2014 Ford Mustang V6...
*sigh*...automatic.
Right, before anything else let me just say I quite liked this car. That being said, there are one or two issues, mostly revolving around the slush-box that's attached to the engine.
In short, left to it's own devices, it's not that great. It's not that it's a bad gearbox, it's just that it is determined to keep the engine RPMs low. It's also hesitant to kick down. If you press the go-pedal harder, all you get is this complaining moan from the engine, but don't really go any faster. The solution to this is to mash the gas pedal until the gearbox finally decides to play along or knock the selector lever down to Sport mode and do it yourself. Problem here is that to select the gears on this particular Mustang, you have to use the little toggle switch on the side of the selector lever as opposed to either moving the lever to the side and then up/down to change gears or have paddle-shifters on the back of the steering wheel like on other cars. Personally, that toggle switch just feels kind of wrong. It's unnatural.
Now, before I complain too much, I'll say it again, it's not a bad gearbox. Shifts are nice and smooth and it's fairly quiet at speed, unlike that noisy piece of crap we Americans get in the Fiat 500. Yes, it kind of sucks when left to make it's own decisions, but in Sport mode, despite the awkward toggle switch, it is rather obedient. It does hesitate from time to time, but it's not that bad. It's definitely one of the better manu-matics I've driven (admittedly a short list).
That said, if it were my money, I would buy this car with a proper
Manuel manual.
Once you get the stupid gearbox to behave, the engine starts to shine. Yes, it was only a 6 cylinder, but it still had plenty of power to hustle the car along at a pretty good clip. Highway on-ramps were not a problem for this brute. Kick it down to second, put your foot down and you're doing 60 before you know it. Engine has a nice roar once you go above 3K too (the burble at idle is not bad either). Fuel consumption was respectable. Despite the hilly terrain throughout the trip, some bad traffic, and my somewhat aggressive driving style, the car still managed an average of 28 MPG.
So the car has some pretty good go power, and some good stopping power too. Nothing that will tear your face off, but still manages to bleed off speed quickly so you don't rear-end that Civic that pulled out at the last possible moment...
Tires were pretty good on the dry, but they didn't like the rain very much. Sunday, the day we left to come back to Pittsburgh, it was raining on and off. We decided to stop for breakfast before heading back. I was alone in the Mustang, everyone else was in the van. While making the left turn onto this one street, I had to press the gas pedal somewhat firmly as I had traffic approaching. I had done similar maneuvers earlier in the trip when it was dry and all I got was some mild chirping from the tires, so I wasn't really expecting the car to suddenly snap sideways and try to do a 180.
"POWAAA-OH, HOLY SHIT!"
I caught it with the car perfectly centered on the right lane, but still...everyone saw that. And yes, the traction control was on when this happened. Did encounter a few more showers on the road back and the car did feel a little skiddish when the road was wet. Culprit likely being the Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires it had which are known to be somewhat crummy in anything other than dry tarmac.
Steering is a little heavy, especially when you set it to "Sport", which I liked. Other settings are "Standard" and "Comfort", with the steering getting (slightly) lighter as you move down. Steering wheel does offer good feedback, though there is a slight numbness in comfort mode, so it's best to leave it in sport or standard when taking on the twisties.
On the highway, it rode well. Doesn't get knocked around easily by crosswinds and it absorbs bumps with minimal impact on the occupants. Bearing in mind this was a base V6 with the (relatively) squishy suspension. The seat did offer great thigh support and even had power adjustable lumbar support. Was pretty comfortable once I had adjusted everything properly. I wouldn't say they're the best seats out there (personally the Lincoln MKZ I drove two years ago had better ones), but still pretty good. Did an 8 hour drive (not including lunch/gas/bathroom stops) in this thing down to Tennessee each way and at the end I didn't have any bodily aches (the softer suspension likely also helped).
Road noise was pretty well managed, though there was some noticeable wind noise coming from the side mirrors. Nothing that would make your ears bleed, though.
As for the rear seats...well, it has them, but that's just about it. Really only meant to carry additional cargo or toddlers. Can't really fit a full-sized adult in the back of one of these things (you could, but they won't be comfortable).
Toys and gadgets, the car didn't have much. Basic sound system with SYNC and BlueTooth, manually operated climate controls, basic instrument cluster with information screen under the tach, cruise control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and auto up/down driver and passenger windows. Can't complain much about it as I'm still not entirely sold on large touch-screen infotainment systems (probably because most of them still kind of suck). At least the BlueTooth controls worked well with my phone (Android HTC One).
Trunk space is a bit tight, but I still managed to fit a full-size suitcase, a camera bag, a backpack, two pillows, and three rolled-up yoga mats and still had some room for maybe two or three shopping bags. Can't really expect much cargo space in a car like this.
Now, while the car did prove to be a good highway cruiser, let's be honest that's only part of what a Mustang is all about. The other part is being a drag-strip and track brawler.
A 6 cylinder Mustang won't really impress anyone on a track (except maybe a really tight one), but it can still hold its own when the road is anything but straight. The place we stayed at over the week was a little under an hour away from U.S. Route 129's famous Tail of the Dragon. On Friday, we really didn't have much planned, so I took the opportunity, jumped in the Mustang and headed on over for some fun in the twisties.
And boy, was fun had!
Despite the automatic gearbox, THIS car on THAT road was a ton and a half of fun.
Photo dump time!
This last one was taken by 129Slayer
Made a stop on the Foothills Parkway on the way back for these shots as well.
I REALLY want a Mustang now...if only I had the monies.