- Joined
- Mar 3, 2015
- Threads
- 85
- Messages
- 3,821
- Reaction score
- 3,052
- Location
- Newbury, UK
- Vehicle(s)
- Mustang GT
- Thread starter
- #1
In a word, to me, this is perfection 
The following is me expressing my thoughts & feelings on the whole experience and my “review” will not be a comparison by any means, just my opinions on the car as a whole package. Apologies for rambling - I have a lot to say after a 9 month wait & 2 weeks of driving!
So what did I order?
On the 25th February 2015 I placed my deposit to secure my place in the waiting list, not knowing at the time if I would actually go ahead. After a couple of weeks checking out the youtube videos from the US - I was sold. Then the waiting began! I originally ordered Magnetic as it was the colour that struck me most from the start. Called up to change to Black, was also tempted with Race Red but in the end stuck with Magnetic - and I’m glad I did! Car was built on 5th October and delivered to the dealership on 26th November. I picked it up 2 days later on the Saturday. I know a lot of you have had a rough time with the wait so I know I am extremely lucky!
My Mustang is as it comes - I ordered no extras (other than the metallic paint) as I saw them as “nice to haves” rather than necessities. It’s manual & I went for the Ebony interior.
Delivery Day & First Impressions
My Mustang was in the first delivery for my dealership (Hartwell Ford, in Kidlington, Oxfordshire), along with their Black ‘vert GT demo & another DIB vert. I found out through one of the members here, who was keeping a close eye on my order that it had arrived, needless to say I was straight on the phone at 9am! The guy looking after my order was on a training course that day annoyingly but luckily he was in late in the afternoon & handed over to a colleague for me to pickup on Saturday as he was going on holiday. Being the first to collect in the area, I got special treatment & appreciated the fact that they turned it around so quickly (delivered late Thursday afternoon, picked up first thing Saturday!). I’m not sure how much sleep I got Thurs/Fri night but it wasn’t a lot!
I travelled up with my Dad & Sister, and after struggling to find the place, we parked up & walked towards reception. There it was, right outside the front door! Let me tell you, nothing compares to seeing it in the metal - it’s an indescribable feeling, surreal really but just incredible. I think I have seen every possible video & photo the internet but when it’s your car in front of you, it just looks that much better. All the pain & frustration I had felt was a distant memory & I felt like I was in a dream (especially because I wasn’t expecting it for another month!).
The experience in the dealership was great, I got to meet a few people including the manager who was keen to get a photo handing over their first Mustang got a little mention on their Facebook page which was quite cool. A guy came out the door before we walked in & handed me the key so first thing I did was jump in, plastic still on the seats! Having been obsessed with Mustangs for many years, mine was the first one I actually sat in which was a pretty cool moment. Had a good look around - everything looked perfect in terms of build quality so then we headed inside - it was frickin freezing that day. In the meantime, they took it away, whipped off the stickers & covers that I requested they keep on (I only wanted the window sticker!). I’m glad I asked for this because it is a nice thing to have & of course it's part of the experience. Apparently unique to the Mustang too, I was told. I was in there for a good hour I think, signing paperwork/paying deposit etc, although it could have been 2 - I was too excited to pay attention to the time! The guy doing the handover then sat in the car with me & wen’t through the controls, I pretended I didn’t know what he was going on about but having seen a million videos online I knew it all already! Apart from how to move the seats haha.
The First Drive
So it was now time to drive away my dream car, I was more nervous than excited I think - cars were packed in quite tight at the dealership & I had a whole extra half a car length in the bonnet which I wasn’t used to (from my Fiesta) so manoeuvring out of the car park was slow & steady but I made it. It was in an industrial estate so the first thing I did was head down the empty road, giving it the beans as I did (but not too much at first). Acceleration felt great, you get that little bit of “pushed back in your seat” feeling that I am not used to - big smile on my face, I turned around and did it again! Breaks are superb, very sharp and feel good. Backup camera is great, although I still find myself turning around, it’s a great driving aid that does help. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to how the car feels, it’s a big car (mainly long, from what I am used to) but you soon feel right at home, everything is well placed & driving position feels spot on - it just feels right, like it was meant to be
Distance from the dealership to home was about 35 miles, straight down the M40 but was I going to go that way? Hell no! I think I managed to stretch it to 50 by going cross country. Annoyingly when we got onto the dual carriageway, there had been an accident (think an Audi had slammed into the back of a Ford Focus, god knows how fast they were going but it was bad!). So we sat in crawling traffic for a good 20 minutes. This was fun however because you quickly realise that the Mustang is such a head turner! Lot’s of necks twisting. It was great fun to watch, one guy that exited off the slip road slowed right down to have a good gander, I’m not going to lie - it felt pretty damn good!
