upcoming, enthusiast-centric Focus RS, no less – be enough to appease those pony car fans that believe that only Mustangs with eight cylinders are worthy of the galloping stallion badge? After a week at the helm, we certainly think it is.
It's just a V6 Mustang." That phrase, so often spoken with derision and disdain, has haunted owners of Ford's more affordable and economical pony car since roughly April of 1964. Even after Dearborn finally paid some attention to its entry-level muscle car by eliminating telltale V6 features – the company fit dual exhausts in place of the single-exit pipe in 2011, negating the budget offering's biggest visual giveaway – the car was still hard pressed to shake its reputation as a hairdresser's car and rental fleet queen.
Ford Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost Automatic Car and Driver Road & Track
The new Mustang's looks have been covered ad nauseam. Chances are good that you either love the fastback styling, or you think the original pony car now looks a lot like a Fusion Coupe. We'll ignore the bigger styling remarks for the 2015 Mustang, and instead, focus on what's done right with the EcoBoost model.Like the V6 before it, certain boxes are correctly ticked. Dual exhausts? Check. 18-inch alloys? Check. (Our EcoBoost Premium model even shares its wheels with the base GT). HID headlamps? Check. Up front, there's a surprisingly meaty chin spoiler while the muscular lines of the 'Stang's long hood tie in nicely with the fastback shape, which terminates in a neat rear spoiler. There's even a body-colored diffuser at the back, between the chromed exhaust tips. The bottom line is, unless you're a true Mustang aficionado, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between the turbocharged car and its 435-horsepower brother.
Simply sitting in the redesigned cabin isn't enough to give the EcoBoost away, either
Simply sitting in the redesigned cabin isn't enough to give the EcoBoost away, either. The leather-trimmed seats (standard on the Premium trim) are cozy and supportive, with plenty of bolstering to help keep both driver and passenger in place while the 'Stang exhibits its newly enhanced cornering abilities. For the first time in recent memory, dropping $1,595 for the optional Recaro seats is no longer a no-brainer, as we found these seats quite pleasing as the miles and Gs piled on. Regardless of trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard, with its small diameter and thicker rim making it a willing accomplice during our testing.Of course, where the EcoBoost really stands out from the GT is in all the real estate under that long hood. The compact 2.3-liter mill doesn't take up that much space, despite delivering a robust 310 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, available in full at 3,000 rpm. For those keeping track at home, that's more power than the old 4.6-liter Mustang GT. Hell, at just over 3,500 pounds, this four-cylinder Mustang is lighter and more powerful than a six-cylinder BMW 435i.
If you've driven a lot of last-generation Mustangs, prepare to be surprised by the EcoBoost car. The Mustang's linear power delivery is bookended by some turbo lag at lower revs and boost that drops somewhat as redline approaches. Keep these two issues in mind, though, and the relatively quick-spinning 2.3 is an able partner, with strong, accessible power at the heart of the rev range, between 2,500 and 6,000 rpm. Estimates that the run to 60 miles per hour takes just a shade over five seconds seem correct to us after some hard pulls from a standstill. Sport mode sharpened the throttle appreciably and made for more aggressive behavior from the six-speed automatic, although there was little to complain about in either category in Normal mode.
It is worth noting that the coupe's 6AT is no longer some dullard. Rather than fitting in the Mustang recipe like a pickle in a cr̬me brulee, the addition of the auto trans is more like relish on a hot dog Рnot everyone's favorite thing, but something that will be quite palatable to many drivers.
The 6AT is smooth and reasonably fast to upshift and downshift in normal mode, and it does so without any histrionics or drama. It's a different beast in Sport mode, though, where you can really dig in to the Mustang's first ever set of steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The engine blips on downshifts and delivers a restrained burp on wide-open-throttle upshifts, while tiny paddles come packaged with a clicky action that makes working them out a smile-inducing experience. We can even praise the actual automatic shifter – it looks and feels great, particularly in the way the metal release on top of the right-sized knob functions. It feels like a very premium item. Oddly, though, you can't use the shifter to operate the manual mode.
If only we could ignore the way it sounded. Even with technology like Active Noise Control, the simple fact is that the 2.3-liter is more Adam Sandler's Opera Man than Pavarotti. It might be loud and bellicose, but there's an artificiality and hollow character to the soundtrack that we'd just rather not put up with. It also has a tendency to drone at speed, although that's a widely recognized problem with high-output four-cylinders and is far from exclusive to the Mustang. Here's hoping Ford adds to the selectable driving modes with a dedicated setting for the ANC and exhaust.
Of course, the EcoBoost's soundtrack could simply be ignored by buying the V8, right? Well, sure. But you'd be missing out on what is sure to be one of the hidden benefits of the turbocharged Mustang – its poise and handling.
