THE BEST FORD MUSTANG GENERATIONS AS CHOSEN BY CARBUZZ READERS

The Ford Mustang is an icon of the automotive world and officially the best-selling sports car ever made (the Mazda Miata is only the best-selling two-seater convertible before you get all riled up). While other Fords might sell more units, the Mustang is the crown jewel in the Ford lineup. That's right, the Ford Mustang, not the Ford GT supercar, is the Blue Oval's halo car. It's not just us saying that - that was the directive that came directly from one Lee Iacocca, the father of the Mustang.

This year, the Mustang celebrated its 60th anniversary, launching a 60th anniversary special edition in honor of the iconic pony car. In light of the celebrations, we asked CarBuzz readers to vote for their favorite Mustang generation across the seven we've had so far, and those results are now in. According to your votes, these are the most loved Mustangs...

Second Generation (Mustang II) - 4%

• Years sold: 1974-1978
• Cars sold in the USA: 1,107,718
• Available body styles: Coupe, 3-Door Hatchback
• Available engines:
  • 2.3L Lima I4
  • 2.8L Cologne V6
  • 4.9L Windsor V8

The sequel is always so much harder than the debut album, so the second-gen Mustang, often called the Mustang II, was never going to have things easy. This was compounded by the 1973 oil crisis arriving at the wrong time for what could've been an epic follow-up to the original 'Stang's success. Dubbed by Iacocca as an "entirely new kind of pony car," this was meant to be a more economical vehicle to counter fuel shortages and high gas prices. As such, it was derived from the Pinto platform, weighed 490 lbs less than the last of the first-gen Mustangs, and was a whopping 19 inches shorter.

But crucially, it also had a four-cylinder engine, a 2.3-liter Lima inline-four - the first fully metric-dimensioned engine built in the USA - developing 88 horsepower. In its second year on sale, this motor was given a catalytic converter and a 3.18:1 rear axle on the 'MPG' model, resulting in remarkable fuel efficiency for the time of 23/34 mpg city/highway. A 2.8-liter Cologne V6 was still available, but as this was the Malaise era of American car design, it wasn't particularly potent, peaking at just 105 hp in its most powerful form.

Ford tried to rescue the Mustang II's image in 1975 when it introduced a 4.9-liter Windsor V8 with 140 hp, but even this was considered sluggish with poor handling and did little to recover the Mustang's image as a performance car. Despite being prescient of the need for efficient compact cars and selling well, this Mustang is widely regarded by enthusiasts as the one that abandoned core Mustang traits the most.

Fourth Generation (SN-95) - 4%

• Years sold: 1994-2004
• Cars sold in the USA: 1,562,529
• Available body styles: Coupe, Convertible
• Available engines:
  • 3.8L Essex V6
  • 3.9L Essex V6
  • 5.0L V8
  • 5.8L Windsor V8
  • 4.6L Modular V8
  • 4.6L Supercharged Modular V8
  • 5.4L Modular V8

Ford nearly turned the Mustang into a FWD machine for its fourth generation, but following huge public outcry, that car was relabeled as the Probe and Mustang engineers went back to the drawing board. The result arrived in 1993 for the 1994 model year as the SN95 Mustang, remaining on sale for 11 years. It was built on an updated version of the Fox platform from the previous generation, 'Stang and served as the last Fox platform car built by Ford. Sold in only two body styles, fastback coupe and convertible, it made use of seven engines in its 11-year tenure. Fortunately, none of these were four-cylinders, and the worst anyone had to contend with was a 3.8-liter Essex V6 that started at a paltry 145 horsepower and 215 lb-ft.

Thankfully, the V8 offerings would end up being vastly more powerful, with the most potent iteration being the 2003-2004 Cobra with 390 hp and 390 lb-ft. It wasn't all good for this generation of Mustang, though, as the 1999 SVT Cobra's performance was so dismal compared to its claimed outputs that Ford had to recall it for being too slow, withdrawing the Cobra from sale for the year 2000 while it fixed the issues.

Third Generation (Fox body) - 4%

• Years sold: 1979-1983
• Cars sold in the USA: 2,608,812
• Available body styles: Coupe, Convertible, Hatchback
• Available engines:
  • 2.3L Lima I4
  • 2.3L Lima I4 Turbo
  • 3.3L Thriftpower I6
  • 2.8L Cologne V6
  • 3.8L Essex V6
  • 4.2L V8
  • 5.0L V8

The iconic Fox body Mustang takes fourth place in the eyes of CarBuzz readers despite being the second best-selling generation in the USA, with a total of 2,608,812 units sold between 1979 and 1993. This model was much-maligned at the time, but has since become an icon in its own right, despite its oddball styling - especially in three-door hatchback form. The Foxbody also drew criticism for its engine lineup, which comprised two 2.3-liter four-cylinder motors from the Lima/Pinto engine family. This decision, and its Fox platform, were driven by cost-reduction exercises that saw the Mustang share engines and platforms with other Ford models.

V6s and V8s were also offered, although the 5.0-liter V8 only made 140 hp, 8 more than the 2.3L turbo-four was able to muster.

This generation would eventually mater and come into its own, aided largely by the introduction of the Mustang SVO in 1984. This took the 2.3 Turbo engine up to 175 hp at first and 200 hp later, and is considered by Hagerty to have been the end of the Malaise era of American car design.

