2011 Ford Mustang Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Ford Mustang overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Ford Mustang, and includes safety, reliability, and fuel economy information for the 2011 Ford Mustang.

Just one year after a significant redesign and upgrade, Ford doubles down on the Mustang for 2011 with new engines, new transmissions, new technologies, and a bunch of other upgrades, making buyers of the 2010 model feel like chumps.

Every model gets a new engine for 2011. The base powerplant is a new 3.7-liter V6 making 95 more horsepower than the previous 4.0-liter V6. The Mustang GT is endowed with a true five liters of displacement, making 97 more ponies than last year. The Shelby GT500 gets a new engine, too, an all-aluminum, supercharged and intercooled evolution of the 5.4-liter V8 that served duty in the Ford GT supercar, making just 10 extra horsepower but removing more than 100 pounds from the front end and benefiting from improved fuel economy so that it can ditch the gas-guzzler tax.

The Mustang V6 and Mustang GT have new transmissions. A six-speed manual is standard, and a six-speed automatic is optional. The Shelby GT500 continues with the same six-speed manual as before. Rear axle ratios are 2.73:1 for the V6, and 3.31:1 for the GT, with a limited-slip differential standard. The V6 and GT also have revised suspensions, better braking systems, stiffer structures, and electric power steering. Aerodynamic tweaks help increase fuel economy for all three models, and the convertible versions have additional bracing for 12 percent better lateral stiffness than before.

There’s plenty more to talk about. All 2011 Mustangs are equipped with side mirrors that help the driver to see blind spots, and a driver message center is standard. Ford’s MyKey feature is optional on the V6 and GT, and standard on the Shelby GT500: it lets owners program top speed, limits for stereo volume, and settings for the stability and traction control systems. You know, just in case Junior decides to heist the keys while Mom and Dad are in Hawaii. Also, the Mustang is available with HD Radio for 2011.

The story is not over just yet. The Mustang V6 has subtle front styling changes, and is available with a Performance Package that adds Mustang GT suspension tune, 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, a strut tower brace, and a specially calibrated traction control system with a sport mode. Mustang GT models can be equipped with the same Brembo brakes as the Shelby GT500, along with 19-inch wheels and summer performance tires. The Shelby GT500 is offered with the Glass Roof option for the first time, and there’s a new SVT Performance Package that makes the Shelby ready to race right off the assembly line. Plus, Ford claims the Shelby is 20 percent quieter inside this year, thanks to extra sound deadening materials.

Now that a decent engine is installed under the hood, the Mustang V6 earns its place as the most popular model in the lineup. As such, it comes well equipped with 17-inch aluminum wheels, 4-wheel-disc brakes with ABS, stability and traction control, a limited slip differential, electric power steering with drift compensation, and an Easy Fuel capless fuel filling system. The Mustang V6 also has a new 160-mph speedometer, air conditioning, a stereo with a CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack, a driver message center, and an SOS Post Crash Alert system that makes it easier for rescue personnel to find a Mustang after a crash. Power door locks with remote keyless entry, power side blind spot mirrors, power windows, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, and floor mats are also included in the base price.

Premium V6 trim adds machined-finish alloys; a Shaker 500 audio system; Sirius satellite radio; Sync communications and entertainment technology with Traffic, Connections and Information service; ambient cabin lighting; and a MyColor instrument lighting feature that lets the driver choose between 125 different hues with which to illuminate the gauges. Premium models also include leather upholstery, a six-way power driver’s seat, aluminum interior décor, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with aluminum spokes. Optional on V6 Premium models, the Pony Package adds 18-inch wheels, a unique grille with fog lights, automatic headlights, body-color side mirrors, special badges and trim, and a decklid spoiler.

The Mustang GT is equipped the same way V6 models are, except, you know, they’re much more powerful. GT models also have standard 18-inch alloy wheels, vented disc brakes, upgraded suspension components, and a 3:31:1 rear axle ratio. Visual cues include fog lights embedded into the grille, body-color side mirrors, bright rolled exhaust tips, a decklid spoiler, and cool “5.0” badges to remind you of bygone college days spent cruising campus in your first ratty Mustang 5.0 with Vanilla Ice blaring from crappy 6” x 9” Pioneer speakers. The GT Premium is the same as the V6 Premium, but the convertible models have a cloth rather than vinyl top.

The Mustang V6 and Mustang GT can each be equipped with option packages that improve performance and handling, the former receiving a 3.31 rear axle, Mustang GT suspension, 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, a strut tower brace, and a special stability control system with a sport mode and the latter getting the same Brembo brakes as the Shelby GT500 along with 19-inch alloys and summer performance tires. Additional options include a panoramic glass roof (coupe models), a six-speed automatic transmission, and bigger alloy wheels. A premium Shaker 1000 audio system is also available, along with HID headlights, navigation, dual-zone climate control, a 6-way power front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, and a reversing camera.

