Autocar Reviews EU Spec car (LHD) in the UK

[Helios1234]

Couldn't find this posted after a quick search so here it is:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/ford/mustang/first-drives/2015-ford-mustang-v8-gt-review

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[marks]

Couldn't find this posted after a quick search so here it is:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/ford/mustang/first-drives/2015-ford-mustang-v8-gt-review

Thanks, hadnt read this review yet. Although have to say it is slightly frustrating that they say it is emphatically not a sports car, yes we know it is a muscle car but I'd still say it is a sports car of sorts. Especially when they do not say the same thing about a diesel Audi TT or similar - a diesel is definitely not a sports car!

 

[Helios1234]

Agreed, they say it's not an alternative to a good European sports car, but what good European sports car fall into the same price bracket?

The closest thing I can think is an M235i and anything else at that price is just a hot hatchback. But no one buying a Mustang will want some hatchback...

 

[deep south]

I think Ford (for once) have been quite smart, as they now have the Mustang as a "halo" car with good performance, but also the Focus RS for those who want a hot hatchback / performance saloon. And it is actually faster than the Mustang with the more powerful EB & 4 wheel drive...

So you pays your money and makes the choice...

 

[Gryphon]

Thanks for the link! Great stuff!

 

[benanderson89]

Predictably quick, too, although not quite the hot hatchback slayer some may be expecting.

I'm sorry, what? This is the line where my face scrunched up in confusion. How is a the Mustang not a Hot Hatchback slayer? I love hot hatches, but, really? I don't foresee an Astra VXR or Renault Sport Megane showing the Mustang what-for.

Yes, you have the likes of the A45 AMG and RS3 but those things cost £40,000 and are apparently nowhere near as nice to drive according to every review under the sun.

So I don't get it... what is it with the British written, german owned magazines that seem to find negatives with everything except VW and Volvo? (well, think I just answered my own question).

 

[Helios1234]

I'm sorry, what? This is the line where my face scrunched up in confusion. How is a the Mustang not a Hot Hatchback slayer? I love hot hatches, but, really? I don't foresee an Astra VXR or Renault Sport Megane showing the Mustang what-for.

Yes, you have the likes of the A45 AMG and RS3 but those things cost £40,000 and are apparently nowhere near as nice to drive according to every review under the sun.

So I don't get it... what is it with the British written, german owned magazines that seem to find negatives with everything except VW and Volvo? (well, think I just answered my own question).

I can see their point somewhat. Hot hatchbacks may not have immense power but they make up for it by being light and agile, which the Mustang can't quite match due to its weight. The likes of a Megane RS Trophy can easily keep up with more powerful cars on tracks just because of the way that they are set up. But on the road, they'll be terrible day to day.

What I don't understand though is the comparisons to hot hatches in the first place. The Mustang is a more rounded car which you can use on track, as a daily or for long cruises. A hot hatch like the Megane will be superior on a track but not as bearable on the road. The more rounded hatchbacks like the RS3 and A45 cost way too much without providing increased fun factor as you mentioned.

If they are comparing the Mustang and its competition at a given price point, then it'll be compared to cars that serve different purposes. If they compare it to cars in the same class, then they'll have to compare it to German Coupes which are far more expensive. The fact that they don't do the latter annoys me.

 

[Travel Lad]

It has been said before on these forums that the press have great difficulty finding a 'class' to put the Mustang in. It is a GT cruiser not a hot hatch but they can't help themselves to comparing it with cars around the same price as they can't find any GT cruisers anywhere near the same cost / performance and really don't want to make it obvious to the public that they don't have to spend £40K + on a BMWAUDIMERCEDES to get anything close to the performance and that's before you even start on how the car looks against the clone wagons.
The Mustang is the Mustang - in a class of it's own!

 

[benanderson89]

I can see their point somewhat. Hot hatchbacks may not have immense power but they make up for it by being light and agile, which the Mustang can't quite match due to its weight. The likes of a Megane RS Trophy can easily keep up with more powerful cars on tracks just because of the way that they are set up. But on the road, they'll be terrible day to day.

What I don't understand though is the comparisons to hot hatches in the first place. The Mustang is a more rounded car which you can use on track, as a daily or for long cruises. A hot hatch like the Megane will be superior on a track but not as bearable on the road. The more rounded hatchbacks like the RS3 and A45 cost way too much without providing increased fun factor as you mentioned.

