2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe and Convertible Review: Still Speaking V8
America's definitive pony car is back for another generation; the S650 Ford Mustang represents the seventh generation since the runaway success burst onto the scene in the sixties - but the 'Stang is more modern than ever, featuring a digital cockpit and a lot more tech. With the Dodge Challenger now dead and slated to be replaced by an EV for the 2025 model year and a similar fate awaiting the sharp-handling Chevrolet Camaro, the latest Mustang continues where the old one left off: providing fans of affordable RWD sports cars with good old gas-powered fun.
For those who believe a Mustang should be an eight-cylinder, the GT is back as well, still fitted with the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8, now developing up to 486 horsepower. Though the price of a 2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe is over $42k, it'll be the sweet spot in the range for fans. It's still excellent value and taps into the 'Stang pedigree with an authentic V8 warble as accompaniment, with the aural enjoyment dialed to ten in the convertible. With a fancy new interior, does this make it easier than ever to choose the Mustang?
New for 2024
The redesigned 2024 Mustang GT goes on sale in the USA at a premium of around 10% over last year's model, and for that, you get a completely restyled body that retains many classic Mustang styling cues in a more modern form. The digital cockpit is a complete departure from what's gone before, replete with a big curved display and the latest in-car tech.
The 5.0-liter Coyote V8 from the old GT carries over with more power and the same transmission choices - a six-speed manual or ten-speed automatic - while the chassis and steering have been sharpened up to improve the driving experience.
2024 Ford Mustang GT Price: Which One to Buy
The redesigned Ford Mustang GT's price starts at $42,495 for the base GT Coupe. Opting for the GT Premium will cost you around $4,500 extra, but its $47,015 MSRP does include a decent list of desirable extras. The convertible is available in GT Premium spec only at $52,515. These prices don't include the $1,595 destination fee.
There's a strong case to be made for the GT Convertible because it provides a roofless way to experience the unfiltered V8 soundtrack, and it's certainly a great car for boulevard cruising or bouncing the V8 noise off of the cliff faces on a good mountain road. In our test drive review of the drop-top GT and its coupe sibling, we found that both are composed and excellent to drive, so opting for the GT Convertible doesn't come with much handling compromise in our books. It is quite expensive, though, at over $52k. If you want the coupe, the Premium trim gets the nicest features. In either configuration, the hardcore Performance package might be hard to resist if handling is at the top of your list.
GT Coupe | GT Premium Coupe |
---|---|
No-Frills Package | Fully Loaded |
$ 41710 | $ 46230 |
5.0L V8 (up to 486hp/418 lb-ft), RWD, Manual or Auto Transmission | Equipped with the GT Coupe’s features, plus: |
Black 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, hood vent, decklid spoiler | Shadow Silver 19-inch alloys, mirrors with LED turn signals |
Cloth upholstery, manual seats, single-zone climate control | Leather upholstery, heated steering wheel |
12.4-inch & 13.2-inch displays, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, six-speaker audio | Heated & ventilated power front seats |
Ford Co-Pilot360 driver-assistance suite | Dual-zone climate control |
Wireless charging pad, nine-speaker audio system |
Best Deals on 2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
Interior and Features
The space-age cabin loses the sense of symmetry that used to be a hallmark of the Mustang’s interior, but ages the dashboard of the Camaro overnight.
The cabin is a complete departure from the old Mustang, with expansive digital real estate facing the driver in the form of a gauge cluster and touchscreen worth more than 25 inches in total screen size. The traditional double-brow Mustang dashboard is now completely gone. The configurable gauge cluster and ambient lighting change their theme depending on the drive mode selected, but Ford is now making you operate a lot of the car's controls - such as the HVAC system - through the touchscreen, which not everyone will like. The seats are as comfortable and amply bolstered as you'd expect from a sports car, and interior space is plentiful in front but severely restricted in the second row, as before.
The choice of materials and general feel of the cabin is perfectly serviceable and acceptably solid, but it's not plush by any stretch of the imagination. This is fine for what the Mustang is supposed to be and how much you pay for it. A low, 55-inch roof height and scant, sports-car-like ground clearance mean you stoop right down to get inside, but that's par for the course in this class, and you'll feel dwarfed by HD trucks.