Fifth Generation (S197) - 13%

• Years sold: 2005-2014
• Cars sold in the USA: 1,006,975
• Available body styles: Coupe, Convertible
• Available engines:
  • 3.7L Duratec V6
  • 4.0L Cologne V6
  • 4.6L Modular V8
  • 5.0L Coyote V8
  • 5.4L Modular Supercharged V8
  • 5.8L Modular Supercharged V8

This was the first modern generation of Mustang to lean into the retro aesthetic, and would set the tone for every 'Stang since. Previewed by two concept cars before the production variant finally arrived, the S-197 launched for the 2005 model year with a base 4.0-liter Cologne V6 engine, joined a year later by the 3.7-liter Duratec V6. V8s were, of course, a staple of the 'Stang, with four V8s serving in this generation over its ten years on sale. These included the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, which made its Mustang debut during the 2010 model year update, replacing the 4.6-liter modular V8 of the era. The GT500 joined the roster in 2007, adding supercharged power to the mix with a 5.4-liter V8 generating 500 hp and 480 lb-ft, later bolstered to 540 hp and 510 lb-ft in the GT500KR - or "King of the Road." From 2013, the GT500 adopted a supercharged 5.8-liter 'Trinity' V8 rated at 662 hp and 631 lb-ft, resulting in a 202-mph top speed.

Seventh Generation (S650) - 15%

• Years sold: 2024-Present
• Cars sold in the USA: N/A
• Available body styles: Coupe, Convertible
• Available engines:
  • 2.3L EcoBoost I4 Turbo
  • 5.0L Coyote V8
  • 5.2L Supercharged Predator V8

When the S550 bowed out, there were concerns the next generation would go hybrid or even adopt all-wheel drive. Thankfully, none of those things was true, and the S650 continued where the S550 left off... literally. It adopted an updated platform and even an evolution of the same EcoBoost and Coyote engines but wrapped it up in a new design with a bunch of new tech like vintage-look digital gauges and a remote rev function. When it first launched, its styling wasn't to everyone's tastes, but it's become a highly lauded pony car since.

The EcoBoost and GT models were joined by the track-focused Dark Horse, but that wasn't where it all stopped. As the S650 was the basis for a global Ford onslaught on the world of motorsports, a GT3 version was born, which was later turned into a roadgoing variant called the Mustang GTD. This $300k+, 815-hp Mustang is more supercar than muscle car, with inboard suspension and development by Multimatic. It set out to achieve what no other American car had before it, and succeeded, becoming the only American car to lap the Nurburgring in under seven minutes.

• 2024 Ford Mustang Coupe	2024 Ford Mustang GT Coupe	2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse
  Base MSRP	30920	41710	58185
  Engine	2.3L Turbo Inline-4 Gas, 5.0L Ti-VCT V8	2.3L Inline 4, 5.0L V8 Gas	5.0L V8 Gas
  Horsepower	315-500 hp	315-500 hp	500 hp
  Torque	350-418 lb-ft	415-418 lb-ft	418 lb-ft
  Transmission	10-speed shiftable automatic, 6-speed manual	6-Speed Manual/10-speed automatic	6-Speed Manual
  Drivetrain	Rear wheel drive	Rear-Wheel Drive	Rear-Wheel Drive
  0-60 MPH	4.1-5.2 seconds	3.9-4.5 seconds	4.1 seconds

Sixth Generation (S550) - 25%

• Years sold: 2015-2023
• Cars sold in the USA: 672,677
• Available body styles: Coupe, Convertible
• Available engines:
  • 2.3L EcoBoost I4 Turbo
  • 3.6L Cyclone V6
  • 5.0L Coyote V8
  • 5.2L Voodoo V8
  • 5.2L Supercharged Predator V8

As a recent Mustang, it's not all too surprising that the S550/sixth-gen Mustang is a fan favorite, accruing 25% of the overall vote. That's not just due to recency bias, either, but the fact that it was a great car. This Mustang was introduced in 2015 as the first officially 'global' Mustang that would be sold in markets across the globe in both left- and right-hand drive configurations. It was also the first to feature independent rear suspension, something that quickly cemented it as a muscle car that could handle - despite what videos on the internet might suggest.

This generation 'Stang was initially powered by three engine variants, but dropped the V6 after just a few years on sale. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder was a vague callback to the Foxbody 'Stang, but the Coyote V8 stole everyone's hearts. Later variants included the Shelby GT30 and GT350R with their mega flat-plane V8 - the highest revving naturally aspirated Ford V8 ever - and the Shelby GT500, which reset the rules with its 760 horsepower.

First Generation - 35%

• Years sold: 1964-1973
• Cars sold in the USA: 3,005,269
• Available body styles: Hardtop, Fastback, Convertible
• Available engines:
  • 2.8L Thiftpower I6
  • 3.3L Thriftpower I6
  • 4.3L V8
  • 4.7L V8
  • 4.7L HiPo V8
  • 4.9L Small Block V8
  • 4.9L Boss V8
  • 5.8L Windsor V8
  • 5.8L Cleveland V8
  • 6.4L FE V8
  • 7.0L FE HiPo V8
  • 7.0L Cobra Jet V8

And the most popular generation of the Mustang among CarBuzz readers is... the first generation. Genesis. The one that started it all.

It shouldn't come as a surprise given this Mustang has now become a sought-after collector's item and a piece of Americana muscle car fans seek to own. It also doesn't hurt that more than three million were sold in the US over its 10-year sales period, making this the most abundant Mustang of them all. But it was also one of the least sporty and was referred to famously by Carroll Shelby as a "secretary's car" until he built the GT350. Regardless, the original 'Stang became an icon through its classic muscle styling in a compact package, one based on the same platform as the Ford Falcon of the era. This compact Mustang and its range of inline-6 and V8 engines introduced a new class of muscle car to the US, and over its ten years on the market would embody a variety of performance attributes owing to over a dozen engines being used.

Sources: Ford, CJ Pony Parts, Shelby, Hagerty

2024-12-29T10:07:06Z