2018 Ford Mustang vs 2020

What's the difference?

The Mustang GT is unique in Australia as a relatively affordable high-powered rear-wheel-drive coupe. It’s also accessible in that it’s easy and fun to drive. This car lives us to its iconic name and in my view is the best Mustang Ford has ever created.

The Ford Mustang High Performance 2.3L is neither a true muscle car, nor a sports car. It is a stylish and speedy two-door, but it never feels like a brutish beefcake, nor a scalpel-sharp sports coupe.

You mightn’t care about that. And I can understand why you’d choose the four-cylinder over the V8 - it’s considerably cheaper, better on fuel and still gets a lot of equipment. However - and this chorus will be familiar to those who are fans of the Mustang - the V8 is just a better option. Spend the extra money.

Okay, let’s be honest with each other – the main appeal of the Mustang is its looks. Yup, this thing could be powered by a couple of cocker spaniels and have a top speed of Kyle Sandilands’ walking pace, and people would still be shouting “shut up and take my money”.

The good news is the V8 engine in the GT is magnificent, and you can read all about that magnificence below, but all you need to know right now is the grunt matches those restyled, but still drop dead gorgeous looks.

So how have the Mustang GT’s looks changed? Look at its face. The bonnet has lost its gunsight ridges and grown large nostrils and that nose curves down now more like a Jaguar F-Type thanks to the grille being placed lower. The LED headlights have been restyled and so has the bumper and the circular fog lights have been replaced with LED strips.

It’s hard to make out in the images but the contours of the black plastic skirting the front spoiler are beautiful – I’ve never written that in any review ever before, and I found myself getting a bit lost in the little details like that are all over the new Mustang.

Look at the lines in the bonnet, see how they flow to the side of the car; check out those perfect door gaps; and see how the back bumper is fixed to the rear of the car – it’s a three-dimensional join with a gap that’s almost seamless. Below is a new quad exhaust system – yes, twice as many exhaust tips as before - set in a sophisticated grey rear diffuser under those new LED tail-lights.

If the previous Mustang looked great, then this is polished greatness.

What wasn’t at all great about the last model was the cheap feel of the cabin with its hard plastics and uninspiring fit and finish. Ford took the criticism seriously and this updated Mustang has a more refined ‘export’ interior. That means a better-quality fitment and feel to the materials used – brushed aluminium instead of chrome trim in places, optional leather power adjustable Recaro seats, softer plastics and a stunning 12.4-inch virtual instrument cluster. The refinement could still be better, but it’s a noticeable improvement.

You can have your GT as a Fastback or Convertible. Both have the same new front and rear treatments, the only big difference in the bodies apart from the roof is the aerial on the Convertible’s boot lid.

What you can see is the reinforcement which has gone into the structure of the Convertible adding about 60kg of extra weight, too.

While the Convertible carries off a great execution of an automatic soft top roof (there's no retractable hardtop option), it looks better with the tonneau cover off, but nothing quite beats the teardrop shape of the Fastback’s hardtop.

Also, the Fastback lives up to its name and is actually faster to 100km/h than the Convertible. What the heck? I’ll tell you why in the engine specs section below.

This is just an update, so the Mustang’s dimensions don’t change – well, not much anyway. The wheelbase stays the same at 2720mm, and the new front and rear treatments have only added a mere 5mm for an overall length at 4789mm, while width including mirrors (folded out) is 2097mm.

It’s not a massively long car but it can feel that way looking out over that powerboat like nose – you can read more about what the Mustang is like to drive in the section below.

If you’re keen to find out what the interior dimensions are, and which ones have changed then dip into the section on practicality. 

Oh, and the Ford badge – have you spotted it yet? There’s only one Ford badge on the outside of the Mustang and it’s almost invisible – you ‘ll see it high in the middle of the windscreen near the rear-view mirror. It’s a Blue Oval sticker and you can really only spot it if you’re standing right in front of it.

You can’t confuse a Mustang for any other car on the road. That’s intentional.

