How To Draw A 2015 Mustang

2021 Ford Mustang

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Our Verdict

The Mustang is more than half a decade into its current incarnation, but it's aged like a fine wine. Even in base-model, rental car counter spec the Mustang is a fun and capable machine with plenty of power and sports car handling, and its bend of retro and contemporary lines look great from any angle. The interior is functional and attractive too, even if some of the materials seem a little low rent. All but the most extreme Shelby GT500 make good daily drivers and are just as talented on track days. As a practical but dedicated performance car, it's hard to beat.

What's New

A limited edition Mach 1 joins the lineup, recalling famous Mustangs of the past with aggressive 1970s-style styling tweaks and packing a 480-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 and its own 6-speed Tremec manual gearbox. This special model also gets stand-alone handling, appearance and luxury packages.
The Bullit and Shelby GT350 trims are dropped for 2021
All Mustangs now come standard with an expanded suite of active safety features including forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warnings with lane keep assist and automatic highbeams
Rain-sensing wipers are now standard equipment

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fun and fast even in any form
Timeless, handsome styling
Roomy, well-designed cabin

Cons

Long options list can drive of the price
Some cabin materials feel a little cheap
Base EcoBoost and GT models are price-friendly but lack features

REVIEW

2021 Ford Mustang: American Gran Turismo

Published : Nov 11, 2021, 9:48am

Our team of experts has decades of experience assessing things on wheels . Unlike on a track where the road conditions are pristine and can give foreseeable results, we evaluate vehicles in the real world, where conditions can be unpredictable and, frankly, unfriendly ...Read More

The Mustang's styling is inspired by the 1969 and 1970 'Stangs as much as anything else, but it's also timelessly modern in many ways. The current generation dates to 2015 but got a light update in 2018 and hasn't changed much since. There's no need to alter it, because it still looks great from almost any angle, muscular, low-slung and taut even in base-model, rental-car spec.

The lower-end Mustangs may use four-cylinder power, but they'll happily smoke Mustangs of yore with their 310 to 330 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque and hit 60 mph in 5 seconds. V8 models get 460 to 480 horsepower and 420 pound-feet and reach 60 almost a full second faster. The Shelby GT500 is a 760-horsepower monster capable of running with real exotica. But best of all, the Mustang handles like a sports car rather than a traditional muscle car. This is a controlled and precise machine even on a twisty track, with very high limits.

The Mustang's cabin is designed to look retro, but it certainly doesn't feel old-school. It's roomy, comfortable, and logically laid out. The front seats are comfy, supportive, and have plenty of room even for tall adults. The optional Recaro buckets are more confining, but they also feel more secure on a track. The 13.5 cubic-foot trunk isn't as big as the Dodge Challengers, but for this type of car it's pretty useful (the convertible's 11.4 cubic-feet are too, compared to most other droptops). The backseat is actually fairly large for a car of this type, but that's not a high bar. Given the low roof and difficult entry and egress, it's best used by kids or for storage.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Mustang a five-star overall rating, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) finds more nuanced results. In IIHS' tests, the Mustang earned Good ratings in all but the small-front-overlap tests, where it rates only Acceptable. Happily, Ford gave the car a major update in standard active safety features for 2021, and forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warnings, lane departure warnings with lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and adaptive headlamps are all now standard. Adaptive Cruise control still costs extra, however.

The four-cylinder Mustangs punch above their weight in performance but don't penalize drivers when they pull up to the pump, besting both the four-cylinder Chevrolet Camaro and six-cylinder Dodge Challengers on economy. Most of the Turbocharged fours earn 20 to 21 mpg city, 27 or 28 mpg highway, and 23 to 25 mpg combined. Except for the GT500, V8 Mustangs score just slightly better on fuel economy than their V8 opposites from Chevy and Dodge. BMW's 4 Series and M4 is a left-field competitors for the 'Stang, but offer better MPG overall.

This year has been full of headlines about a very different kind of Mustang, but old-school fans will be happy to know that the original recipe is still going strong. The 2021 Ford Mustang is fast and stylish, and about as easy to live with as a dedicated performance car gets. Like its 1960s predecessors, it also offers a mile-long list of personalization and performance options to tailor the experience.

