The Mustang’s cabin has a very American feel in that everything looks big, chunky and substantial. It also means that the quality of the materials isn’t as posh as those you’d find in
BMWs and
Audis that cost similar money, but for hardened muscle-car fans, that won’t matter a jot. Things aren’t perfect in other ways, either. The driving position feels oddly high-set, and the touchscreen infotainment system looks a bit dated and the driving mode selector switch is truly infuriating (despite it being a rocker switch, you can only scroll through the modes in one direction, meaning you often have to scroll through the five you don’t want before getting to the one you do, and if you hesitate for a couple of seconds, it selects a mode you don’t want). Still, at least the all-round visibility isn’t bad for a car of this type, and the digital dials display lots of useful information in an easily digestible way.
Practicality isn’t exactly the primary reason for choosing a large
convertible, but even so, you want enough space and versatility to carry a buddy or two and their associated luggage. The front seats are surrounded by enough space to accommodate a pair of tall adults, but the rear seats are too short on headroom for anyone taller than a mid-range teenager. The boot is a very decent size at 332 litres, which is enough for a trio of carry-on suitcases, but both the loadspace and the opening are rather shallow.
So far, we haven’t had a chance to drive this generation of Mustang on its standard suspension, only on the optional adaptive suspension that costs you quite a lot extra. It changes its behaviour according to which of the six driving modes you select. You can tell the difference between the softer modes and the harder modes, but to be honest, it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to the way the car behaves overall. Whatever mode you find yourself in, the ride still feels rather choppy and jittery at low urban speeds, and the Convertible’s reduced rigidity (compared with the Fastback, due the loss of the solid roof) also means you feel a bit of flexing and wobbling through the bodywork, although things do improve when you’re going faster.
The suspension does do a good job of suppressing body lean in the bends, and there’s also plenty of grip to count on, which helps towards its agility levels. However, the sheer size and weight of the car mean it’ll never feel as nimble as smaller, lighter rivals, and the comparatively slow steering won’t be to all tastes, either. However, it’s important to remember that this is a muscle car rather than a
sports car, and that all these foibles do give the Mustang an endearingly unruly, old-school character.