Anyone who has a heart for sports cars and then for US models will find it difficult to ignore the Ford Mustang. Since its debut in the 1960s, the Mustang has been both an automotive legend and a dream car for the masses; a volume model, whether as a coupé or cabriolet. This clearly distinguishes it from other models such as a Chevrolet Corvette or even the particularly image-boosting sports cars from Germany, England or Italy, which are usually offered in significantly more expensive price ranges. This means that the flat-rock Mustang is just as much a popular athlete as a VW Golf GTI in Europe. The Mustang looks good, offers plenty of everyday benefits and, depending on the engine variant, shines with impressive driving performance.
Many real Mustang fans have been turning their noses up at the less powerful six-cylinder engines for decades. The eight-cylinders are therefore the most sought-after on the used car market, the sonorous eight-cylinder sound of which goes perfectly with the sports coupé and which is also openly inspiring when you have decided on the convertible. Incidentally, second-hand or third-hand equipment is usually much less popular in its home country than anywhere else in the world. Reason: The Ford Mustang is a very popular rental car, especially in the tourist regions, and is therefore also available very cheaply on the American used car market.
What applies in the USA also applies in Europe: the real Mustang fans drive a coupé with a performance-oriented five-liter V8 under the hood. If you want to be really sporty on the road, the standard eight-cylinder might be too tired at times, despite its 310 kW / 421 hp. Therefore, the sports versions from the Bullitt to the GT 350 and the Boss 302 up to the Shelby GT 500 are more popular than ever and comparatively rare in Europe. If you don’t want to spend quite as much for the supercharged version with supercharged power, you can try to get a Mustang Boss 302 with at least 444 hp in our latitudes. For real Ford fans, the Mustang era began with his grandfather in 1969. Here the car manufacturer from Dearborn brought its first Mustang Boss with beefy V8 power onto the market – and with the “302” created a legend like later with the power 1, which with its 460 hp was also reissued in modern times and special models like 302 or Bullitt. If you want even more power, treat yourself to a Shelby GT 350 or even the GT 500. The eight-cylinder naturally aspirated engine of the GT 350 delivers 392 kW / 532 hp and the power compressor of the Shelby GT 500 a spectacular 559 kW / 760 hp and a maximum of 847 Nm torque. This means that up to 290 km/h are possible.
The situation is very different with the Ford Mustang 2.3, which the Dearborn-based carmaker launched in 2014 with a turbocharged four-cylinder to attract European customers. The 314 hp four-cylinder is anything but a tired fellow, but remains in the Ford Mustang – open and closed – not a glamor cast and is hardly in demand with customers. Real Mustang cowboys just want the V8, because the 3.7-liter six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine from the USA was not officially offered in Europe and is therefore mostly a US import.
If you are interested in a used Ford Mustang, the question of a convertible or a coupe should not be asked; however, the choice for the right gearbox. Sports car fans love it hand-to-hand and like to ignore the automatic versions with earlier six and later ten gears. The older versions offer the well-known Getrag MT82 variant, which was later replaced by the better Tremec TR-3160 in the more powerful models. Advantage: while the sporty automatic versions are sealed off at 250 km/h, one like the 460 hp Mustang Mach-1 can reach almost 270 km/h.
The demand for the Ford Mustang of generations V and VI on the used car market is manageable and the supply is decent – quite different from the classic Mustang models of generations I and II Fifth generation model from 2010 to 2014 well served. A coupé with the 3.7-liter V6 naturally aspirated engine and 225 kW / 306 hp with a mileage of less than 100,000 kilometers starts at between 15,000 and 18,000 euros. The sixth generation, which has been on the market since late 2014/early 2015, made a significant leap forward. For the first time, an independent wheel suspension is used on the rear axle, which has a positive effect on the handling compared to the previous rigid axle. From model year 2015, the sixth generation is hardly more expensive than the fifth, because the models with four and six cylinders in particular cost less than 20,000 euros with good equipment and mileages of sometimes less than 80,000 kilometers. The V8 versions of the Mustang GT 5.0 are much more popular and start at just under 25,000 euros. You can hardly get more USA for less money in a modern sports car.
