Turns Out There Is A Substitute For Cubic Inches: The 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium

The 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium.

My son-in-law-to-be wanted to know about the Triple Yellow Mustang parked in the lot outside the winery where a family wedding was winding down.

"What engine does it have?"

"Two-point-three-liter Ecoboost turbo four."

He made a face.  He's 20.  He's allowed.

"A four in a Mustang?  I didn't know they did that."

"They did from 1979-82", I said, conveniently leaving out the whole sorry 1974-78 Mustang II affair.  I also left out the 1984-86 Mustang SVOs, which were also fire-breathing 2.3-liter turbocharged fours.  He's 20, they're almost 35.  It'd be too much explaining.

Instead, I just took him for a ride.

2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium.

The winery was on a frontage road along U.S. 101 in Mendocino County, just north of Mrs. TireKicker's hometown of Ukiah.  It was deserted.  I floored it.

I won't write the first word that escaped my future son-in-law's lips.  Let's just say he was surprised.  Sixty miles an hour comes from a standing start in five seconds, give or take two-tenths.  A few years ago, the vaunted 5-liter Mustang GT couldn't accelerate like that.  The 2018 Ford Mustang GT we reviewed back in April, can...in fact, 0-60 is possible in 3.9 seconds.  But it starts at $39,095.  The Ecoboost?  $30,600.

Those of us who are not numbers freaks could probably be very happy with the Ecoboost and $8,495 in the bank.

2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium interior.

That $30,600 buys a very complete machine...the 310-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost four, dual exhaust, automatic LED headlamps, hood vents, LED fog lamps, dual power heated mirrors with turn signals, projection lamps that put the outline of the Mustang logo on the pavement by each door when you unlock it at night, LED sequential taillamps, intermittent wipers, a 12-inch LCD digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather-trimmed seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power locks and windows, two power points, two smart-charging USB ports, a split-folding rear seat, a tilt/telescope steering column, an AM/FM/CD /SiriusXM audio system with an eight-inch SYNC touchscreen, electronically-assisted power steering, intelligent access with pushbutton start, a limited-slip rear axle, rearview camera, reverse sensing system, selectable drive modes, track apps, a universal garage door opener and a perimeter alarm....all standard.

Now, let's let that sink in for a moment.  All the above...including horsepower that would have been available only in the Mustang GT a few years ago (and Corvettes a few years before that)...for $30,600---or roughly six grand less than the average price of a new car in America as of this writing.

That, my friends, is essentially the deal of the century.  In a seriously fast, seriously quick (two different things) sports car that also gets an EPA estimated 20 miles per gallon city and 29 highway.

Our tester came with some extra cost options:

• Equipment Group 201A (Premier trim with color accent group, premium floormats with accent stitching, voice-activated touchscreen navigation): $2,200.
• Triple Yellow Tri-Coat paint: $495.
• Ten-speed SelectShift automatic transmission: $1,595.
• EcoBoost Performance Package (a 3.55 Torsen limited-slip differential, 19-inch low-gloss Ebony Black-painted aluminum wheels, summer-only tires, engine-spun aluminum instrument panel, larger brake rotors with four-piston fixed calipers): $2,495.
• Safe & Smart Package (Pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping system, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning with brake support and rain-sensing wipers): $1,495.
• Enhanced Security Package: $395.
• Shaker Pro Audio System: $895.
• MagnaRide Dampening System: $1,695.

Put all that together with $900 destination and delivery charge and the bottom line still is a strong value for the performance: $42,765.  

The 2018 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Coupe Premium proves that a big ol' lump of iron between the front wheels is no longer the only---or even the best---way to go fast.