If they are comparing the Mustang and its competition at a given price point, then it'll be compared to cars that serve different purposes. If they compare it to cars in the same class, then they'll have to compare it to German Coupes which are far more expensive. The fact that they don't do the latter annoys me.

I can see their point in terms of raw track performance when you put a Mustang GT against a VXR Extreme or RS Trophy. But those are stripped out sports cars that don't even have back seats and the GT is, as you said, a fully rounded vehicle capable of getting milk from Asda without breaking my back. Against the standard Megane RS and Astra VXR there is simply no contest as far as numbers is concerned - the Mustang would beat them over the head with a lead pipe.

It annoys me too that they don't compare with the german coupés. For £34k you can have an Audi TT Quattro with less performance but AWD, or a 250-ish HP 428i or full-fat M235i.

Why don't they compare it to those? That would be a genuinely interesting read.

EDIT:
As Travel Lad said: its so people don't realize (or to keep BMWAUDIBENZ happy) that the Mustang is vastly cheaper and sacrifices very little in how it drives. American press is raving about how the Pony drives, independent British reviewers are loving every second with the car - yet the big magazines are finding every excuse to put it down, or not giving it fair review against similar cars.

 

[deep south]

Remind me - don't the UK window stickers (or is it an ETIS step) shows that the UK is getting "specific" coil springs - does that mean we may have a slightly different suspension setup...? in which case an LHD test isn't really that relevant, given RHD is getting "real soon now"...

 

[benanderson89]

Remind me - don't the UK window stickers (or is it an ETIS step) shows that the UK is getting "specific" coil springs - does that mean we may have a slightly different suspension setup...? in which case an LHD test isn't really that relevant, given RHD is getting "real soon now"...

It'd be very weird if we did, since the UK models are supposed to be the same as other export models.

Unless Ford GB wanted ours to be even better :headbonk: not likely...

 

[wimbrow]

It has been said before on these forums that the press have great difficulty finding a 'class' to put the Mustang in. It is a GT cruiser not a hot hatch but they can't help themselves to comparing it with cars around the same price as they can't find any GT cruisers anywhere near the same cost / performance and really don't want to make it obvious to the public that they don't have to spend £40K + on a BMWAUDIMERCEDES to get anything close to the performance and that's before you even start on how the car looks against the clone wagons.
The Mustang is the Mustang - in a class of it's own!

well said travel lad ! it is what it is. love it or hate. it aint an mx5, 235i, cayman and should never be compared to those. it aint a m4, a5 or f type. all are unique. apples and oranges. yummy, love them all. not many as pretty as the mustang though.

 

[benanderson89]

well said travel lad ! it is what it is. love it or hate. it aint an mx5, 235i, cayman and should never be compared to those. it aint a m4, a5 or f type. all are unique. apples and oranges. yummy, love them all. not many as pretty as the mustang though.

Well... don't get a head of yourselves.
There are other cars advertised and sold as a Gran Tourer, its just the Mustang is the cheapest by a considerable factor.

Its in the same category (both in terms of size and being sold as a GT) as the BMW 6-series, Aston Martin DB9, Bentley Continental GT and Mercedes-Benz SL.

The Mustang starts at £30,000 for the EB. The next cheapest on the list is the BMW at a whopping £60,000. So I can see why a bunch of German owned Magazines wouldn't want their readers knowing that you can get a more powerful V8 and more capable handling characteristics for £26,000 less. :lol:

Just go compare it to a bunch of hot hatchbacks instead. ;)

 

[Gryphon]

In Sweden two mags so far have back-to-backed it against the Porsche Cayman GTS, so that seems to be the 'obvious' target here. Even though it's twice the money.

Won the latest matchup by a mile, the Mustang. Nice.

 

[Lone Survivor]

Ach, it's only pub boasting rights, if you did 'go to the bar' in your Mustang and a another bar dweller turned up in their BMWERCEDAUD, there would only be one car the rest of the pub would be looking at and talking about.

Mr Germanautobhanmuncherhausen would have to keep butting in with bone 'facts', such as 'but mine is more expensive', sorry, no one listening, too busy gawping at my Mustang.

Car mags have always been biased toward German marque's, they can't help themselves.

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