In addition to Mustang GT Premium trim specification, the Shelby GT500 features unique styling differences, leather seats with racing stripes and Alcantara inserts, a leather- and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a short-throw shifter with a cue-ball shift knob, an SVT gauge cluster, and aluminum pedals. Perhaps more important, given its role as the premier performance machine in Ford’s lineup, the Shelby also has an aluminum hood, 19-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, Brembo performance brakes and HID headlights. Ford’s MyKey programmable feature technology comes standard, and folding rear headrests are included to help with rear visibility. Options on the Shelby include navigation, dual-zone climate control, the Shaker 1000 audio system and, for the first time, the same glass roof option offered on the V6 and GT models.

Shelby buyers can also select the available SVT Performance Package, which Ford says makes the Shelby race-ready right out of the box. Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G2 summer performance tires, lighter wheels, a higher rear axle ratio, stiffer springs, and unique styling elements set this model apart from other Shelbys.

The Mustang’s new 3.7-liter, all-aluminum, dual overhead cam V6 with variable camshaft timing makes 305 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, 280 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm, and revs to 7,000 rpm. The power is delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, the latter with grade-assist technology that can hold a gear for improved acceleration up hills and greater engine braking on downhill sections of road. Other hardware of note includes a dual exhaust system with a specially tuned performance note, a limited-slip rear differential, and an optional 3.31 rear axle ratio. According to the EPA, the new V6 is rated to get 19 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway with the manual gearbox and 19-mpg city/31-mpg highway with the automatic. No, that data is not transposed. And the V6 boasts 10,000-mile oil change intervals.

Equipped with a new, 32-valve, 5.0-liter V8 engine, the Mustang GT is equipped with 412 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 390 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. Like the V6 engine, the new V8 is an all-aluminum, dual overhead cam motor with variable camshaft timing and 10,000-mile oil change intervals. A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a six-speed automatic transmission is optional, the latter with grade-sensing technology. EPA fuel economy ratings are 17-mpg city/26-mpg highway with the manual and 18-mpg city/25-mpg highway with the automatic.

Shelby GT500s also have a new engine, this one an evolution of the powerplant installed amidships in the limited-production Ford GT. The all-aluminum, supercharged and intercooled, 5.4-liter V8 engine makes 550 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 510 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm burning premium unleaded. A six-speed manual is the only transmission choice on this car, so you’d better know how to operate a clutch. The new engine is 102 pounds lighter, 80 percent of its torque is available between 1,750 and 6,250 rpm, and it gets better gas mileage so that the gas-guzzler tax afflicting previous Shelby GT500s is eliminated. The EPA says the Shelby GT500 will return 15 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. But you’re not going to drive it like the EPA does, are you?

The 2011 Ford Mustang comes with a complete set of standard safety equipment, except for side curtain airbags. New features worth mentioning include the Mustang’s new Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS), which includes software programming called Drift Pull Compensation. This programming helps the driver to better compensate for cross winds and road crowning, making it easier to keep the pony car on its intended bearing. EPAS also reduces vibration, such as that caused by a wheel that’s out of balance or a warped brake rotor, thanks to a feature called Active Nibble Control. But talking about that makes us hungry, so let’s discuss MyKey instead.

MyKey technology is optional on the Mustang, and in our opinion, a must-have feature if young drivers have access to the keys. MyKey allows the owner to program limits for vehicle speed and stereo volume, to deactivate the ability to turn off the traction and stability control system, and to set irritating warning chimes for speed and seatbelt use.

In the event of a crash, it’s good to know that the Mustang is safe. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Mustang Convertible a Good rating in the frontal offset crash test, a Good rating in the side-impact crash test, and a Good rating for rear crash protection. The car did not qualify for a “Top Safety Pick” rating because the IIHS had not assessed a roof crush rating for the Mustang Convertible. The Mustang Coupe’s ratings mirror the Convertible, but side-impact scores are Acceptable rather than Good.

For 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revised the way it tests and scores vehicles, and as this review is written, had not subjected the Mustang to the new testing procedures.

When it comes to quality, JDPower.com predicts that the 2011 Mustang will perform slightly above average for dependability. Consumer Reports agrees, and says the Mustang will return better than average reliability.

Threatened by newcomers like the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, and Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Ford decided to invest a ton of cash into the Mustang during the past two years, and the result is impressive. Last year, styling and interior refinements freshened the car in the face of new competition, but the real improvements come for 2011, with all-new engines and transmissions, and further upgrades for all three Mustang models. There’s never been a more capable, refined, and technically advanced Mustang, despite the continuance of an archaic live rear axle. Add in favorable crashworthiness and reliability indicators, and we think you can’t go wrong with a new Mustang.

By Christian Wardlaw