2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost Convertible Premium

To paraphrase that old Shakespeare guy "how do I love thee my sweet Mustang, let me count the ways"...  Seriously this generation was huge leap forward but more so in the convertible than the other models.  Theres plenty to love.  Last generation with either motor under the hood on bad roads you got some cowl and door shake, you could even see the hood wobble over the worst of what L.A. Freeways could pitch at you.

This generation is a whole new story.  Yes, it picks up a few pounds of weight from stiffening key areas, but this was a purpose built convertible not a conversion.  IT was designed to be a convertible so there isn't after work to be done to stiffen and make up for the loss of a roof.  IT shows, driving the convertible top down, and elements be damned, it tracks as accurate and peppy as its hard topped variant.  I.  Love.  This.  Car.

They day I had this car it was classic June Gloom here in the L.A. Basin.  So gloomy it was actually drizzling on my way down to Motor City in Carson where the Ford Open House was taking place.  Lucky me, I was the first to arrive and had my pic of Mustangs...make mine an EcoBoost with 6 Speed Manual please, thank you very much.  I arrived to have the drizzle stop and the top down on my ride of choice.

Yes, it was a bit nipply out, but who cares when heated and cooled seats are standard equipment on the EcoBoost Premium Convertible.  Flip on the heaters, adjust the seats to fit and snick snick through the gears and  you are off.  Cars like this are meant to have a manual tranny, its half the fun of a spirited car when you get to match engine to gear and go to your hearts content.  Mustang delivers fun in spades to start with, the convertible is having your cake and eating it tow.  With extra icing.

I won't bore you with the details, and if  you're a V8 only die hard who hasn't wrapped his head around same power as the V8 from V6 or 4cylinder, stop now and skip ahead a paragraph.  The 2.3L Ecoboost in the Mustang is a marriage made in heaven. With 300+ horsepower on tap when you use premium fuel AND 320ft lbs of torque this car takes off when you want it to. It feels nimbler and quicker to respond than the GT. Top gear and 60 on the fwy and you spot a gap to dive into to get around slower traffic...no worries it has the power to do that without having to down shift. Just goose and go. Steep hill to climb like in Signal Hill...no sweat, an on ramp to charge up, no worries.  This 4cyl twin scroll turbo engine cranks out the power the V8 did only a few short years ago.  And that's an accomplishment.  I said in another post this 2.3L Ecoboost is the best 4cyl Ford has ever made and I was serious.

All that fun doesn't come at a penalty either.  My average MPG with spirited driving still was a very respectable 22.8 over a 20 mile loop from Carson to Signal Hill.  Had I not gotten stuck in a 5 mile traffic jam wherein I spent my time shifting back and forth between 1 and 2 for 15 minutes that number would have been a lot higher.  Those kind of numbers are what taking the Ecoboost over a V8 is all about, with premium still over $4/gallon in the basin those numbers make living with a spirited sports convertible a lot easier to afford than one would think.  Do remember these Ecoboost engines turn out their best numbers for performance and MPG on premium fuel...don't cheap out on regular, get the 91 and live life in the fast lane.

The Ecoboost Premium Convertible comes with a lot of really sweet standard features, heated cooled seats, 6 speed manual tranny, Sync/MyFord (updated this year and faster than ever), glossy painted wheels, leather seating, push button start, HID head lamps and then you get to the goodies that are optional.  Things like adjustable suspension, steering and larger performance wheels.  The car starts at 34.8K and is nicely equipped as is.  See ford.com for details on building your own.  The Competition Orange version I had was optioned out to a whisker shy of 38.7K and that's a helluva lot of car for the money.  I'll take one, but in Magnetic.

Of course as long as I have a kid at home this is not a practical car for me.  One day again I will have a Mustang.  And it will be a convertible.  Just like this.  Until then I'll take the adventures and chances to drive and imagine what life all the time motoring top down in the fast lane is like.

More high res pics of the Mustang EcoBoost Premium Convertible in my flickr album from the Ford Open House.