The 2018 Ford Mustang GT is available with an Active Valve Performance Exhaust system for an extra $895, allowing drivers to adjust the sound levels of the Mustang GT’s exhaust among four levels of loudness. The four settings are Quiet, Normal, Sport and Track in order of quietest to loudest. The sound levels produced by each setting are fairly self-explanatory: Quiet keeps things polite, while Track assaults ears with the Mustang GT’s all-American V-8 rumble. Normal and Sport rest in between the two extremes.
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A key part of the system is its Quiet Start feature. Again, Ford has chosen directness over some overly focus-grouped name — this setting allows the Mustang GT to start in the Quiet setting instead of Normal. Your neighbors will thank you for not waking them up every morning as you start the car. This feature also comes in handy for new parents.
Quiet Start even includes a scheduling feature that allows owners to set a window of time when it engages automatically. For example, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. — or any other period of time — can be “quiet time” for the Mustang GT.
In our own tests, Quiet Mode starts peaked at 72 and 75 decibels; Normal starts peaked at 86 and 84 decibels. For comparison’s sake, that’s roughly the difference between normal television or radio volume and a garbage disposal or blender.
Look, a lot of people will say things like, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.” But in the era of bitter suburban feuds over the stupidest stuff, it’s helpful to err toward politeness.
Check out the video above to see this system in action and hear more of that beautiful exhaust note.