Space
Besides the virtually identical 107-inch wheelbase, one of the clearest indications that the latest Mustang is just a thorough update of the old one is the cabin space, which is almost exactly the same as before. Tall adults will be able to make themselves at home in front, with plenty of adjustment available and lots of space, but the rear seat will accommodate small children at best due to the sloping roofline and very little legroom.
The convertible offers a smidge more rear legroom and almost an inch more rear headroom with the roof in place but with less shoulder and hip room to make way for the folding roof. The Mustang offers about as much space as you'd expect from a two-door coupe in this class, and it's still better than a Toyota GR Supra that doesn't even have a rear seat.
Cargo
In terms of trunk space, the available 13.5 cu-ft behind the coupe's rear seat is the same as before and still unexpectedly generous for a sports car. It betters several sedans, such as the Mercedes C-Class, which offers almost one cu-ft less. Trunk volume drops to a still-decent 11.4 cu-ft in the convertible. It's some way off the Challenger but a lot better than the Camaro. The second row in the coupe splits and folds to increase luggage space, but Ford hasn't given a total number for just how much you can cram in there. The convertible's rear bench folds as a single unit.
Cabin storage was never all that impressive, and it still isn't, but that's unlikely to affect purchasing decisions if you're shopping in this class. There's a glovebox ahead of the front passenger, average-sized door pockets, and a lidded center console storage compartment. Below the center stack is a place to store your phone, which is also the wireless charging pad on the Premium. Behind the shifter are two cupholders and a passenger-side seatback pocket is all rear-seat occupants get in the way of storage.
Ford Mustang GT Coupe | Ford Mustang GT Convertible | Chevrolet Camaro Coupe | Chevrolet Camaro Convertible | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Seating | 4 Seater | 4 Seater | 4 Seater | 4 Seater |
Headroom | 37.6 in. front 34.8 in. rear | 37.6 in. front 35.7 in. rear | 38.5 in. front 33.5 in. rear | 38.5 in. front 33.4 in. rear |
Legroom | 44.5 in. front 29 in. rear | 44.5 in. front 29.2 in. rear | 43.9 in. front 29.9 in. rear | 43.9 in. front 29.9 in. rear |
Trunk Space | 13.5 ft³ | 11.4 ft³ | 9.1 ft³ | 7.3 ft³ |
Materials and Colors
The base GT Coupe gets cloth upholstery and a choice of two interior colors - Onyx Black or Space Gray/black. These colors can also be had in a cloth/vinyl combination as part of the $2,000 GT High equipment group. The GT Premium comes with leather-trimmed seats in the same choice of colors or in Emberglo. Leather seats in Black Onyx, Space Gray, or Carmine Red and upgraded trim and interior accents form part of the Premier Trim with Color Accent Group, which is included in the $2,995 GT Premium High Equipment Group.
The $1,995 California Special package is offered on the GT Premium (coupe and convertible) and includes special floor mats and Black Onyx door panels with accent stitching and Navy Pier inserts. Leather-trimmed Recaro sports seats can be optioned on the GT Premium Coupe for $1,650, but only in conjunction with the $4,995 GT Performance package - however, these seats are not available with heating and ventilation. A leather-trimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel with a chrome bezel is standard on all GTs.
Features and Infotainment
The regular GT Coupe is a no-nonsense car meant to thrill the enthusiast, not coddle them. To this end, the standard spec is rather sparse, with manually adjustable seats, normal cloth upholstery, and single-zone climate control. The steering column's tilting/telescoping adjustment is manual, too, but the wheel itself is a sporty, flat-bottomed, leather-trimmed item. Keyless entry and push-button start are standard, as is a 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster. Opting for packages or upgrading to the Premium brings all manner of additional features into play, including leather upholstery, heated and ventilated power front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a garage-door opener, more premium interior trim, and a lot more besides.
