Looks

The 2026 trim is a carryover from last year, so you’ve still got the long-hood, short-deck Mustang stance, but it’s sharper and flatter than the old retro-rumble versions. You’ve got that classic black grille, narrow tri-bar LED headlights, carved hood, big lower intakes, and an angry nose. With the top up, it wears a black soft top. With the top down, it looks clean and low. I got lots of looks and “Nice car!” around town.

Inside

It’s a pony car so it doesn’t have oodles of room in the rear but if you’ve got a kiddo or pooch, they’ll be comfy back there. You can also throw a guitar in the back seat, your amp in the trunk and still have room for snacks. They haven’t fixed what wasn’t broken. It’s also still rear-wheel drive, so snow isn’t your friend.

Even my tester—with its relatively dinky 2.3L Ecoboost engine mated to a 10-Speed Automatic—managed to deliver that long-lost sensation of a machine built for you personally. From the moment you fire it up, it growls like it knows exactly why you’re behind the wheel. The manual is still available but my automatic tester was perfectly happy doing little redline pulls when the mood struck.

It has buttons you can feel and twist and it still lets in enough road noise to remind you you’re actually moving. It doesn’t have a special compartment to sanitize your glasses. It isn’t soothing.

The Drive

The steering has weight and the ride is firm but not stiff. You get in, punch the start button and off with you. The center console is efficient across the board – sound and climate-wise. My tester did not have its nav system enabled, so I relied on my phone the entire 7-day test.

Room for improvement

It reminds you to keep your hands on the wheel when one hand is already on the wheel. Ford’s app has never worked smoothly and this was no exception, but eventually you get to Sync with your phone. Otherwise, there’s not much at all to complain about. You know what you’re getting.

Conclusion: There are faster cars, and there are more expensive ones. But in a world where cars are morphing into silent, buttonless rolling computers, the 2026 Ford Mustang still understands one essential thing - driving should feel like you’re driving. Any fan of this American classic buys it for that reason.

One more thing -

Dash cams are getting more and more popular as people get more and more bananas out there, and the selections are so many that it’s difficult to narrow down a choice. I found this Wolfbox G900TriPro cam easy to set up, easy to review the footage - just plain easy. It’ll also help you park, if need be, and it will also video while you’re gone so you can see if anyone breaks in or a nosy neighbor wants to look in the interior of your car. And so much more.