First Ride: 2011 Ford Mustang V-6

MotorTrend

Editor-At-Large Arthur St. Antoine rides along in Fords all-new Mustang V-6 to see how it stacks up against its V-6 rivals

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 We love the Ford Mustang at Motor Trend.

00:10 No, no, wait, let me correct that.

00:11 We love the Ford Mustang GT at Motor Trend.

00:15 As regular readers of Motor Trend will know,

00:17 the V6 version, however, is not one of our favorite cars.

00:21 Compared to its rival V6 engines from Chevrolet,

00:24 the Camaro, and Challenger with Dodge,

00:28 the Mustang V6 is underpowered, it's noisy,

00:31 our editor-in-chief calls it a boat anchor.

00:34 Well, happily, that's all about to change for 2011

00:38 because Ford has a brand new, very sophisticated

00:42 3.7 liter V6 that makes 305 horsepower

00:46 and gets 30 miles per gallon estimated on the highway.

00:49 You'll note that both of those numbers

00:51 beat our tribal Camaro.

00:53 Today, at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds,

00:56 I'm gonna get a chance to ride in the car,

00:58 not drive it, but we'll take any chance we get

01:01 to get into the seat of a prototype Mustang,

01:03 and that's today.

01:05 This is not a full-on comparison test,

01:07 but it will be revealing to see how

01:08 this 2011 Mustang V6 feels.

01:11 So come along for the ride.

01:12 As noted, for 2011, the big news is the V6 engine.

01:26 It's got twin independent variable camshafts,

01:29 variable up to about 60 degrees on the intake side

01:32 and 50 degrees on the exhaust side,

01:35 and it makes 305 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.

01:39 This is one nice motor.

01:41 EPA estimates 19.30 miles per gallon,

01:44 city highway with the automatic, 18.29 with the manual.

01:49 It's worth noting that both those transmissions

01:51 are six speeds, a nice addition to this car.

01:55 So I'm doing a little something different today.

01:57 I'm at the Ford Arizona Proving Ground,

01:59 and we're here to get an early peek

02:01 at the 2011 Mustang with the new V6 engine,

02:05 but I can't drive the car.

02:07 So instead, I'm riding along.

02:09 And to be fair, we've brought along a Challenger V6

02:13 and a Camaro V6, and right now I'm riding in the Challenger,

02:16 and you'll notice I'm not in my usual seat.

02:18 I'm in the passenger seat because I can't drive the Mustang.

02:21 I'm not gonna drive any of them.

02:24 We spent a lot of time in the Challenger SE before,

02:26 of course, and today I'm just getting

02:28 some general impressions on engine sound

02:31 and how the chassis feels from the right-hand seat.

02:34 Obviously, I can't comment on steering feel

02:36 or brake pedal feel or any of that usual stuff.

02:39 What I notice already, though, is my test driver

02:42 is finding this car pushes quite a bit.

02:44 The Challenger is a heavy car,

02:46 quite a bit heavier than the Mustang,

02:48 and with 250 horsepower, it is now the least powerful

02:52 of the pony car trio we have here today.

02:55 And you can feel it.

02:56 That combination of least horsepower and most weight

02:59 means that the engine's working pretty hard.

03:02 That said, the engine is pretty smooth,

03:05 and it's very quiet on the highway.

03:06 I noticed when I drove it out here.

03:08 And the old Challenger gets around pretty well.

03:11 It's handling these big bumps on the track here

03:14 with pretty good control, but we've still got the Camaro

03:17 and the Mustang to go, and I think they're gonna be

03:20 quite a bit better on this stuff.

03:22 Okay, now I'm taking a lap in the Camaro RS.

03:25 This is a very impressive motor, of course.

03:29 We've spent a lot of time in this car.

03:31 304 horsepower from 3.6 liters.

03:34 Of course, this is a direct injection motor.

03:37 A lot of us at Motor Trend really feel that this Camaro

03:40 is the real story of the year,

03:41 more so even than the vaunted V8,

03:44 because this car is a little bit lighter,

03:46 a little more nimble handling, and a terrific value.

03:49 And what I can already tell is that, first,

03:53 this Camaro's pulling harder than the Challenger was,

03:56 and it's cornering more flatly.

03:58 It's just, it can feel, my test driver's

04:01 not having to work quite so hard.

04:03 And, you know, this car has good grip.

04:07 Seems to handle the undulations of the track pretty well.

04:10 I do notice that sitting here in the seat,

04:13 as you notice when you're sitting

04:15 in any seat of the Camaro, it's very cave-like in here.

04:18 You have almost a gunslit view of the outside.

04:21 Very high door sills here,

04:23 and kind of a narrow windscreen ahead of you.

04:26 It's dark in here, but it's a compelling design.

04:30 They've done their homework on the suspension.

04:31 Of course, this car has an independent rear,

04:33 unlike the Mustang, and again, that strong motor.

04:37 So it's a formidable contender,

04:39 but we still have the all-new Mustang to go up against this,

04:43 and that's coming up right now.

04:44 Well, this is the car we've come all the way out,

04:48 to Arizona, to drive.

04:49 This is the 2011 Ford Mustang.

04:52 I'm here mostly to hear how the engine sounds.

04:55 I can't drive the car,

04:57 get a feel for what the suspension can do.

04:59 And I have to say, this new 3.7 liter V6

05:04 that the Mustang has is a revelation,

05:06 especially compared with the outgoing four liter.

05:09 This one is twin cam, has variable valve timing,

05:12 and develops 305 horsepower,

05:15 which is even more potent than the direct injection motor

05:17 in the Camaro.

05:19 It sounds great, just a little bit throatier, perhaps,

05:21 than the Chevy.

05:23 Pulls way harder, obviously,

05:24 than the Challenger's 3.5 liter motor.

05:27 And the car feels very composed to me.

05:29 I also spent some time in the car,

05:32 the test mule out here,

05:33 equipped with the optional performance package.

05:35 That car is gonna be a real enthusiast hit,

05:37 let me tell you.

05:39 For a base price of just under $23,000,

05:42 including destination, a fantastic value.

05:45 And we can't wait until I can get in that seat

05:47 and experience this all new Mustang.

05:49 But from what I've experienced today,

05:51 from the passenger seat, this is very impressive indeed.

05:54 Does today qualify as a valid comparison test?

06:00 No.

06:01 On the other hand,

06:02 would we turn down a chance for seat time,

06:04 even passenger seat time, in a prototype Mustang?

06:08 No way.

06:09 And today, we found out that the 2011 Mustang V6

06:13 has the goods to fight with Challenger and Camaro.

06:15 It's got the reflexes, it's got the sound,

06:18 it's got the power.

06:19 We can't wait to get behind the wheel ourselves.

06:22 Meantime, all that's left is this.

06:26 (engine revving)

06:28 (upbeat music)

06:32 (engine revving)

06:35 (tires screeching)

06:45 (upbeat music)

06:47 (upbeat music)

06:50 (upbeat music)

06:53 (rock music)

06:55 (rock music)

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