S650 Ford Mustang Overview

Mustang

The seventh-generation 2025 Mustang offers the traditional pony car experience with a modern design language, but this time without competition. You heard it right: We no longer have the Chevrolet Camaro or the Dodge Challenger available brand new. Even though it is sad news for car enthusiasts, Ford has faith in the Mustang and continues offering the full model lineup, including the Fastback and Cabriolet, automatic or manual, a V8 or a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, there is an option for everyone.

The new Ford Mustang has a new front fascia with sharp lines and angles but it still keeps the retro design elements. It looks quite similar to the previous generation but has a sharper look. The main reason is that it is the same platform with new body panels for cost saving, which is a common procedure for many entries in this segment, including the Nissan Z we reviewed last year. What makes the Mustang special is that, it has its own dedicated platform with no platform sharing since the sixth generation. The looks in general are a little bit controversial, especially the taillights, but if you are looking for the traditional pony car looks, you don’t have a lot of options left.

Both Fastback and Cabriolet Mustangs can be optioned with the Performance Package, which offers extra goodies to accommodate performance-oriented driving including different wheels, suspension components and extra bracing. Only the Fastback GT can have the spoiler in the back, which is a wise decision. However, unlike the previous generation, Ford no longer offers two tiers of Performance Package, you have to go all the way up to the Dark Horse to get the best performance option.

The interior has more drastic changes, including the dashboard and much more tech. There is a minimum amount of parts-sharing, but it is still there, especially around the center console and door trims. There are fewer physical controls throughout the interior but a much better infotainment screen. The Premium trims offer a one-piece design that connects the digital gauge cluster and the touchscreen, but if you choose non-premium, you still get the same functionality, just with two separate screens.

The Premium trim offers a little bit more soft-touch surfaces including a leather-wrapped lower dashboard, but the interior feels a little monochromatic regardless of the trim you choose. Overall, the interior quality is better, but not going to blow your mind, which is expected for this price range. The only gripe I had was the fake carbon fibre-looking trims that make the interior look cheaper, but I’m glad Ford didn’t use any glossy black plastics anywhere in the interior.

The most significant difference compared to the yesteryear Mustang is the tech. It comes with the latest infotainment software with a completely different layout. It is not perfect, but much deserved improvement in terms of simplicity and overall looks. There is a slight input lag especially when you start it up, and you rely on the screen more than the outgoing generation due to the lack of physical controls. However, Ford did a good job considering the fact that it offers much more customization and user-friendliness.

Just like the touchscreen, the digital gauge cluster is standard, and it is a big step ahead. The screen quality is just as good, the graphics are clear and high resolution. The customization makes it feel special, as you get several different screen layouts taken from the previous Mustangs. Overall, the interior doesn’t feel as retro as the previous generation, but it is more intuitive with much better tech.

Even though it has a completely new dashboard and interior look, the S650 Mustang has a pretty similar interior space. Our testers didn’t have the sportier Recaro seats, but the standard seats were quite comfortable and offered side support adequately. You can only opt for the Recaro seats with the Fastback, which would give it a much sportier look with an integrated headrest and much more aggressive side bolsters.

What makes the Pony cars different than its indirect competitors is the usable interior space and daily drivability in general, and the Mustang has always been known as one of the most livable entries, the new S650 platform is no exception here. You still get a decent amount of legroom and headroom in the front with tons of adjustment range. No matter how tall you are, you should have no issues in the front seats. Things are a little bit different in the rear, as rear seats are meant for emergencies. It can still accommodate front-facing child seats or short adults, but you need to move the front seats a little forward to use all seats.

Choosing a convertible Mustang doesn’t mean you have to give up tons of interior space or trunk space, Ford has done a terrific job placing the motors and the soft top in a way that doesn’t really get in the way. The legroom and cargo space difference is quite minimal and hard to see a difference until you measure it. The Fastback Mustang comes with 382 litres of cargo space, and it drops to 323 litres if you choose the Convertible. The trunk openings are the same, they are wide and usable.

Only a soft top is available, which also helps with the overall packaging as it takes less space when the top is down. The soft top does a good job with the overall noise, vibration and harshness, it is only louder on a highway with a car right beside you, and you hear their tire noise. Other than that, the difference is minimal compared to the Fastback.

What makes the Ford Mustang an icon and best-selling pony car for the last half-decade is not just its livability, but it gives you the choice and combines different drivetrains and body types. You can choose a coupe, cabrio, V8, turbo 4-cylinder, automatic or manual, and other options to make it more unique, something not a lot of manufacturers can accommodate.

Unfortunately, compared to the outgoing generation, you cannot opt for the manual transmission with the 2.3L Ecoboost engine, but it is still available with the V8. Our testers were the V8 Fastback and turbo 4-cylinder Ecoboost Convertible, and it gives us a better idea to review both back to back. The GT trim with the naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 engine pushes 486 horsepower and 418 lb-ft of torque with the active exhaust, which can be opted with the 6-speed manual transmission and optional 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. The V8 engine is a motoring gem, as it not only sounds great, but it revs all the way up to 7500 rpm while offering a predictable and fun powerband.

