Driving a 2015 Mustang soft top. We picked it up with less than 20 miles on the clock and have currently done close to 1600

Initial impressions were muted due to it A. Not being a big V8 and B. Not being a V6. It's the new four pot 2.3 Turbo version We almost took one of the several Chevy Camero's that were parked next to it, all V6's but once you look inside it's no contest.

The motor disappointment didn't last too long though because this engine is no slouch. It has loads of torque and has quite a roar when pushed. Apparently, according to some fellow with a V6 who stopped to chat at the fuel station, the four pot does have more torque and power. Another benefit is fuel economy. The thing is returning over 30(UK)mpg and that has included some rather spirited runs from LA, through death valley to Vegas, route 66, Grand Canyon and back to California.

There are several MODES you can select which alter the throttle response, gear changing and steering. Race is a bit too much for the street but SPORT+ has been near perfect, though it can sometimes hold onto lower gears. Once you get used to it though it becomes quite a nice toy to play with, though it is easy to find the tyre and brake limits

Tomorrow is a run over the mountains to try and escape the near constant 40 degree heat. It's currently 10pm and still 39 degrees near Palm Springs... time to get back in the pool I think - BEACHED WHALE anyone?

Sounds like it's an improvement over the V6s I hired around 2000, Bob - they couldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding, and as an added benefit on one, winding up the driver's window caused it to fall out - the build quality was awful.

Some interestingly long straight roads - it's a real surprise to come to a bend - around that neck of the woods, though; you have to look for the coast for some bends and then you find out why a bend you'd take at sixty in a coupe has a 25mph limit on it...

You going to be back in time for Norway?

We will just be back in time for Norway

Yes the 2.3 Ecoboost lump does deliver a reasonable level of performance. In track mode you can get the rear tyres to spin up, even with the auto box.

Build quality is another matter altogether. There are already issues with the rubber seals and some of the trim has already started to rattle and squeak. When I get home I'll stick some detailed pictures of the car up on photobucket and post them here.

We have also managed to find a few more interesting roads. One was off the PCH to Ojai and the other through the Prescott National Forest.

Route 1 up to Big Sur is a nice coast road; I recall a nice drive though a forest park somewhere between Flagstaff and the canyon, I think.

I have always fancied owning a Mustang but recent incarnations have appeared to be more image than substance.

I was quite excited to hear that the 2015 model is officially coming to Europe but I guess I was not excited enough as I spent my cash on something "similar" before checking it out. Sad that they still have not got the build quality sorted - not really acceptable for a car of this type - it is more than just a tool.

Detailed pics will be interesting.

So, to hijack slightly, have you finally purchased, neil?

And another slight hijack...

As it is the 50th Anniversary of the Mustang this year, the Guild of Motoring artists has asked members for work on the subject. Here is MrsC's contribution...

Sorry, yes. Did I not say?

http://s1020.photobucket.com/user/neilr_photos/slideshow/Jaguar%20XKR/XKR_2

Oh, I say! Nice!

OK back home so time to write a review.

We went to the states with a desire to take a Mustang. We had seen several videos of people touring the states with the 2013 - 14 models and that's what we expected to get. Like I said earlier we were fortunate to grab a brand new 2015 model with just 20 or so miles on the clock. The car was so new it still had shipping labels and protective polythene everywhere.


My first view of the car was of the front. It has a quite menacing look with the new HD headlights and a wider over-bite style grille, this car is anything but subtle. From its big front end and unique striped rear lights in their black panel to the angle sculptured panels and bulging wheel arches, it certainly grabs your attention. The car was on the standard 19 inch wheels. Something else noted early was the projected Mustang logo on the floor by the doors, a cool little feature noted by several folks on our trip. The interior is one of the nicest parts of the car. It was feature packed with fully customizable dash clock lighting and interior mood lighting, including the MUSTANG door sill strips. The seats were fantastic both fully electrically adjustable and with seat heating (Not Used) and seat cooling, a fantastic feature which was used a Lot. The rear seats look cool but would have been unusable behind me. In the centre console there is a USB port and a power outlet with a further USB, SD card slot and power outlet in the centre arm rest. The stereo featured full hands free, Bluetooth audio and a reverse camera too.

The convertible is fabric and folds flush with the boot lid in just seven seconds. It has just one twist lock handle in the middle of the car. the button then lowers the windows and the roof. It is an electrically controlled hood unlike the earlier hydraulic system. Boot space is larger than the older models too. We were a little worried about this so had packed light. We had two large hold-all type bags and a carry-on hard case. We were able to buy a large black soft case and got that, the two hold-all bags carry on hard case and an FCCUK ruck sack in the boot, we never had to use the back seat.

It took a while to get used to the size of the car, it is big! Once you get used to the size driving it is quite nice. I read on the ford website that the new car has lost the live rear axle and now has a more sophisticated fully independent multi-link suspension system. The ride quality was rather good. The car dealt with the terrible LA roads with ease and this had me a little worried that the car would be terrible out of town. The reality was that the Mustang felt quite planted and could be pushed through the mountain pass roads with ease, it was actually nice to drive! The only slight negative was the brakes. When you push the car the brakes overheated quite quickly and started to fade, boy did they stink too. We first noticed this on the mountain roads north of LA, just off the PCH and again when taking the Death Valley pass road

The engine and gearbox combo was near perfect. The 2.3 petrol had seemed a disappointment when I collected the car. In normal mode everything seems to be about comfort. Early, soft changes and a soft throttle response and when you lift off the car coasts. However, once you get to understand the MODES you can get the gar to deliver a much more spirited drive. In sport+ mode the throttle is far keener. The engine has a fantastic roar when it is pushed and there is no lag from the twin scroll turbo. It kicks in low and yet provides plenty of boost higher up the range too. In sport+ the gear changes are quite hard too, much more like a DSG gearbox, it must use a torque converter lock up. When in Sport+ mode lift off holds the gear you are in, rather than changing up or coasting. There is also the paddle shift option, but if you do use these you have to commit because the car takes some time to revert back to FULL AUTO. I only used the Race / track mode once. It removes all the safety features and is rather brutal, good for getting the back end out but not so good on your rear tyres. It would have been fun to have found somewhere to have a proper play but I didn't get a chance

Overall we both liked the car. It is a big beast which I suspect would make it hard to live with in the UK, this car needs space. There were also some slight concerns with regard the build quality. When we collected the car there was already a slight tear on the leather on the PAX seat and the rubber seals on the hood didn't seem to fit too nicely. But the thing did grow on us and it was rather sad to hand it back. If I lived in the USA I think I would buy one and if it were California it would be the 2.3 ecoboost. Anywhere else though, where the fuel is cheaper, and it would have to be a V8 version.

We chose the mustang over a Chevy.


The roof going down

Just found these files on you tube...

DRIVING DYNAMICS

PERFORMANCE

EXTERIOR DESIGN

Great tale, Bob. Looks like you had an amazing time.