With its iconic muscle car looks, signature tail-lights and menacing slim headlights flanking a broad grille, it’s an intimidating model no matter which engine is under its sculpted bonnet.

It is a substantial vehicle in terms of dimensions, measuring 4789mm long (on a 2720mm wheelbase), 1916mm wide and 1387mm tall. That’s longer and wider than a lot of family-friendly SUVs. But boy, does it pull off its size well. 

The Mustang High Performance 2.3L gets a few distinct features when it comes to the design, including a model-specific grille finish, 19-inch wheels with a machined finish, accented bonnet strips in “Magnetic” grey, and those finishes extend to the mirror caps and rear spoiler. 

You can option to have the exterior trim finishes without grey highlights, at no extra cost. But no matter what colour trim elements you opt for there will be model-specific badges on the rear and the fenders.

Inside the design between all models in the range is largely identical, but you won’t feel like you’re in something familiar if your usual ride is a Ranger. This is a purpose-built and designed muscle car, with plenty of sporting, strong intent inside and out.

The Mustang has four seats, but those rear ones don’t offer much in the way of legroom – not for me anyway. I’m 191cm tall and I can’t sit behind my driving position – not even nearly. I have seen shorter adults sit back there though, so if you had to ferry an extra couple of people somewhere occasionally you could with those back seats.

Room up front is excellent – leg and shoulder room is good, and headroom was ample enough for me to wear a helmet with plenty of clearance while on the track.

Storage isn’t bad. The boot space in the Fastback is 408 litres while the cargo capacity of the Convertible is 332 litres.

There’s two cupholders up front, thin door pockets and a centre console bin that’s not quite deep enough to close with a 500mL bottle in it.

You don’t buy a Mustang for practicality. But if you’re single or in a couple without kids, this could be a very practical option. 

It has four seats, but the back ones are nearly useless in terms of space. I tried to sit behind my own (182cm) driving position, and it was close to impossible - I didn’t have enough headroom, toe room or leg room to sit there for more than a few minutes. If those in the front seats are shorter, yes, it’ll be fine for a little longer.

And access to the back seats isn’t great. The door openings are small, and the bulky front seats - optional full-leather Recaro sports seats in this tester - don’t electronically slide forward when you tilt the backrest. A little thing, but annoying all the same. 

If you do manage to squeeze someone in the back, they won’t be well catered for. There is no storage - no cup holders, map pockets or bottle holders at all. But the rear seats do fold down 50:50 to allow easy boot access.

You might even find yourself folding the seats down to allow for extra boot space - though the standard cargo space is 408 litres when not expanded, which is easily enough for a week’s worth of luggage: we fit all three suitcases in the back (124L, 95L, 36L) without hassle. That boot capacity is more than most hatchbacks and even some SUVs.

But you know what’s annoying? There’s no boot release button on the boot lid. It's hidden down near the numberplate, and that means it's just a bit harder to get to if your hands are full. 

What about up front?

Those Recaro seats are big and pretty but don’t exactly hug your curves like proper racing seats would. And if you option them, you have to forego comforts like seat heating and cooling - which is standard for the standard seats. It was cold when I drove the Mustang, and your precious tester missed seat heating terribly; plus there’s no steering wheel heating either - you get that in the Fiesta ST, at half the price.

I also found it a bit difficult to find the right driving position, and I was frustrated by the over-shoulder blind spot. 

I was also disappointed at the storage on offer. There’s a covered centre console, sure, and a pair of cup holders - but they’re in the middle of the armrest between the front seats. The section in front of the gear-shifter leaves a bit to be desired as there is no usable storage. There’s a USB port and you can sit your phone there, but trust me - it won’t stay there very long. Additionally, there are cavities in the doors which aren’t big enough for a bottle and a little bit awkwardly positioned and shaped. 

Also a little awkward are the climate controls - the majority of it is managed by buttons below the screen, though the air direction - which vents you want blowing - is through the screen (unless you have the demister on).

The media screen itself is mostly good - Ford’s Sync software is mostly pretty good, with easy menus and decent graphics. I was using Apple CarPlay for the entire time I was in the Mustang, and had no issues at all. There’s Android Auto too, of course.

