Ford Mustang review – MPG and running costs
There’s no hiding the V8 engine or the body’s relative girth, making this an expensive sports car to run
The V8 engine manages between 22.8 and 23.7mpg depending on the model, with CO2 emissions hovering between 284 and 256g/km. Fuel costs will therefore be high whichever way you look at it, although with some gentle persuasion we saw up to 26-28mpg when on a gentle motorway run. One upside to the automatic is a gentle rise in mpg for both engines, thanks to the incredibly long tenth gear, which will sit the Mustang at pretty much idle at 70mph. Driven hard, though, and both will guzzle fuel at an impressive rate (we’ve seen single figures on track in the V8).
Tyres are likely to be the most regular expense. In standard specification you’ll be looking for 225/40 R19 rubber at the front and 275/40 R19 at the rear, making a pair of replacement Pirelli P Zeros £145 each on the front wheels and £188 each at the rear (both before fitting, from blackcircles.com).
The high CO2 figures also generally put the Mustang in a top bracket when it comes to VED, company car tax and even parking permits (welcome to 2022), meaning that its running costs will often sit higher than its purchase price would suggest – a modern BMW M4 Competition is generally 60-70g/km under the Mustang’s figure.
