Ford Mustang GT Convertible 2025 Review

As time passed and prices rose during the delayed wait for the local arrival of the seventh-gen Mustang (it was originally planned for a local launch in late 2023), no one was really surprised when the final pricing stretched well beyond that of the sixth-generation model.

Starting at $64,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs) for the four-cylinder EcoBoost coupe and topping out at $86,752 for the V8-powered GT convertible variant reviewed here, the revised Mustang, with its subtly shaped front and rear styling and contemporary digitised dash, is pricier across the current lineup by $10,000 or so over outgoing 2022 model-year sixth-gen examples.

At the end of 2024, the Mustang played an almost incidental role as Ford’s seventh-best seller, ahead of the Mustang-badged Mach-E all-electric sedan but behind a whole raft of commercially oriented Fords including Ranger and F-150 utes, and light and heavy-duty Transit vans.

To put the Mustang’s role within Ford Australia into perspective, the 4x4 Ranger ute currently outsells it by a ratio of more than 50:1.

Its market competitors in the sub-$80,000 sports car category are a varied mix, but the Mustang last year outsold them all. Only one – the twin-turbo V6 Nissan Z Nismo – is a big-banger, the rest of the field comprising four-cylinder offerings such as the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, Mazda MX-5 and MINI cabriolet.

It’s only in the $80,000-plus segment that the Mustang finds real competition. This includes BMW’s 4-series coupe/convertible, Toyota’s BMW Z4-based Supra and – if you can afford it – the mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette Stingray which rates as a bona fide supercar opening bidding at $182,000 plus ORCs and stretching a lot higher depending on the buyer’s resources.

The Mustang progresses from sixth to seventh generation with well-considered upgrades that include a fully-digitised dash on a super-wide 13.2-inch screen, Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker audio, LED headlights (self-dipping), and familiar features such as puddle lamps, heating for the steering wheel and (ventilated) front seats, power seat adjustment for everything but the backrests, two-zone climate control, a voguish flat-bottom steering wheel, and an electronic brake lever that introduces a drift mode into the Mustang’s performance repertoire.

The Mustang’s warranty covers five years and/or unlimited kilometres and, providing it’s serviced at an authorised Ford dealership, roadside assist remains reassuringly available for seven years.

Servicing is scheduled at 12-month or 15,000km intervals, the first four workshop visits fixed at $379 each.

Mustang safety ratings have long been an issue at Ford.

The sixth-generation version of the Mustang in Australia started in 2016 with a dismal two-star rating but was upped to three stars in 2018, when it gained autonomous emergency braking and lane-keep assist, and the deployment of its airbag system was improved.

The current generation’s lineup of safety tech is nevertheless comprehensive. It includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse (operating at low and high speeds in a forward direction), lane-departure warning with lane-centring and lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with active assist, rear cross-traffic alert, post-collision braking and road sign recognition. A crisp and clear rear-view monitor is also part of the safety tech, but it’s only informed by a single camera and there’s no mention of the increasingly familiar driver attention detection technology.

The seventh-gen Mustang is yet to be tested by ANCAP to determine a star rating.

The seventh-gen Mustang comes with inbuilt GPS, wireless phone charging with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a dominating 13.2-inch customisable multi-mode, multi-colour digital instrument cluster (that promotes the Mustang’s heritage via such things as bar graph-style tacho readouts and a traditional twin-dial analogue display), tyre-pressure monitoring and an electronic park brake with the aforementioned new drift mode.

The normally aspirated five-litre Coyote V8 is an essential part of the Mustang’s primary (primal?) essence. It produces a little more power than before (347kW at 7250rpm compared to 339kW at 7000rpm) and, with 550Nm at 4850rpm, a little less torque than the sixth-gen model, which was previously quoted at 556Nm at 4600rpm. It offers the driver – via an active-valve exhaust – the chance to experience a range of various rousing mechanical concertos.

The two available transmissions include a six-speed auto that is available in coupe versions as an alternative to the 10-speed auto that is standard elsewhere in the current range. The convertible is available only in GT V8 form and only with the auto gearbox.

Ford’s official combined fuel consumption figure for the Mustang GT convertible is 12.8L/100km – exactly the same as the V8 coupe and microscopically higher than the previous sixth-gen Mustang GT coupe, which claimed 12.7L/100km. The Coyote V8 also demands 98 RON fuel.

Our review GT convertible, over a week of driving in varying circumstances, was generally a little better than that, though not by much. The official CO2 output, 293g/km, verges on frightening for the eco-conscious.

With selectable modes that enable the driver to control – to some degree – the steering feel, throttle response and exhaust sound, the seventh-generation convertible delivers a full-blooded Mustang experience.

The aspirated 5.0-litre V8’s power/torque outputs have been fiddled a bit, but the Mustang’s tendency to take a little time gathering its full performance potential still remains. Although not many fans will decry its claimed 4.5-second zero to 100km/h time, or its theatrical bellowing at full steam.

If you are stepping, say, from something like a common-variety mid-size SUV, there’s an initial awareness of the Mustang’s weighty steering. It can be adjusted to a certain degree via the various drive modes but always remains steadfastly solid and, at 2.3 turns from lock to lock, quite quick.

The asymmetric wheel-tyre combination comprises Pirelli P Zero tyres measuring 255/40R19 at the front and 275/40R19s at the back and helps with the Mac strut/multilink suspension’s outright road grip and front/rear stability balance. There is, however, always a latent awareness of the over-quick transition to oversteer during at-the-limit cornering that affected the first of the sixth-gen Mustangs.

There’s comfort to be found in the full Brembo brake package with six-piston calipers at the front and four pistons at the rear. The system takes full care of the Mustang’s ability to quickly acquire high road speeds.

The convertible’s weight, which is barely any more than the coupe at 1881kg, can be felt too, but despite some reminders of its slightly compromised roofless torsional strength, it feels solid and generally flex-free on the road. The ride is well-damped and pretty comfortable for a muscle car.

The Mustang GT convertible’s sleek, powered soft-top lowers in around 10 seconds and is well-sealed against wind noise at highway speeds.

Nominally a four-passenger two-door, the Mustang convertible and coupe are realistically 2+2s. Space can be found for two adults in the back seats, but not much, and the entry process is ponderously slow and awkward. As the powered front seats need to be moved fully (and slowly) forward if there’s to be any hope of folding the backrest to enable rear-seat access, there’s a bit of a wait.

The part-leather front seats are generously sized, cosy and grippy and there’s enough head, leg and shoulder room for adults. Fixed-height electric lumbar adjustment is also part of the package.

Remembering that boot space is compromised when the Mustang convertible’s roof is folded, the substitution of a spare wheel with a tyre inflator kit is a trade-off that allows for a decent supply of usable luggage room.

Given that the Mustang GT convertible really has few direct competitors in terms of driveline format, utility and performance capabilities, it’s little wonder that its outright sales consistently lead the sub-$80,000 sports car segment.

Sure, it’s more expensive than it was in the past, but this needs to be seen in the context of little else being out there that provides a similar mix of capabilities.

The Ford Mustang is a dual-personality muscle car that can be used for everyday chores while also having the potential to acquit itself well in a racetrack environment. Other sports cars that come close are either too singularly focussed, can’t take more than two passengers, or are significantly more expensive.

Even though its base formula remains essentially unchanged, the Ford Mustang continues as a deserving winner in an increasingly hard-to-define market niche.

2025 Ford Mustang GT convertible at a glance:
Price: $86,752 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 5.0-litre V8 petrol
Output: 347kW/550Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.8L/100km
CO2: 293g/km
Safety rating: Not tested

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