2015 Mustang GT

While the Mustang GT might not have lived up to our high expectations on the track, it more than makes up for it on the street. On the road, the new Mustang GT is perhaps the most livable yet. For starters, it rides worlds better than its immediate predecessor. While the last Mustang was easily upset by pavement imperfections and pitched fore and aft a lot on poor pavement, the new Mustang just eats up the road. And unlike our limit-handling tests showed, the Mustang GT appears to handle pretty well too. Turn-in is sharp, and steering feedback is good especially with the steering in Sport mode. The Mustang's tendency to want to be driven around corners with the throttle only appears while hustling through corners. Speaking of throttle, the Coyote V-8 remains one of our favorite V-8s in the business with gobs of usable power and a willingness to rev. If only Ford would open it up a bit more and let it sing -- I'm willing to bet that an aftermarket exhaust system will be the first modification 2015 Mustang buyers make. The gearbox is pretty wonderful too, though I found myself missing fourth gear somehow on multiple occasions while moving quickly. The Brembo brakes also proved themselves worthy of slowing the Mustang's mass, though their grabby-ness takes some getting used to.

FRONT VIEW

Pricewise, our 2015 Mustang GT Premium tester's $46,380 sticker represents what would happen if you rolled into your local Ford dealer and ticked every option box. Some of the more notable options include the new-for-2015 Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Mitigation package, which retails for $1195, and the imaginatively named Rapid Spec Equipment Group 401A, which includes blind spot warning with rear cross-traffic alerts and a premium audio system, for $1795. If it were our money, we'd skip just about every option, instead going for the $1595 Recaro seats, and the GT Performance Package, which is a bargain at $2495 given it includes six-piston Brembo front brakes, different chassis and stability control tuning, a Torsen rear differential with 3.73s, and web spoke wheels. We can live without some of the luxury and tech goodies, but those performance options aren't to be missed. The new 2015 Ford Mustang GT may not fully live up to the high expectations many had, given its similarities to the old Boss 302, but it represents a marked improvement over the last-generation Mustang GT and shows us the ponycar's bright potential in its 50th year of consecutive production, especially considering a hot new Mustang GT350 is just around the corner. Even more important, the new 2015 Mustang GT proves itself the perfect rebound from a broken heart, and for that I'm forever grateful.

INTERIOR DASHBOARD

ENGINE COVER