Can a car that has sold over 10 million units since 1965 have a ‘best’ model year? We review the last 27 years of Ford Mustangs to find out.
Ask your favorite car friend for their top Ford Mustang year and they likely have one to give you. This is because, at some point, we have all known someone with a Ford Mustang or who has a Ford Mustang story. But that is not because the Mustang is an amazing overall car.
It is certainly not the fastest in its class or the most reliable, and it doesn’t have the best exterior design. So, why then is this Ford’s longest-lasting brand name, and the best-selling sports car? It’s a car that is much more than the sum of its parts.
Part of that success is a long history that brings a lot of nostalgia to owners. The next part of the winning formula is a front-mounted V8 or V6 engine that sends power to the rear wheels via a manual transmission and an intoxicating exhaust note that would impress your friends.
Also, most of the components are easy to work on and cheap to upgrade, so you could turn it into a track car quite easily.
Since its first debut in 1965, the car has evolved significantly and is more powerful than ever — a current 2021 Ford Mustang GT with the V8 has 460 horsepower. This is about double the horsepower from the car’s debut.
And since its launch, other car companies have been trying to develop a car to compete with the Ford Mustang. That is why we now have the Chevrolet Camaro, its longest-lasting and biggest competitor thus far. And if you are looking for a Mustang, it might be worthwhile taking a look at a similar Chevrolet Camaro model too.
Ford Mustang SN95 (1994-2004)
Most of the Ford Mustangs from this generation could be considered a classic car by now but would still have modern looks and features that make it a great car to buy. Plus, most people born in the 1980s and 1990s grew up with this Mustang generation, making it a potential collectible car in the future.
It is hard to believe that this was the Mustang that almost never came to be because of the mounting safety standards from the government and an economic crisis that was looming over car manufacturers.
With these outside pressures, the first designs for this generation of Mustang were actually a front-wheel-drive car, which goes against everything a Mustang now stands for. Ford fans wouldn’t have it, and luckily, Ford changed the design at the very last minute back to rear-wheel-drive.
The first model year was 1994 and the Mustang was known as the SN95. It was an absolute hit and they sold over 200,000 models in its first year.
Engine options were a 3.8L V6 with 145 horsepower and 215 lb.-ft. of torque or a 5.0L V8 with 215 horsepower and 285 lb.-ft. of torque. It could be matted with a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. It was also the first time Ford gave the Mustang a modular engine so parts could be easily swapped and replaced or fixed.
The outside design was sleeker and more rounded than its predecessor’s exterior, also known as the Fox-body Mustang (1978-1993), but that came with a price of a heavier, stouter chassis to keep up with safety standards.
Ford Mustang ‘New Edge’ (1999-2004)
Later in the model years, Ford also brought the Mustang into the modern era with overhead cams and independent rear suspension. These model years were known as the “New Edge” Mustangs, which went from 1999-2004.
If there was a year to avoid, it looks like 1995 has the most issues — with engine problems being number one. This is quite typical for the first model year of a new-generation car. And throughout this N95 generation, the HVAC and cooling lines were trouble spots to watch out for. So, make sure they were serviced before you buy.
Also, from 1995-2000, there were over 75 recalls for the N95 Mustang. So, be sure to do your research and check that any recalls on your car were done and the car is safe to drive.
The most iconic Mustang from this generation would be the 2000-2004 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R, a hard-charging, 12-second-quarter mile, limited edition run that only produced 300 copies. It came with a six-speed manual transmission and 5.4L V8 that had 385 horsepower and 385 lb.-ft. of torque.
It did not have air-conditioning, a stereo, or even rear seats. It was a pure race car and one of the best Mustangs ever built. A low-mile edition sold on Bring-a-trailer for $70,000 a few years back, and prices are on the rise for a nice example of this car because people who couldn’t afford this growing up (it was $55,845 in the year 2000) are now buying them up.
Ford Mustang S197 (2005-2014)
This was the first Mustang generation to imitate the styling for the late 1960’s Mustangs but have a more modern twist to it, or some might call it “retro-modern”.
The engine updates were quite significant this generation as well, the V8 got a significant boost in power through a third valve head. And if you want to get the best engine of this generation, get a model from 2011 -2014, it comes with the “Coyote engine.”
A four-valve 5.0L V8 with over 400 horsepower, a 100-horsepower bump from the V8 just the year before. Also, from 2011-2014 the V6 was updated to the “Cyclone” engine and it would be a great bargain buy for this model year too. The updated Cyclone engine had a 305 horsepower V6, giving you more horsepower than a 2005 Mustang GT with a V8 engine.
This might be the last generation of Mustang to have the proper mix of old-school looks without all the high technology interior bits which usually get outdated quickly. The interior styling also might be the best if you are looking for a used Mustang. And the aftermarket performance options are plentiful for enthusiasts to tune their cars.
This generation of Mustang is known as the SN197 and is known for having bad paint and corrosion problems.
According to Car Complaints, the Mustang model years with the most complaints are those from 2006-2007 because of paint bubbling problems.
What’s more, and 2010 Mustang is quite possibly the worst model in the last 25 years to buy because of hood paint corrosion.
