Honda Accord Coupe vs. Ford Mustang GT vs. Audi A5
Suggestion No. 2 – 2014 Ford Mustang GT Premium Coupe
The Accord is a front-driver; Ford’s Mustang is the polar opposite. Power is routed to this legendary pony car’s aft end, something that’s critical for automotive hooliganism, just as it’s been for the past five decades. Simply put, you can’t properly perpetrate lurid tail-slides or smoky burnouts when the powered wheels are also the ones that also responsible for steering.
But aside from these immature antics why are we recommending such a crude and arguably outdated vehicle? The Mustang’s live axle is basically Roman-chariot technology and the car is set to be replaced by a brand-new model later in the year, but still it’s got a lot of plusses (and the back end really isn’t that bad).
Arguably this car’s biggest advantage is the engine. Dearborn’s 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 is an absolutely marvelous piece of work. It’s a silky-smooth screamer; if you want performance this powerplant delivers. It will powerfully plant a smile on your face each and every time you fire it up.
On premium gasoline it delivers a 420 hp kick along with 390 lb-ft of twist. Fill the tank with 87-octane regular and the output is reduced ever so slightly, but it really doesn’t matter because no matter how you fuel it this car is seriously, SERIOUSLY fast. Throw in close-ratio six-speed manual transmission and things only get sweeter.
As for fuel economy expect this car to return 15 mpg on the urban cycle and 26 on the highway. Combined it stickers at 19 mpg, which is not that much worse than the Accord.
Beyond the Mustang GT Premium’s basic goodness the ample budget Chris has to play with allows him to indulge in a few highly desirable options. Given this leeway we loaded him up with all kinds of goodies (after all, it’s not our money). First we included the electronics package for an additional $2,340. This gets him a navigation system, dual-zone climate control and HD radio, among other things. Then we opted for the $2,495 GT Track Pack. This options group nets Chris a Torsen limited-slip differential and a heavy-duty radiator, plus Brembo brakes, unique ECU tuning and special 19-inch wheels. Check, check and checkmate.
But that’s nearly five-grand in options, what’s this thing going to cost? Well fear not, because value is spelled F-O-R-D. You can drive off the lot in this car for $40,970, including $825 in destination charges, a figure that does not include any potential rebates, and we suspect there will be many.
With the all-new 2015 Mustang just a few months away it’s likely the company is going to try and clear out old stock, so in the near future you might be able to get a 2014 GT for a really, really good price.
