Driving an automatic 2024 Ford Mustang with an EcoBoost engine was not how I envisioned trying out Ford’s new Electronic Drift Brake. It wouldn’t be the last of my pony car expectations to be challenged.
(Disclaimer—Ford flew me out to Los Angeles to drive the 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost and 2024 Ford Mustang GT. Ford kept all guest journalists in a cool, dry place, watering and feeding as needed.)
Of course, that was Ford’s whole point. Even though the turbocharged 4-cylinder, 2.3-liter EcoBoost is the more modestly powered member of the ’Stang lineup none dare call it boring; in fact, Ford had us using the EcoBoost in both an autocross course and in the drifting demonstration at the Irwindale Speedway. It’s a little more powerful then the last gen, and more aggressive in both design and temperament. But is there still room for the humble car-shaped car?
What Is It?
As if you have to even ask…though I’ll be nice and explain anyway: The Ford Mustang is its sixth decade of production and its seventh generation. It’s the brand’s one and only remaining car and one of the few American coupes left standing after Dodge nixed the Challenger (though the Chevy Camaro and Corvette continue to fight the good fight.)
Sales are fading at the moment however, along with the most recent model’s relevance. According to Good Car Bad Car, sales peaked most recently in 2016, and have been declining ever since. This is a natural part of the lifecycle of a vehicle, of course. Ford hopes to breathe new life into this beloved brand though, according to S&P data pulled by Ford, the Mustang is still the best-selling sports car in the world.
This generation of EcoBoost comes with 315 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque. My tester was the convertible with the High Performance package and 10 speed automatic transmission. That High Performance package is a must if you plan on driving your EcoBoost into the ground as we did at Irwindale. It comes with beefy Brembo brakes (sporting, what else, the Mustang logo) and a Torsen rear differential, which helps keep extra wide tires and 19-inch wheels adhered to the road and pointed in the desired direction. Also featured in the High Performance package is active valve exhaust and Ford’s MagneRide active suspension. Clearly, this is one tricked out pony. Pricing will start at $32,515—$3,000 over the outgoing model’s MSRP. The Premium convertible I drove during road testing rings in at $43,540. At that price, you’re approaching the cost of a full Ford Mustang GT, but more on that model tomorrow.
That’s a lot of scratch, though it is on the eminently affordable end of the sports car market. The problem is, the kind of folk who generally buy Mustangs have been buying them for decades, and their remaining decades of Mustang buying are becoming fewer and fewer. Ford is looking to the future Mustang owner, and that means roping in the most cash-strapped generation in recent memory, eventually.
To appeal to “The Kids,” Ford built a fun and flashy infotainment system using video game technology that includes all sorts of personalization capabilities. There’s also fun hoodlum fodder like its deliriously enjoyable electronic drift brake, active valve exhaust, a slightly more powerful EcoBoost engine and Remote Rev, which allows owners to goose the engine from across a parking lot using the key fob.
Very impressive and fun features and gadgets, to be sure. And, of course, the car drives and looks as brilliantly as you expected from a legacy like Mustang’s. All of that may be enough to attract a significant number of folks 45 and under. But for that kind of dough, buyers need to know their car serves them well.
The Good
If you’re looking to have yourself an absolute hoot for not all that much money (in the grand scheme of things), then an EcoBoost with the High Performance package is a solid option. The Electronic Drift brake is dangerously addictive. It’s an actual real-life gateway drug. It also seemed yet another play for Millennials who grew up right alongside drifting culture. The device made big drifts so easy to execute, our instructors from the Formula Drift racing team Team RTR, had all us boring journalists smoking tires like pros and executing precision turns into boxes and around corners. I couldn’t get enough of it, one of the RTR guys even talked me into doing more drift training events.
During Rallycross, the wide, pliant tires seemed to suck up asphalt. Sport Mode tightened up the steering and Performance electronic braking shortened our stopping distances. We drove the 10-speed automatics using paddle shifters, which proved responsive and as easy to handle as the rest of the car.
But it’s obviously not just a track beast—this is the people’s sports car after all. The kind of people need to live lives in their Mustangs; commute in them, haul groceries in them, and generally live, laugh and love in them. And this is a car I could live with. Even with the drop-top the passenger cabin was nearly silent during the rare moments my drive partner and I were able to reach top speed on LA’s freeways. Only the occasional satisfying rev in the active exhaust’s loud mode made it through the tightly sealed roof and windows. The trunk is spacious, even if the back seats are not. The sitting position is low, giving the driver an extra dose of race car magic while making the greenhouse feel less punishing then the coupe of yore.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a new car without a bevy of new safety features. Optional for buyers is Exit Warning, which lets owners know when a car or person is coming up behind them, potentially saving a bike rider’s life, or at least your Mustang’s door. Ford Co-Pilot 360 is also available, and will give drivers the whole suite of Ford’s advanced driver assistance system with all the familiar features; Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane Centering Assist, Evasive Steer Assist and Reverse Brake Assist.
