The 2024 Ford Mustang GT Review: Same Formula, More Party Tricks, Lots of Noise

Rivals are leaving the scene. But the V8 Mustang will be shredding tires for years to come.

ford mustang gt parked outside of a tunnel

Published July 25, 2023

·

Updated July 25, 2023

Arguably the most iconic automotive nameplate still on the market today, the Ford Mustang returns in 2024 as a seventh-generation model. And to celebrate its 59th birthday, the two-door, four-seat sports coupe wants to remind everyone of its first and, to a lesser extent, second-generation forebears.

Styling evolves from the sixth-generation model, adding more aggression to every surface. Starting in the front, you see a widened nose with flaring nostrils and a narrower set of tri-beam headlights, seemingly squinting as if looking directly into the sun. The look combines to convey a bit more serious—even slightly sinister—presence. Viewing the Mustang from the side looks largely the same as before, but any difference trends towards low-slung sports car.

The biggest change with the 2024 Mustang, however, comes in the rear, with a pizza slice cut out of the body across the stern right down the middle of the taillights, coming to a point in the center of them. This casts a shadow on the top half and sharpens the appearance. It’s instantly recognizable and looks cool.

From a power point of view, Ford banished the V6 to the history books after the 2017 model year. The other two engines continue on to 2024. A turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder that Ford dubbed Ecoboost gets an uptick of five horsepower, now producing 315. Peak torque carries on at 350 lb.-ft, still a respectable number, to be sure. But Ford only bolts a 10-speed automatic to that engine now. Sad face.

GTs, however, get a six-speed manual as the standard gearbox, the 10-speed automatic costs an extra $1595. Either transmission pairs with a new, fourth-generation Coyote 5.0-liter V-8. It benefits from a dual intake and throttle body setup to suck in more air and pump out as much as 486 horsepower and 418 lb.-ft of torque, as long as the owner ticked the $1225 active-valve performance exhaust system. Otherwise, you make do with “just” 480 HP and 415 lb.-ft.

I got the chance to drive both engines, both transmissions and indeed both body styles (coupe and convertible) in sunny and hot Southern California. While there, I pulled the newly available drift stick a few times, revved the engine without getting in the car, and twisted my way up a mountain pass or two to really feel Ford’s latest Pony Car out. It proved to me that there is still fun to be had in this world.

ford mustang 2024 coupe and convertible — The 2024 Ford Mustang is available as a coupe and a convertible and a four-cylinder or a V8.

The 2024 Ford Mustang: What We Think

Ford will sell you a base EcoBoost power Mustang for $33,160 but the least expensive GT starts at a whopping $44,090, including the $1595 destination fee. I say “whopping” because the days of low-cost muscle are clearly behind us. But relative performance for the money is still quite high. After all, you’re a stone’s throw away from 500 horsepower and get to perform a symphony at every green light.

The V8 does not just rumble along at low revs. Bury the throttle and listen as the revs build to a beautifully balanced 7500 rpm crescendo — like a Trans-Am car was let loose on city streets. Ford tuned the exhaust brilliantly. The sound doesn’t get old. And it drives well too!

In fact, with the $4995 performance pack installed ($3475 for the EcoBoost) it feels downright athletic. Just make sure you get the coupe. As the roof’s additional structure makes a big difference in performance driving feel. Stick to cruising the boulevard in the convertible.

front of 2024 ford mustang — The 2024 Ford Mustang looks more aggressive. It also looks like it’s squinting while staring directly into the sun.

The Mustang gets new interior tech

The moment you open the Mustang‘s big coupe door, the large 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster screen commands your attention. That is until you see the 13.2-inch touchscreen mounted next to it atop the center console. In premium Mustangs, a single piece of glass combines these two into an ultra-wide digital surface.

Going premium also adds a leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel, but all wheels include several buttons to manage all the neat stuff on the screens. For example, you change drive modes there, and every time you do, a few seconds-long animation takes place, ending with a differently designed set of gauges.

ford mustang interior — Ford ramped up the luxury and tech in the new Mustang interior.

Or hit the pony button (sideways prancing horse) just beneath the center console screen and scroll through a myriad of options, one of which is to adjust the instrument cluster screen from the drive modes independently. Or go full retro and select the Fox Body Mustang gauges. For folks of a certain age, it’s properly nostalgic.

Standard front seats are manually adjusting cloth buckets, but you can option your way to leather Recaro sport buckets seats that are both heated and ventilated. Just double-check your cash flow and bank account balance first. Also, Ford assures us that the trunk fits two golf club bags.

ford mustang fox boxy digital gauges — One instrument display option for the 2024 Mustang is the old Fox Body style gauges.

The Mustang is not a one-trick pony…car

Ford did not hold back on giving the latest Mustang a few parlor tricks, some more serious, others more playful, all of them serve some level of meaningful purpose. Let’s start with playful.

If you have an Ecoboost Mustang with an active valve exhaust or any automatic transmission GT, you have Remote Rev: a key fob function to rev the engine while outside of the car. First, lock the car and remote start it with the key fob. Then hit the unlock and lock buttons within three seconds of each other. The engine will rev to 2000 rpm. Do it again. And the engine will cycle through three revs, with the last one bouncing off the rev limiter. Keep repeating the sequence, and it will keep revving. It’s a lark.

Unless you’re a serious drag racer, Line Lock is next on our still pretty darn playful list, available as one of many “Track Apps,” it only engages the front brakes and allows you to gleefully roast the rears in tire-smoking glory. Or, you know, prepare for a fast run down the strip. In that same vein, manual transmission-equipped GTs also have built-in rev-matching when downshifting, and launch control.