Ford’s bad paint issues are well documented on enthusiast forums but just make sure to look for it if you are buying used. From 2005-2009 a common issue is that the blower motor may get stuck on high. While it’s an easy fix, it’s also something to watch out for.
Also, from 2006-2010 there were a lot of complaints of leaks coming from pretty much all over the car, the front windshield, the passenger side drive floor, the rear windshield, and some customers couldn’t find where the water was coming from.
The biggest issue might be with the 3.7L V6 Mustang, it has two timing chains on the front and rear of the engine and high mileage cars have jumped the timing of the engine, which could lead to you having to replace the whole engine.
But you wouldn’t be wise to overlook this generation as it produced the Boss 302 Mustang from 2012 to 2013. It’s a once-in-a-generation Mustang that sold for $40,000 new and good examples are currently selling for close to $30,000-$40,000 still on auction websites.
It has a V8 that hit 444 horsepower at 7,5000 rpm, which is a 32-horsepower bump over the Mustang GT model. This was a track car and Ford made it so with suspension upgrades, rear seat delete, Recaro seats, and a limited-slip differential.
This was also the first Mustang generation to bring back the Shelby Mustang in 2007 with the Shelby GT500. They would all have bigger engines, updated interiors, aluminum blocks, lightweight interiors, and upgraded suspension components. The best engine model years are 2013 and 2014, because these came with a supercharged 5.8L V8 motor featuring 662 horsepower and 631 lb.-ft. of torque.
Ford Mustang S550 (2015-2021)
The S550 platform is the current generation of Mustangs and with this model year came some important updates to the car, including more aggressive looks and sharper edges.
Big suspension updates such as independent rear suspension finally became standard and a new 2.3L four-cylinder turbocharged engine became the new base engine because of Ford trying to meet new fuel standards.
The four-cylinder turbocharged engine was a big hit for enthusiasts but ended up getting a similar real-world fuel economy to the base model V6. The V8 Coyote and V6 Cyclone engines from the S197 generations are carried over for this model year, and the V8 got some serious upgrades from the 2013-2014 Boss 302 generation, while the V6 remained mostly unchanged.
If you are looking to buy an S550 mustang, we suggest avoiding the 2015-2016 model years. These seem to be plagued with bad backup cameras, faulty air conditioning compressors, water leaking into the car, oil leaks, and suspension issues with the ball joints.
The 2018+ Ford Mustangs with the 5.0-liter Coyote engine are notorious for having “ticks”, which could be engine slap, which surely something you’ll want to avoid.
Also look out for Ford Mustangs from 2011 to 2019, which have the Getrag MT82 and MT82-D4 manual transmissions installed in them. These transmissions were allegedly designed for smaller automobiles with significantly lower horsepower than produced by the Mustang’s engine and are prone for failure, there is currently a class-action lawsuit being filed against Ford.
The best model year this car is by far the Mustang GT350. The standout feature of the GT350 is its flat-plane crankshaft V8, its roar could send chills down the spine of even non-enthusiast. Ferrari is known for using flat-plane crankshafts in their engines and this is how they get their legendary sound.
Ford decided to put one in their 5.2L V8 with 526 horsepower and bumped the redline to 8,250 rpm. It’s not the fastest Mustang in a straight-line, but it is one of the best track cars that Ford has ever made.
Ford Mustang Mach-E (2021-Present)
Some might say this isn’t a Mustang, but Ford wanted to use its most iconic name to make the debut of their all-electric car a smash hit, so in 2021
Ford introduced the Mustang Mach-E, a four-door crossover vehicle that doesn’t have much in common with a Mustang other than its name. But it might be the most reliable and best Mustang model yet because it doesn’t have a gasoline engine.
It does keep true to the Mustang name by hitting 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, and a GT performance model will debute sometime soon, which should bring that under four seconds. You aren’t going to find a V8 under the hood, but you will find a large front trunk, the battery is on top of the chassis of the which keeps the center of gravity low.
There are two battery options: a 68.0-kwh and long-range 88.0 kWh which will take you 200 and 300 miles, respectively. The larger battery option will give you 346 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft. of torque.
Since the Mustang Mach-E is a brand new car there aren’t too many problems documented currently, plus you will be buying a new car which will carry a full warranty. One issue we found was the 12-volt battery might die because of a software glitch in the car, so make sure the software glitch has been taken care of by the dealership before buying.
Which Ford Mustang Model Year is the Best?
Even after all this research, it is still tough to pick a Mustang that is best. Each model year has its pros and cons, so make sure you do your research before you buy. It’s best to buy whichever car you love the most and best fits into your life and budget.
If you’re seeking a bargain, the 2011 Mustang (the first year with the new Coyote V8) is a steal, with clean GT models with under 100,000 miles running right around $12,000-$15,000.
We also think the new 2021 all-electric Mustang Mach-E is pretty cool, and if you are looking for a new car, you can’t go wrong with an all-electric, all-wheel-drive, sporty SUV that can compete with a Tesla (albeit at a fraction of the cost).
Photos: Ford
