For the past 10 years (well, almost 10) I’ve been driving a 2014 Ford Mustang V6. Car enthusiasts will tell you that they are qualified to tell everyone else how to think, and anyone thinking differently is wrong. They’ll tell you the 2014 Mustang’s V6 engine is terrible, but it isn’t – I’ve loved it. I went from a Ford Fusion with 210 hp to a Ford Mustang with 305 hp, and it was (and is) plenty fast enough for a reasonable driver who sometimes wants more speed than the average “other guy” on the road.
Still, my car is 11 years old, it’s at about 125k miles, and I want a new used Mustang.
Not just any car. I want a Mustang. It’s the only car I’ve ever owned that I actually loved. As a kid, the Mustang was my favorite car. As a teen, I couldn’t afford one. As an old fart, I can afford one… as long as I don’t go too crazy.
My V6 is plenty fast enough. My only gripe is that the mileage isn’t great. The 2020 – 2025 Mustang EcoBoost gets up to 33 mpg on the highway, and it has 10 more horsepower than my V6. It’s also quite a bit faster, but that’s not really the selling point to me.
I love the way the Mustang looks. Even my 2014 – when I walk out and see it in my driveway, I’m happy. I love the way it looks and feels in the driver’s seat. The steering wheel and dash are iconic. And it’s fast, by my standards, which are the only standards I care about. I don’t care what you think, dear reader. Nothing personal. I just think for myself. Do you honestly care if I agree with your own car opinions? If so… why?
Oh, but the car enthusiasts will tell you that the 2024 Mustang EcoBoost is horrible because it doesn’t have paddle shifters. It’s got an automatic 10 speed, and it can shift faster and better than a human, but some people need to pretend they’re at Daytona. I can shift in my 2014. I’ve never done it. Not once.
I find it amusing that the same guys who spend thousands modding their cars to go just a little bit faster will then insist on losing time by doing their own shifting. There are automatics out there that can’t shift as well as the average Goober. But the 10 speed Mustang EcoBoost isn’t one of them.
But the GT has a 450 horsepower V8! I’m told I’m supposed to prefer that. Why? It’s more power than I need and it gets crappy mileage. And it’s way more expensive. If it was the same price, and got the same mpg, I’d buy it. It isn’t and it doesn’t. How many of those videos of Mustangs spinning into crowds are morons with V8 engines who don’t know how to handle them?
Let me be fair – if you want to street race, you’re an idiot, but the V8 is faster and it’s going to live longer than the EcoBoost. The EcoBoost is an inline 4 that’s turbo charged. Too many EcoBoost owners want to red line it every day. You can, but you may blow it up, because IMHO it’s not actually build for that. It’s built to do that once in a while.
So now that I’m shopping, here’s what’s interesting. If you want a used 2023 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with 30k miles, they’re out there, but they are not super common. There are plenty of 2024 Mustang EcoBoosts, with 11k miles, selling for $30k. Um… a brand new 2025 Mustang EcoBoost with no miles starts at $31k. Used Mustang prices are delusional. I always said I’d NEVER buy a new car because it depreciates the second you drive it off the lot… but now the same is true of most one or two year old Mustangs. Would you pay a grand more for a car with 11k LESS miles, AND it’s brand new? I would.
(I know, I know… the prices online are a “starting point” and dealers will go lower. I certainly know that. It’s just frustrating to see used prices so close to new.)
A lot of guys are fine with a 2.0 Inline 4 Honda or Toyota or whatever, and I have nothing against those cars. I had a Toyota Celica years ago and I liked it. It’s just that I love the Mustang. I love it. It’s not rational, but every other car I owned was just a means to an end. Your Camaros and Challengers and Chargers and Whatevers are fine, but to me they’re not as iconic.
Oh well. I’m in the market, and the search continues. I could be tempted by a 2023 Mustang EcoBoost Premium with 33k miles, at the right price. At least it doesn’t have that stupid “Auto Stop/Start” annoying “feature” that the 2024/25 has. Don’t get me started on how evil those are.
