My 2011 Ford Mustang GT Review

Its almost a year into my 2011 Mustang GT ownership and I am finally getting around to writing a review on the car.  To say I do things slowly is an understatement but I usually mange to get things done in a timely manner.  This review will not be your typical review you see on many of the higher end sites where the person who drives the vehicle goes over every little detail.  Instead I will touch on a few things I think are important and than give you some of my likes and dislikes about the Mustang.

My 2011 Mustang GT is the base model with cloth seats and a six-speed transmission.  The only extra on the car when purchased was a 3.73 rear axle.

For starters I have only racked up about 6500 miles with most of the miles driven on my 33 mile round trip to work each day.  My Mustang is a daily driver and up until two months ago I was only putting about 10 miles a day on it but my commute to work changed for the better with a recent move.  With that being said my gas mileage with the 3.73 gear on my last five tanks according to my fuel economy has been between 18.8 mpg and 19.6 mpg.  Not bad considering my Window Sticker said the EPA estimage was 17 city and 26 highway.

Now on to the part of the car where I spend most of my time, the interior.  Starting with the cloth seats, I know most won’t opt for these seats but in Texas with the heat its a must.  My seat is all the back and all the way to the floor as I am 6′ 4″.  Anybody taller than me might be cramped but for the most part the seats fit me perfect.  The overall feel of the cloth is great and the seats keep you from sliding around during hard turns or sudden movements.  A few gripes I have about the interior include the head rests as they are angled way to far forward for my stature.  The floor mats are junk and even though they are held down at two points I seem to always get hung up on them, maybe its just my size 13 foot.  Another annoying thing on the interior is the plastic pillar running from the dash over the window to the back seat.  For some reason this plastic scratches very easily.  The other day I looked up and saw at least 30 small scratches from what I have no idea.  It must be something I am doing when I exit or enter the car but I cannot figure it out.

Another low point for the interior is the rear seat head rest.  I have one car seat in the back and mounting it is not the easiest thing in the world but its made even more difficult by the rear head rest.  For those who have children you will know what I am talking about.  The part that gives me headaches is the strap that goes from the back of the car seat to the tie down just behind the head rest.  The strap cannot go over or through the head rest, it has to go around it which is not my preferred way to do it.  I wish Ford would have made it easy to remove the head rest but oh well.

On to the transmission where I will say I have had no issues whatsoever but one major gripe.  My major issue with the transmission is Reverse.  Who’s bright idea was it to put reverse in the same place as first gear.  On the six-speed transmission you have to press down and up to the left for Reverse.  I cannot count how many times I have been sitting at a light and I put it in First but its actually in Reverse and I start back.  The other day in my driveway I did just the opposite where I thought I put it in Reverse and it was in First.  Needless to say I came very close to a fence.  My advice, take your time and make sure you put it in the right gear.

As for the engine, I can attest to the 412 horsepower being there and yes the tires do spin when you mash the gas.  No oil change yet (10K recommend) but I will do one before the end of the month just for the heck of it.

The big finish: Overall I have to say this Mustang is the one of the best Mustangs I have owned for power and performance.  The ride is unmatched for the price and the creature comforts are vastly improved yet simple to use.  Its definitely a poor man’s sports car but for all I know it drives like a Ferrari.