2011 Ford Mustang Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

2011 FORD MUSTANG BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Ford Mustang is the best car for you if you want a reinvigorated American original.

• The 2011 Ford Mustang leaps forward with two fresh 400-plus-horsepower V-8s and a modern new 305-horsepower V-6 that returns 31 mpg on the highway. Accompanied by new transmissions and revamped suspension and steering, Ford closes the power gap between Mustang and the rival Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger, making what’s already the most well-rounded pony car even better.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Ford Mustang or buy a 2010 Ford Mustang? Wait for the 2011 Ford Mustang. It’ll have more of everything you buy a car like this for.

2011 FORD MUSTANG CHANGES

• Styling: A rear-wheel-drive coupe with a cramped rear seat and marginal cargo space isn’t for everyone, but Mustang manages to conjure up most of the magic that makes owning a car like this worth the trouble. The 2011 Mustang gets subtle styling tweaks designed to smooth aerodynamics for improved fuel economy and better high-speed stability. Most noticeable is the reshaped front fascia. Otherwise, the 2011 Mustang retains the sheet-metal redo it received for model-year 2010. That update created a tucked-in-at-the-corners look with a newly aggressive nose and a trimmer tail. Throwback three-lens taillamps with sequential turn-signal illumination are highlights. The entire car of course is a throwback to the classic Mustangs of the late 1960s and early 1970s. That includes the interior with its square-rigged dashboard, retro instrumentation, even Nixon-era upholstery patterns. The original 1965 Mustang’s wild popularity gave the “pony car” class its name and Mustang’s success over the past few years encouraged Chrysler to reintroduce the 2009 Dodge Challenger as a modern interpretation of the 1970 Challenger. It also helped convince Chevy to tap the spirit of the 1969 Camaro and resurrect its pony car for 2010 after a seven-year hiatus. Buyers of these cars are among the few for whom brand loyalty continues to play a role. Generally speaking, however, Mustang has always appealed to the broadest audience. Today, it’s more approachable than the proudly belligerent Camaro and trimmer in scale than the Clydesdale-class Challenger. The 2011 Mustang returns with coupe and convertible body styles, both with four-passenger capacity and each offered in V-8 base, sportier V-8 GT, and high-performance supercharged-V-8 Shelby GT500 form. Styling touches that distinguish the Shelby GT500 include a specific nose and hood and a taller rear spoiler.   

• Mechanical: Here’s where Ford rolled up its sleeves and went to work on the 2011 Mustang. The base model retains a V-6 engine but discards a heavy, single-overhead-cam 4.0-liter for an all-aluminum dual-overhead-cam, 24-valve 3.7-liter. Horsepower is 305, a jump of 95 over the 4.0-liter and equal to that of the 2010 V-8 Mustang GT. By comparison, V-6s in the 2010 Camaro and Challenger have 304 and 250 horsepower, respectively. Torque is the primary force in acceleration, and the 2011 Mustang’s V-6 generates 280 pound-feet of torque, 40 pound-feet more than the outgoing V-6. Advanced engineering like cold-air induction, twin independent variable camshaft timing, and tuned dual exhaust helps it rev to 7,000 rpm. The base V-6 model is accounting for 50 percent of initial customer orders for the 2011 V-6 Mustang, an increase of 19 percent versus initial 2010 orders. Meanwhile, 41 percent of initial 2011 Mustang orders are for the GT model and its buyers can say goodbye to an aging single-overhead-cam 24-valve 4.6-liter V-8 and welcome the return of the “5.0.” That refers to 5.0-liters of displacement and harkens to hot-rod V-8 Mustangs of the 1980s. But the new V-8 is Ford’s state-of-the-art twin-cam 32-valve engine rated at 412 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. That’s a jump of 97 horsepower and 65 pound-feet over the 2010 GT. By comparison the 2010 Camaro SS V-8 has 426 horsepower with manual transmission, 400 with automatic. The 2010 Challenger R/T has a Hemi V-8 rated at 376 horsepower. Ford says 9 percent of 2011 Mustang orders are for the performance-flagship Shelby GT500. It retains a supercharged 5.4-liter dual-overhead-cam V-8. Torque remains 510 pound-feet, and the increase of 10 horsepower, to 550, sounds nominal. But the 2011 GT500’s V-8 uses a new all-aluminum block that’s a significant 102 pounds lighter than the 2010 model’s cast-iron block. That creates a better power-to-weight ratio and improves fuel economy and steering response. Ford compliments the revamped 2011 Mustang engine lineup with a new set of transmissions. The 2011 base and GT models continue with a choice of manual or automatic but each transmission now has six speeds instead of five. The 2011 GT500 continues with a six-speed manual only. The 2011 Mustang also gets revised suspension tuning and larger four-wheel disc brakes. A limited-slip differential is now standard on all models. In a significant change, the 2011 Mustang switches to electric power steering assist. This eliminates the power- and fuel-economy-reducing drag of an engine-operated hydraulic steering pump. It also allows Ford to fine-tune steering effort and introduce software that compensates for crosswinds, road crowning, even the shimmy of an out-of-balance wheel or a warped rotor. Ford labels the anti-shimmy feature “Active Nibble Control.”  