The 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost is the answer
The 2015 Ford Mustang EcoBoost is the answer to a question that was asked during the last oil crisis. Which, if you were born later than 1979, was blessedly over by the time you arrived. In the aftermath, Ford took a whack at the challenge of creating a sporty fuel-sipper with the turbocharged four-cylinder Mustang SVO, which was available from 1984 through 1986. The market yawned. Fuel prices crashed, and anyway, we don’t buy pony cars for their efficiency. A four-cylinder, no matter what its output on paper, is nothing short of the downright emasculation of the American dream.And yet there’s not much to complain about this EcoBoost Mustang other than it’s more expensive than the base V-6 while offering very similar performance. Also, it drones like, well, like a four-cylinder. Ford has tried to punch up the exhaust note via the stereo system, but it’s no use. This turbo four speaks with no more verve than any Audi turbo four. And that’s a high compliment, because the engine, as well as the car it’s installed in, is quite refined.
Just a few minutes behind the new Mustang’s wheel convince you that Ford was aiming high with this car. The cabin isolation, the structural stiffness, the body control, and the finish quality are huge improvements over the last model. Is it all down to the independent rear suspension? Sure, some of it is. Over cracked pavement the car doesn’t shudder or clomp as hard as it did before. And a midcorner pavement heave isn’t going to have you fighting the steering wheel as you once did, because such things are now digested without complaint by the unsprung bits.
but what about the four’s acceleration? On the track, it lays down numbers almost identical to the last V-6 model, which was more than 100 pounds lighter than our Premium-trim automatic-transmission 2015 Mustang EcoBoost. The 60-mph mark comes in 5.2 seconds, the quarter-mile covered in 13.9 seconds at 98 mph. This is about what pre-Coyote-engine Mustang GTs once ran. So the EcoBoost is no EcoDud.
As with any turbo, there’s some hesitation as the turbo boils up. But this a high-tech aluminum engine, fitted with direct injection and cam phasing (it even takes regular gas!), and it doesn’t make you wait long. Nor are its power lumps especially pronounced. The torque flows in a pretty even rush to the transmission, and in most situations you have to be looking for the turbo lag to really notice it. As we said, refined!
Ford tuned the six-speed automatic to be a willing partner, meaning it downshifts quickly and gets the 2.3-liter spinning when you want a rapid departure. No, it’s not as neck-bending as the V-8, nor is it quite as instantaneous as the V-6, but when the power comes, it comes big enough to break the rear loose.
The EcoBoost drives similarly to the new GT, in that the basic suspension tune is forgiving and bumpy roads produce not a slamming but only a light rocking in the body. Around corners, this highly optioned car’s hefty mass—it weighed 3663 pounds—pulls the body into a noticeable lean, but the car doesn’t wallow or flop. It lets the weight set and then cuts a clean path through the corner.
Everything about this Mustang is upgraded, from the dashboard trimmings, which now include the optional full-zoot MyFord Touch system, to the way its stretched sheetmetal and slip of a roofline look modern going down the road. Ford’s job was to update its icon, and we’d say the mission was accomplished with aplomb.
As mentioned, our car was a Premium model, which adds four grand and a pile of equipment—the full rundown can be found here—to the $25,995 EcoBoost. Our car also had the $1195 automatic gearbox, $795 navigation, and $1195 bundle that combines adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, and rain-sensing wipers. The spicy-sounding Equipment Group 201A brought convenience features and a 12-speaker audio system for $1795, and the $1995 EcoBoost Performance package added black 19-inch wheels with Pirelli P Zero summer tires; a fatter rear antiroll bar; sportier steering, brakes, and suspension tuning; an upgrade to GT-spec rotors and four-piston calipers; a 3.55:1 limited-slip rear end; a larger radiator; and some aesthetic upgrades. With some other minor baubles stirred in, our EcoBoost Mustang cost almost $38,000, or five grand more than a base manual GT.
Now, about the fuel economy. When you put a small turbo engine into a heavy car, the savings are generally not that grand. Ask a Fisker owner if you can find one. We saw 19 mpg overall, and you can probably expect low-to-mid-20s if you like to use your car as anything other than a nun’s taxi. Don’t be surprised if a few C7 Corvette owners snicker at you at the car show. They can often approach 30 mpg with their cars (while driving like nuns) or match your economy while also taking a few 455-hp licks of the underhood candy. The EPA says this Ford can achieve 32 mpg on the highway, though, for what it’s worth.
Thus, the Mustang EcoBoost isn’t as much about efficiency as it is about refinement and technology (and, we guess, the potential for efficiency if you drive cautiously). That makes it somewhat un-Mustang-like. It certainly doesn’t sound like a Mustang, and it is far more reserved and civilized than any Mustang you’ve driven in your life. It’s more like an American Audi A5 than a pony car. Alas, if only it were lighter. There’s no doubt, though, that a certain Audi-ness was what Ford—who will sell this car in Europe and around the world—was going for. View Photo Gallery
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