2011 Ford Mustang has more horses but better mpg

2011 Ford Mustang has more horses but better mpg

MALIBU, Calif. — At home cruising on fabled Pacific Coast Highway, the 2011 Ford Mustang carries on its tradition of being Detroit's fun, powerful and original pony car.

But under the skin, it's a whole new beast. The new Mustang, in showrooms in about a month, is billed as the first mass-market car to deliver more than 300 horsepower with highway gas mileage better than 30 miles a gallon. The base 3.7-liter V-6 has more horsepower than a Lexus ES (305 vs. 272) yet better highway fuel economy than a 2010 Volkswagen New Beetle (19 city, 31 highway vs. Beetle's 20 city, 29 highway).

Now the question is whether Ford can leverage its engineering achievement to tap sporty-car buyers who would have normally gone to Japanese and German brands in search of fuel economy.

Ford executives think they've got a shot. And the pitch is being boiled down in a way that Ford hopes will resonate with younger drivers, not just its traditional Mustang customer base of hardcore enthusiasts and nostalgic Boomers.

"It's fast, it's fun and it's affordable," says Amy Marentic, Ford's group marketing manager for cars and crossover vehicles. Mustang still looks cool, even if younger buyers care more about function than form.

For now, Ford clearly is taking aim at Chevrolet's hot-selling Camaro, which handily outsold Mustang last month in the quest for leadership in the rear-wheel-drive U.S. sports car segment.

Mustang hopes to fight back by besting Camaro in horsepower, where its new V-6 leads the Chevy by a single pony; in fuel economy, where Mustang has a 2 mpg highway edge; and in price. The new Mustang starts at $22,995, $535 less than Camaro.

For traditional muscle car fans, the Mustang GT has a new 5-liter V-8 — yes, reviving its 5.0 tradition but with high-tech fuel efficiency. It spits out 412 horsepower, yet still gets a respectable 26 miles a gallon on the highway.

No turbochargers boost output on the new engines. "Our customers want naturally aspirated engines," says Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer.

Even though the V-8 is priced $7,500 more than the base model, Ford expects sales to split fairly evenly between the two engine choices.

On a long drive, the six-cylinder is quick, smooth and provides all the power that most drivers would want. The V-8 is for thrill seekers wanting bursts of wheel-chirping acceleration. Both can be had with a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

For all its power, the V-6 drives a lot like late-1960s Mustangs, when the 289-cubic-inch V-8 engine ruled the lineup.

"The mind-set that you need a V-8 to get good performance is a little bit of a fallacy," says Michael Robinet, vice president of consultants CSM Worldwide. The fuel economy and other features are compelling enough "that younger people might look at it as their vehicle."

Ford expects only 16% of V-6 buyers to take a manual transmission. On the V-8, it's 60%, Marentic says. The manual's sixth gear is essentially overdrive, lowering engine revs to boost freeway fuel economy.

Other fuel-saving features include dual exhausts, low-rolling-resistance tires with the V-6, aerodynamic front-end modifications and fine-tuning of the engine computers to coax out every extra mpg.

The extra power, meanwhile, provides a satisfying driving experience, say those who have driven the new Mustang. "I was impressed," says Charlie Vogelheim of IntelliChoice, who drove one last week. "We jumped out into traffic, and it was just very confident."

Source: [ USAToday.com ]