Finally got through that & then it was on to the country roads where I could give the right foot a bit of a workout, and go through the gears, which feel good as well - take some getting used to but comfortable & smooth. Again, every time you put your foot down it raises a big smile. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road so I spent a lot of the time just flowing with traffic. It’s great though - such a quiet & smooth ride, and so so comfortable with the centre arm rest, you feel like a king. When I got the chance, I dropped a gear & put my foot down - best way to describe it; the car just comes alive, it wakes up & completely changes character. From a gentle, comfortable cruiser to a monster...that sound & that acceleration is addictive, you get a response from the car that it wants more, it’s a car that wants to be be driven.
I wasn’t feeling brave enough to throw it around any corners because it was drizzly & I’m sure you will agree not a good idea on your very first drive! However, for such a big & heavy car, it really doesn’t feel it. It feels nimble & steering (in normal mode) is perfectly fine. I look forward to the day when I can give it a try, it certainly feels like it can handle the corners.
All in all, I was so impressed with my first drive. It was everything I expected & more. The first thing you realise when you get out is that you just wanna get straight back in! To this day I still don’t think I have really had a chance to appreciate it, with the dull, dark weather & only being able to drive it to work I still feel like I haven’t been for a “proper” drive. Maybe that’s something for the summer ay!
Daily Driving
So 2 weeks in & I have just gone over 700 miles. Waking up a half past stupid in the morning is that little bit easier now, rather than hitting snooze & seriously considering not getting up at all, now I just look forward to getting back in it & driving! I miss the heated windscreen that I had in my Fiesta but this one is fine.
My commute is about 45 miles, about 42 of which is motorway. The cruise control is great, from an economy point of view. Not something I have had before but perfect for my journey type. The Ecoboost on a good run, can easily get 40mpg I reckon. I think I got about 38 as an average on one journey home which wasn’t ideal conditions. I was told to put premium fuel in for the first few times I fill up. I think so far it’s had £180 worth of fuel in it, a little over 700 miles gone & I have a full tank right now, with a range of just under 400 miles. My overall average is bang on 30mpg at the moment which I am happy with. I’m hoping that for me, it will settle around the mid 30’s. It certainly achieves much higher when you want it to but it’s early days…
One of my favourite things right now is watching people watching the me (or the car!), for quite a subtle colour it still gets a few good stares. Had I gone for Race Red, I’m sure it would grab a lot more attention.
One thing that surprised me is the visibility, it was something that I wasn’t expecting to be as good as it is. I know some don’t like the “dumbo” door mirrors, but they are good, & the view out of the back is good as well. You can judge pretty well where the back of the car is. However, I would advise you to have someone spot you the first time you back up towards a wall. What you can see on the camera will look a little bit further away than you actually are.
Although manouvering such a large car (for me) is a little tricky, general driving is quite the opposite - it’s so easy & pleasant to drive. I thought beforehand that it may be hard work, in terms of driving position, dynamics, the power etc but it simply isn’t. I feel at home in it, I spend a lot of time in it & it’s a great place to be.
I have the standard sound system & it’s pretty good in my opinion, not fantastic but I can’t fault it. It would have been nice to have the shaker system I think, so maybe I will upgrade one day.
I think my absolute favourite thing about the Mustang is the sound - I know the Ecoboost sound has been synthesised through the speakers but it sounds so impressive. I find myself quite often turning the radio off just to hear that sound, it’s glorious. I know it’s not a match for the V8 but those who have an EB on order will not be dissapointed.
Oh & the sport driving mode - holy fu*k that’s a lot of fun. Only had a little blast so far but my god it does make a difference. Verging on scary so looking forward to giving that another go!
The Design
I wanted to mention my thoughts on the design because that’s quite a big thing for me. My taste in cars are probably largely based on aesthetic appeal.
From the outside, the lines are just stunning. As people has said a thousand times, photos & videos just don’t do it justice. I do enjoy just standing and looking at it - sounds silly but it’s true. I appreciate the amount of work that Ford has put into it. In my opinion they have absolutely nailed it. It has the retro cues; with the aggressive “shark” like front end, the tri bar break lights and the overall proportions of the car, but somehow looks bang up to date & modern.