The big news for the regular Mustang lineup this year is the debut of the new Mach 1, which packs a 480-horsepower version of the familiar 5.0-liter Coyote V8. *Ford*

The current Mustang was introduced as a 2015 model and got a light visual update in 2018, but it's aged very well. It's still capable on street or track and looks good from any angle. 2021 sees a host of active safety features added as standard equipment, addressing one of the biggest demerits of earlier model years, and it also sees the revival of a famous name: Mach 1.

In the summer of 1968, when muscle cars were king, the Mach 1 first appeared as a performance package on the freshly restyled 1969 Mustang Fastback, a car that the current Mustang draws much of its stylistic inspiration from. The name referenced supersonic jets to telegraph its speedy intent, and matched its potency with slick graphics and spoilers.

The new Mach 1 (which starts at $53,595 including a $1,195 destination fee) packs a 480-horsepower 5.0-liter V8, but even the base model 2021 Mustangs will run rings around their vintage ancestors in more ways than one.

The Mach 1 accentuates the regular Mustang Coupe's flowing, retro-themed lines, but the underlying design still looks as fresh as the day it broke cover at the 2014 New York Auto Show. *Ford*

When Ford designed the current car, it eschewed the traditional live rear axle that Mustangs had always used in favor of an independent rear suspension as Chevrolet had on the 2009 Camaro. That choice, and the revised double-pivot MacPherson strut front suspension, heralded a whole new philosophy for how the Mustang drove. It retains its muscle car image but drives much more like a proper sports car or gentleman's GT.

BMW's 4 Series coupe and convertible, including the M4, may be a much more expensive premium Gran Turismos, but the Mustang and the Bimmer aren't that different philosophically. Like the BMW, the Ford's sophisticated chassis is equally at home on a road or a track and performance fans who want to do track days easily can.

The base model Mustang ($28,400) uses a four-cylinder engine, but here too historical patterns diverge. Perhaps looking to the 1980s-era SVO Mustang for inspiration, this four-cylinder is a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost making 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.

A 330-horsepower version of the Ecoboost is optional, though it adds a hefty $6,150 to the pricetag. There's also a better-equipped EcoBoost Premium model ($33,420) which adds a proper 8-inch infotainment screen (the base model uses a 4.2-inch LCD), selectable drive modes, a much nicer audio system and interior materials, power seats and fog lights, among other things.

The Mustang's interior looks retro but feels modern. Some cheap materials are in evidence and base models lack a proper infotainment setup, but it's a comfy and user-friendly cabin. *Ford*

transmission, and they're all rear-drive. Track day warriors take note, manuals may be more fun but this extremely precise automatic shifts faster than Don Prudhomme did in 1967. The EcoBoost will take the Mustang to 60 mph in five seconds and is more than capable of entertaining most drivers.

These four-cylinder models also don't make you pay at the pump for their speed. The average about 23 mpg combined depending on configuration. They're a little less fuel-hungry than the four-cylinder Chevrolet Camaro or V6 Dodge Challenger.

V8 models start with the GT ($37,480), and there's a similar dynamic going on there with the GT Premium ($41,480) adding the larger infotainment screen and more desirable features. What the extra spend buys you is Ford's 5.0-liter Coyote V8, which packs 460 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque.

That's enough to send you to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and it has the V8 burble you expect from a muscle car. V8s, as you'd expect, drink more gas but even there they average 18 mpg combined, about the same as the V8 Camaros and a big better than the V8 Challengers. BMW's 4s get better mileage than any of these more traditional muscle cars, but any fuel savings is eaten up by their much higher prices.

All Mustangs except the Mach 1 and Shelby GT500 can be had as a convertible, and even the EcoBoost base model is fun to drive. *Alex Kwanten*

A vast array of performance options are available, including body-hugging Recaro sport seats. They're handy on the track, but most drivers will find them too confining in daily use. Keep careful track of the boxes you're ticking, too, because they quickly add up.

