Motor Trend Really Doesn't Like The New Mustang

[Guardstang]

I don't think those are regular Motor Trend writers--just some lifestyle hacks that have to create content for MSN. When cars are shown to the press most of the writers and bloggers are just there for the free food and trip--only about 10% are real automotive journalists. M/T has always been a big Mustang booster--you won't see stuff like this in the magazine.

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[Farmundeh]

Who reads motor trend?

 

[Mike G]

"For me, this was the biggest letdown of the year. We expected so much, but we got so little. It's damn hard to make a car that's not as good or fun as the model its replacing, but Ford managed to do just that. — Scott Mortara"

That's it? Am I missing anything? Errr...thanks for the substantive review, MT/Mr Mortara.

 

[Bay1Stang]

Oh well not going to lose any sleep over one guy's opinion.

 

[GNS]

"We got so little - I mean, an IRS wasn't significant or anything, nor a fully redesigned front suspension, new interior, far better exterior design, 15 more HP, performance pack GT able to beat the old Boss 302 around a track. Damn, Ford, when will you wake up and throw us a frickin' bone?"

 

[Reds197]

Picking the new Chevy Colorado as truck of the year over the all new aluminum 2.7 Eco-boost F150 it is a dead give away. They are totally biased.

 

[SVTFreak]

Picking the new Chevy Colorado as truck of the year over the all new aluminum 2.7 Eco-boost F150 it is a dead give away. They are totally biased.

This. Plus when they rates the zl1 better than the Shelby after the Shelby pretty much slapped it around like a little bitch. It's beyond obvious.

 

[Vernichtung]

I will agree. It is disappointing a bit to me and I find no criticism in their reviews that I dont agree with at a base level. All their observations are pretty much spot on to mine while driving it. And I think their video review versus the Camaro track pack does show the Mustang as much more wallowy while the Camaro is planted and locked in. Having said all that, I still bought one because quite frankly what else is left in the RWD V8 American muscle car game? Its the best of the worst modern generation of fat heavy pony cars if you want a cheap 400 HP car for 30K

Even though they're seemingly the only ones saying what they're saying? Most all other magazines in addition to real-world accounts here paint a picture that couldn't be any more different than how Motor Trend described the new Mustang (pitchy, wallowy).

Driving.ca prefered the new Mustang GT -- sans Performance Pack, mind you -- over the Camaro 1LE.

[ame]


From Car and Driver's three-way comparison:

It is remarkable how tight this car feels. The slightest steering input results in an immediate reaction. A salesman’s pen on the tile beneath a front tire would register as a minute twitch of the steering wheel. It’s as if every bolt between the fire wall and the front hubs is torqued to the verge of snapping (minus the sense of imminent catastrophe). There is simply no slack here.

And, unlike the Camaro, the Mustang remains engaging but never abusive on public roads.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2015-ford-mustang-gt-page-4


From Road and Track:

Want to be even happier? Put the Mustang on a fast back road, such as the ones we used to separate the wheat from the chaff this year at PCOTY, and it comes alive like Peter Frampton clutching a triple-pickup Les Paul. All of a sudden the pony shrinks around you and it becomes possible to hustle it like it was an E36 BMW. The feedback through the steering, brakes, and shifter is just right, a testament to Ford's willingness to steadily refine this platform and its component parts over the course of a decade. It could use more brakes, but that's par for the course in a sub-$50,000 performance car. For a quick blast, however, they're enough and you can trust the status reports you receive from the middle pedal.

In the context of a challenging two-lane, the Coyote motor's wide rev range and low inertia becomes electrifying, allowing you to hold it against the 7000-rpm redline all the way to the next corner. Meanwhile the chassis is working with you in a way that you'd expect from an Euro sports sedan, allowing the rear to slide and the weight to shift but never letting things get too out of hand. Want to kick the tail out around a hairpin? The engine can do it and the chassis can catch it. Want to hit a complex series of off-camber turns and zero-gravity hills? No car of this sheer size and bulk has ever been this confidence-inspiring.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...stang-gt-have-been-pcoty/?click=_lpTrnsprtr_2

Per Road and Track, the 2015 Mustang was 0.02 seconds quicker than the Camaro 1LE. If that were due solely to the Mustang being the more powerful car of the two, then the Boss 302 they tested head-to-head against the Camaro 1LE would have been the quicker of the two around Road and Track's circuit. And, no, the 2015 GT and Camaro 1LE were not driven head-to-head on the same day; I'm not sure if the same driver piloted both, either. However, look at the other cars the 2015 Mustang bested at said track: 2014 Camaro 1LE, 2013 Audi RS5, 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S, 2014 Chevy SS, 2015 BMW M4, 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Wagon, 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe... Are we to believe the Mustang just got lucky against the rest of the aforementioned competition, too? There are some big-named, high-priced sports cars in that list.