This theme is continued on the inside...to me - it’s the greatest car interior of all time, I literally can’t think of one better. From the huge dials, the “since 1964” badge to the toggle switches & button layout - again, retro yet modern. Everything a car should be - I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Materials are good, soft touch or leather where it needs to be and the plastics don’t look at all cheap. For those concerned about the “fake” stitching, don’t be! Unless you get up close, you really don’t notice & it doesn’t look fake from a distance. Quite nice actually - just looks like black stitching to me. The seats are fantastic too, super comfy. I like the leather - much preferable to the fabric ones I am used to.
As for all the gadgets, I still don’t think I have explored everything but it’s all awesome. Possibly the coolest thing is the puddle lamps, useful? Not so far, but they look excellent. Just a little thing but really sets the car apart from anything else! Changing the dial colours & ambient lighting is again, a small thing but so good - still experimenting with my favourite as I mention above, the backup camera is great as well although not much use on a frosty morning I found! Just a blurry image lol. The electric seat adjustment is great too, so much better than I have had in the past.
The display above the steering wheel is quite fascinating, so may display options here, I normally have mine on one of the economy ones so I can see how I am doing but the engine info ones are good too, probably a nicer thing to look at - boost gauge for example. Not had a chance to try the track apps yet.
Bad Points?!
Well I don’t have anything to bad to say really but the clear tail lights really don’t do it for me, they look nice but the red is just so much nicer IMO, I think I may try the vinyl kit that the folks on the Euro forum have come up with. My little sunglasses case thing (just below, to the right of the steering wheel) doesn’t open, but haven’t tried too hard to get it open yet. Now as for the hand break & cup holder position, yes it’s a little annoying - its awkward to lift the hand break & if you have something in the cup holders then they do get in the way if you want to rest your forearm but it such a small issue it really doesn’t matter. I would say it adds character anyway, adds to the “Americanness” of the car.
Conclusion
Well if you have read this far, I’m sure you will know that I adore this car. I’m over the moon - it’s everything I ever dreamed of and more...very early days still, so I’m sure there’s a lot of fun times to come. The fact that I own my dream car is still sinking in, and to be honest I still feel like I haven’t really got to know it yet.
Thanks for reading, and trust me - I know the pain & frustration of waiting - you will not be disappointed, it is worth the wait.
The following is me expressing my thoughts & feelings on the whole experience and my “review” will not be a comparison by any means, just my opinions on the car as a whole package. Apologies for rambling - I have a lot to say after a 9 month wait & 2 weeks of driving!
So what did I order?
On the 25th February 2015 I placed my deposit to secure my place in the waiting list, not knowing at the time if I would actually go ahead. After a couple of weeks checking out the youtube videos from the US - I was sold. Then the waiting began! I originally ordered Magnetic as it was the colour that struck me most from the start. Called up to change to Black, was also tempted with Race Red but in the end stuck with Magnetic - and I’m glad I did! Car was built on 5th October and delivered to the dealership on 26th November. I picked it up 2 days later on the Saturday. I know a lot of you have had a rough time with the wait so I know I am extremely lucky!
My Mustang is as it comes - I ordered no extras (other than the metallic paint) as I saw them as “nice to haves” rather than necessities. It’s manual & I went for the Ebony interior.
Delivery Day & First Impressions
My Mustang was in the first delivery for my dealership (Hartwell Ford, in Kidlington, Oxfordshire), along with their Black ‘vert GT demo & another DIB vert. I found out through one of the members here, who was keeping a close eye on my order that it had arrived, needless to say I was straight on the phone at 9am! The guy looking after my order was on a training course that day annoyingly but luckily he was in late in the afternoon & handed over to a colleague for me to pickup on Saturday as he was going on holiday. Being the first to collect in the area, I got special treatment & appreciated the fact that they turned it around so quickly (delivered late Thursday afternoon, picked up first thing Saturday!). I’m not sure how much sleep I got Thurs/Fri night but it wasn’t a lot!
I travelled up with my Dad & Sister, and after struggling to find the place, we parked up & walked towards reception. There it was, right outside the front door! Let me tell you, nothing compares to seeing it in the metal - it’s an indescribable feeling, surreal really but just incredible. I think I have seen every possible video & photo the internet but when it’s your car in front of you, it just looks that much better. All the pain & frustration I had felt was a distant memory & I felt like I was in a dream (especially because I wasn’t expecting it for another month!).
