2012 Ford Mustang

The 2012 Ford Mustang is better built, less noisy, and more refined than the previous generations. But all is not well for the Mustang. The lack of a telescoping steering wheel and the presence of low-quality materials in the interior of the car are some notable drawbacks. The 2012 Mustang is not the only horse in the race. While the 2012 Dodge Challenger has a more stylish interior and a superior engine, other muscle cars like the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro and Nissan 370Z are sure to turn some heads as well. 

The 2012 Mustang is offered as both a coupe and a convertible. The Mustang Coupe comes in three trim levels to choose from with manual or automatic transmission namely, V6, V6 Premium, and the Boss 302 trims. You also have a GT variant which will be reviewed separately. The Boss 302 is available only with the six-speed manual transmission. The basic V6 trims come with a 3.7L V6 which delivers 305 hp power while the Boss 302 trim gets a special 5.0L High Output V8 engine delivering 444 hp power. 

The price for the trims starts at $22,310 for the V6 trim and goes all the way up to $40,310 for the Boss 302 trim. The V6 trim comes loaded with ABS, All speed traction control, a premium audio system, power windows, 4-gauge instrument control, and more. The V6 premium brings a Leather-wrapped steering wheel, a Shaker audio system with eight speakers, a 6-gauge cluster, Leather-trimmed front bucket seats, and more. 

At $40,310, the Boss 302 is quite an expensive trim compared to the V6 and V6 premium. At this price, the Boss 302 comes track-ready with many cosmetic as well as mechanical changes. The Boss 302 trim brings a 5.0L V8 engine, Charcoal black seats with embroidered logo, Alcantara Suede wrapped steering wheel, and much more.

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All the trims of the Mustang are equally great. The V6 trim is powerful enough for an average driver; it provides enough power and acceleration to hold up against most cars one would encounter. But the V6 Premium trim brings more visual and convenience features. Better connectivity and audio systems are present on the Premium trim. The list of extra features more than justifies the price difference of $4,000, making it easy to recommend the V6 Premium over the regular V6. The Boss 302 trim is targeted more towards enthusiast drivers who are eager to unleash the full potential of the ride on the tracks. 

The 2012 Ford Mustang offers two engine choices. The engines are combined with a six-speed manual transmission and coupled with a rear-wheel drivetrain. The V6 and the V6 Premium trim get the smaller 3.7L V6 engine. This engine is capable of churning out 305 hp and 280 lb.-ft of torque. The Boss 302 trim gets a larger highly tuned 5.0L high output V8 engine that produces an impressive 444 hp power and 380 lb.-ft of torque. 

Both the engines provide good throttle response with plenty of torque available at the lower end. The V6 engine is top-notch when it comes to performance on its own terms. The engine is capable of pushing the car from 0 to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds. The V8 on the Boss trim achieves this feat in just 4 seconds. These figures prove that the 2012 Mustangs perform every bit like the real Mustangs are supposed to. 

The power, handling, and drive quality are impressive on these machines. There is also an optional six-speed automatic transmission on the V6 and V6 Premium trim. Though it provides better fuel efficiency the automatic transmission is slow on gear shifts and doesn’t let the driver have control over gear choices.

The performance of a Mustang is on par with its American counterparts. The Camaro has a similar performance while the Dodge Challenger falls behind in 0-60 mph and quarter-mile timings. But the real performance machine in question is the Nissan 370Z. The Japanese machine blows away its American rivals in performance figures. The base variant of the 370Z is faster in 0-60 mph and quarter-mile by a whole second than the Mustang or the Camaro.

The Mustang still meets the expectations of muscle cars in performance in a straight line and cornering performance. The redesigned rear suspension and the three-mode electronic steering setup make driving the Mustang a beautiful experience even in hard corners. The short-throw shifters click into a satisfying notch every time the gears are swapped. There is also a performance package available that improves the driving experience.

The 2012 Mustang posts an impressive fuel economy compared to the previous generations. The MPG figures make one feel like power was not the major concern of engineers at Ford with their new car. The 3.7L V6 engine on the base trims provides an impressive 19 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway with a manual transmission while the automatic provides up to 31 MPG on the highway. 

The high output 5.0L V8 engine on the Boss 302 trim is not as thirsty as some other V8 engines out there. It comes as quite a surprise in terms of fuel economy. The higher output engine on the Boss 302 trim provides an efficiency of 17 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highways. These figures are impressive for a performance-oriented sports car.

The 2012 Mustang with the V6 engine has impressive fuel economy figures beating all the competition in city and highway figures. This doesn’t mean that the competition is a bad performer when it comes to efficiency. They lag behind the Mustang by a small margin of 1 or 2 miles per gallon. The fuel tank capacity is small on the Ford at only 16 gallons compared to 19 or more on the competition. The smaller tank makes it have a shorter range than rivals despite the better fuel economy. A larger capacity tank would be a welcome choice on future Mustangs.

