2024 Ford Mustang GT Premium 5.0 V8 Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve had one of these for review, so I am very pleased to have to the 2024 Ford Mustang GT Premium coupe. The iconic Pony car is now in its 7^th generation since the debut in 1964, so happy 60^th anniversary to one of the few rear-wheel drive muscle cars that will continue into the future.  As we know, Camaro and Challenger have either already been chopped, or will soon be.

For 2024, Ford did an update, not a complete redesign, but it was time.  Code named the S650, the 2024 version is longer and taller than it was in 2023, and bucking a trend-it is also heavier, weighing in at 3,947 pounds.

Performance

Let’s begin by looking under the hood of this GT, where you find the tried-and-true Coyote 5.0-liter dual overhead cam V8.  The stats are impressive: 0-to-60 in under 4-seconds, the top speed is governed to 155-miles per hour, and it redlines at 7500 RPM. The GT has 486-horses, and 418 pound feet of torque when you use premium fuel.

My review vehicle for this week has the 6-speed manual transmission, what I call the Millennial anti-theft system, but you can also get a 10-speed automatic with shift paddles if you desire.  However, give that serious thought.  For me, you can’t really experience the car without shifting gears, but I understand shifting can get cumbersome in heavy traffic, so take that into consideration.

Exterior  

The 2024 Mustang styling cues are terrific and in this humble reviewer’s opinion, this is one of the hottest Mustangs to hit the road since the 1970s.  Check out the triple LED headlights, the grill is wider than in the past, and there are vents on each side of the grill to feed air to the big engine. 

The hood is vented to release heat, and the lower front splitter looks super.  The side profile is gorgeous, too, with the sloping roofline, big brake calipers with a white pony logo on them, and the 19” wheels look fantastic.  The front fender proudly displays the 5.0 badge.

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The raised rear spoiler looks terrific and is not too high, and quad exhaust and sequential turn signals finish out the rear view.  No matter which angle you look at this Mustang, it looks fantastic, especially in Rapid Red.

Interior 

A pleasant surprise was when I opened the door.  I’ll get to the screens, but they jump out at you. I am used to seeing a minimalistic interior with Mustang, and this was anything but.  Heavily-bolstered Recaro leather seats are beautiful, yet comfortable, and they hold you into place very well in those tight turns. Also new for this year is a thick and very attractive flat bottomed heated steering wheels with controls.  I have to say the wheel feels really good in your hands.

When you hit the red start button on the dash, a 12.4” digital dash comes alive and is easy to read and quite colorful.  You can change the way the gauges appear, and my favorite is when you are in track mode.  No matter which gauge display you choose, you get all the info you need including which of the gears you are in at the time.

The gauge cluster then flows into a 13.2” screen that is the central operation system of the ‘Stang.  The two screens appear to be one huge continuous screen, but it actually is not.  The screens run from the driver’s door to well into the passenger area.  The infotainment screen handles the B&O sound system, Bluetooth, voice activation, Wi-Fi, the rearview camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, a host of apps, and the navigation system.  The Sync 4 works flawlessly, the best Sync I have used.  While there is no perfect car, one complaint I have is that too much is controlled with the screen.  The only knob is for sound system volume, and that can be cumbersome when running the gears hard, but voice recognition does help.

Click on Right Arrow to Scroll.

Click on Right Arrow to Scroll.

The center console has a wireless phone charger, a couple of cup holders, a USB and USB-C port, and a short chrome gear shifter. I won’t spend much time on the back seat, but small children can go back there, but it’s best suited for purses and briefcases.  The trunk was surprisingly large, and the rear seats fold down for longer cargo.

Below the center screen is the wonderful My Mustang button, which will be your new best friend.  You can configure the Digital gauge cluster layout for the touchscreen that lets drivers choose three- or five-gauge displays from nine possible gauges. Those gauges are: engine oil pressure, inlet air temperature, vacuum, battery voltage, engine oil temperature, accelerometer, air/fuel ratio, axle oil temperature, and cylinder head temperature.  Also, MyColor: primary and secondary color settings for the digital screens, plus a choice of 28 colors of ambient lighting, exhaust mode, and custom drive modes with up to six possible profiles.

Click on Photos to Enlarge.

Also on the MyMustang screen there are Track Apps: The acceleration timer measures 0-30 mph, 0-60 mph, 0-100 mph, ¼-mile, and 1/8-mile times. It also has three start types that consist of automatic, drag race lights, and track race lights.  There is brake performance: 60-0 mph and 100-0 mph performance, and a lap timer which can save three tracks, and drivers can edit the name of each.  There is the shift indicator which can present as a light, a tone, or both and be set from 4,000-7,000 rpm that sets a blue line in the tach at the shift point. Drivers can also choose a drag light that glows at the shift point above and below the tach or a track light that starts wide, changes colors, and narrows as it approaches the shift point and ends as a blue light when it’s time to shift. The light becomes red at the 7,500-rpm redline.

I never tried it, but there is the drift brake, which allows drivers to use the hand-held drift brake lever on the center console to lock the rear wheels for drifts or handbrake turns. You can activate the line lock, just put your foot on the brake, activate on the screen, then floor it and the front brakes will hold to let you do a burnout, which is right up my alley. The launch settings work in tandem with launch control. Go there to set the rpm at which the car will launch, between 2,500-7,000 rpm. You can also activate launch control here. Rev match can be turned on or off on manual transmission Mustangs like this one and it makes downshifting very enjoyable.  As you can see,  there is a learning curve for those who want maximum enjoyment and performance.

Standard Equipment and Options

The Mustang GT Premium comes very well equipped with automatic headlights, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, and drive modes which include:  Normal, Sport, Slippery, Drag, Custom, and my favorite-Track mode.

Options on this loaded Mustang include the $4,995 GT Performance package, which is 19-inch wheels and tires, Brembo brakes, raised rear spoiler, and torque-sensing differential.  Active exhaust is $1,225, the Recaro seats are $1,995, Magneride Damping system is $1,750, and the paint hue is $495.

Safety

On the safety side, the GT comes with Co-Pilot360 Assist + which is blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency steering, traffic-sign recognition, and Ford also offers a new safe-exit system designed to prevent someone from opening a door in front of a car, motorcyclist or cyclist.

Ride and Drive

The Mustang GT is a blast to drive, the acceleration is insane, and the car is still pulling HARD at 5,000 RPM.  Handling is awesome, steering is a little light until you do some configuring, then it’s fine.  You’ll love the exhaust settings, you can start the beast quietly to not rile the neighbors, and then flip on that beautiful sound when you get around the corner.

This car would be at home on your favorite racetrack or in the carpool lane with all the minivans. Ride quality can be adjusted, too, to fit your mood or desires.

Fuel Economy and What You'll Pay

Fuel economy is 15 in town, 24 on the highway, and 18 overall unless I am driving.  MSRP on this one as equipped is $61,635 and it’s hard to believe it’s not more.

Verdict 

On a side note, Ford keeps its press fleet cars much longer than most car companies.  When I got this one, it had 11,000 miles, and that many press driven miles is probably the equivalent of 3-times that many normal miles.  This car is tight, no signs of wear, no squeaks or rattles, and still looks like new.

If you are Bowtie or Mopar gal or guy, and you want a muscle coupe, you’ll soon only have one choice, and it is Mustang.  So, swallow your pride, give the ponies in this pony a chance, and experience the greatness of the 2024 Mustang GT.