2024 Ford Mustang GT Fastback automatic review

02/18/2025 08:00 AM

2024 Ford Mustang GT Fastback

There's a new Ford Mustang in town, but unlike the previous car, it’s launching in a market where V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive options are significantly diminished.

When the previous sixth-generation Mustang came to Australia in 2016, buyers also had the option of a Falcon XR8 or Holden Commodore SS, not to mention more expensive contenders like the Lexus RC F and Mercedes-AMG C63.

But now, all those options are gone, and the Mustang remains the only V8 coupe.

And you know how they say competition makes you better? Well, without the metal to test its mettle, has Ford just rested on its laurels or is the new Mustang still a must buy?

How much is a Ford Mustang ?

Despite being the most affordable V8-powered coupe in Australia, the Mustang GT doesn't exactly come cheap.

This particular car, a model-year 2024 GT automatic, was priced at $80,902 before on-road costs, but you can't order one of them anymore, and prices for the 2025 car have gone up.

If you walk into a Ford showroom now, the same car will wear an $81,990 sticker price and is no longer available in this head-turning yellow. Boo.

But, aside from that beefy V8 engine which I'll talk more on in a bit, at least there is a long list of equipment to justify that spend.

As standard, the Mustang GT comes fitted with staggered 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in sticky tyres, Brembo brakes, LED front and rear exterior lighting, keyless entry, push-button start, a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, a heated steering wheel, 12-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control, and a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen.

This particular car also has optional Recaro sports seats, which removes the standard heating and cooling functions, as well as MagneRide adaptive suspension, red-painted brake calipers, and blacked-out exterior bits.

Keep in mind, the same spec of the older, sixth-generation Mustang was priced at $68,290 before on-road costs and options, and that car shares the same platform, engine, and transmission as this one.

On the road, this optioned-out Mustang will cost you $100,000, and there are certainly sexy two-door options that are more affordable like the Mazda MX-5, Nissan Z, or Toyota Supra.

But then again, those cars are missing the Mustang GT's party piece – a stonking big engine that turns air and petrol into pure noise.

Popping the bonnet of the Mustang GT shows off its 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8, which Ford calls Coyote.

And though this wily Coyote isn't chasing Road Runner through the deserts of Southwestern United States, with 347kW and 550Nm on tap, it certainly has the pep to keep up with most performance models.

For those paying attention, that's 8kW more but 6Nm fewer than the preceding Mustang GT, but in real-world terms, you probably won't even notice the difference even if you drove both cars back-to-back.

Paired to this engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission, which sends drive to the rear wheels, so definitely be careful with throttle input if the steering wheel is not dead straight.

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Find your nearest Ford dealer here to check out the Mustang in the metal, and if you’re looking for more pricing, specifications, and latest offers on the Ford Mustang range, click here.

How big is a Ford Mustang?

As you'd expect, a sleek two-door fastback body means sacrifices in practicality.

Pop the Mustang's boot and, well, there's space for golf clubs, weekend bags or carry-on suitcases, but that's about all you will fit in there.

But nowhere is the lack of space more apparent than in the rear seats.

I'm 185cm tall, and my head hits the roof and I cannot sit up straight, while my shoulders and legs feel very cramped in the rear seats.

In fact, there isn't even enough room for my legs if the driver's seat is in my preferred position, so if you think you can use a Mustang as a four-seater, it’s probably best to think of it more as a 2+2.

Despite this, in my week with the car, I persevered and fit not one but two child's seats in the rear, and with ISOFIX points and top-tether anchor points, it is doable – just know it's very cramped and claustrophobic.

Amenities in the rear seats don't include much, there are seatbelts and small windows, but if you are expecting air vents or charging ports or cupholders – sorry no luck here.

Then again, this a two-door, low-slung coupe, so what did you think the space in the back seat would be like?

If you are going to regularly transport adults, though, I'd recommend buying the Mustang convertible because then at least they have much more head room with the roof folded.

Of course, a Mustang is all about the driver, and in the front seats this Ford model is much more amenable to full-sized adults. You sit nice and low down in the seat, and the steering wheel has ample adjustability so you feel nice and ensconced in the cabin.

The materials in here, though, are a mixed bag. There are some nice-feeling appointments like the Recaro seats, but also some low-rent hard plastics and less-than-supple leather.

Storage options still aren't great, though, but at least there are door pockets, a wireless smartphone charging tray, cupholders, and a very awkward to reach underarm storage cubby.

Does the Ford Mustang have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The Mustang GT comes fitted with a massive 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, with functionality for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and built-in satellite navigation.

And while it looks cutting-edge, I've experienced a few stutters and hiccups jumping from menu to menu, and the Bluetooth connection has dropped more times than I'd like.

Credit to the sound system, though, as these speakers absolutely pump, but when you are behind the wheel of a Mustang GT, there is only one soundtrack that feels appropriate for the occasion – the V8 noise.

But let's talk about some cool features inside the Mustang.

The instrumentation is all digital, and you can customise it to look like the gauges from the original ’60s Mustang, a Fox body, or an SVT Cobra – how neat!

Overall, the new Mustang's interior is this mix of old and new school – encapsulated perfectly by the handbrake.

Though it looks like a traditional lever that you would pull up and click into place, give this one a yank and it just falls back down. And that's because it activates the Mustang's electronic park brake, and to disengage, you push it down.

So why is there a handbrake here if it's all electronic? Wouldn't a simple flap or button suffice? Well, when driving, this works in conjunction with the new Drift Mode to easily lock the rear wheels and induce oversteer.

