So, what’s the Mustang like to live with in India?
I had the Mustang for 3 days in Bombay. Versus the earlier track report, this post will focus on real-world conditions. Equally, I might add that Aditya & Gemballa’s review is spot on.
This is one of the rare times that I’ve called for an expensive car in Bombay as they’re largely irrelevant; usually, you’ll only see mass market test-drive cars parked down at my house. But the Mustang is special….a legend…so I made an exception.
Listing my observations under select categories from the
Team-BHP Review Guidelines.
Summary of Likes:
Engine, Looks, Character, Compliant ride quality, Reliability
Summary of Dislikes:
Terribly overpriced, dim-witted 6-speed AT, no manual gearbox, mundane interior quality
Price:
The main reason behind the Mustang’s success in the USA has been its affordable nature. Sadly, this isn’t the case in India. In the USA, the V8 GT is priced about on par with the Mercedes C-Class. In India, it goes much above the E-Class!!! Grossly overpriced; I’d say the right price would be Rs. 50 lakh on the road. Ford has the spare factory capacity & infrastructure to at least assemble the Mustang out of knocked down kits – why go the CBU route? Just the fact that they moved 59 units in November shows the love for this car in India. It could easily be double of that at 50 lakhs, while still creating a nice profit margin for Ford.
Extended warranties & reliability:
You can get extended warranty coverage for up to 4 years. Also, let’s not forget that the Mustang is an everyday car in the USA. Translated, it has solid mechanicals & good reliability. That’s a big plus in my opinion, especially when you consider the poor reliability of competing German cars & their tear-inducing repair costs.
This particular red Mustang is currently doing an all-India tour. Was driven down to Bombay from Delhi, and is now going on to Pune – Goa – Bangalore - Chennai. Says a lot about its reliability as well as ability to handle Indian roads. Already has close to 7,000 km on the odometer.
While she would run best on high octane petrol, I filled regular grade fuel on the highway and she ran just fine. No hiccups.
Design & Styling:
Man, what a looker! Mean, muscular & proportionate are some of the ways I’d describe the Mustang. Ford knows that styling is key to the Mustang’s success and has really hit the bull’s eye. I could just sit and stare at her all day long. This & the 5th generation ‘Stangs are my favourites.
She looks incredibly imposing in person & is an absolute head-turner. Gemballa was right when he said that she attracts as much attention as a Ferrari. It’s also a universally appealing car that made everyone –
from children to middle-aged men and cyclewallahs to grandmothers - smile. People sure were confused though – one person called it a ‘Jaguar’, another guy a ‘Ferrari’, yet another a ‘Corvette’. I might add that ~40% of people correctly identified it as a Mustang.
Interiors:
Quality is very ordinary – forget 1/2 price cars, I’d say part quality is comparable to a Corolla Altis which costs 1/4th that of the Mustang. Everything is screwed in properly, but there is no ‘soft touch’ love in here. The interiors aren’t premium at all. First thing you’ll say after sitting inside is, “I wish the steering was meatier”. Next, if you’ve been in a high-end German car, you’ll find the seats to be mediocre. The support is simply incomparable to the kind of seats that BMW gives you (Bimmer seats are the best in the business).
The cabin is very user-friendly (again, it’s an everyday car in the USA). The ergonomics are perfect and all controls are logically placed (although some buttons like that of the air-con are too small). It took me no more than a handful of minutes to mentally make a note of what’s where. Nothing complex, nothing that needs a learning curve. Even the MID & ICE have friendly interfaces – I got them right at the first attempt.
The driving position is perfect. Sit here and you know you are in something special. Look straight and you’ll be staring at the l-o-n-g bonnet in front of you. Yes, you can see the bonnet & its contours while driving.
When I picked up the car from the Ford dealership, it was parked in an incredibly tricky spot that required manoeuvring back & forth about 5 – 6 times. Still, I pulled her out easily, thanks to the controls, visibility & accurate reversing camera. A major complaint here though is the lack of front parking sensors. In a ride with such a humongously long bonnet, owners will sorely miss the feature. It is a shocking omission by Ford. Another complaint are the ORVMs – they are too small for the size of the car. I’d have liked them to be 2 sizes up.
Space at the front is excellent. That at the back is poor (we started calling it ‘baby seat’). Still, even in such a sporty car, I’d rather have a small seat at the back than none at all. I managed to get a tall lady seated behind. Of course, the front passenger had to greatly move his seat ahead for that. In my driving position, no one can sit behind – not even a kid. There is only an inch of legroom available behind me!