The creature comforts don’t stop there. The leather trimmed seats hugged and support us through sharp turns and swerves as we climbed Angeles Crest Highway. In normal mode, we scooted through traffic efficiently, while Sport mode tightened everything up, providing a far more engaging driving experience (with a lot more exhaust note to boot.)
Speaking of steering, the flat-bottomed steering wheel was resplendent with actual, honest-to-god buttons capable of controlling all of the most important functions in the vehicle. I could weep for joy—Ford hasn’t fallen too deeply into the Be Like Tesla trap. It felt easy and, more importantly, safe to shuffle through the six different drive modes— Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Track—while on the road.
Not that Ford cut out screens altogether. The brand ditched its traditional “double brow” dash in favor of two screens; a curved 12.4-inch digital cluster and 13.2-inch center stack screen standard on any model or trim level you choose. These screens are all tilted towards the driver and have graphics built in Unreal Engine—a 3D creation tool. Here, you can switch up the colors on your instrument panel to match the accent lighting. Switching between drive modes brings up different dash layouts and the main color and accessory colors can be changed on each one. Along with the instrument panels for the different drive modes is an extremely cool option to recreate the instrument panel of a Fox body Mustang. Available from 1987 to 1993, this is the Mustang Millennials had on their bedroom walls. And I’m not too proud to admit it totally worked on me.
Engineers also used Unreal Engine to create dynamic graphics in the vehicle. A different, engaging animation pops up when you select between various drive modes. Drag race mode displays a Mustang rumbling in front of the countdown Christmas Tree lights. Slick mode shows the driver a Mustang in inclement weather.
When it comes to lighting, I am a particular fan of the multiple copper color options Ford began to default to starting with the Mach-E. Each of the copper lighting opinions are fairly unique shades, and made the car seem almost eerie, like a spaceship in an ’70s sci fi thriller. Turn on the Fox body dash for big “I’m sorry Hal, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” vibes.
The Bad
Honestly, there’s not too much here to say? The rear window is small and makes it hard to check your six, but the blind spots are easy to check (no matter how many sensors are put on a car, I’m always going to turn my head and look) so it isn’t that big a deal.
Some of the less important controls—like infotainment and climate controls—have been moved to screens. But again, the Unreal Engine set up made adjusting these controls easy to find and intuitive to use. I wasn’t constantly having to stab and re-stab my finger at a screen just to turn the seat warmer off. It was one and done. Everything on the screens can be slide around, magnified or shrunk, with ease. The large 13.2 inch infotainment screen can be completely filled with CarPlay as well, which is what we all want in the first place.
I will also say, with all the talk of gameification and customization, I was a little bummed that the physical representation of a Mustang that appears on the infotainment screen, while very cool — it allows the owner to spin the car around from every angle—isn’t customizable. It’s a grey Mustang GT in every Mustang (even the Dark Horse) and owners can’t change it to your own Mustang’s color.
There is good reason for this. Digital Product Design Manager Craig Sandvig told me that development of the Unreal Engine layout was hindered by COVID-19 complications. It was important to keep such a complex portion of the program standard across models in order to meet target release dates. That’s totally fair, but I’d definitely like to see this feature in the future.
Conclusion
Does all this appeal to say, the elder millennial writing this blog? Yes and no. The performance, handling, engine upgrades, and stiffer suspension are what pull me in. Even as a turbocharged four banger, the Mustang is extremely fun and always a bit timeless. While cool customization and light options probably wouldn’t sway my personal purchasing choice, I also don’t mind cherries on top of my fuel efficient, fun-to-drive, 315-hp sundae.
Do I think the Electronic Drift Brake will end in tears at Cars and Coffee’s around the country? Yes I do. Will the Remote Rev get old by like, the third time your husband or wife scares you with it while you’re taking out the garbage? Absolutely. But we are not on this planet for a long time, we are here for a good time.
I don’t really need to worry about cramming a child seat into the back of the sports coupe and a lot of people in my generation find themselves in similar positions. We’re also more interested in sedans and cars than Baby Boomers. Then again, we don’t have a lot of fuck you money either. Currently, Millennials and Gen Zers are missing car payments at record rates. I’m not sure the infotainment being neat (and it is fairly neat) will tip the scales for many buyers, but a car that packages power and performance at a reasonable price is well worth a second look.
The Mustang isn’t for a few wealthy individuals—it’s a car that builds a community of people from from all walks of life. This Mustang has a damn good chance in keeping the spark alive during this dark time of oversized SUVs and boring driving now and into the future.