The experience in the dealership was great, I got to meet a few people including the manager who was keen to get a photo handing over their first Mustang
got a little mention on their Facebook page which was quite cool. A guy came out the door before we walked in & handed me the key so first thing I did was jump in, plastic still on the seats! Having been obsessed with Mustangs for many years, mine was the first one I actually sat in which was a pretty cool moment. Had a good look around - everything looked perfect in terms of build quality so then we headed inside - it was frickin freezing that day. In the meantime, they took it away, whipped off the stickers & covers that I requested they keep on (I only wanted the window sticker!). I’m glad I asked for this because it is a nice thing to have & of course it's part of the experience. Apparently unique to the Mustang too, I was told. I was in there for a good hour I think, signing paperwork/paying deposit etc, although it could have been 2 - I was too excited to pay attention to the time! The guy doing the handover then sat in the car with me & wen’t through the controls, I pretended I didn’t know what he was going on about but having seen a million videos online I knew it all already! Apart from how to move the seats haha.The First Drive
So it was now time to drive away my dream car, I was more nervous than excited I think - cars were packed in quite tight at the dealership & I had a whole extra half a car length in the bonnet which I wasn’t used to (from my Fiesta) so manoeuvring out of the car park was slow & steady but I made it. It was in an industrial estate so the first thing I did was head down the empty road, giving it the beans as I did (but not too much at first). Acceleration felt great, you get that little bit of “pushed back in your seat” feeling that I am not used to - big smile on my face, I turned around and did it again! Breaks are superb, very sharp and feel good. Backup camera is great, although I still find myself turning around, it’s a great driving aid that does help. It’s amazing how quickly you get used to how the car feels, it’s a big car (mainly long, from what I am used to) but you soon feel right at home, everything is well placed & driving position feels spot on - it just feels right, like it was meant to be
Distance from the dealership to home was about 35 miles, straight down the M40 but was I going to go that way? Hell no! I think I managed to stretch it to 50 by going cross country. Annoyingly when we got onto the dual carriageway, there had been an accident (think an Audi had slammed into the back of a Ford Focus, god knows how fast they were going but it was bad!). So we sat in crawling traffic for a good 20 minutes. This was fun however because you quickly realise that the Mustang is such a head turner! Lot’s of necks twisting. It was great fun to watch, one guy that exited off the slip road slowed right down to have a good gander, I’m not going to lie - it felt pretty damn good!
Finally got through that & then it was on to the country roads where I could give the right foot a bit of a workout, and go through the gears, which feel good as well - take some getting used to but comfortable & smooth. Again, every time you put your foot down it raises a big smile. There was a fair amount of traffic on the road so I spent a lot of the time just flowing with traffic. It’s great though - such a quiet & smooth ride, and so so comfortable with the centre arm rest, you feel like a king. When I got the chance, I dropped a gear & put my foot down - best way to describe it; the car just comes alive, it wakes up & completely changes character. From a gentle, comfortable cruiser to a monster...that sound & that acceleration is addictive, you get a response from the car that it wants more, it’s a car that wants to be be driven.
I wasn’t feeling brave enough to throw it around any corners because it was drizzly & I’m sure you will agree not a good idea on your very first drive! However, for such a big & heavy car, it really doesn’t feel it. It feels nimble & steering (in normal mode) is perfectly fine. I look forward to the day when I can give it a try, it certainly feels like it can handle the corners.
All in all, I was so impressed with my first drive. It was everything I expected & more. The first thing you realise when you get out is that you just wanna get straight back in! To this day I still don’t think I have really had a chance to appreciate it, with the dull, dark weather & only being able to drive it to work I still feel like I haven’t been for a “proper” drive. Maybe that’s something for the summer ay!
Daily Driving
So 2 weeks in & I have just gone over 700 miles. Waking up a half past stupid in the morning is that little bit easier now, rather than hitting snooze & seriously considering not getting up at all, now I just look forward to getting back in it & driving! I miss the heated windscreen that I had in my Fiesta but this one is fine.
My commute is about 45 miles, about 42 of which is motorway. The cruise control is great, from an economy point of view. Not something I have had before but perfect for my journey type. The Ecoboost on a good run, can easily get 40mpg I reckon. I think I got about 38 as an average on one journey home which wasn’t ideal conditions. I was told to put premium fuel in for the first few times I fill up. I think so far it’s had £180 worth of fuel in it, a little over 700 miles gone & I have a full tank right now, with a range of just under 400 miles. My overall average is bang on 30mpg at the moment which I am happy with. I’m hoping that for me, it will settle around the mid 30’s. It certainly achieves much higher when you want it to but it’s early days…
One of my favourite things right now is watching people watching the me (or the car!), for quite a subtle colour it still gets a few good stares. Had I gone for Race Red, I’m sure it would grab a lot more attention.