The GT moves even faster than the EcoBoost, but if that's not enough there's the Mach 1, which has a 480-horsepower 5.0 and a highly distinctive, 1970s-style styling tweaks. If you're still not satisfied, there's always the 760-horsepower, 6.2-liter Shelby GT500 ($71,495). We took that model for a more detailed spin this summer and you can read more about that it here.

EcoBoost and GT models can be had as the lovely fastback coupe or as a convertible for an extra $5,500. The Convertible's back seat and trunk are smaller (11.4 cubic-feet to the coupe's 13.5), but it's still practical by the standards of performance two-doors. Both the Mach 1 and GT500 come only as coupes.The Mustang's cabin has an intentionally retro vibe meant to evoke the 1960s, but its ergonomics are purely 21^st-century. The controls are easy to use and logical, the center console is huge and useful. The seats are comfy and supportive. The lack of proper infotainment is a real demerit in the base models, and not all the materials look great, but this is an affordable Pony, and costs must be cut somewhere to make that happen.

Both Coupe and Convertible Mustangs are fun, functional, and heavily customizable. Both of these EcoBoosts sport the optional High Performance Package, which adds more power but also a hefty $6,150 addition to the bill. *Ford*

Of course, the typical coupe drawbacks apply. The Mustang's rear seat is surprisingly large for such a car, much bigger than the Camaro's and that of the Lexus RC, but it's still best suited to kids or used as storage (Ford even offers a rear-seat delete option). This doesn't change the fact that by the standards of cars like this, the Mustang is pragmatically easy to live with as a daily driver.

The 2021 sees a major addition in standard active safety features, which answers a major critique of years past.

Just to get features like forward automatic emergency braking used to cost a minimum of $1,000, but it's now standard in an updated version of Ford's Co-Pilot Plus safety quite and incudes pedestrian detection. Also included are lane departure warnings with lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring (helpful given the 'Stang's poor rearward visibility), forward collision warnings and automatic highbeams. Only Adaptive Cruise control remains an option, and it comes bundled with navigation for $725.

These features are becoming more common on the Mustang's competitors, but on the Camaro very few are available and they all cost extra, despite the fact that the Camaro is a newer design. The current Mustang make look vaguely vintage, but it continues to age very well, and remains a highly practical choice for enthusiasts.

Warranty

Basic:
3 Years/36,000 Miles

Drivetrain:
5 Years/60,000 Miles

Corrosion:
5 Years/Unlimited Miles

Roadside Assistance:
5 Years/60,000 Miles

Specs & Safety

Ford Mustang Specification

Vehicle Type Coupes

Engine Type Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4

Seats 4 Person

Horsepower 310p

Torque (lb-ft) 350

Efficiency (MPG) 21 (Est) City / 29 (Est) Hwy

Transmission Manual w/OD

*Includes Destination Charges

Ford Mustang Safety

Competition

Ford Mustang Generations

Sixth Generation

2015 to Present

The sixth-generation Mustang was introduced for the 2015 model year with independent front and rear suspension.

Fifth Generation

2005 to 2014

The fifth generation Mustang debuted for the 2005 model year and was six inches longer than the outgoing model. It also featured a modern take on the retro body style. Ford replaced the 3.6-liter V6 with a 4.0-liter V6. In 2007, Ford launched the GT and Shelby GT500 trims. The GT variant retained the 4.6-liter V8 engine.

Fourth Generation

1994 to 2004

The fourth generation Mustang launched with two body styles: a two-door convertible or two-door coupe. Ford stopped offering the 5.0-liter V8 engine in 1996 in favor of the 4.6-liter V8. A limited production SVT Mustang Cobra R was released in 2000.

Third Generation

1979 to 1993

The third-generation Mustang grew longer and taller, and was offered as a two-door convertible, two-door coupe or a European-styled hatchback.

Second Generation

1974 to 1978

The 1974 Mustang was 19-inches shorter and 500 pounds lighter than its predecessor. It was initially offered without a V8 option.

First Generation

1965 to 1973

The Mustang concept was introduced in 1962, and debuted for the 1965 model year. It was offered in a choice of inline-six cylinder or V8 engines that generated up to 271 horsepower.