• Features: New features for the 2011 Mustang include a standard trip computer and first-time availability of Ford’s MyKey teen-driver-safety technology. MyKey allows an owner to cap vehicle speed, limit audio-system volume, insure the traction control system remain engaged, and trigger persistence reminders of unbuckled safety belts. The 2011 Mustang gets new outside mirrors with concave sections designed to reduce blind spots. In recognition of the hot new V-6, base models get a freshened speedometer that reads to 160 mph and new tachometer graphics that run to 8000 rpm. Available starting in August 2010, base models will be available with a new V-6 Performance Package option that substitutes a 3.31:1 axle ratio for the standard 2.73:1; replaces 17-inch all-season tires with performance-tread 19s; and adds a strut-tower brace, sport-calibrated antiskid system, and the firmer Mustang GT suspension. Mustang’s model-year 2010 freshening brought higher-quality interior materials to what was already a fairly extensive list of features. Returning as standard equipment on the 2011 Mustang is Ford’s Easy Fuel system that eliminates the gas cap in favor of a filler-neck baffle arrangement. Air conditioning, power windows and locks, cruise control, antilock brakes, and Ford’s AdvanceTrac antiskid system are again standard. Mustang does without head-protecting curtain side airbags – the convertible body style is a complicating factor – using instead front-seat-mounted side airbags designed to protect both the torso and head. Options on all models again include a voice-activated navigation system, heated front seats, and for base and GT coupes, a large, smoked-glass roof panel. Convertibles have a power folding soft top. Mustang comes with an MP3 auxiliary jack and is available with a 1,000-watt audio setup and Ford’s Microsoft-developed Sync infotainment system with USB iPod interface and Bluetooth phone link and music streaming. V-6 versions offer a dress-up Pony Package with available 18-inch alloys. Also optional is lighting that allows drivers to cycle through more than 100 shades of dashboard and cabin illumination.

2011 FORD MUSTANG PRICES

• Base price range for the 2011 Ford Mustang is $22,995-$35,496, not including the 2011 Shelby GT500 model, which is expected to remain priced from around $50,000. (Prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Ford’s fee for the 2011 Mustang is $850.)

• The 2011 Mustang base model is priced at $22,995 for the coupe and $27,995 for the convertible. The 2011 Mustang GT starts at $30,495 for the coupe and $35,495 for the convertible. The GT adds to the base model the 5.0-liter V-8, brake upgrades, larger wheels and tires, and a performance-calibrated antiskid system.

• Add about $1,000 to the price of any base or GT model if you want automatic transmission.

• Ford’s had good success with Premium-trim versions of both base and GT Mustangs. These typically add such items as leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, aluminum interior trim, and upgraded audio at a price bump of around $3,000. Boutique versions of the 2011 model include the first-ever Mustang Club of America Special Edition for V-6 models and the California Special series for GTs.

• Estimate the 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 price at around $49,000 for the coupe and around $54,000 for the convertible. The 2010 GT500s carried a $1,000 gas-guzzler tax but it’s uncertain if the potential engine change for 2011 will again trigger than penalty. The Shelby GT500 includes specific exterior and interior trim, special instrumentation, sport seats with leather upholstery, and a short-throw shifter with a cool Q-ball knob.

2011 FORD MUSTANG FUEL ECONOMY

• Complete EPA fuel-economy ratings for 2011 models were not released in time for this review, but Ford already cites big improvements thanks to the new V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8.

• The 2011 Mustang base model with the 3.7-liter V-6 and six-speed manual transmission is EPA rated at 19/30 mpg (city/highway). That’s up from 18/26 for the 2010 model with its 4.0-liter V-6 and five-speed manual. With the six-speed automatic transmission, the 2011 V-6 Mustang rates 19/31 mpg. That’s up from 16/24 on the comparable 2010 model – roughly a 25 percent improvement.

• Similarly, the 2011 Ford Mustang GT with the new 5.0-liter V-8 is more frugal than the 2010 Mustang GT with the less-powerful 4.6 V-8. The 2010 GT rated 16/24 mpg with the five-speed manual transmission, 17/23 with the five-speed automatic. Ford projects EPA ratings for the 2011 GT of 17/25 with the six-speed automatic transmission. It says the 2011 Mustang GT with the six-speed manual will match the 2010 model’s 16/24-mpg rating but of course deliver far better performance.    

