Hardly a day goes by where some publication or another doesn’t pit the latest, sixth-generation Ford Mustang against other machines of the pony/muscle car ilk.
And indeed, why shouldn’t that be the case? Americans love ’em, and with the cost of a gallon of gas currently well below its peak, now seems like a perfectly fine time to look at bringing a boldly-styled, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive brute home.
On that note, onward to this week’s three-way V8 pony car comparison, by website Cars.com.
Cars compared the 2016 Ford Mustang GT against the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, and the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack. The result? Well, there’s no easy way to say this; the Ford Mustang GT lost the comparison overall, not only to GM’s newer Camaro, but to Fiat Chrysler’s now-antique Challenger, as well.
In its defense, the Ford Mustang earned high marks from Cars’ judges for its distinctly “fun” handling characteristics, with Joe Bruzek praising its “superb balance” and, at the same time, its “playful, tail-happy attitude.” And, where the latest Camaro continues to falter in terms of cockpit visibility, the Ford Mustang excels in that regard, while also offering comfort and cargo space enough to make the pony car suitable for daily use.
However, Cars felt that the 2016 Ford Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 was underpowered next to the plants powering the other two ponies, and that it suffered from poor build quality due to inconsistent panel gaps. Even more than that, the judges hated the Recaro seats, with Aaron Bragman stating that they’re “not nearly adjustable enough and are mounted in a position that puts me into a horribly uncomfortable driving position.” Joe Bruzek went even further, bemoaning that they “don’t have power adjustability, a heated or ventilated function, cost $1,595, are uncomfortable and don’t grip any better than the sports seats in the Challenger or Camaro, which have power, heated and ventilated front seats.”
This isn’t the first time that the Ford Mustang has ranked second to the latest Chevrolet Camaro in a comparison test, of course. Its loss to the third-generation Dodge Challenger is much more surprising to us.
You can view the full opinions of the Cars.com judges on their website.
Comments
A guy at work ordered the 50th anniversary Stang fully loaded except for the recaros, hated them. Sucks that the 5.0 gets a bad rap, they do well on the streets and respond to bolt on nicely. And the challengers not a bad ride.
The Mustang could do with more power and better gearing.
And yes, the recaro seats are horrid!
The biggest problem with this generation of Mustang is Ford simply did not push the performance envelope AT ALL. It was a lateral change from the last generation. Some areas slightly better, some slightly worse.
The Mustang is in serious need of the chassis and power train work.
You don’t own a business.
Notice that wasn’t a quesiton 😉