2015 Ford Mustang: First Drive

Things that don’t happen every day: moon landings, royal births, Supreme Court nominations — and an all-new Ford Mustang. This year is one of those rare times in which we get to experience at least one of those events as Ford brings its completely redone pony car to be tested for the first time ever.

Related: 2015 Ford Mustang Photo Gallery

On paper, the 2015 Ford Mustang looks like it’s got the goods to go global: an optional, fuel-efficient, high-powered turbocharged four-cylinder engine; a completely new all-independent suspension; even forthcoming right-hand-drive models for British and certain Asian markets. Will what plays well in Des Moines, Iowa, also prove popular in Dusseldorf, Germany? Is the new Mustang improved enough to unseat the Chevrolet Camaro and fend off the redesigned 2015 Dodge Challenger?

Exterior

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that not much has visually changed from the old Mustang to the new one. The jury’s still out as to whether Ford went far enough in updating the car, but when spotted next to an outgoing model on the highway, the subtle differences and styling improvements become obvious. The ’15 also adds many of the design themes from non-muscle-car Fords like the hexagonal grille and lidded headlights, butching them up for muscle-car duty. The car’s best angle may be the rear-three-quarters, where the svelte and sloped tri-bar LED taillights look fantastic.

How It Drives

I was able to sample two of the Mustang’s powertrains on a press drive in and around the mountains of Los Angeles (the V-6 was not present). New for 2015 is the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, also found in slightly less-powerful form under the hood of the Lincoln MKC crossover. Here it makes 310 horsepower and 320 pounds-feet of torque, extremely impressive numbers from a four-cylinder engine. Consider: This is more horsepower than the 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra’s 4.6-liter V-8 pumped out, and it supposedly gets 32 mpg on the highway. That’s serious progress, folks.

My spin in the Mustang EcoBoost (you’ll never see Ford call it a four-cylinder in any marketing materials) came in one equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission, but without the $1,995 Performance Pack that brings big wheels, brakes and a beefier anti-roll bar to improve handling. Even without all that, the Mustang EcoBoost was highly enjoyable.

Punch the push-button start, now standard in all Mustangs, and the turbo four growls to life with a surprisingly throaty rasp. You’ll never mistake it for the V-8 in the GT, but it comes with a certain aural charm all its own. Snick the automatic transmission into drive, give it gas and prepare to be surprised — this thing is actually quick.

Various publications have pegged the Mustang EcoBoost’s zero-to-60 mph time in the mid-5-second range, not too shabby for a car this heavy. The transmission does kick down noticeably when you give it some gas, but in around-town driving it’s extremely flexible, with a broad torque curve. Get out into the canyons, however, flip the console toggle to engage Sport mode (one of four selectable drive modes standard on the Mustang), and the Mustang EcoBoost comes alive. The steering feel firms up noticeably, the throttle response gets more rapid, and the transmission becomes amazingly precise. In short, it becomes remarkably fun to drive.

The new suspension, all independent now front and rear, keeps the Mustang solidly planted. With the EcoBoost’s optional 18-inch wheels, ride quality is superb, but it’s less so when the sport suspension and optional 19-inch wheels of the GT come into play. The turbocharged Mustang never once needed a downshift to maintain velocity exiting a corner into an uphill rise in the canyons. The tuning that’s been done for the car should impress even European drivers who have long considered American cars to be rubbish. Unlike four-cylinder Mustangs of the past, buyers can check the option for the 2015 EcoBoost and not regret their decision in the slightest.

The GT with its 435-hp V-8 is, of course, more of everything. More noise, more thrust, more ability — but also more weight and more money. It doesn’t feel quite as agile as the EcoBoost, but what it lacks in fancy moves it makes up for with brute force and V-8 audio bliss. The Getrag six-speed manual transmission has clean, easy shifts, but the clutch is fairly heavy – driving it through stop-and-go Los Angeles traffic has to be one of Dante’s circles of hell. The GT also brings bigger brakes that are firmer but less easy to modulate than those on the standard EcoBoost; they’re great for bleeding off speed before turning into a corner, not as great when just trying to negotiate rush hour. For some people, the V-8 is essential to the pony-car experience, and I understand that thinking — it’s visceral and exciting and something of a tradition. But for the first time, lesser motors in the Mustang can be just as entertaining, thanks to a far more balanced overall package.

Interior

Ford has done considerable work on the Mustang’s interior, and one thing that is immediately noticeable for its absence should send cheers throughout the automotive world: There isn’t a single touch-sensitive control panel anywhere, aside from the LCD touch-screen. Quite the opposite, in fact. Ford has introduced toggle switches along the base of the center console for hazard lights, stability control, steering effort adjustment and the Drive Select mode function.

The new Mustang’s interior combines the best of two competitors — it features neat retro-styling touches like the Chevrolet Camaro with the roomier environment of the Dodge Challenger. It has the width and headroom to keep bigger drivers happy, like the Challenger. Visibility forward is decent, with the long and sculpted hood stretching out before you, but more surprising is how good visibility is over your shoulder — the long windows have been extended from the outgoing models, eliminating the little quarter windows and noticeably improving visibility to the rear and sides.

Base model seats are supportive and comfortable, with Recaro seats an option for performance-minded buyers. But the Recaros are not power-operated and their wide shoulder supports make a new lever, located in the top middle of the front seatback and used to fold the seatback forward for entry into the rear seats, completely unusable. You simply can’t reach it on the Recaros, making me wonder if anyone had even tested this feature before production started. Better to stick with the power-adjustable, non-sport seats. It’s not terribly important anyway, as the rear seats remain too tiny for adult use, but might work for pre-teenage children.

Storage has been improved in the new Mustang, both up front and in the trunk. More thought has gone into it too — the front cupholders are relocated more toward the passenger and pushed farther back, so having something in them doesn’t interfere with the driver shifting the manual transmission. Door pockets are deeper, as is the glove compartment, which now has a knee airbag built right into the glove box door. The trunk is larger, with a bigger and lower opening that now enables it to accommodate two sets of golf clubs. It’s not as big as the Challenger’s massive trunk, but it’s more commodious than the Camaro’s single duffel bag capacity.

Pricing is competitive as well, with the examples I drove ranging from the high $20,000s for a well-equipped EcoBoost model up to the high $40,000s for a loaded GT V-8. The more compelling models will still likely be the EcoBoost trims — consider that for the price of a Scion FR-S, you can get a larger, more comfortable, faster car that still gets 32 mpg highway and offers a much better multimedia system.

Young Americans and global markets didn’t grow up with ubiquitous V-8 power everywhere, and the new turbocharged Mustang may just be the carrot that brings them into Ford showrooms for a sports car more relevant to their desires.

Cars.com photos by Aaron Bragman