2018 Ford Mustang GT Review: First Impressions and Gallery
CARS.COM — Competition is one of the biggest drivers of innovation and the refreshed 2018 Ford Mustang is proof. When Chevrolet stopped making the Camaro from 2002-10, it removed the Mustang’s largest natural rival; now that it’s back, the two muscle cars (along with the Dodge Challenger) have been engaged in a constant battle of one-upmanship in which we all win.
The Camaro was the latest to get a redesign, adding features like a MagneRide suspension to SS models and, a year later for 2017, a 10-speed automatic to the ZL1. Now it’s Ford’s turn to fire back, and it’s added both of those mechanical updates to the 2018 Mustang as well as one more killer technology feature that puts the original pony car ahead of its rivals in a key area.
Related: 2018 Ford Mustang Preview
The exterior updates to the Mustang give it a nip and tuck in many spots on the front and rear. According to Ford, all of the sheet metal forward of the A-pillar has been reworked and I believe them, but the overall shape and look of the car is very much intact. The largest changes take place at the nose, with a new front grille and an expanded lower valence below the front bumper. This change, along with a drop of the hood by close to an inch, makes the front look wider and sleeker but also droopier.
I’m a big fan of the redesigned headlight cluster. It now features LED headlights in addition to LED daytime running lights and LED turn signals. This change allowed Ford to thin out the headlight housing, which accounts for the lowering of the hood, and add some nice detailing to the areas around the headlight.
The 2018 Mustang on display was a GT model with the Performance Pack. It was painted in Orange Fury — one of three new paint colors this year — and also featured the Performance Pack’s new spoiler, which has been enlarged and stands out nearly as much as the paint. The Performance Pack also adds a new high-performance tire, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.
Similar to the exterior, Ford says that the interior got a raft of changes including some new materials and an added Mustang logo. However, sitting inside the car, the look and feel of it remains very much the same: Unless you go hunting for the new details, they don’t move the needle. Thankfully, Ford’s fantastic Sync 3 system is still here as well.
The biggest difference inside comes from a technology update, including an available digital display cluster with a 12-inch screen; the display is eye-catching from the minute you sit in the driver’s seat. Both the tachometer and speedometer get the full digital treatment as well, which just gave Ford more real estate to play with different displays and offers great flexibility when it comes to the information that’s displayed.
When you change between the Mustang’s drive modes, the display changes with you. Normal mode looks pretty much like a standard instrument panel, but bump up to Sport and the tachometer unfurls across the top of the display like a candy cane. Track mode changes things drastically; the speedometer turns into a straight digital display and the entire top portion of the screen is a dedicated horizontal tachometer that offers several different display modes. My personal favorite is the Formula One-style view that offers green, yellow and red lights to indicate optimal shift points.
Ford’s Track Apps have also gotten an expansion; they can display more information than ever, including the latest series of lap times (up to 12 at a time), zero-to-60-mph runs and other data like quarter-mile times, reaction time and zero-to-30-mph times.
This display is where the Mustang takes its biggest leap ahead of its rivals. While the Camaro and Challenger both offer digital displays in their instrument clusters with functions like zero-to-60-mph acceleration timers and lap time recorders, the Mustang is now a long way ahead of both of them in sheer functionality.
Of course, these updates will only go so far — what will ultimately make or break the updated 2018 Mustang is how its mechanical improvements change up the formula. Those changes are also extensive despite a lack of new powertrain options. There is a new 10-speed automatic transmission available on both EcoBoost and GT models, suspension updates, optional active exhaust system and an available MagneRide adaptable damping system lifted off of the Shelby GT350. But our impressions on those will have to wait until we can get behind the wheel of the 2018 Mustang closer to its on-sale date in the fall of 2017.
