Ford Mustang – born to be wild

JUMPING to conclusions can be a practice with a habit of backfiring.

Take the Ford Mustang. I’m hooked, love it to bits, but was horrified to find that there’s a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine in a line-up that should comprise only the 5.0-litre V8.

The V8’s a belter, a beast that sounds sensational and pumps out 421PS of wallop and 530Nm of torque.

I reckoned the 2.3 shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a pony car – even though I hadn’t driven that version.

Now I’m holding my hands up – I spoke too soon. Okay, the EcoBoost is absolutely not in the same league as its fire-breathing brother but it looks the part, is more economical and is hardly a slouch either.

The beauty of the Mustang, which is now being sold in Ford dealerships here and in right-hand drive, is that it doesn’t look like most supercars. It’s not flash, it’s unashamedly American.

And if you go for the lower powered variant you pay £37,145 for a convertible as opposed to £41,595 for the equivalent V8. Auto transmission adds an extra £1,600.

Not only does the soft top look cool, and on the tested model its black hood contrasted spectacularly well with the 19-inch black alloys, but it is quick to operate.

You just release a catch, press a button and the electrics do the rest – a couple of plastic finishers completing the job.

Fuel cost isn’t going to be a major consideration for a pony car buyer, especially when the purchase price is compared to other performance vehicles, but opting for EcoBoost does at least allow for an official average return of 34.4mpg – even if the real world figure is closer to 25 miles per gallon.

Kit on the EcoBoost is comprehensive with the likes of a an eight-inch colour touchscreen, rear view camera, Xenon headlights and leather seats included.

But you can splash out another £795 for a Shaker Pro sound system with sat-nav, climate controlled seats (£495) and reverse parking sensors for £295.

And for a really cool effect at night the car’s puddle lights pick out the shape of a wild horse at full gallop. Along with the badge mounted on the centre of the Mustang’s gaping front grille it’s a small touch that makes a big difference.

Out on the road, the Mustang can blast to 62mph in 5.8 seconds and while it can prove a bit skittish under hard acceleration on greasy surfaces, it is generally very stable and steers accurately.

There’s also the reassurance of a performance brake system with 4-piston front callipers and there are selectable driving modes for Snow/Wet, Normal, Sport+ and Track use.

A long profile equates to a large boot, though there’s not a huge amount of rear passenger space – really only for kids.

Otherwise the Mustang is your chance to live the American dream – it’s proper value at the price.