Ford Mustang - V-6 Automatic EPA Rated at 19/31 MPG

Ford's new 3.7L V-6 in the Mustang has been rated by the EPA at 31 mpg on the highway.  This is apparently a first for a 300+hp car.

The number is partially achieved by 6 speed transmissions, power electric steering, mild aerodynamic improvements, and the rest by Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing which adjusts the valve timing in microseconds.  So fast only smurfs can see it happening.

No Mustang has ever achieved this high a rating and is a great achievement if your driving a lot of highway miles.  Order a manual and your mileage falls to 19/29.  However, 19 mpg city mileage isn't anything to hold a parade about.

Barb Samardzich-VP of Powertrain engineering says, "The fact that Mustang achieves its top fuel economy rating with the convenience of an automatic transmission also marks a shift in conventional wisdom.  We’ve proven that, using technology, Ford can deliver both power and fuel economy."


Automatic transmissions have finally surpassed what you can do manually as far as efficiency goes.  If your a hair dresser or a male figure skater I can see the allure of an automatic in a Mustang.  I couldn't sample a 300hp sports car with an automatic,  it's like using Launch Control to beat somebody off the line,  where's the satisfaction?


So Barb,  yes, you can have power and fuel economy, but you don't have the driver involvement you get from using your left foot and right arm.  But I may be a dying breed.  Viva le Manuel !