From Automobile Magazine:

...But the chassis is remarkably well composed when driven briskly, and the brakes are a revelation, with a high, hard pedal and more stopping power than you’d expect in a car that weighs more than 3,700 pounds.

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/featur...stang-2015-automobile-all-star/#ixzz3N7I63wdo


Need some real-world evidence? Terry Fair of Vorshlag -- a man who races all sorts of cars -- seemed to love the new car. He's also in the business of selling parts; why would he make any of this up? I know this video has been posted several times before, but it's a goodie:

[ame]


Juxtapose all of the above with Motor Trend's assertion that the 2015 Mustang is no better than the outgoing model -- that it's a pitchy, wallowy handful to drive. I hate to come across as trying to make excuses, but something seems amiss here, no? This is absolutely germane to the topic at hand, in my opinion.

 

[Husker]

Well 'Detroit Free Press' (Big Deal To Automaker Egos) likes the F-150 & Mustang over the rest, Car & Truck Of The Year.

So, have a feel good moment-->DFP

 

[Trackaholic]

Normally I think MT's opinions are similar to my own. For example I totally agree with their choice of the Colorado over the F150 (but that may be because I'm still pissed at Ford for not giving us the global Ranger - I want a truck, but I'm not getting a full size, so im thankful that GM has provided an offering that isn't 10+ years old).

However, in the case of the Mustang, I really question their integrity. Not because "they" don't like it, but because they don't explain why. This same quote was also used in their "Car of the Year" testing, making it seem like the Mustang is a real dud, yet it was still one of the finalists, and I think did as well or better than the M235 BMW. So to say how disappointing it is on the one hand while making it a finalist on the other just does not seem consistent to me. I get the feeling they were expecting something like the Boss302 from the base car.

As far as the Mustang itself goes, I think it is a great mix of performance, style, emotion, and elegance. This is the first time I've been interested in one, and I plan on getting a GT350 when they become available for MSRP. I think Ford has done a great job with the lineup.

-T

 

[Herr_Poopschitz]

In MT's defense, if you click through more of those pages, there are a number of GM products they label as disappointments. As far as the Colorado vs F150, the mid size truck market has been stagnant for a while now, and the Colorado is forcing other manufacturers to step up their game instead of making midsize trucks an afterthought. This is much more influential than a material change to a truck that is very much like last years model.

That said, the comments about the Mustang leave me scratching my head...

 

[Flak]

I get the feeling they were expecting something like the Boss302 from the base car.

Except that it's flat out better than the Boss 302. Maybe the Laguna Sec is slightly better, not sure if the B302s that have been spanked by the base GT were. With the assertion that expectations have not been met... well you have to define them first. All the other cars they seemed to have specific gripes - until the Mustang (which they listed twice, lol).

Also, the reviewer is obviously showing his bias when he juxtaposes an objective measure with a subjective one in order to give faux credibility to his completely unfounded claim. While 'fun' is subjective (though with the composure of the S550 I have to question whether he has even driven in one), his assertion that it is not 'as good as' the outgoing S197 is hilarious at best. It is better in every possible metric and provably so - there's no subjectivity when you are dealing with numbers.

 

[stulaw11]

Scratching my head too.

I also dont get the Sync 3 argument. First it was JUST revealed, after the 2015 was in production; and probably 1.5-2 years after the 2015's design was finalized. Also it is an assumption newer will be better, less buggy, etc (Windows Vista debacle anyone?). No one really knows for sure.

I also don't see anything new or novel about it. It looks a bit more organized in the menus, but it does nav, phone, climate and radio. Same functions. There is really nothing wrong per se with the current MFT system. It works just fine.

