Ford Mustang stands alone
The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Challenger was once the head of American muscle, however it appears these days have lengthy handed. Dodge pulled the Challenger from the market following the 2023 mannequin yr. Chevy adopted swimsuit and discontinued Camaro manufacturing after January 2024. That makes the Ford Mustang the business’s final petrol primarily based muscle automotive – and it isn’t doing so effectively, sadly.
Mustang Mach-E outsold the American muscle automotive
The Ford Mustang isn’t off to an ideal begin this yr, with gross sales down 31.6% within the first quarter. Ford offered 13,707 Mustangs within the first three months of 2024, however that quantity dropped to 9,377 items in the identical interval this yr. Gross sales are so unhealthy that the Mustang Mach-E outsold the American muscle automotive with 11,607 examples leaving seller heaps within the first quarter.
Whereas the 2 autos are siblings by identify, that’s the place their similarities finish. Whereas the Mustang is a rear-wheel drive coupe, the Mustang Mach-E is an electrical crossover. The Mustang begins at $31,920, whereas the Mustang Mach-E is a contact dearer, beginning at $36,495 earlier than any reductions or tax credit.
The relentless march of crossovers onto American roads continues, suggesting practicality is at the moment king. It raises the query: is the basic lure of an exhilarating drive, the sort a Mustang delivers, merely not resonating with patrons proper now? Worth and practicality all the time matter to some extent, however possibly the present financial local weather (right here in April 2025) tells an even bigger story. With many people tightening their spending, maybe a automotive purchased purely for the enjoyment of driving seems like an indulgence few are prepared to make in the intervening time.
Positive, in case you boil driving all the way down to a easy 0-to-60 dash, the electrical Mustang Mach-E Rally technically is faster than the V8 Darkish Horse. MotorTrend clocked the EV at 3.4 seconds, simply edging out the V8’s respectable 3.7 second to 60 time. Numbers on a web page, proper? However that utterly misses the soul of the expertise. What these figures fail to seize is the visceral thrill, the intimate connection you are feeling when rowing the gears.
A V8-powered Mustang will value you north of $46,000
Every part is getting dearer with every passing month, largely as a result of inflation, and automobiles are not any exception. On the brilliant facet, you may get behind the wheel of a Mustang in bodystyle and facilities for a bit of beneath $32,000. Not all Mustang fashions are created equal, although. To get the true spirit of American muscle, you’ll must go for the GT trim, which begins at $46,560, nonetheless a superb efficiency/value ratio that the Mustang has been identified for since inception.
If the Mustang type is all that you simply’re after, the bottom mannequin will do exactly fantastic. It comes with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that mixes efficiency with effectivity. The 315-horsepower engine comes paired with a 10-speed automated transmission and is rated for a mixed 26 mpg.
A Mustang outfitted with a V8 is a completely totally different car. The 5.0-liter V8 engine comes paired with a six-speed guide transmission (an automated is obtainable) that places drivers extra in tune with the street. That powerhouse of an engine produces 480 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. At that price ticket, nonetheless, the Mustang is in competitors with sports activities automobiles, together with the Toyota Supra. The Mustang Darkish Horse, which begins at $64,380, is even pushing into Corvette territory.
Joel Stocksdale
Ultimate ideas
The Ford Mustang’s gross sales are a results of a number of elements, starting from worth to practicality. The final American muscle automotive has been in steady manufacturing since 1964, however with gross sales declining, it might comply with its muscle automotive rivals off into the sundown. Then once more, the Mustang’s gradual begin in 2025 might merely be because of the colder-than-normal climate and financial elements. Ford’s different autos aren’t precisely off to an ideal begin both, so hopefully gross sales will enhance as hotter climate rolls in.
