LONG-TERM UPDATE 2 | Living with a Ford Mustang GT CS in the city

It’s been nearly three weeks since the Mustang GT California Special came into my possession, and in this time I have clocked up close to 1,000km.

I wish I could tell you this was accrued driving somewhere exotic but nearly all of it has been the product of day-to-day commuting drudgery. Airport runs. Motoring events. Coffee missions to Parkhurst. Other than two treks to Red Star Raceway and a quick blast to Midvaal Raceway for a photoshoot, life behind the wheel has been uneventful. 

Still, it is times like these where you can learn a lot about cars, especially in terms of their everyday livability. Though I initially had my doubts, I’ve got to say the GT CS makes a surprisingly good daily, thanks to its decent ride quality and comfortable cabin. As we all know, piloting anything other than a SUV around the streets of Jozi can be an exasperating task thanks to the worsening state of the city’s road infrastructure.

Though no Ford EcoBoost, the Mustang does a commendable job at soaking up asphalt imperfections, ruts and bumps. As I mentioned in my first post, this pony car is equipped with adaptive suspension and when set to Normal mode (your other choices are stiffer Sport and Track modes) there’s a good amount of compliance on offer here, more than you would imagine for a vehicle with such overtly sporting pretensions. Stiff, yes, but never teeth-chatteringly crashy. The front seats are also extremely cosseting and strike a stellar balance between fatigue-busting softness and body-hugging support. Being both heated and cooled is another notable bonus, especially for a vehicle in this price range. 

While the driving position is exemplary and easy to dial in even for somebody so long in the leg such as myself, the rest of the cabin is spaciously laid out with plenty of storage binnacles for stashing personal belongings such as remotes, keys and phones. The questionably plasticky centre console has two large cup holders and behind them an arm rest that pops up to reveal a cubby capable of swallowing my chunky old DSLR camera.

Switchgear falls easily to hand inside the Mustang and I’m pleased to report key features such as the HVAC and audio system are controlled via old school physical buttons, which is so much easier (not to mention safer) than having to pinch and swipe a touchscreen to simply manipulate the speed of the blower fan. Smartphone mirroring is provided via an eight-inch Sync 3 infotainment system with full wireless Apple CarPlay functionality adding to the ease of use. It works well and so far has shown no hiccups or random disconnections. It also comes paired to a monster of a standard sound system.

Specially tuned to complement the acoustics of the Mustang cabin, the Bang & Olufsen Premium audio package pairs no less than 12 speakers (including a compact 10.4-inch subwoofer mounted in the boot) with a 900-watt 10-channel analog amplifier with digital signal processing. You get a midrange driver in the middle of the dashboard, a three-way set-up in both doors plus a set of two-way speakers mounted in the rear parcel shelf.

Marrying a crisp top end and detailed mids with a massively powerful low end (I had to dial the bass tones back a bit), it’s a system that makes your playlists come alive. Whether pounding out the intense beats of LTJ Bukem’s first solo album Journey Inwards or savouring the rich tenor sax nuances of the iconic 1956 Sonny Rollins’ tune St Thomas, this carefully considered set-up appears to bring out the best in most musical styles and makes lengthier treks across town a treat for the old auditory canals.

Moving away from the cabin, it’s time to focus our attention on this Ford’s exterior for a moment, and the size of it in particular. Despite being nearly 10 years old, the sixth-generation Mustang remains a hefty piece of metal (even by modern car standards) with a nose to tail length a mere 216mm short of the 5m mark. Not only does this see the GT CS spill out of many parking spaces, it also refuses to fit inside my carport or garage.  I have to park it out in the common ground area of my estate, which is far from ideal with heavy winds and dust storms lashing our city.

What’s also odd is that despite including rear park sensors and a reverse camera as standard equipment, Ford forgot to fit front parking sensors which is the one place you need them most on a car with such a long and cascading bonnet and pronounced lip spoiler. You need to be especially vigilant when negotiating tight parking spaces.

Of course the biggest downside to all this urban commuting is the increased fuel consumption. While the burly 5.0l V8 settles down to acceptable levels out on the open road, stop-start driving in and around the suburbs brings its American-sized thirst to the fore. With fuel for my account it’s not like I’m not trying, keeping the revs to a minimum and letting that 10-speed automatic gearbox shift through the cogs and quickly as possible. Even then, you’ll be darn lucky to see anything below 11l/100km, which isn’t ideal staring down another petrol price hike. This said, the Mustang GT CS was never meant to be a fuel saver so one does have to cut it some slack in this department.

If you've managed to make it to the end of this update then you will be pleased to know we’ve got more exciting things planned for the next few weeks. Watch this space. 

2023 Ford Mustang GT California Special: Update 2

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 9,008km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 9,836km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 10.6l/100km 

PRICE AS TESTED: R1,154,900

PRAISES: Proving to be a very pleasant daily, superb B&O sound system.

GRIPES: Lack of front parking sensors a big oversight, a guzzler around town.