• Fuel economy is not a central consideration for Shelby GT500 buyers, though the 2011 edition should do no worse than the sobering 14/22-mpg rating of the 2010 GT500.

• Ford requires premium-octane gas for the GT500 and recommends it for the GT. The base Mustang uses regular-octane fuel.    

2011 FORD MUSTANG RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Ford Mustang should be in showrooms by mid-summer 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE FORD MUSTANG

• The Mustang rumor mill was abuzz with anticipation about possible 2011 powertrain changes, and now that they’re set there’s as much interest in what the future does not hold for this car.

• Don’t anticipate a twin-turbo EcoBoost-type engine of the type powering the 2011 Ford Taurus SHO. That’s an expensive design that doesn’t suit the base Mustang’s role as a value-oriented sporty car and doesn’t fit the GT’s image as a V-8 muscle machine.

• Neither should you hope for an independent rear suspension. Camaro and Challenger have such a design, which typically optimizes ride, handling, and refinement by essentially isolating each rear wheel via its own suspension hardware. Mustang makes due with a solid rear axle, a less expensive technology that dates to the dawn of the motoring age. Its rear wheels aren’t as isolated or as free to move individually as those of an independent rear suspension. But Ford engineers have nonetheless honed Mustang’s rear suspension to deliver very good handling at cost savings that play into the car’s value proposition. Plus, the tough, simple solid rear axle is favored by drag racers, an important contingent in Mustang’s fan base.

• As for what is on the docket for future Mustangs, some sources suggest the 5.0-liter V-8 might get even more horsepower for model-year 2012, either as a bump for the standard GT or as part of a special variant similar to Mustang’s recent Bullitt editions. Some reports speculate on a 2012-model-year special called the Boss in honor of 1969 and 1970 performance models of the same name. Best bet for introduction of the next all-new Mustang is model year 2014.  

2011 FORD MUSTANG COMPETITION

• Chevrolet Camaro: Resurrected for model-year 2010 as new car faithful to the spirit of classic Camaros. On the upside: shark-on-the-hunt styling, sharp handling, and power that’s impressive with the 3.6-liter V-6 and prodigious with the 6.2-liter V-8. Downers include sunk-in-the-tub seating, pinched outward visibility, and some odd ergonomics. Plus, the Cadillac-sourced V-6 does its best work at high rpm, making it better suited to the suave CTS than this snarling Chevy. Fuel economy tops out at 18/29 with the V-6 and 16/25 with the V-8. Camaro prices begin around $23,600 for the V-6 LS and LT models, around $32,000 for the V-8 SS version. Next big changes involve two possible model-year 2012 additions: a soft-top convertible and a Z/28 coupe with a supercharged 6.2 V-8 of more than 550 horsepower.

• Dodge Challenger: This is basically a coupe version of the full-size Dodge Charger sedan, and it shows. Challenger is larger than Mustang and Camaro – wheelbase is longer by nearly 9 inches and 4 inches, respectively, and overall length is greater by some 10 and 7 inches, respectively. That translates into a less-agile feel on the road but also a calmer demeanor and a roomier interior; Challenger is the only one of the three that qualifies as a five-passenger car. It even has a 16.1-cuib-foot trunk, same as the Charger’s and much more useful than the Camaro’s 11.3 cubic feet or the Mustang coupe’s 13.4. V-6 Challengers have a grocery-shopper 250 horsepower, while even the mighty 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 has its hands full with the 4,100-pound R/T model. It takes the 425-horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi in the top-of-the-line SRT8 to make the Challenger scary fast, but then you’re shelling out $45,000 or so, including up to $1,700 in gas-guzzler taxes triggered by a 13/19-mpg rating. V-6 versions begin under $23,000 and rate 17/25 mpg, R/Ts start around $32,000 and rate 16/25. Look for minor alterations to styling and cabin trim for model-year 2012.

• Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Carroll Shelby, Don Yenko, and Dick Landy forgive us, but it’s not our fault the only other affordable, rear-wheel-drive coupe for sale in the U.S. comes from South Korea. This is a pony of a different color, however, with styling that’s sinuous and futuristic rather than sledgehammer and retro. Powertrains gallop to a different beat, too. The base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s surprisingly lively if you’re handy with a six-speed stick. The available 3.8-liter V-6 is plenty strong enough, with 306 horsepower pulling just 3,400 pounds. A tiny rear seat that’s difficult to access and a trunk with a mere 10-cubic-feet of volume proves Hyundai has some pony-car traditions down pat. Handling is a high point, but models with the optional Track suspension are hard-riding and raucous. Fuel economy tops out at 21/20 with the turbo four and 17/26 for the V-6. Base price range: about $23,000-$28,000 for four-cylinder models, about $26,000-$32,000 for V-6 versions. The Hyundai Coupe was introduced for model-year 2010 and won’t change significantly for several years.