On the other side, we have the turbocharged 2.3L Ecoboost engine that Ford has been using in multiple different models. It doesn’t sound as good or doesn’t rev as high as the V8 engine, but it is a great option if you are planning to drive longer distances and need to get better fuel economy figures. The Ecoboost engine is not the smoothest 4-cylinder available, but it is a great match with a shortly-geared 10-speed automatic transmission. The turbo lag is noticeable below 3000 rpm, but once the turbo spools up, it offers a smooth powerband. The peak torque comes much earlier than the V8 engine, so it takes less effort to accelerate. I just wish the paddle shifters were standard without having to go to the Performance Package. Without the paddle shifters, there is no way you can shift the gears manually, making it a less engaging experience overall.

Speaking of the driving experience, our tester with the V8 engine has the optional Performance Package, which adds a bunch of goodies to make it more fun and capable, but it is still not a track-worthy pony car unless you choose the Dark Horse. The Performance Package adds different tire/wheel combinations, Brembo callipers, an electric hand-operated parking brake, a front tow hook, a different grille, stiffer front springs, extra bracing for more chassis rigidity, a rear spoiler for the Fastback only, a TORSEN limited-slip differential, different sway bars and different stability control tuning to accommodate performance-oriented driving.

The goodies you get with the Performance Package is impressive, but the elephant in the room is that it still feels like a grand tourer more than a sports car, even with the Performance Package goodies. Ford has revised the steering rack and installed a thicker steering shaft to eliminate vibrations coming through the steering wheel, but that made the steering feel more numb. The front end just doesn’t communicate well enough to have the confidence to push the car to its limits. The previous gen wasn’t known to have communicative steering, but the new generation feels less engaging from the performance perspective.

The steering is responsive and it wants to tip into the corner, but then the car can’t hide its excessive weight in the corner. The Pirelli tires don’t have tons of grip, Ford should have used more performance-oriented tires at least for the Performance package. It is not easy to feel how much grip is left until it loses the grip and starts understeering. You can always balance it out with more throttle input, but it just doesn’t communicate with the driver well enough to tell what’s happening through the steering wheel. Despite having stiffer springs and thicker sway bars, the optional Performance Package doesn’t eliminate the body roll, it just happens in a more controlled fashion compared to a non-Performance Package suspension tune.

The V8 engine is a must-have for any car enthusiast, and it doesn’t matter if you choose the Fastback or the Convertible. However, unlike the previous generation, it no longer has two tiers of the Performance Package. Back in time, the Performance Package 2 was the right choice if you wanted to take your Mustang GT to the track with tons of grip, less body roll and more feedback, but that is unfortunately no longer the case with the new Mustang GT. Ford wants track enthusiasts to pay the premium to choose the Dark Horse, and leave GT owners to choose the watered-down Performance Package, which is not track-worthy, and not as fun on twisties. Ford should have called it the “Sport Package” to set the expectations accurately.

That said, the Mustang GT is still quite capable on corners, you just need to set your expectations accordingly. It is not meant to be a track machine, and even Ford doesn’t present it in that way. On the positive side, driving the convertible Mustang was a completely different experience as our expectations were much lower from the pure performance perspective, at least without the “Performance” Package. Driving it top-down makes driving a memorable event even when you are going slow, but driving it to its limits was predictable and fun without too much compromise. The Convertible Ecoboost didn’t have the Performance Package, but it was still surprisingly compliant when you drove it spiritedly. The tires had less grip than the Fastback, but it also made it more fun and playful at the limit.

After driving two different types of Mustangs back to back, it was an eye-opening experience for me. I appreciate the fact that the Mustang is still here, available brand new, unlike the other entries. Other manufacturers backed out for several different reasons, but Ford still insists on bringing sports cars for the enthusiasts including a rev-happy V8 and a stick shift. Even though the new Mustang is not completely new, Ford has done a great job with the packaging except that it feels less retro, but more modern for younger car enthusiasts.

GT FastbackEcoboost Premium Convertible
Engine5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V82.3-litre turbocharged inline-4
Transmission & Drivetrain6-speed manual & rear-wheel-drive10-speed automatic & rear-wheel-drive
Max power (combined)486 hp @ 7250 rpm315 hp @ 5000 rpm
Max torque (combined)418 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm350 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
0-100 km/h4.3 sec5.3 sec
Curb Weight1735 kg1819 kg
Fuel Economy (observed)18 MPG – 13.0 L/100 km22 MPG – 10.7/100 km
Starting at$54,675 CAD$51,925 CAD
Website:www.ford.cawww.ford.ca

Dan Gunay

Freelance Automotive & Motorcycle Journalist

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