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Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible auto 2016 review

EXPERT RATING
8
Richard Berry road tests and reviews the Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible auto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The Ford Mustang. More than a muscle car, it's a V8-powered symbol of the American Dream. But what if you took out that V8 and replaced it with a four-cylinder turbo engine from a little hatchback? That's what Ford has done in the EcoBoost Mustang. So how does this change things? Does the Diet Mustang taste as good? Does it keep dream alive?

We test drove the $53,990 EcoBoost Convertible, the king of the four-cylinder range that kicks off with the $44,990 Fastback (permanent roof). For a bit of perspective the top of the Mustang range V8-powered GT Convertible sells for $63,990.

Design

Can you pick the EcoBoost spec from the GT? There's a couple of ways to tell. The EcoBoost has the Pony logo on the back, instead of GT lettering and it doesn't have the 5.0 badge on the front guard like the V8. Apart from that they are identical on the outside.

Not all Mustangs have been this beautiful - those built from 1974-1993 were so hideously ugly just glancing at them will burn your eyes out. But this new car is stunning, and how a modern version of the originally 1960s Mustang should look. There's the vertical strip taillights, the muscular rear haunches, the chiseled side profile and that shark nose grille.

That said the front seats are comfortable and supportive and the driving position is excellent

Whoever first said: "it's what's inside that counts" wasn't talking about this Mustang, because the interior isn't great. There's cheap-feeling plastics, gimmicky aviation-style gauges for important things like hazard lights and a pretty disappointing fit and finish to the cabin.

That said the front seats are comfortable and supportive and the driving position is excellent with the hips low and your legs stretched out like you're in a $50K bath tub.

Nothing like the seating in the back – at 191cm there is no legroom at all for me, but I have shorter mates who say they could sleep back there.

The folding roof has a manual release and the rest folds down automatically – it does have a scary-looking scissor mechanism so keep the kids' hands clear. Boot space is eaten into by the roof and is down 59 litres less than the Fastback at 324 litres – this made getting the CarsGuide.com.au pram in tough, whereas it fell straight into the hardtop's boot.

For an American car it's pretty light-on for cupholders with two in the front beside the handbrake.

And aside from the engine, brakes, tyres and wheels the EcoBoost's standard features list mirrors the GT's with an eight-inch touchscreen, satnav, reversing camera, emergency assistance, heated and cooled leather seats (driver's power adjustable), dual-zone climate control and awesome looking black 19-inch wheels.

The new Mustang has a five star ANCAP crash test rating, there's an automatic emergency assistance call function should the car detect an airbag deployment, ABS, plus traction and stability control.

There's two ISOFIX mounts and two top tether hooks for child seats too.

About town

The reaction people have to this car borders on celebrity madness. You'll feel like Brad Pitt. Truth is it's more like Brad Pitt is piggy backing you through the streets and they're just looking at Brad.

We took the car to Bondi Beach – the natural habitat for this drop-top muscle car. One baby boomer resident who could have passed for Bill Clinton asked how much it went for and offered us the money right then and there before slipping back into his Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

It looks like a big, chunky beast but light steering makes the 'Stang pretty effortless to maneuver.

Despite the attention though there was something missing – the soundtrack. The four cylinder has more than enough grunt but there's no V8 burble and that to me is the menacing icing on a cake for a muscle car.

Still nobody apart from me seemed to care. Certainly not my 15-month son, who we strapped into the back in his car seat. A tip for parents is to put the roof down first before inserting the sprog, it's much easier. It was his first convertible and he grinned and instinctively put his hands in the air as we drove along. It reminded me what this car is about – fun.

It looks like a big, chunky beast but light steering makes the 'Stang pretty effortless to maneuver through peak hour traffic and parking is made easier with a reversing camera and parking sensors.

Adding even more Hollywood to what is already a show on wheels are lights in the wing mirrors which project an image of the Mustang Pony onto the ground.

On the road

Don't discount the 2.3-litre four-cylinder in the EcoBoost Mustang. With 233kW and 432Nm this turbocharged engine makes more horsepower than your mate's new V8 Falcon did back in 2004.

The GT Mustang with its V8 has only 24 per cent more power at 306kW, but the EcoBoost has a different nature. If the engines were dogs the non-turboed V8 would be a lazy but strong Labrador and the turbo four-cylinder in the EcoBoost a slightly manic Jack Russell.

The display in the centre of the instrument cluster will tell you everything apart from your speed.

Both are fun and loyal animals, the V8 has a ‘power on tap' feel the entire time, while there's a brief delay with the four-cylinder as the turbo winds up before sling-shotting you away.

This same engine is also found in the Ford Focus RS – although beefed up considerably – and it's nature is more suited to a hot hatch like this.

The EcoBoost does the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds – only half a second behind the GT.

A manual gearbox isn't offered on the EcoBoost Convertible but the six-speed automatic transmission isn't a bad thing and if you go smoothly Ford reckons you'll get 9.4L/100km, but if you drive like me you'll see 19L/100km. You could get better fuel economy driving the V8 calmly – but would you?

On a private track the EcoBoost convertible proved itself to have good handling with its multilink rear suspension, with great balance. Around town on the frankly shoddy roads of Sydney's Inner West the EcoBoost struggled to stay completely composed. Convertibles can sometimes be prone to what's called scuttle shake because they don't have the rigidity a real roof adds and while the EcoBoost didn't appear to suffer noticeably from this – it may have contributed to the lack of composure.

More frustrating, however, is not having a digital speedo – the display in the centre of the instrument cluster will tell you everything apart from your speed.

Verdict

The EcoBoost Convertible is a real Mustang in that it is unmistakably a reincarnation of the American icon, it also has plenty of grunt with good handling, it's relatively affordable and great fun to drive or ride in – and for these reasons it scores well. It's also not the first four-cylinder Mustang.

But a traditional muscle car should have a V8. If it was my hard earned, I'd settle for nothing less than eight cylinders – this is a dramatic bad-ass car and it needs to have the menacing soundtrack to match. There was an embarrassing moment where a new Dodge Challenger pulled up next to me at the lights, its V8 snarling, and I let him move away first because I didn't want them to hear the sound of my sewing machine under the bonnet.

Spend the extra dosh and go for the GT Convertible or the cheaper GT Fastback.

What's it got?

Satnav, reversing camera, auto-folding roof, dual-zone climate control, Pony projection lights, emergency assistance call function

What is hasn't

Digital speedo, advanced safety equipment such as active cruise control, auto emergency braking and blindspot warning.

Does a Mustang need the V8 to earn the Pony badge? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Click here to see more 2016 Ford Mustang pricing and spec info.

Pricing guides

$46,990
Based on 149 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$34,888
Highest Price
$59,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
Fastback GT 5.0 V8 5.0L, PULP, 6 SP MAN $35,090 – 41,800 2016 Ford Mustang 2016 Fastback GT 5.0 V8 Pricing and Specs
2.3 Gtdi 2.3L, ULP, 6 SP AUTO $33,660 – 40,040 2016 Ford Mustang 2016 2.3 Gtdi Pricing and Specs
Fastback 2.3 GTDI 2.3L, ULP, 6 SP AUTO $29,260 – 35,310 2016 Ford Mustang 2016 Fastback 2.3 GTDI Pricing and Specs
GT 5.0 V8 5.0L, PULP, 6 SP AUTO $40,920 – 48,180 2016 Ford Mustang 2016 GT 5.0 V8 Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
8
Richard Berry
Senior Journalist

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Pricing Guide

$34,888

Lowest price, based on 145 car listings in the last 6 months

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