LIKES
- Iconic design
- V-8’s sonorous tones
- Handling is dialed in with right options
- Performance at every level
- Comes with the right safety features
DISLIKES
- Turbo-4 doesn’t seem right in a Mustang
- Too many hard plastics inside
- Cramped rear seat
- More performance, more dollars
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Ford Mustang performs in any guise, but it’s hard to beat a 5.0-liter V-8 and a manual transmission.
What kind of car is the 2022 Ford Mustang? What does it compare to?
The original pony car continues 58 years later as a sporty coupe and convertible with turbo-4 or V-8 power. It does retro styling right and offers more performance than ever. Its main rivals are the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro.
Is the 2022 Ford Mustang a good car?
It’s a great sports car with some limitations for space and fuel economy. It earns a TCC Rating of 6.0 out of 10 in recognition of its performance chops and unmistakable styling.
What’s new with the 2022 Ford Mustang?
Ford adds three new packages for 2022, the Stealth package, the Ice White package, and the Coastal Limited package. The Stealth package gets darkened trim and wheels, a rear wing, and clear LED taillights. The Ice White package gets the wing and clear taillights, plus Oxford White exterior paint, white seats, and white door trim. The Coastal Limited package has a branded lighted sill plate, a unique body-color grille, a rear spoiler, side scoops, and its own vinyl body stripe.
In addition, the 5.0-liter V-8 loses 10 hp to 450 this year due to changes made to meet emissions regulations.
Since 2005, the Mustang has incorporated styling cues from the 1960s classics. On the current model, they look right while masking a car that’s grown in size. The look is assertive even as a base model with a gaping grille, squinty headlights, a wide and low stance, big haunches, and a deep front air dam. The look gets more sinister as performance features are added that include aero add-ons, massive tires, and racing stripes. The interior plays off the retro look but not as effectively due to an abundance of hard plastics.
Performance is the Mustang’s stock and trade, and even the base models offer plenty of it. A 2.3-liter turbo-4 puts out 310 hp or 330 hp with a Performance package, and it delivers 0-60 mph times no worse than 6.0 seconds. The GT with its 5.0-liter V-8 cuts that time to about 4.0 seconds when teamed with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Still, the 6-speed manual is more fun. The 0-60 mph time drops to 3.3 seconds in the 760-hp GT500, the most powerful Mustang ever.
Base Mustangs with smaller wheels offer a smooth ride, but they don’t feel tied down in turns. Ford lets buyers step up the performance and stiffens the suspension with the various models and options packages. The Mustang has a roomy front row with comfortable seats, but the base seats have minimal adjustments that leave us wanting to spend up for the power-adjustable seats. Leave the rear seats to small kids and packages. The trunk is decently sized at 13.5 cubic feet in the coupe, less so in the convertible with its 11.4 cubes.
How much does the 2022 Ford Mustang cost?
The Mustang coupe comes in EcoBoost, EcoBoost Premium, GT, GT Premium, Mach 1, and GT500 trims. The convertible doesn’t offer the Mach 1 or GT500.
The base Mustang gets few luxuries but the right standard safety features. It costs $28,400, including destination, and comes with automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and automatic high beams, plus cloth upholstery, a tiny 4.2-inch audio display, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
A $47,980 GT Premium fastback with the Performance package hits our sweet spot, and the GT500 tops the lineup at $74,095.
In Flat Rock, Michigan.
Styling
The Mustang does retro right.
Is the Ford Mustang a good-looking car?
The Mustang goes back to 1964 and the last few generations have played off a theme from the original with a modern take on classic styling. The look has made it an icon. We rate it a 7, adding two points for the thoughtfully designed body.
The Mustang is big, but its low and wide stance reveals its performance intent and gives it the right proportions. The Challenger also plays off heritage themes with a deft hand, while the retro look of the Camaro gives up function for its form.
The retro look continues inside and somewhat offsets the excess black plastic. The twin-binnacle instrument panel and retro gauges can be traded for a new-fangled digital instrument cluster. Ford decorates the cabin with metallic trim, and higher-end models have a padded dash, contrast stitching, and carbon-fiber-look trim.
Performance
Power and handling are Mustang strengths.