The 2020 Ford Mustang update saw prices rise across the board, and the High Performance 2.3L models are now more expensive, too.

The Fastback automatic tested here, for instance, has an MSRP list price of $54,490 plus on-road costs. That’s $3000 more expensive than the manual version of the coupe, and $1000 more than the 2019 equivalents.

As mentioned above, you can get the four-cylinder Mustang as an automatic convertible as well, and that’ll cost you $60,790.

The standard equipment list includes 19-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli rubber, auto on/off LED headlights and LED daytime running lights, LED fog lamps, LED tail-lights, a variable exhaust system with quad tips, rain sensing wipers, puddle lights (with Pony projection), and a number of design highlights specific to the 2.3L model. More about that in the design section below.

Other gear fitted as standard includes dual zone climate control, heated and cooled leather front seats with electric adjustment, leather steering wheel, leather gear knob, keyless entry with push-button start, LED ambient interior lighting, illuminated scuff plates, heated and power folding wing mirrors, and a 12-inch digital dash cluster with configurable displays.

For all Mustang models there’s an 8.0-inch Sync3 touch screen multimedia system with sat nav, USB connectivity, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and smartphone mirroring tech (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto). The media unit is hooked up to a Bang & Olufsen sound system with 12 speakers.

All Mustang models come with adaptive cruise control and auto high beam lights, and there’s an array of safety-focused driver technology aids which you can read all about in the safety section below.

There are a few options available, and our car had the Recaro leather front sports seats ($3000), and the adaptive MagneRide suspension ($2750) was also fitted to this car. Other choices include a number of accessory dealer-fit design packs, and Lustre nickel alloy wheels ($500).

Colour choices (or colors if you follow FoMoCo speak) for the 2020 Mustang include a few new hues such as Twister Orange and Grabber Lime. Those, along with Shadow Black, Kona Blue, Velocity Blue (our test car’s colour), Rapid Red, Magnetic (grey) and Iconic Silver will all add $650 to the price. There are only two no-cost options for colours: Oxford White and Race Red.

As for competitors? You could consider a four-cylinder Audi A5 Coupe (from $70,100), or Mercedes C-Class Coupe (from $70,600). Or you might want to consider a Ford Mustang V8 (from $64,190). 

You might also be interested in what it costs to get into a V8 Mustang - and you’ve gotta pay an extra $12,200 to get an auto ($66,690). That’s a lot, but check the resale values of Mustang models and you’ll see that as an investment, not a waste of money.

There’s a four-cylinder Mustang? Yup, it’s called the EcoBoost, but only the V8 GT was available for us to drive at the Australian launch. That was fine by me, as I’m of the thinking that it’s a V8 or nothing when it comes to muscle cars. [full disclosure: I have a Ford V8 tattoo on my arm].

That V8 is the same 5.0-litre Coyote engine which was in the previous GT, but Ford has developed it further and squeezed another 33kW of power and 26Nm of torque out for a new grand total of 339kW (about 455 horsepower) and 556Nm.

The six-speed automatic transmission has been given the heave-ho and now there’s a quick shifting 10-speed auto, while the six-speed manual has been redesigned to handle more torque (but remains unavailable in the Convertible).

All Mustangs are rear-wheel drive with a limited slip differential. You won't find an all-wheel drive in the line-up.

How fast is the V8 Mustang? Well, testing showed the previous GT could nail 0-100km/h in about 5.5 seconds despite the claims of it being a sub-five second car. Ford says the updated Fastback can do it in 4.3sec thanks to that quick shifting 10-speed automatic while the Convertible is only 0.2sec behind it – don’t forget it’s about 62kg heavier. With the manual gear box Ford reckons the Fastback can make the jump to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds. Impressive figures, but we haven’t yet tested them. 

The Ford Mustang High Performance 2.3L models run a, you guessed it, 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost turbo-petrol engine with 236kW of power (at 6200rpm) and 448Nm (at 3800rpm).

