.
It was a complete piece of garbage, but it was the best I could do with
$900 worth of hard-earned busboy tips. It only had one side mirror, the
power steering fluid had to be filled every two weeks and there was a
nail in the dashboard. I would have removed that last bit of nonstandard
hardware, but whenever the Brown Bomber didn't want to turn over,
touching the nail for luck seemed to work. But compared to my friends'
cars, mine at least looked the fastest. Looks don't win at the
stoplight, though, and my rust-colored 'Stang featured the double whammy
of a 109-horsepower 2.8-liter V6 and an automatic transmission.
To say that my Mustang's powertrain was a disappointment could be the
understatement of the century, but I wasn't the only V6-powered Mustang
owner suffering from horsepower humiliation. It would be another 30
years before Ford would offer a V6-powered Mustang with anything more
than mule muscle, but that's where we are today. The 2012 Mustang boasts
a legit 305 horsepower, or more punch than the 4.6-liter V8 under the
hood of the 2009 Mustang GT. I have no doubt that the 2012 Mustang is
vastly superior to my 1981 shame machine, but does that 305 horsepower
and a vastly improved rear-wheel-drive chassis make this Mustang one of
America's great performance bargains? Hit the jump to find out.
If you've made it this far, you've probably noticed that our review vehicle is not the
newly debuted and tweaked 2013 model.
We generally make an effort not to review vehicles after significant
changes are announced, but with so many Mustang variants available, we
just couldn't publish all of the Mustang reviews we had lined up before
the changes were announced. Besides, we're still a few months away from
getting our hands on the newest Mustang V6, and it appears that its
hardware will be largely the same as the 2012 model we sampled. 2013
Mustang V6 changes include updated front and rear fascias, new wheel
options, available Recaro seats and the availability of our tester's V6
Performance Pack on automatic-equipped models for the first time. Ford
hasn't announced upgraded V6 power numbers for 2013, so we're operating
under the assumption that the 3.7-liter V6 will continue to pack 305
horsepower.
Having said that, our Race Red tester is a budget-minded, Mustang-loving
enthusiast's dream. We're talking about a base 2012 Mustang Coupe with
but one option box checked: the V6 Performance Package, which adds
19-inch Argent Painted Machined aluminum wheels mated to Pirelli P-Zero
255/40 ZR 19 rubber and a host of performance improvements for just
$1,995. That Ford offers this impressive package on even the most basic
Mustang is commendable, and it's a must for the enthusiast on a budget.
Even with the Performance Package our tester still came in at an
extremely reasonable $24,850. As you can imagine, that low MSRP means
that there aren't a whole lot of high-tech standard features, but the V6
Mustang still offers a few creature comforts. Among the standard fare
is a tilt steering wheel with speed controls and a rich-sounding premium
stereo with an auxiliary audio input jack for your MP3 player. If
you're looking for a longer list of accoutrements, you'll have to step
up to the V6 Premium, which starts at $26,310 and doesn't include the
Performance Package.
In the past, the V6-powered Mustangs were not only devoid of power, they
also looked toothless when contrasted with the GT model. Gaudy
stickers, smallish wheels and a general atrophied look just screamed
"Rent me!" Ford has done a terrific job making the V6 Mustang look less
like a white flag of inferiority and more like a powerful ride with some
personality.
This look is enhanced with the Performance Package, thanks mostly to
those massive 19-inch wheels that draw attention to the Stang's
aggressive looks. Proof of our tester's improved visual appeal comes in
the form of the many compliments we received during our week with it.
Past V6 Mustangs were more likely to elicit questions like "Why didn't
you get the V8?" – not what you want to hear after dropping over $20,000
on a new pony car.
The Mustang usually looks interesting from the outside, but the same
compliment shouldn't be directed to its typically bland interior. That
changes to some degree with the current generation model, as aesthetics
and materials have been greatly improved. A once rock-hard dash has been
replaced with far cushier fare, and the cloth seats are comfortable and
have plenty of side bolstering. The Mustang also earns points for ease
of use, as its buttons and knobs are logically placed and easy to reach
and operate. Of course, it helps that our tester was largely frill-free,
so SYNC, Bluetooth and navigation were all left out of the equation. We
were especially pleased with the seat comfort, which only made us want
to spend more time in the cabin. The Mustang also impresses with superb
visibility from the driver's seat, a claim that its Bowtie-wearing
competitor most definitely cannot make.
There is no doubt that the Mustang's cabin is much improved, but this is
no luxury interior. Once inside, the eyes are greeted with an ocean of
stark-looking gray and black tones. The center armrest is far short of
comfortable, and the plastic steering wheel is a constant reminder of
the manageable MSRP (a leather-wrapped unit comes standard for 2013).