Mustang performance increases as the price increases. It starts with a basic suspension, but Ford has performance packages for even the base model. GTs get stiffer setups and additional performance packages. The Mach 1 comes with all the V-8 performance goodies, and the Shelby GT500 ups the game for thrilling track performance. We base our 8 rating on the GT model, which earns two points for its power and another point for handling.
How fast is the Ford Mustang?
No Mustang is a slouch. The base 2.3-liter turbo-4 spins out 310 hp and 350 lb-ft and pushes the car from 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds with the manual and the mid-5s with its 10-speed automatic. A high-performance version increases hp to 330 and provides a meatier torque curve. It’s quick and fun even as a base convertible; no Mustang is neutered.
Ford Mustang GT and Mach 1 performance
The GT and Mach 1 both feature a 5.0-liter V-8. In the GT, it cranks out 450 hp and 420 lb-ft, which can launch the cars from 0-60 mph in about 4.0 seconds when paired with the 10-speed automatic. The Mach 1 adds another 20 hp. With so many gears, the automatic can get confused and shift too often, but it’s usually smooth and responsive. The manual is more fun with its short, fluid throws, but it costs a half second on the 0-60 mph time.
The GT’s power is wonderful, but we’d spend up for handling as the base suspension, while smooth, doesn’t provide the stable, responsive feel we want in a Mustang. The Performance package sharpens the handling while remaining smooth enough to drive every day.
Is the Ford Mustang 4WD?
The Mustang only comes with rear-wheel drive.
Comfort & Quality
Sit up front in the Mustang and don’t expect to bring much cargo.
The Mustang’s front seats are comfortable and supportive, but the back seat is small and the trunk has limited space. We give it a 4 here.
Skip the manual base seats for the power adjustments and leather upholstery at the Premium level. The GT’s available Recaro seats are also incredibly supportive but too thin for larger drivers. With any seat, the Mustang offers good front head and leg room and a low, sporty driving position.
The back seat lacks the head and leg room to accommodate adults, and climbing in presents a challenge. The trunk has a decent 13.5 cubic feet of cargo space, and the rear seats flip down to make it more useful. The convertible, however, has a rather small trunk at 11.4 cubic feet and rear shoulder and hip room are pinched.
Safety
The Ford Mustang comes with the right safety features and gets good NHTSA crash-test scores.
How safe is the Ford Mustang?
It’s pretty safe, but it could be better. A five-star rating from the NHTSA and standard features such as automatic emergency braking, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high-beams earn it a 7 here.
In IIHS testing, it earned a top “Good” rating in all but the small front-overlap test, where it scored “Acceptable.”
Features
The Mustang offers all the performance you want provided you have the money.
Ford offers a Mustang for every taste, and it can be a value when ordered correctly, but the base model is too basic. We give it a 7.
Priced at $28,400, the base EcoBoost fastback comes with cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, an outdated 4.2-inch audio display, and 17-inch alloy wheels. The convertible costs $5,000 more.
Ford offers a High-Performance package for the turbo-4 Mustang. It includes larger front brakes, heavy-duty front springs, active exhaust, a gauge package, a limited-slip rear differential, a strut tower brace, a larger rear sway bar, and 19-inch wheels on summer tires. A further Handling package gets a Torsen limited-slip differential, wider tires, bigger front Brembo brakes, and magnetic dampers.
Which Ford Mustang should I buy?
We’d go with a GT Premium coupe and add the GT Performance package for a total of $47,980. Base GT equipment includes a power driver seat, LED headlights, and rear parking sensors. The GT Performance package adds to the turbo-4 version Brembo front brakes, a K-brace, and the Torsen differential.
How much is a fully loaded 2022 Ford Mustang?
The Mustang’s 3-year/36,000-mile warranty is just mediocre.
Fuel Economy
The Mustang shoots for performance rather than fuel economy.
Is the Ford Mustang good on gas?
Turbo-4 models aren’t bad, but the V-8s start at thirsty and get worse from there. We rate it a 3 here for the most popular model, the V-8-powered GT.
While 2022 EPA figures aren’t available yet, they should change little from the 2021 ratings. With the turbo-4, the Mustang earns 21 mpg city, 32 highway, 25 combined ratings with the 10-speed automatic; the manual fastback is rated at 21/30/24 . Convertibles get 20/28/23 mpg ratings with the manual or automatic. The high-performance version of the turbo-4 drops the ratings by 1-2 mpg.
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