That’s more than the existing 2.3-litre model - as you’d expect, of a High Performance model. The old version offered up 224kW and 441Nm, but the horsepower engine specs have been upped thanks to the fitment of a larger turbocharger.

As mentioned earlier, you can get a six-speed manual version of the coupe, or the optional 10-speed automatic as tested here. That auto transmission is fitted as standard to the Convertible. 

All Mustang models are rear-wheel drive. And in terms of performance specs, the four-cylinder model certainly lives up to the badge. But, believe it or not, Ford Performance - a high performance brand in its own right - still hasn’t published a 0-100km/h time for this car!

Ford US has previously stated the High Performance tune should offer a 0-60mph (or 0-96.5km/h) time in the “mid four-second range”, but to me that seems extremely ambitious, given the existing 2.3L model had a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.5 seconds. 

Want to know the V8 specs? Read our 2020 Mustang V8 review.

If you’ve ever owned a muscle car you’ll know about fun:fuel relationship. Both fun and fuel are both directly proportional to each other. So, at best you’ll use 12.7L/100km – that’s Ford’s consumption claim for the GT automatic (both Fastback and Convertible) after a combination of urban and open roads. The manual uses a smidge more, at 13.0L/100km. 

If you’re seriously worried about fuel usage, then the EcoBoost four-cylinder model could be perfect for you because it looks identical to the GT only nowhere near as thirsty. But then it also sounds and feels like a four cylinder.

As for a plug-in hybrid or electric Mustang - never say never, well that's what Mustang chief engineer Carl Widmann told me. While he said he wasn't working on one right now, he didn't rule out a future EV model. 

The claimed combined cycle fuel consumption for the Mustang 2.3L High Performance model with the auto transmission is 9.6 litres per 100 kilometres. 

On test, across a mix of enthusiastic driving, urban testing and boring highway stints I saw a return of 11.5L/100km - which, it’s fair to say, was a bit above what I expected.

Fuel tank capacity for four-cylinder models is 59 litres. That’s two litres less than the V8s, but they use a lot more fuel.

It gets me every time I slip into the driver’s seat of the Mustang – that bonnet stretching away out in front like the bow of an offshore powerboat. Just piloting it out of the airport car park felt like I was moving away from a marina and into open water where I could squash my right foot hard against the floor. But you don’t need to open the throttle fully to feel or hear anything from the GT because the active exhaust system lets you change the note from Normal, Quiet and Sport to Track. Sport is plenty loud enough and just cruising at 70km/h that exhaust note growls beautifully and will bark if you prod the accelerator.

The Mustang shrinks as you drive it – well it seems that way because after steering the GT for 15 minutes that large powerboat feeling disappears as you begin to get a sense of its size. 

Starting out in the automatic Fastback and using the shifting paddles to climb through the gears I found that it was better to leave the transmission in Drive – 10 speeds is a lot to choose from and when you’re up around ninth it’s easy to get lost and end up hunting back through gears to find the best one to overtake that truck in front.

All of our test cars were fitted with the optional MagneRide adaptive dampers which are capable of adjusting up to 1000 times per second on the fly for better ride and handling. The 100km from Adelaide to Tailem Bend would be a good test for how that coped with ordinary Australian roads while The Bend Motorsport Park at our destination would give a better picture on the handling.

Not having a car fitted with the standard suspension was a bit cheeky, as I have nothing to compare the MagneRide cars to, but in comparison to the previous car (which wasn't available with adaptive dampers, even as an option) the ride on the potholed and coarse-chip roads was definitely more comfortable and composed, almost luxury car-like even rolling on those 19-inch, 40 profile Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (255 front, 275 rear).

The Bend is one of the newest racetracks in Australia and the surface was pristine – until we arrived. Within a few hours we’d painted it with rubber because – science.

Yup, the track had been cordoned off into a handling section while the main straight was turned into a drag strip because the Mustang GT has a Drag Strip Mode – I kid you not.

First, handling – I’ve driven more nimble and agile cars, but the Mustang GT is a muscle car, and it performed well for one, with good grip, direct and accurate steering, and it powered like an absolute beast out of the corners. And in Track mode that exhaust note roars into battle like a Viking that’s got out of the wrong side of bed.