While we don't expect a muscle car to have a massive trunk, the Mustang
features a respectable 12.3 cubic feet of room. Unfortunately, the boot
opening is small enough that larger and awkwardly shaped items likely
won't fit.
Still, our complaints about the Mustang's interior are few, and they
really don't take away from the driving experience. The 3.7-liter V6
boasts the aforementioned 305 horsepower at 6,500 revolutions per minute
and 280 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 revs. This is the V6 performance
that budget-minded Mustang lovers have been craving, and the result is a
powerful mill that doesn't disappoint. It doesn't have the low-end
torque of the brawny 5.0-liter V8 or even the asthmatic 4.6-liter V8,
but it's still got plenty of punch and a redline that hits a
grin-inducing 7,000 RPM.
The six-speed manual transmission is a treat as well, as the short-throw
shifter clicks into a satisfying notch every time gears are swapped.
Hammer the throttle from a dead stop and expect acceleration that would
annihilate any stock V8-powered Fox-body Mustangs. Our AOL Autos
compatriots quote a 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds, but the acceleration feels
more in the mid-five-second range from behind the wheel.
The new 3.7-liter V6 does wonders for the street cred of the Mustang,
but the pony car competition isn't messing around, either. The
V6-powered
2012 Chevrolet Camaro boasts 323 horsepower and the
2012 Dodge Challenger
counters with 305 horsepower. With each model over 300 ponies, which is
the quickest to 60 mph? Again, the Mustang comes out on top, beating
the Camaro by .1 second (6.0) and the Challenger by .9 seconds (6.8).
That's partly because the Mustang weighs just 3,401 pounds, while the
Camaro tips the scales at 3,780 lbs and the Challenger needs Jenny Craig
at 3,834 lbs.
The 3.7-liter engine under the hood of the Mustang most definitely has a
lot more kick than the old 4.0 Cologne V6, but don't make the mistake
of thinking that this is a 9/10ths GT. The V6 is down big on horsepower
and torque compared to the 5.0-liter V8, but that's not even the biggest
reason scale doesn't apply to this comparison. While the V6 carries a
nice soundtrack, it's absolutely nowhere near the exhilarating exhaust
note of the GT. There is a certain James T Kirk/Barry White swagger that
comes with eight pistons under the hood of a Mustang, and our tester
just doesn't have it.
But who needs panache when you handle like a champ? The Mustang V6 takes
turns surprisingly well, and the Performance Package only enhances the
driving experience. The package includes a larger front sway bar and SVT
rear sway bar, unique calipers with performance friction pads, a
strut-tower brace, 3.31 gear ratios and unique front springs. All that
hardware exists to increase stability in turns and improve braking, and
the result is a very composed pony car, even when charging hard through
the corners. The Mustang's solid rear axle used to be looked upon as a
hindrance to handling in deference to drag strip performance and low
cost, but that really isn't the case anymore. Ford based the updated
axle off the last generation Mustang Bullitt, which was the most
entertaining pre-2010 Mustang. There are still times when the rear feels
as though it wants to hop free, but the electronic nannies help keep
everything in order when your skillset can't.
Ford engineers have added electronic power steering to the Mustang in
2011 to improve fuel economy. An electrified tiller tends to conjure up
images of a numb and uninspiring feel, but that generally isn't the case
with this Mustang. The steering is quick and precise and offers some
level of feedback, though there are moments when it does feel
artificially weighted.
When Ford introduced the new V6-powered Mustang, The Blue Oval promised
31 miles per gallon on the highway. The thought of a 300-horsepower
vehicle offering 31 mpg sounds too good to be true, but our experience
with the Mustang suggests it's a legitimate claim. The 31 mpg number is
only possible with the optional six-speed automatic transmission, but
our manual-equipped tester is still rated by the EPA to achieve 29 mpg
on the highway and 19 mpg in city driving. We managed 24.2 mpg during
our time with the Mustang V6, but could have squeezed out a few more
miles per gallon if it weren't so much fun to drive hard.
There was a time when buying a Mustang V6 might have signified you were
more interested in looks than performance. After spending a week behind
the wheel of this latest iteration, we can say that stereotype is no
longer valid. The 2012 Mustang now features an impressive V6, a
terrifically sorted chassis and fuel economy that's as good as some
mid-size sedans. Add in a base price under $23,000 and you're looking at
a genuine performance bargain.
While it's not fair to cars like the
Hyundai Genesis Coupe,
Subaru WRX
and the Chevrolet Camaro to declare the Mustang the best performance
value on the planet, its name certainly deserves to be included in any
discussion on the topic.