The cabin of the Mustang has improved a lot in recent years and is a great place to be in. The interior combines excellent build quality with improved materials and a straightforward dashboard design. A range of noise, vibration, and harness countermeasures have changed once a loud car to a rather quiet and smooth ride while inside. The looks and feel of the Mustang are further improved with the V6 Premium trim. 

The Premium trim adds leather-trimmed sports bucket seats, a dark aluminum instrument panel, and unique door inserts. The Boss 302 trim brings an Alcantara suede-wrapped steering wheel and charcoal black bucket seats with an embroidered “Boss 302” logo. The 2012 Mustang lacks a telescoping steering wheel which could make it hard for some people to find the perfect driving position.

The Mustang’s cabin has improved a lot, but this still is not a luxury interior. With a seating capacity of four, the vehicle provides ample space in the front row seats. The rear seats however are no place for adults. The rear headroom is limited and the legroom is minimal even with the front seats moved forward. 

While both Mustang and Camaro have seating for four people the Dodge Challenger can fit 5 people inside. In fact, the Challenger is the only pony car in this segment that has a seating capacity of five. The Nissan 370Z has only two seats. The cargo capacity of the Mustang coupe stands at 13.4 cubic ft while the Challenger has a larger capacity at 16.2 cubic ft. Standout interior features include:

• Ambient lighting
• 6 Gauge instrument cluster
• Selectable effort electronic power-assisted steering
• Leather-trimmed heated bucket seats
• Alcantara Suede wrapped steering wheel

How intuitive is the 2012 Ford Mustang’s infotainment system?

The 2012 Ford Mustang infotainment system is aimed at providing quality information as well as clear communication. The infotainment unit comes with a large number of features including Ford SYNC, a voice-activated navigation system, an 8-inch touch screen, turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic alerts, and more. The infotainment system is connected to an eight-speaker premium sound system on the V6 trim; on the higher V6 Premium we get the Shakers 500 sound system with 8 speakers. Standout infotainment features include:

• 8-inch touch screen display
• Voice-activated navigation system with Sirius Traffic and Sirius Travel Link
• Ford SYNC with hands-free calling
• 10 GB of storage space for music and photos
• Shakers 500 Audio system with 8 speakers and 500 watts output

Ford has done an impressive job of bringing elements from the past into its retro-modern looks. The vehicles remain instantly identifiable and unmistakable. The 2012 Mustang offers an aggressive body in a lean and tidy proportion while maintaining its classic characteristics in a modern muscular body. The looks are further improved by the Performance package that adds massive 19-inch wheels capable of drawing attention to its aggressive looks. The Boss 302 Coupe looks up a notch with its aggressive and sports-tuned looks.

The 2012 Mustang is the smallest among the pony cars out there on the market. Measuring at 188.1 its length is lower than that of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. The Dodge Challenger has the largest measurements in terms of weight, length, and wheelbase. But the Mustang looks interesting from the outside. It creates an impression of the powerful ride with some personality that it is. That being said, the Mustang is a victim of its own success; there are too many Mustangs out on the streets for the new 2012 MY to stand out. Standout exterior features include:

• Glass Roof
• 19” X 9” front and 19” X 9.5” rear black-painted aluminum wheels
• Deck Lid stripes with a painted roof to match the stripes
• Rear Spoiler
• Rear Window defroster
• Sequential LED tail lamps

The Ford Mustang has made much progress in terms of safety. The 2012 Mustang receives good safety from both rating agencies. The NHTSA awards it four stars in its crash tests. The IIHS gave good ratings for front-impact protection and an acceptable rating for side-impact protection. The standard safety features include stability control, Front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, and more. Standout safety features include:

• AdvanceTrac electronic stability control
• Ford MyKey system that let parents set up the speed limit, volume limit, and other warnings
• Blind Spot sensors
• Rear parking sensors
• Belt minder for safety belt reminder
• SecuriLock system with a passive anti-theft system
• Post-crash alert system
• Tire Pressure Monitoring system

The Ford Mustang is no longer the primitive uncontrollable machine that it used to be. Now, it is fast but now with great handling as the top priority. The 2012 Mustang delivers more features and more refinement than any other pony car currently out there. The V6 trim offers a comfortable drive with good looks, a muscular feel and excellent fuel economy. 

The Boss 302 appeals to enthusiasts with a love for track days. With good safety and reliability ratings along with good looks, great fuel economy, and excellent handling the 2012 Ford Mustang coupe deserves a top spot in the choice for someone considering a performance coupe.