2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost: Righteous or Sacrilegious?

The 60-year-strong Mustang is the last car remaining in the Ford portfolio in Canada. It can be ordered as a fastback or convertible, with a straight-four or V8 engine under the hood, plus the choice of a manual or automatic transmission.

Purists will tell you over and over that the V8-manual combo is the only way to go, and that settling for four cylinders and an autobox is complete nonsense. Are they right or wrong? We recently took an automatic Mustang EcoBoost Convertible for a spin in order to find out.

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Plenty of selection

The soft top option requires an extra $6,810 with the base model, $5,300 with the EcoBoost Premium model or $5,800 with the V8-powered GT Premium model. Those are currently the only three Mustangs that allow open-top motoring. Others like the base GT or the powerful Dark Horse are available exclusively in fastback configuration.

A Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertible like the one you see here starts at $51,925 including freight and PDI. However, it also featured the High Performance Package, active exhaust, optional floor mats, magnetic dampers, as well as red brake callipers and seat belts, bringing its actual price up to $65,460.

The turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine generates 315 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission. Unlike the V8, this mill doesn’t offer a manual option.

Dual Displays With a Few Issues

Inside the latest Mustang, Ford designers have incorporated a large digital interface that combines a pair of displays. You can find virtually all the information you need on them. The only physical controls that remain on the dashboard include the start-stop button, drive mode shortcut button, hazard lights, ESC Off switch and a couple more. Oh, and there’s still a volume knob for the radio, thankfully.

What we don’t like is having to go through the touchscreen to adjust cabin temperature and ventilation. As for the instruments in front of the driver, their appearance changes based on the drive mode. Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment system is generally intuitive, except that fingerprints on the screen make it hard to read under direct sunlight.

A few bugs and glitches marred our weeklong experience with the Mustang. A few times, the screen was extremely slow to respond to input. At one point, it even went blank and stopped working.

Fit and finish is disappointingly uneven. Some of the plastics look and feel pretty cheap for a $65,000 car. The ones that laughably try to pass for carbon fibre won’t fool anybody. We also heard several cracking noises while driving, mostly from the A-pillars, suggesting that build quality needs improvements.  

There’s adequate space up front and the seats are quite comfortable, too, ensuring occupants won’t feel too tired or sore after a long drive. In the rear, we wish the seats weren’t as soft and legroom was more generous. Unless you’re sitting behind a short-legged driver, forget it. The trunk, meanwhile, can fit up to 323 litres of cargo versus the fastback’s 377 litres.

Dynamic Performer

The Mustang EcoBoost fires up with a pleasant snarl thanks to the active exhaust system. It proves delightfully expressive when you want it, and beautifully quiet when you don’t want to wake up the entire neighbourhood.

With plenty of low-end torque, the turbo-four has no trouble overwhelming the rear tires in limited-grip conditions. It also remains spirited enough at higher revs, not running out of breath until it reaches the redline. Of course, drag racers and fans of screaming V8s will not be satisfied with this Mustang, but those looking for a solid and potent sports car that isn’t too hardcore will definitely like it.

The automatic transmission will happily comply if you don’t rush it. Shifts are smooth, but given the way they’re programmed, you can find yourself in 8th gear while driving at just 65 km/h. If you’re more into sporty driving, the paddle shifters on the steering wheel will fix that, but manual shifts are not particularly quick.

What about fuel consumption? Our tester achieved a combined 9.8 L/100 km, matching the official rating from Natural Resources Canada. Frankly, we wish the Mustang EcoBoost was a bit more efficient. Then again, we’re talking about a muscle car with over 300 ponies under the hood.

Handling is commendable, adding to the Mustang’s pleasant driving experience. The EcoBoost engine is great for cruising on the open road and across the countryside, yet it can also pick up the pace anytime you want to. While steering is not as sharp as a BMW’s, the car still feels at ease on twisty roads. Ride quality is mostly good, the suspension doing a decent job of masking imperfections. As for braking, the Brembos prove powerful enough to slow the Mustang in satisfying fashion.

With the top closed, the cabin is relatively quiet, allowing occupants to have a normal conversation even at highway speeds. It’s obviously a different story with the roof stowed away, but turbulence is properly mitigated.

Our Verdict

At the end of the day, the 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost may not be as explosive and exciting as the glorious and growling GT, but for drivers seeking a pleasant sports car that is both strong enough and not too intimidating, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Are we crazy? Purists might think so, but we don’t care. This is a tremendous fastback that will let you enjoy the road and the scenery instead of keeping a constant eye on the tachometer.