ICE & Air-conditioning:
The ICE sounds alright at first. After listening to different tracks over an hour, my opinion changed. I mean, it has very good bass and all that, but the sound lacks depth. The audio output has no richness to it – just makes a lot of noise. Sound quality doesn’t match the Indian price at all. While the touchscreen has a user-friendly interface, it can get very laggy at times. By the way, in line with the character of this car, I only played classic rock when she was with me (Guns ‘N Roses, Metallica, Def Leppard etc. :)).
The dual-zone climate control is very powerful.
Interior storage, practicality & boot space:
Enough storage spots around to park your belongings & coffee cups. Boot can accommodate weekend luggage for two (with spare wheel). If you have more luggage, use the back seat.
Driving the Mustang:
I’ve always said that the engine makes the car and it is absolutely the case with the Mustang. Good of Ford to bring the V8 here, and not the smaller motors sold in the USA. This is a beautiful, powerful & revv-happy 8-cylinder. Press the engine start button and you’ll hear a fast-whirring starter bring the V8 to life. The engine settles into a nice, bassy idle. Even before you press the accelerator, you know you are in a special car.
The V8 is creamy & revvs surprisingly fast for an American motor. Low-end torque is sufficient, making the Mustang very practical for driving frequently. Within the city, she handles traffic perfectly well. Power delivery is smooth and so is the gearbox. What will get to you around town is the massive turning radius & sheer size of the car. Be wary of its length & width. The magic lies on the open road – to put it simply, she f-l-i-e-s on the expressway in Sport+ mode. Floor the accelerator and you’ll see that massive bonnet rise up in the horizon, hear the rear tyres chirp (as they transfer 400 horses to the ground) and the car gains speed like a maniac. You’ll hit silly speeds without so much as realising it. Best part is, you’ll have ample aural pleasure at high rpm. Any speed, any driving condition…she just flies. Aditya commented that, on the Buddh track, the Mustang was strongly accelerating even at 200 km/h! This beautiful 8-cylinder will make you smile every time you drive the car.
Three important rules about the Mustang to keep in mind - The rear will slide. The rear will slide. The rear will slide :D. Whether you like it or not depends on your individual perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although things can get scary in the hands of an inexperienced driver. Bury the magic pedal from a standstill or at low speeds and you’ll experience the rear end wiggling from side to side! Once, she slid from left to right, and then left to right again.
What’s most disappointing about the car (other than the price) is the 6-speed AT. I H-A-T-E-D the manual mode of the gearbox. The paddle-shifters are not dependable at all. Sometimes, they’ll respond to your downshift command soon enough (but never lightning fast), but at most times, really late. And inevitably, they are the slowest when you need them the most (e.g. sudden burst of speed required). The gearbox sure has a mind of its own. What makes things worse is that downshifts are also painfully slow at times (in kickdown & manual mode, both); here, you have no option but to wait it out. Can get frustrating. There is simply no comparison to the 8-speed ZF that I use. Not to forget, the
plastic paddle shifters feel c-h-e-a-p. Even the new Fortuner has nicer feeling shifter units. Only two positive things about the gearbox = one is how the electronics revv-match under downshifts & the second is that you can hold each gear (even at the redline). @ Ford: Please offer the MT in India. Because the car is a CBU, it’s literally a zero-effort exercise. This AT doesn’t compliment the V8 at all.
The exhaust has been much talked about, so allow me to elaborate. At idle, there’s a burble – noticeable, but not prominent. At low revs, the exhaust is rather refined – in fact, a little too much for a muscle car (exhaust is bassy though). Take the revs high and she sounds
absolutely intoxicating. Those who want more decibels at lower rpms can get one of the several bolt-on exhausts from the USA. If I’m ever lucky enough to own this car, I’ll definitely get a Flowmaster. That said, the stock exhaust is the perfect balance between ‘refined’ and ‘crazy’ if you are going to use the Mustang frequently. As an example, on a long road-trip, the stock tune would be much preferred. It’s muted at low revs, yet pleasurable over a redline climb.
Ride quality is impressive for a sporty car. Neither is it bone-jarring (like a track-focussed sports car), nor is it soft & cushy (like a luxury sedan). The ride is compliant enough for day-to-day usage. It’s firm, yes, and you will
always know the kind of road you are driving on, but importantly, it’s never uncomfortable. I reiterate, the Mustang is a value-for-money everyday car in the USA and thus, its suspension needs to be liveable.
Gone are the days when American muscle cars were only about straight-line speed. The Mustang is dynamically competent. Its behaviour is a big, big step ahead of the 2001-2003 solid axle Mustangs that I drove in my Boston days. Benefits of the independent rear (first time on a regular Mustang) are very obvious & the grip levels are superb. It’s got more talent than you’ll ever need on the best of Indian roads. Straight-line stability? It is
rock solid & there is absolutely no nervousness. Recovery from the expressway dips (which I took at speed) was excellent – no unnecessary bouncing around. On the downside, there is body roll – it’s not excessive, yet definitely noticeable (by fast car standards). Also, there’s no comparison to a Porsche Cayman when it comes to precise corner carving. Where the Cayman is sharp & agile, you do have to hustle the heavy-feeling Mustang. If the Cayman is Usain Bolt, the Mustang is more like Dwayne Johnson. Lastly, keep an eye on that rear – power out of a corner and it will slide. To summarise, as Aditya said, think of the Mustang as a 'good muscle car' (but not a sports car).