To the right of the digital gauge cluster, under the same curved pane of glass, is a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system that runs Sync 4 software and incorporates Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, FordPass Connect Wi-Fi, Track Apps, two USB ports, voice recognition, and an MP3-capable audio system with six speakers. A nine-speaker audio system is optional on the GT and standard on the GT Premium. SiriusXM and HD Radio can be added to the regular GT via the $2,000 GT High Equipment Group. Only the GT Premium gets a wireless charging pad and access to an optional 12-speaker B&O sound system by Bang & Olufsen and navigation.
GT Coupe | GT Premium Coupe | GT Premium Convertible | |
---|---|---|---|
Leather upholstery | N/A | S | S |
Heated/ventilated front seats | N/A | S | S |
12.4" and 13.2" displays | S | S | S |
Dual-zone climate control | N/A | S | S |
12-speaker audio system | N/A | O | O |
Performance
Performance is riveting, but the auto is quicker, even if the manual is more fun. It’s all accompanied by an intoxicating V8 soundtrack.
The famous naturally aspirated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 makes a triumphant return as the standard engine in the Ford Mustang GT Coupe and Convertible. This is good news because a Mustang GT wouldn't be a GT without an eight-cylinder engine. Over the previous-generation GT, power is up to 480 hp, with 415 lb-ft of torque available at 4,900 rpm. With the optional active exhaust fitted, these figures increase to 486 hp and 418 lb-ft. As before, rear-wheel drive is the only drivetrain option, but you still get a choice between rowing your own gears via a six-speed manual gearbox or opting for the ten-speed automatic transmission. This is enough for stirring performance, giving both the Ford Mustang GT Coupe and Convertible a 0-60 mph potential of less than four seconds with the slick-shifting ten-speed auto. The manual is a tad slower, doing the run in around 4.3 seconds. The GT's top speed is limited to 155 mph.
The Getrag MT-82 six-speed manual gearbox in the GT was never the best in the business and doesn't stand comparison with the proper sports Tremec TR-3160 transmission in the 500-hp Mustang Dark Horse, but it has a rev-match feature for downshifts and now finally gets the no-lift-shift functionality that has been a Camaro selling point for a long time. It doesn't have the rifle-bolt shift quality you get from a Dark Horse or Civic Type R, though, but it shifts positively and quickly. The ten-speed auto shifts rapidly, but its paddle shifters come only with the Performance package.
Chassis and steering changes have been for the good on the new models and make the Mustang feel more alert and responsive than ever. It comes without that ragged edge the more nervous S550 had, which could sometimes bite back as it lost composure at eleven-tenths. The quicker steering doesn't communicate the way we'd like it to, but it's precise, and the composure with which the new GT blasts through corners used to be the preserve of the special Shelby-badged models of the previous generation. The sportier driving modes sharpen the car up even further but maintain acceptable compliance over mid-corner bumps, even in the Track mode. The convertible is not significantly less rigid in our experience, so if you want the drop-top, you can still hoon it with confidence.
The Performance package adds those paddle shifters to the auto and also comes with additional bracing, a 3.73:1 axle ratio, unique suspension tuning, Brembo brakes, the electric handbrake/Drift Brake, and Pirelli P-Zero performance tires. MagneRide adjustable dampers can be added to that, as well as an active exhaust that liberates the full 486 hp. The Brembo brakes are stupendous and tireless.
Fuel Efficiency
We're not expecting stellar gas mileage from a sports car, but the Ford Mustang GT's mpg figures are unimpressive regardless. The EPA's city/highway/combined estimates are 14/23/17 mpg for the manual and 15/24/18 mpg for the automatic - figures that are just beaten by the Camaro with its big 6.2-liter V8, which returns 19 and 20 mpg combined in manual and automatic guise.
At 16 gallons, it also has a significantly lower fuel capacity than the Camaro's 19 gallons, which means you can expect a range of around 272 to 288 miles on a tank.
5.0L V8 Gas 6-Speed Manual RWD | 5.0L V8 Gas 10-Speed Automatic RWD | |
---|---|---|
Power | 480/486 hp | 480/486 hp |
Top speed | 155 mph | 155 mph |
MPG | 14/23/17 mpg | 15/24/18 mpg |
0-60 | 4.3 sec. | 3.9 sec. |
Safety
Crash safety has not been evaluated yet, but the standard safety kit is comprehensive, and a decent suite of driver assists is standard.
Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has conducted a safety review of the 2024 Ford Mustang - GT or otherwise - so there aren't official crash-test scores available. We're sure Ford would have made some improvements, especially since the previous Mustang's reviews from the IIHS weren't perfect. The NHTSA gave the 2023 'Stang lineup full marks, however.
As standard, eight airbags are fitted to the coupe, but the convertible lacks the two curtain airbags due to its folding roof. The GT also comes with the usual tire-pressure monitoring, a backup camera, ABS brakes, and stability control, while the Performance package upgrades to even better Brembo brakes. The standard driver assists are numerous and include automatic LED headlights with auto high beams, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, an SOS crash-alert system, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Ford Co-Pilot360 driver-assistance suite is standard and incorporates front-collision alert with automatic emergency braking, road-edge detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. The GT Premium has access to Co-Pilot360 Assist adaptive cruise control via the $2,900 GT Premium High Equipment Group package.
GT Coupe | GT Premium Coupe | GT Premium Convertible | |
---|---|---|---|
Front-collision alert with braking | S | S | S |
Lane-keep assist | S | S | S |
Blind-spot monitoring | S | S | S |
Adaptive cruise control | N/A | O | O |
Curtain airbags | S | S | N/A |
US NHTSA Crash Test Result
Reliability
JD Power has evaluated the reliability of the new Ford Mustang, and the GT is included in the range-wide result of 84 out of 100. It's an excellent result and surely owes something to the fact that it's not a clean-sheet design, with much of the S550 Mustang carried over to the new model.
The 2024 Ford Mustang GT's warranty is nothing out of the ordinary, on the other hand. The standard warranty is valid for three years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain warranty extends to five years/60,000 miles.
Warranty
Basic | Drivetrain | Corrosion | Roadside Assistance |
---|---|---|---|
3 Years / 36,000 Miles | 5 Years / 60,000 Miles | 5 Years / Unlimited Miles | 5 Years / 60,000 Miles |
Design
The Mustang has stayed true to the original recipe and lends various styling cues from its illustrious forebears, such as the upper grille's shape having been inspired by that of the original '60s Mustang. It's been brought thoroughly up to date, with slim tri-pod LED headlights, configurable DRLs, revised sequential LED taillights, and no carry-over sheet metal. The regular GT Coupe has a hood vent and decklid spoiler and runs on black five-twin-spoke 18-inch alloys, but other designs up to 19 inches in size are offered.
The Premium gets larger Shadow Silver 19-inch alloys to differentiate it from the outside, with various other 19- and 20-inch designs on offer and pony-projection lights. There are many ways to customize the exterior of your Mustang, such as deleting the rear spoiler or varying the color of the brake calipers, but some changes require other options to be selected. Over-the-top racing stripes in various colors can be ordered, too. The convertible looks suave with it's folding black fabric top.
The GT Performance package adds 19s, Brembo brakes, a front tow hook, and a big rear wing. The Nite Pony package blacks out the exterior trim, headlight bezels, and (19-inch) wheels. The California Special package (Premium only) comes with various Rave Blue exterior highlights, such as for the grille nostrils and wheels, and various other exterior enhancements.
Verdict: Is The 2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe A Good Car?
The latest Mustang GT is everything that made the previous GT great, with extra handling finesse and a smart new digital interior. It's more expensive but still great value, and the Coyote V8 is better and more powerful than ever. Ford has not put a foot wrong and brings the Mustang faithful a new GT that improves on the old one in every way. Soon, it will be your only choice in this class, but for now, you still have the outgoing Chevy Camaro LT1 and SS trims to consider. The Camaro still offers superb handling and an even lighter feel than the new Mustang, arguably still offering a better driver's car out of the box without having to resort to packages. But you'll soon have a discontinued car - and trunk space and visibility are terrible. Sufficiently refreshed, the new Mustang GT is excellent.