But the big one, the shiny new toy, is what Ford officially named the Performance Electronic Parking Brake, which everyone calls “the drift brake.” To get one, you need to get the performance pack, and you should probably also budget for new tires. To be fair, it is also the parking brake, you pull it just like a standard electric parking brake, and a small message pops up on the instrument cluster to indicate it’s engaged.

However, with the drift brake on, pulling it does the exact opposite to the line lock and only squeezes the rear brakes. That locks the rear tires, upsets the chassis balance, and starts a drift. Developed with Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR company, the drift brake offers some modulation to easily send the rear-end sideways without an instant spin and then keep it there with power. This takes some practice — and there’s that aforementioned tire budget to worry about. But get the hang of it, and drifting is highly entertaining. And now Ford makes it easy to do it from the factory.

ford mustang drift brake — The 2024 Mustang has an electronic parking brake, but it’s also a drift brake.

Don’t just get the V8 for the hustle. Get it for the music

Yes, peak power from the Mustang’s Coyote 5.0-liter V8 is a delight, but the true magic comes in the smoothness of its delivery and eagerness to rev. This is naturally-aspirated power, with a nice linear build up as you apply throttle. It’s easy to drive at low revs and a delight to punch it and quickly ramp in a ton of go with no delay.

Keep your foot in it and as revs climb past 6000 rpm, you get massive pull and a sonorous noise from the exhaust. My test car did include the active valve exhaust, giving me a few extra horsepower and decibels. Because of it, the engine really roars past 7000 rpm, sounding more and more like an early 2000s NASCAR Cup car. It is seriously good.

And the EcoBoost, is a solid base motor. As noise goes, it’s certainly no V8. But it sounds pretty raw and raspy and fun in its own right. And while 315 horsepower may underwhelm some these days, the 350 lb.-ft of torque — available from 3,000 rpm — delivers a solid punch. My time experimenting with the drift stick was in an EcoBoost car and the 2.3-liter provided plenty of muscle to keep it sideways. Good fun. Even the transmission behaved well.

And that’s true with the GT too. I surprise myself as I write this, but I like this automatic. Ford tuned the 10-speed really well. First of all, you can spin the wheels with just brake torque, regardless of line lock. Lift off the brake and shoot off aggressively with fast shifts and near-zero interruption in power. Select the sport mode drive mode, and the gearbox does a good job to keep you in lower gears with higher revs. Take it track mode and it will pretty much keep you as close to redline as often as possible. Or use the paddle shifters yourself. They listen. Pretty incredible.

Yes, the manual is ultimately better. You simply cannot match full control over gears and the use of a clutch. But as automatics go, Ford delivered here. Plus, Remote Rev is fun.

ford mustang 50 liter v8 — Other rivals are leaving the scene. But you can still get a Mustang with a 5.0-liter V8.

Driving enthusiasts will notice a big difference between the coupe and convertible

Ford changed a lot of things for the 2024 Mustang, but the structure received very little of that attention. And while the coupe feels pretty darn good, weaknesses emerge with the convertible. That’s partially because Ford offers the Performance Pack on both body styles in addition to both powerplants.

Costing $3475 for the Ecoboost and $4995 for the GT, the Performance Pack includes a front strut tower brace, Torsen limited-slip differential, summer tires, wider rear wheels and tires, larger front and rear Brembo brakes (15.4-inch rotor in front, 14.0-inches in the rear). GT cars also add front brake ducts and an auxiliary engine oil cooler. And, finally, you can option it further with MagnaRide adaptive shock absorbers ($1750) and Recaro seats ($1650).

But in the convertible, much of that added kit is wasted because the flex inherent in the structure forced the engineers to dial back all the go-fast components, especially the adaptive dampers. It leaves the steering light and imprecise and the chassis balance more prone to understeer.

The sensation is more pronounced in the EcoBoost, as the GTs have a heavier V8 to help naturally weight up the steering, but it’s also less responsive as a result. And it’s a shame because thanks to the Mazda Miata and Porsche 718 Boxster, we have proof that droptops can still provide sport.

On the other hand, the coupe feels tight, lively, and athletic. Providing good turn-in response, a more neutral balanced chassis, and minimal body motion. Coupled with the fantastic Torsen diff, you can muscle out of corners with a nice and heavy right foot.

All of the above is even nicer in the GT. Yes, the weight of the V8 slows down turn-in response, but the corner exit is mighty, and the roar down the front straight more than makes up for a slightly slower front end. Plus the brake ducts and oil cooler adds a bit of assurance for potential track days.

Speaking of, braking generally felt good as well. Minimal compliance and nice levels of pedal travel to increase stopping power. The pedal felt firm and gave positive feedback. But bear in mind, the lightest Mustang weighs 3600 pounds and GTs can approach two tons. Keep an eye on those brakes on a track day.

2024 ford mustang convertible on road — The convertible Mustang looks great on a boulevard. But driving enthusiasts should opt for the coupe.

Is the Mustang a Sports Car or a Muscle Car? Can it be both?

The 2024 Mustang continues its steady march toward being a highly credible sports car. When properly equipped, it provides high cornering speeds, sharp reflexes and good feel. But worry not fans of straight-line speed. It still provides all the fun the more drag racing-friendly Mustangs of old did. Just now, it can just take a corner or two too. Win-win.

What are some 2024 Ford Mustang alternatives?

With both the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger taking the exit, the best alternatives to the Ford Mustang come from Japan. The latest Nissan Z is a close competitor in size, performance, retro style, and price. Of course, the Mustang wins on power, but the Nissan delivers good driving fun even with the base setup.

You can also look at the Toyota Supra, which edges closer to European sport machines. The Supra is a purer sports car, but a properly equipped Mustang would keep any Supra driver on their toes. A BMW Z4 would too for that matter.