Obviously, I've not tried this feature on public roads, but if you ever want to channel your inner 'drift king', it's a modern solution wrapped up in a retro theme.

Is the Ford Mustang a safe car?

The latest-generation Ford Mustang does not have an ANCAP crash safety rating, nor has it been tested by Euro NCAP.

However, the previous-generation car, which shares the same underpinnings, was given a three-star rating from testing in 2017. Changes between the two generations mean results may be different if tested again. Without an official rating it’s hard to determine how the Mustang stacks up against current ANCAP test protocols.

What safety technology does the Ford Mustang have?

Although the latest Mustang has not been crash-tested, it does come with a wide assortment of advanced driver assistance safety systems.

There is autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, lane-centring assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, and tyre pressure monitoring as standard across all new automatic Mustangs.

Opting for a manual version removes lane-centring assist and the stop-and-go function for the adaptive cruise control.

In my time with the Mustang, I didn't experience any issues with the safety systems, and even found the adaptive cruise control to work wonderfully well on long freeway stints.

How much does the Ford Mustang cost to service?

Like all new Ford models, the Mustang GT comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, matching the industry standard also offered by Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai.

Scheduled service intervals for the Mustang GT automatic are every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first.

Over five years, the Mustang GT will cost $1936 in maintenance, which is even cheaper than the V6-powered Ranger Raptor ($2620).

As for insurance, the Mustang GT will set owners back $1906 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Is the Ford Mustang fuel-efficient?

The new Mustang's extra power, and the added heft and complexity of a new-generation model, does come at a cost, and as you would expect from a free-breathing petrol V8, that cost is fuel economy.

This car will return an official consumption figure of 12.8 litres per 100 kilometres, which is 0.1L/100km more than the previous generation.

In my time with the car, mostly in inner-city environments, I averaged 15.8L/100km – not too far from the yardstick – but it also means I would have to fill up every 380km or so.

And with the Mustang taking only the top-grade 98RON petrol, it's going to cost about $130 for each fill – so be diligent with that right foot.

What is the Ford Mustang like to drive?

Let's get this out of the way first – the Mustang might look like a sports car, it might sound like a sports car, but this is not a sports car.

So, what is it?

It's right there in the name, Mustang GT, with those last two letters standing for Grand Touring – or a car designed to chew through long-distance driving quickly and with a sense of occasion.

There's no denying the Mustang GT is quick, able to accelerate from 0–100km/h in around five seconds, and there's no doubting it can also handle a corner.

But that combination of a heavy V8 up front and rear-wheel drive can get sketchy in a bend.

Don't get me wrong, the Mustang is a capable and confident corner carver, but you need to know your limits and you need to exercise restraint lest you end up in a spin.

Compare that to an MX-5 or GR86, which encourages you to push a little further and is communicative enough for even a layman like me to get the message of easing off the throttle.

If I want a car to attack a track, I'd be having one of those, not one of these.

But if I were hitting the dragstrip or going for a cross-country drive, would I have a Mustang GT? Heck yeah!

And a huge part of that appeal is that 5.0-litre V8, which is so joyous to rev all the way out to its 7500rpm redline.

Paired to this engine is a 10-speed automatic transmission, which for the most part works well, but with this many gears it can get tripped up every now and then.

Mostly this is when the car can't predict what you want to do, say for example, when slowing to an intersection and then hitting the throttle without coming to a complete stop.

Mind you, it's not a deal-breaker, but that gap in traffic behind you might be smaller than you think by the time you pull out.

And if it's really irksome, there is always the manual mode and shift paddles to play with so you can just shift yourself.

The adaptive suspension also has a role to play here, as it is set up to be comfortable and confident without being punishing. You will still feel it going over a pothole or bumps, but you don't walk away from the Mustang GT after a long drive feeling like you need a good chiropractor.

There are also various drive modes to mess around with too, with Normal as the default setting, Sport amping things up a few notches, and Track reserved for the most hardcore settings.

A Slippery mode for driving in the wet, and a Drag Strip mode for the quickest acceleration possible are also on offer, giving the Mustang GT more breadth of useability.

You can also set a Custom mode to dial in the steering, suspension, exhaust and throttle response to your liking, but really, between Normal and Sport, you should have your bases covered.

What I like most, however, is the fact that the exhaust and steering settings can be individually tweaked no matter what drive mode you are in, so if you want to open the taps to that sonorous exhaust while keeping everything else comfortable, you can.

There's also a setting in the menu where you can have the quiet exhaust setting turned on at start-up, ensuring you don't wake the kids or partner if you want to go for a late-night kebab run.

Can a Ford Mustang tow?

The Ford Mustang has not been designed to tow and therefore does not feature a tow rating.

Owners should keep in mind the payload rating of 294kg, though, as loading up with four adults could easily exceed this limit.

Should I buy a Ford Mustang?

While it might seem obvious that the new Mustang feels like a Mustang – that's both for good and bad.

This isn't a giant, generational leap forward, and it still suffers from some of the old car's criticisms – namely, a low-quality cabin and indecisive gearbox.

But it looks awesome! And it sounds great! And the 5.0-litre V8 is undoubtedly delightful, especially in a world that is quickly transitioning to hybrids and fully-electric cars.

Just like a good steak and chips, there's nothing wrong – and in fact, a lot to love – about the basic fundamentals.

Does the Mustang GT do enough to justify its higher price tag, though? Well, that doesn't matter, because this is the cheapest muscle car left in town.

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