Drag Strip mode is sort of Mustang speak for launch control, and it ensures continuous torque through the gears without any ‘downtime’ between the shifts. It works superbly and hilariously well.

You may also like to know also in the name of science that the GT can break traction through first second, third and fourth gears.

I’m going to say this first and foremost: the Mustang is made to be a V8. It needs a V8 to feel right. I’ve driven the V8, I know it feels better than the four-cylinder. 

The Mustang High Performance is exactly that - a high performance car with plenty of speed and surprising agility, but it’s just not quite right. It just doesn’t feel like a Mustang should.

The 2.3-litre turbo engine is very strong and offers plenty of pulling power. The power delivery is linear, with very little lag from a standing start - and there’s a Drag Race mode for launches if you find yourself at the strip. 

The 10-speed automatic transmission helps with that smooth progress. It’s decisive and shifts quickly, and in Sport mode you even get a reassuring thump as it upshifts under hard acceleration. 

But at times - usually in sedate driving - it can be too busy. There are 10 gears to use, after all, and I really think eight would be more than sufficient. It can hold gears longer than you might expect, or shuffle between lower gears more regularly than is probably necessary. It just feels a little confused. 

There’s also Race mode, which is definitely the pick for hard driving. It will hold gears more sensibly, allowing you to explore the ability of the engine even more.

But I still think it’s stupid that the drive mode switch only operates one way through the menus – so you can’t go from Sport back to Normal without going through Sport Plus, Drag Race, etc. 

For my driving I used a mix of those modes, but no matter which I chose I struggled to come to grips - quite literally - with the steering of the Mustang.

It is direct, and you can feel some vibration from the road surface through the tiller, but it’s got a weird vagueness that makes it hard to judge when you’re driving it with intent. It feels quite light over the nose because of the way the steering behaves, and that can make it feel questionably balanced in the bends.  

I know that when I’ve driven the V8 version it definitely felt more natural in the way that steered. Maybe I’d prepared myself for a nose-heavy experience, and even if I did, I preferred it.

All that said, however, the Magneride adaptive suspension is very well sorted, offering decent ride compliance for the most part, and altering its manners depending on the drive mode. 

I noted one or two moments of skittishness at the rear when encountering mid-corner bumps in Sport mode, while over straight road sections in Normal mode the suspension dealt well with potholes and pockmarks. Of course you’ll feel sharp edges at lower speeds, but what sports car doesn’t?

This might be the point at which you decide: “Hmm, maybe the Mustang isn’t for me.”

That’s because it has a lacklustre ANCAP crash test safety rating - it managed just three stars when it was tested in 2017. Its score was rightfully pegged back by its rear occupant protection for side and frontal offset crash scenarios for both adults and children.

That isn’t to say that it lacks safety tech or inclusions. It comes as standard with auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection (5km/h to 80km/h), front collision warning, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, and adaptive radar cruise control (but it’s not full-speed cruise, as it cuts out at 20km/h).

Missing is blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear AEB, front cross traffic alert, and driver attention alert/fatigue monitoring. 

Despite its small body, there are eight airbags (dual front, front side, side curtain and dual knee), and there are two ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the rear, as well as two top tether points for baby seats. Though given the crash score, you mightn’t want to put anyone you love in the back.

Ford’s Mustang GT is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000km and is capped at about $500 a visit for the first 10 years (it's a lifetime capped-price service plan).

Ford backs its cars with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is now the industry standard in Australia.

The company also has a capped price servicing plan with maintenance due every 12 months/15,000km. And for each maintenance visit for the first four years/60,000km for MY2020 Mustang models, the service costs are pegged at $299 per visit. That’s exclusive of things like brake fluid (every 24 months - $135) and other consumables like brake pads and wiper blades.

As you may know, Ford will also offer you a service loan car, and it updates your sat nav maps when you come in for servicing, too. And if you abide by the company’s rules, there’s up to seven years of roadside assistance available.