With the Watch-me-while-I-dance-on-Tik-Tok generation obsessed with Tesla’s shiny vagueness, the Ford Mustang seems to have taken a backseat to youth popularity. Combine that with the seemingly endless supply of pony cars piloted by puberty into stationary objects via torque steer, and it’s no wonder those who want one are discouraged. But if you’ve been in the teen blues for a few years, you’re in luck. Here’s how to get your parents to buy you a 2023 Ford Mustang the right way.
The 2023 Ford Mustang has a reasonable base price
Don’t think you’re going to convince your parents that you’ll be the one not to leave a Cars & Coffee event. Let’s face it, the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is out of the question, but it’ll save your parents roughly $11,000 and you the embarrassment. Ford’s base sports car is the EcoBoost Fastback, with an MSRP of $27,770.
Not so long ago, driving a base V6 Mustang in a small town ruled by obnoxious V8s was a little embarrassing. And that’s unfortunate because the V6 had a lighter substructure and technically handled better. Indeed, it was suitable for the average teenage girl having fun with her friends or driving to Younglife, but not for her college football boyfriend who spent a suspiciously long time snarling in the mirror before launch. Psychological repression aside, things have changed with the entry-level Mustang, and it’s much faster than your uncle’s pre-Y2K SN95.
Thrilling performance combined with great gas mileage
The 2023 Ford Mustang isn’t far behind, even with the base four-cylinder engine. With three outputs of power and torque, it will get up to speed in just over five seconds. So you can pretend you’re as fast and furious as Mr. crustless tuna sandwich Brian O’Connor from that now classic Cars movie.
| engine | 2.3 liter EcoBoost I4 turbo |
| transmission | Six-speed manual or 10-speed SelectShift automatic |
| HP | 310 |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 350 |
While you might sneak into the school parking lot on the weekend and scream your tires, your parents can take solace in the fact that it won’t cost them much in gas. And the fuel drinking pond will help if you pay for the fuel yourself, even if you’re not lucky enough to bring in a lot of money working at Chick-fil-a after school.
| Type of transmission | City fuel economy | Fuel economy on the highway | Combined fuel economy |
| Six-speed manual | 21 mpg | 29 mpg | 24 mpg |
| 10 speed car | 22 mpg | 32 mpg | 25 mpg |
The EPA also states that selecting the convertible variant will reduce fuel efficiency, but not by much. The loss is two mpg for the automatic setting and one mpg for the stick shift in the combined fuel economy figure.
Impressive standard safety features
Safety features are something most Ford Mustang owners give a lower priority than the engine, transmission, cup holders, and whether it has AM radio and a cigarette lighter. It’s only when the front end of this Coyote V8 is buried in someone’s retaining wall that they thank their lucky stars that Ford looked out for them.
Standard on all 2023 Ford Mustangs is Ford Co-Pilot360 technology, the Detroit giant’s latest and greatest driver assistance suite. For less than $30,000, potential buyers will get:
- AdvanceTrac with electronic stability control
- Automatic high beam headlights
- Blind spot information system with cross traffic alert
- Front seat belt reminder
- Lane maintenance assistance
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
- Pre-collision assistance with automatic emergency braking
- Windscreen wiper with rain detection
- Rear view camera
- Post-accident SOS alert system
- SYNCHRONIZE
- Tire pressure control system
For higher priced trim levels, more advanced features are included. Although not available on the base EcoBoost Fastback, the following are optional extras:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Reverse detection system
- SYNC3
- Unique stability control
However, each trim level is backed by a five-star crashworthiness rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Also, the 2023 Ford Mustang still has a cigarette lighter, but also two USB ports to charge your pen. And if you think your parents don’t know, they do. At least your father does; after all, he was making Sum 41 heaters in his Foxbody a quarter of a century ago.
The 2023 Ford Mustang will provide less annoying ownership
There will be times when your 2023 Ford Mustang will need service. However, if your parents work and don’t rely on the older friends you made at Coachella to take you to the mechanic, Ford will pick up the car and return the coupe to your driveway. So parents don’t have to waste time driving back and forth because their child didn’t know the oil needed to be changed or what the oil was in the first place.
Ford says its service is available at limited dealerships. However, it’s worth it if your area supports it. The dealership will also provide a loaner vehicle based on availability, so you don’t have to drive your mom’s minivan to the mall.
Losing keys is another part of adolescence that grinds the gears of stressed parents. Once again, Ford is there to help. The base 2023 Ford Mustang includes FordPass, which allows drivers to lock and unlock the doors and start and drive the vehicle. So the next time you lose your keys at a friend’s night out, you won’t have to call your parents at home, even if they’re already awake and waiting for you to check on those funny-smelling broken battery packs.