The electric steering is surprisingly nice to use, and it offers adequate weight too. The EPS has selectable modes (normal, sport, comfort), although I found ‘normal’ to be the best for most conditions. Purists however won’t appreciate the artificial feedback & feel it tries to offer from time to time. Incomparable to a pure hydraulic, yet sweet for an EPS.
Braking ability is strong & the discs can shed some serious speed, but I was disappointed with the pedal feel. I didn’t find the brake pedal to be communicative.
Fuel Economy:
Boy, does she guzzle! I saw numbers as low as 3 kmpl. Don’t expect anything over 4 kmpl from this V8 beast. Truth is, the 60.9L fuel tank is too small for its drinking habits. Even though the car was delivered with a full tank, I had to fill up again in 36 hours. The tank range is merely 180 – 240 km (comparable to the Tata Nano!!).
Ground Clearance:
In India, GC always needs a dedicated point! Pleased to update that the Mustang’s ground clearance is adequate. On the run to Lonavla & back – which includes toll naka bumps – she didn’t scrape even once. Out of the 50 or so speedbreakers we encountered in Bombay & around, the Mustang cleared all but one. That is a huge advantage. For instance, I know a dude who owns a Jaguar XJ and never takes her out of the city because she gets badly stuck on speedbreakers. With the right precautions, you can pretty much take the Mustang anywhere.
Modifications:
The Mustang has INCREDIBLE after-market support. Aesthetics, engine mods, braking, suspension, interior – you name it & you’ll get it. What’s more, the many Mustang forums have reviews & recommendations of every good mod. All you need is an internet connection & a heavy credit card! If you’re lucky enough to own a Mustang, please be sure to soup it up tastefully. This is a car built for customisation. Start with racing stripes like
Gemballa's ride.
Here is another modified Mustang in Bombay (avoid the scamster Hennessey though).
A ferocious beast on the open road:
A trick I learnt with the 530d. Some toll lanes are way too narrow for such cars, so you simply follow trucks & busses in. If they pass through the gap, your w-i-d-e car will too:
Even though the car came with its own cover, I fitted this loose tadpatri over it, so that passers-by don't know what's lying underneath. Don't miss the protective coconut net above. Watchman was instructed to sit by its side at all times:
Such a head-turner that you can't park too far away from your table. Always need to keep an eye on it (rather, the people around it):
Guzzle, guzzle, guzzle. Car came with a full tank. Needed a refill in <36 hours. I saw numbers as low as 3 kmpl. You’ll be visiting the pump very frequently, thanks to the small 60.9L tank:
Cleared 49 out of the 50 speedbreakers it encountered, except for this bad boy. Even all the way to Lonavla & back, there was no scraping (
of course, I was very cautious on the bumps too):
How often do you see two American icons side-by-side on Indian roads?
Was damn, damn tough to return it & say goodbye:
Wow, nice review about the Mustang. When I was in LA this summer, I saw so many of them. They are extremely popular. And boy, they do go fast.
There was a customized "Saleen" version of the Mustang at the university where I interned.
Do you think 'underpowered' sports cars like the Toyota GT86 have a space in the Indian market? (Assuming that increasing the GC doesn't affect the dynamics too much)
Oh, yes. If they bring it in for 50 and I can get my hands on a 3 year old one for about 25, that would be some sweet Ford lovin'. I did drive a convertible (!) Mustang in the US, just for a bit. I was returning my Mini and the Mustang was right there. Asked the rental company for a small-ish ride and they obliged. Sometimes when I'm alone at night, I can still hear that roar :P
Having said that, given a choice, I'd still take the Mini over this. Much more fun for me, especially in a place like Bombay.
I drive Rental V6 and Ecoboost Mustangs here and change them once every 2 months. These are high mileage ones and I don't see much reliability issues other than the fact that one of them faced low battery issues and had to be exchanged.
But build quality and the interiors can improve. However, I must admit I love driving the mustang. Its really quite fun ! The Chevy Camaro might be a better driver's car but the MotorTrend on demand reviews tell me that the Mustang ticks better overall on day to day scenarios.
Does the Mustangs in India come with the performance package ? The V8s here have an optional performance package. And considering its popularity in Europe and India, Ford should definitely consider manufacturing the International variant somewhere outside the US, maybe even India !