One thing that surprised me is the visibility, it was something that I wasn’t expecting to be as good as it is. I know some don’t like the “dumbo” door mirrors, but they are good, & the view out of the back is good as well. You can judge pretty well where the back of the car is. However, I would advise you to have someone spot you the first time you back up towards a wall. What you can see on the camera will look a little bit further away than you actually are.
Although manouvering such a large car (for me) is a little tricky, general driving is quite the opposite - it’s so easy & pleasant to drive. I thought beforehand that it may be hard work, in terms of driving position, dynamics, the power etc but it simply isn’t. I feel at home in it, I spend a lot of time in it & it’s a great place to be.
I have the standard sound system & it’s pretty good in my opinion, not fantastic but I can’t fault it. It would have been nice to have the shaker system I think, so maybe I will upgrade one day.
I think my absolute favourite thing about the Mustang is the sound - I know the Ecoboost sound has been synthesised through the speakers but it sounds so impressive. I find myself quite often turning the radio off just to hear that sound, it’s glorious. I know it’s not a match for the V8 but those who have an EB on order will not be dissapointed.
Oh & the sport driving mode - holy fu*k that’s a lot of fun. Only had a little blast so far but my god it does make a difference. Verging on scary so looking forward to giving that another go!
The Design
I wanted to mention my thoughts on the design because that’s quite a big thing for me. My taste in cars are probably largely based on aesthetic appeal.
From the outside, the lines are just stunning. As people has said a thousand times, photos & videos just don’t do it justice. I do enjoy just standing and looking at it - sounds silly but it’s true. I appreciate the amount of work that Ford has put into it. In my opinion they have absolutely nailed it. It has the retro cues; with the aggressive “shark” like front end, the tri bar break lights and the overall proportions of the car, but somehow looks bang up to date & modern.
This theme is continued on the inside...to me - it’s the greatest car interior of all time, I literally can’t think of one better. From the huge dials, the “since 1964” badge to the toggle switches & button layout - again, retro yet modern. Everything a car should be - I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Materials are good, soft touch or leather where it needs to be and the plastics don’t look at all cheap. For those concerned about the “fake” stitching, don’t be! Unless you get up close, you really don’t notice & it doesn’t look fake from a distance. Quite nice actually - just looks like black stitching to me. The seats are fantastic too, super comfy. I like the leather - much preferable to the fabric ones I am used to.
As for all the gadgets, I still don’t think I have explored everything but it’s all awesome. Possibly the coolest thing is the puddle lamps, useful? Not so far, but they look excellent. Just a little thing but really sets the car apart from anything else! Changing the dial colours & ambient lighting is again, a small thing but so good - still experimenting with my favourite
as I mention above, the backup camera is great as well although not much use on a frosty morning I found! Just a blurry image lol. The electric seat adjustment is great too, so much better than I have had in the past.The display above the steering wheel is quite fascinating, so may display options here, I normally have mine on one of the economy ones so I can see how I am doing but the engine info ones are good too, probably a nicer thing to look at - boost gauge for example. Not had a chance to try the track apps yet.
Bad Points?!
Well I don’t have anything to bad to say really but the clear tail lights really don’t do it for me, they look nice but the red is just so much nicer IMO, I think I may try the vinyl kit that the folks on the Euro forum have come up with. My little sunglasses case thing (just below, to the right of the steering wheel) doesn’t open, but haven’t tried too hard to get it open yet. Now as for the hand break & cup holder position, yes it’s a little annoying - its awkward to lift the hand break & if you have something in the cup holders then they do get in the way if you want to rest your forearm but it such a small issue it really doesn’t matter. I would say it adds character anyway, adds to the “Americanness” of the car.
Conclusion
Well if you have read this far, I’m sure you will know that I adore this car. I’m over the moon - it’s everything I ever dreamed of and more...very early days still, so I’m sure there’s a lot of fun times to come. The fact that I own my dream car is still sinking in, and to be honest I still feel like I haven’t really got to know it yet.
Thanks for reading, and trust me - I know the pain & frustration of waiting - you will not be disappointed, it is worth the wait.
Sponsored
