Automedia Drive Review (EcoBoost)

[Topnotch]

http://www.automedia.com/Blog/post/2015-ford-mustang-23l-ecoboost-road-test.aspx]

2015 Ford Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost Road Test

Turbocharged engines are not new to the Ford Mustang nameplate, and yet, for some reason, the 2015 Mustang with a turbocharged 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder feels like a revelation. Maybe it’s because this is the most fuel-efficient Mustang ever, or maybe because this is the most technologically advanced Mustang ever.

But more likely it’s because this is the first turbocharged Mustang that is attempting to bring both efficiency and power to the table. The 1979 Stang 2.3L boasted a paltry 132 horsepower; the 1984-86 Stang SVO had between 175-200 hp but topped out at 24 MPG highway. Back then, numbers like 310 horsepower, 320 lb.-ft of torque and 31 MPG must have sounded like fairy tales. Well, they’re real, Cinderella. The only question is, are they any fun?

Over the weekend, I hopped into a metallic Guard, or gray-green, Mustang EcoBoost with a six-speed short-throw manual and the optional Performance Package to find out. Having just come from a spin in the monstrous 5.0L V8 version, I eagerly started up the EcoBoost, pressed into the gas, and stalled it. The clutch is noticeably stiffer in the EcoBoost than in the V8, and it takes a second to get used to the difference between 435 horsepower and 310 horsepower.

Suitably accustomed, though, I was quickly on my way south down Pacific Coast Highway. A few quick stabs of the throttle revealed an ever-present turbocharger whine, almost a whistle, emanating from under the hood.

Ford used a twin-scroll turbocharger attached to the manifold head, which reduces lag and provides nearly instant power. Max torque is available from just 2,500 rpm to 4,500 rpm, so the turbos are constantly ready to roll. That will give you power through the rev range, but it means the 2.3L EcoBoost delivers with consistent pull, not the exhilarating rush of testosterone that the V8 is packing.
A map included inside the car suggested a nice leisurely stroll through the hills of Malibu for us, but I remembered a tiny road nearby that would offer more thrills and pulled out my iPhone to find it. Once I found it and set off, I struggled to enjoy the “electric power-assisted steering with rack and pinion gear,” as Ford likes to call it. I would call it easy and smooth, but detrimental to the car as a whole. The

EcoBoost weighs a full 173 lbs. less than the V8 version, and the non-communicative steering made it feel like something was missing.

Then I remembered that I hadn't switched the Mustang into its Sport settings, yet. Everything changed when the steering toggle flipped into Sport and the suspension flipped into Sport+. Suddenly, I had my steering back, and the ride firmed up in a way that made the weight loss feel lithe rather than feeble.

We climbed up Fernwood Pacific Drive and weaved through the hilltop homes until it turned into Tuna Canyon Road, a fantastic stretch of downhill pavement that becomes one-way spaghetti and leads you all the way back down to PCH. No bikers, no head-on traffic, no guardrails. You may never leave third gear, but you’ll have a blast doing it. I dove into the first set of corners and set to work.

It took a little time, but the 2015 Mustang EcoBoost and I began to hit a groove. The firmer Sport steering and Sport+ suspension were direct and accurate, not exactly pinpoint, but worked together in harmony to deftly bring the Mustang around sharp turns. This meant I could experiment with the throttle, and I personally found it most enjoyable to keep it in second gear and stay on the power early, slowly creeping up revs through a corner until the road began to even out and I could dig into the twin-scroll turbos for a quick bolt until hitting the brakes for another bend. Turn. Throttle. Repeat.

Every trim of the 2015 Mustang comes standard with a limited slip differential to apply power where it’s most needed, and it combined with the consistent EcoBoost to allow me only a quick chirp of the tires once in a while. In the 5.0L V8 version, my driving style likely would have elicited frequent stretches of rubber, but it wouldn't have gotten us back to the hotel with a 22 MPG average, either. I also kept the Traction Control on, and switching it off would probably have given the rear tires much more freedom. It also would have brought us a little closer to putting the new Mustang into one of those valleys we rode above. Switch to Race Mode on a track, with your own car, if you want my advice.

Tuna Canyon Road finally came to an end and the Mustang EcoBoost rolled to a stop on the shoulder. “It’s a Mustang WRX,” I said. “A rear-wheel drive one,” said my driving partner.
It’s not a perfect analogy, but it’s close, and it’s a compliment. There is a whole lot to like about the newest addition to the iconic Mustang brand, and plenty enough to lure people looking for more power and efficiency than the V6 and a lower price than the V8. I had set out to see if the Mustang EcoBoost could deliver its own brand of thrills and excitement, and with that answered, there was only one question left to ask.

“Well,” I said. “Wanna do it again?”

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[doulos4jc]

Nice...my car!

 

[Mustangchief]

"everything changed when the steering toggle flipped into Sport and the suspension flipped into Sport+" Can't wait to get the sport + suspension toggled into my car.

 

[Spartan]

Here's another reference to the suspension....

 

[Ninjak]

Nice review

The Ecoboost I believe will be a great seller. The aftermarket is going to have a field day with this car.

 

[Devon]

Toggles the steering mode and "the ride firmed up in a way that made the weight loss feel lithe rather than feeble."

The guy has the perceptual acuity of your favourite vegetable and is borderline cognitively challenged. How can anyone believe anything he says after this ridiculous comment? Love the site's tagline - "automotive advice you can trust". :lol:

 

[petraman]

^^^^^I think this is a great example of the placebo effect.

 

[neodark]

So, no sport+ suspension mode for non-premiums, right?

 

[Devon]

^^ Not sure if serious... no version of the S550 yet released has ANY form of adaptive suspension; the driving modes in the Premium only impact steering weight, level of TC, throttle tip-in response, and for the auto, shifting response.

 

[neodark]

^^ Not sure if serious... no version of the S550 yet released has ANY form of adaptive suspension; the driving modes in the Premium only impact steering weight, level of TC, throttle tip-in response, and for the auto, shifting response.

dihedral synchro-helix... Wait a minute.

While I agree with you, I want to know what the driving modes do.. Aside from adjusting steering wheel resistance.

I assume it's better throttle response as well, but anything else? And if so... will it be available on non-premiums (Lack of toggles)

 

[svtenthusiast]

no suspension mode adjustments period for any current iteration of the 2015 Mustang. the mode adjusts steering effort, traction control, ESC, and throttle mapping.

hard to believe this many reviews have clueless people driving them.

 

[JoeDogInKC]

I'd like to see Ford put some of the PP wheels on a Non-PP car and see what the reviewers have to say. Let them believe that it really is a PP-equipped car.

 

[Spartan]

no suspension mode adjustments period for any current iteration of the 2015 Mustang. the mode adjusts steering effort, traction control, ESC, and throttle mapping.

hard to believe this many reviews have clueless people driving them.

Maybe the ESC is doing something...obviously something is happening because many reviewers have talked about this.

I'd like to see Ford put some of the PP wheels on a Non-PP car and see what the reviewers have to say. Let them believe that it really is a PP-equipped car.

This morning we're secretly switching their non performance pack Mustangs with...

 

[Lord Thunder]

I'd like to see Ford put some of the PP wheels on a Non-PP car and see what the reviewers have to say. Let them believe that it really is a PP-equipped car.

You mean a euro-spec car? *ducks*

 

[Spartan]

You mean a euro-spec car? *ducks*

Wait what? Don't tell me the Euros are getting the PP wheel option without the PP...

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