 

[Husker]

Normally I think MT's opinions are similar to my own. For example I totally agree with their choice of the Colorado over the F150 (but that may be because I'm still pissed at Ford for not giving us the global Ranger - I want a truck, but I'm not getting a full size, so im thankful that GM has provided an offering that isn't 10+ years old).

We (She) needed a new truck, went with the 2015 Colorado...I wanted a Ranger but Ford feels Americans don't want it-->(((WRONG)))

Read somewhere, Ford plans on offering it again but no official dates...BTW, our Colorado is a pretty darn good truck-->

 

[Phlyguy]

Even though they're seemingly the only ones saying what they're saying? Most all other magazines in addition to real-world accounts here paint a picture that couldn't be any more different than how Motor Trend described the new Mustang (pitchy, wallowy).

Driving.ca prefered the new Mustang GT -- sans Performance Pack, mind you -- over the Camaro 1LE.




From Car and Driver's three-way comparison:

It is remarkable how tight this car feels. The slightest steering input results in an immediate reaction. A salesman’s pen on the tile beneath a front tire would register as a minute twitch of the steering wheel. It’s as if every bolt between the fire wall and the front hubs is torqued to the verge of snapping (minus the sense of imminent catastrophe). There is simply no slack here.

And, unlike the Camaro, the Mustang remains engaging but never abusive on public roads.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2015-ford-mustang-gt-page-4


From Road and Track:

Want to be even happier? Put the Mustang on a fast back road, such as the ones we used to separate the wheat from the chaff this year at PCOTY, and it comes alive like Peter Frampton clutching a triple-pickup Les Paul. All of a sudden the pony shrinks around you and it becomes possible to hustle it like it was an E36 BMW. The feedback through the steering, brakes, and shifter is just right, a testament to Ford's willingness to steadily refine this platform and its component parts over the course of a decade. It could use more brakes, but that's par for the course in a sub-$50,000 performance car. For a quick blast, however, they're enough and you can trust the status reports you receive from the middle pedal.

In the context of a challenging two-lane, the Coyote motor's wide rev range and low inertia becomes electrifying, allowing you to hold it against the 7000-rpm redline all the way to the next corner. Meanwhile the chassis is working with you in a way that you'd expect from an Euro sports sedan, allowing the rear to slide and the weight to shift but never letting things get too out of hand. Want to kick the tail out around a hairpin? The engine can do it and the chassis can catch it. Want to hit a complex series of off-camber turns and zero-gravity hills? No car of this sheer size and bulk has ever been this confidence-inspiring.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...stang-gt-have-been-pcoty/?click=_lpTrnsprtr_2

Per Road and Track, the 2015 Mustang was 0.02 seconds quicker than the Camaro 1LE. If that were due solely to the Mustang being the more powerful car of the two, then the Boss 302 they tested head-to-head against the Camaro 1LE would have been the quicker of the two around Road and Track's circuit. And, no, the 2015 GT and Camaro 1LE were not driven head-to-head on the same day; I'm not sure if the same driver piloted both, either. However, look at the other cars the 2015 Mustang bested at said track: 2014 Camaro 1LE, 2013 Audi RS5, 2014 Aston Martin Rapide S, 2014 Chevy SS, 2015 BMW M4, 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Wagon, 2014 BMW M6 Gran Coupe... Are we to believe the Mustang just got lucky against the rest of the aforementioned competition, too? There are some big-named, high-priced sports cars in that list.


From Automobile Magazine:

...But the chassis is remarkably well composed when driven briskly, and the brakes are a revelation, with a high, hard pedal and more stopping power than you’d expect in a car that weighs more than 3,700 pounds.

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/featur...stang-2015-automobile-all-star/#ixzz3N7I63wdo


Need some real-world evidence? Terry Fair of Vorshlag -- a man who races all sorts of cars -- seemed to love the new car. He's also in the business of selling parts; why would he make any of this up? I know this video has been posted several times before, but it's a goodie:




Juxtapose all of the above with Motor Trend's assertion that the 2015 Mustang is no better than the outgoing model -- that it's a pitchy, wallowy handful to drive. I hate to come across as trying to make excuses, but something seems amiss here, no? This is absolutely germane to the topic at hand, in my opinion.

Excellent articles...loved the videos

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