It's a shame you don't get paddles.
I always thought the EcoBoost would make a fun runabout/daily.
Automatic transmissions have gotten so good lately, and that often extends to the conventional ones like the ZF 8HP. Despite not being a fancy twin-clutch unit, the 8HP can just bang off gears with the best of them.
The latest Mustang, sadly, is not so blessed.
Its 10R 80 just saps the fun out of everything as it seems programmed with one mission: get to 10th gear and stay there. It’s too quick to upshift and too slow to downshift.
Paddle shift around the issue? No paddles for you.
You’re just stuck with it.
In a normal car, fine, it’s a normal car. Crappy transmission programming is expected.
But a Mustang should be fun.
And, at the end of the day, this one isn’t.
See our Dark Horse review for more on the subject. JG wasn’t amused as well.
Cursing on the highway and would like a little more beans to pass someone? A gentle hint of the throttle isn’t enough. You gotta really dip into the throttle to get the transmission to downshift.
If the automatic-equipped Mustang EcoBoost shifted like a VW GTI, I’d totally recommend one. Instead, I have to say go with the stick. (Dear Ford: Maybe send us a new Mustang with a stick?)
I recently talked to two friends who have current Mustangs–and both were very quick to note that they ordered their cars with the still-available, six-speed manual box. And they’re very happy with their Mustangs.
Why this might sting the most: I am so rooting for the Mustang. It’s the last available pony car. It has great lines. And, on our test car, the top goes down. I love convertibles.
The Mustang’s seats are firm and supportive. It has a pretty decent combined economy rating of 26 mpg. The trunk is usable. The optional Bang & Olufsen sound system sounds good. Our Premium Convertible even had some fancy, upmarket puddle lamps. (Also, props to whoever ordered the car with the no-cost wing delete–looks much cleaner that way.)
A 2026 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible makes 315 horsepower and starts at $40,120–so 10 grand more than a new Miata but also nearly 134 extra horsepower.
A Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertible like ours starts at $41,845, with ours totaling out at $50,310 plus another $1595 for destination.
As a cruiser, sure, it’s fine. But for fun, fix the transmission.
It's a shame you don't get paddles.
I always thought the EcoBoost would make a fun runabout/daily.
My H3T was seriously let down by the terrible transmission programming. A call to PCM of NC made a world of difference. It was a completely different driving experience.
Hopefully, someone will do the same for the Mustang.
FWIW, I kept looking for an S-mode on the shifter.
In reply to Toyman! :
A quick search for "Mustang EcoBoost transmission reprogramming" brings up several results, so I'd like to think at least one of them would solve the issue.
Wait, is this not the 10 speed they've been using for... what... 8 years at least? That's not the impression I got from the auto Eco-boost at all. My rentals (I rent these whenever I can) always have a sport mode that turn it into a 6 speed (Ford did some wizardry to allow the car to skip ratios somehow). I prefer manuals, but the Mustang had the best automatic I think I've ever driven.
Do they sell those to actual people or just rental car companies?
Mustang has had a Grandpa Trim since at least the '80s so I'd say this is actually on-brand considering how the rest of the car is equipped.
Keith Tanner said:Do they sell those to actual people or just rental car companies?
I kinda wondered the same thing. I’m totally guessing that rental-spec Mustangs aren’t Premiums, though.
confuZion3 said:Wait, is this not the 10 speed they've been using for... what... 8 years at least? That's not the impression I got from the auto Eco-boost at all. My rentals (I rent these whenever I can) always have a sport mode that turn it into a 6 speed (Ford did some wizardry to allow the car to skip ratios somehow). I prefer manuals, but the Mustang had the best automatic I think I've ever driven.
Hell, 'sport' mode on the 10-speed in my F150 is makes me giggle more than it has any right to... Which gave me hope that the 10-speed Mustang could be tuned to be fun more-than-just 'for a truck'.
Did you try this?... https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/ford-technology/mustang-features/how-do-i-use-the-mustang-drive-modes/
I drove this thing from my house to David's house, which is about four miles, and that was about 3.5 miles too many.
It's so close to being good, but so many things about it feel like they just stopped caring about it like four years ago. It's got this weird triple button on the console that does like four different things but presses as one contiguous unit but it's actually capacitive so the motion is just there to make you feel like you're hitting an actual button but the haptics are all off and as a result it's both a lousy button and a lousy touchpad.
And that kind of extends to every system on the car I experienced. Everything is... kind of okay, but has been "augmented" in a way that actually makes it worse somehow. If I got a Kia Optima at the rental counter and they said "We can upgrade you to a Mustang convertible for no charge." I'd be like "Nah I'm good."
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