2018 Ford Mustang

American’s original pony car has made hoof beats for more than half a century. Now in its 6-th generation, the 2018 Ford Mustang gets a mid-cycle refresh that’s more than mild. Yes, there are the usual styling tweaks, like a lower hood that’s certainly more aggressive than the 20-15 redesign.

Back then we praised the stiffer chassis and independent rear for its great grip. Now, standard monotube shocks and rear cross-axis joint from the Performance Package make all trims even sportier.

Under the hood, no more V6! But, the now standard 2.3-liter Eco-Boost 4 is good for 310 horsepower. 460 is the upped rating for the 5.0-liter V8 GT.

GREG CARLOSS: “In the last Mustang I drove I was shocked at how much torque and how much performance I was getting out of this 4-cylinder engine, and not only that it’s lighter up front so actually it handles itself pretty well driving around corners, but now you have more torque down there which is always great.”

JOHN DAVIS: Both engines can be saddled to an updated 6-speed manual or a new 10-speed automatic.

Inside the twin cockpit, better materials, and an available 12-inch digital gauge cluster that’s full of the info we like.

The Mustang – Chevy Camaro rivalry is legendary, and it looks like Ford is ready for the next round. On sale now, the 2018 Ford Mustang starts at under $26,000 with GT just over $35,000.