2019 Ford Mustang Reviews, Pricing & Specs

“Look and Feel” is a great way to put it. The Bullitt looks like a Mustang, but better. It feels like a Mustang, but better. It goes and sounds like a Mustang, but better. Anything you like about a Mustang, this does better, and it even takes care of some of the things you don’t like. For instance, are you reluctant to pull the trigger on a new Ford Mustang because you’re sure you’ll see another one on every block? This is a great way to add some exclusivity and unique flair to your ride. The front end changes are transformative, with the blacked-out, chrome-trimmed grille and no pony logo taking up any of that delicious void. I had many people asking me over the week of testing, “What is that?” with some adding, “I thought it was a Mustang, but something’s… different.” Job done.

Beyond that, you’re not really going to feel the difference here, not with regard to speed anyway. Twenty horsepower sounds like a lot, but in a car that’s already sporting a claimed 460 hp (a number that’s almost certainly downplayed for a variety of reasons), that 4% boost isn’t really enough to feel anything other than superior to any Mustang with 20 hp less than you. Still, power is power, and I’ll take it. You can also rest easy knowing your Bullitt will top out at 262 kilometres per hour—12 more than the regular Ford Mustang GT coupe.

To make the Bullitt, Ford took the model year 2019 Ford Mustang GT fastback with the Performance Package—which adds larger brakes, Michelin Pilot Sports, suspension tuning in the form of stiffer front springs and a thicker rear anti-roll bar, an upgraded radiator, and a more aggressive differential ratio—and adds all the changes listed above. That means the starting price for the Bullitt in Canada is $57,265, quite a jump from the standard GT’s $40,289, even if you add the Performance Pack. My Bullitt was also fitted with the Bullitt Electronics Package that got it the blind-spot monitoring safety feature, a Bang & Olufsen stereo, a driver memory system, and voice-activated touchscreen navigation. Additionally, because the Bullitt comes standard with the Performance Pack, the MagneRide dampers are an available option and were included in my test example.

With a nearly 500-hp V8 engine (there’s no four-cylinder turbo engine from the Ford Mustang EcoBoost to be found here), adaptive dampers, and a six-speed manual, you’re going to have some fun. Sixty miles per hour will arrive in just over four seconds (0 to 100 km/h figures are not available), and as you climb up toward the car's 7,400-rpm redline, you’ll be treated to a raucous symphony of violence both front and back that’ll deliver you in style to the end of the quarter-mile in about 12.5 seconds. That’s quick enough to get some attention.

But don’t expect a plush rear-wheel drive (RWD) ride here. Even with the adaptive dampers, things were quite stiff in the Bullitt. Given this edition is more about style than all-out performance, I would’ve been happy with a slightly more sedate suspension tune, but the ability to flick out that rear end at will and hold it to your heart’s content is a more-than-acceptable tradeoff in my opinion.

The six-speed transmission is complimented by a more aggressive rear end that never leaves you wanting for more torque, and an extremely forgiving clutch paired with rev-matching for downshifts and hill-holding means anyone can hop in the Bullitt and drive away. That’s a very good thing, as the Bullitt is available only with a six-speed manual transmission, while the 10-speed automatic transmission offered on other Mustang models is not available. And with a 5.6-metre (18.5-foot) turning radius, it’s not a total pain to drive on the street, either.

I’m sure that if you’re considering the Bullitt, fuel economy isn’t very high on your list of priorities, but the Bullitt doesn’t do terribly here considering its powertrain. Estimates of 16.1 litres per 100 kilometre in the city and 9.9 on the highway won’t win you any awards from Greenpeace, but they're pretty impressive regardless. Even better, those numbers are actually achievable. If you’re really giving it the beans, expect those numbers to stay well into the double digits, but in regular spirited driving with some weekend trips down the coast tossed in for good measure, those estimates are easy goals to reach. That means your wallet won’t be crying all the way to your local track, where you can then drop the Bullitt into one of several performance driving modes, including ones specifically designed for the drag strip and road courses.

The Bullitt’s function is to look good, sound mean, and be fast. All three of those boxes are checked with authority in the best possible way. If you’re hoping to haul adults around in comfort in both the front seats (available as Recaros) and the rear seats, or swing by your local DIY store for the supplies to hang drywall in your new addition, you’ll be disappointed with the car's 382 litres of storage. As it stands, the Bullitt delivers everything it promises in spades.

The big disappointment here is the same as with every Mustang. All the aesthetic enhancements inside are gorgeous, but they still don’t fully mask some of the cheap plastics and sloppy fitment you can encounter behind the wheel. With more than a half-century’s worth of heritage behind it, the Mustang just deserves better. With a price tag that pushes 60 grand, the Bullitt demands it. Ford, it’s just time to do better.

The Mustang used to be the Luddite of the automotive world, hanging onto tech relics like carburetion, pushrod engines, and live rear axles long after the rest of the industry had already gone through several generations of technological evolution. But that’s no longer the case. The Bullitt's engine is modern, its suspension is modern (and optionally adaptive), and its rear is independent. More than that, you can choose your personality profile in your Mustang these days, with selectable drive modes that vary from slightly sedate to vaguely violent.

Mess with the screens behind the wheel, and you’ll find features like line-lock to allow you to warm up your tires at will, track timers, drag mode, and unique gauge layouts to complement each. It’s a long way from your father’s (or likely your grandfather’s at this point) Mustang, and it means America’s true pony car is more versatile than ever. Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a rearview camera are standard, and with the Bullitt Electronics package, you get the aforementioned blind-spot monitoring, upgraded 12-speaker stereo, and voice-activated navigation system, and everyone gets the newest version of Sync 3 infotainment, though I’d still recommend using the standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. They’re just better systems, overall. If you’ll take a bit of advice, keep the interface in “Night” mode, as that just matches the interior much more pleasantly than the bright “Day” colours.

You want to talk cost-effectiveness in a nearly-60-grand V8 sports car? Okay. Breaking it down, the base GT Mustang starts at $40,289, and the Premium upon which the Bullitt is based is $47,525. The Bullitt starts at $57,625 and includes many features as standard that are optional on the GT Premium. Back in 2001, my dad drove off the lot with a Bullitt for just under 27 grand US (that’s about $36,500 Canadian in today’s money, as much as it’s an imperfect conversion).

Now to be fair, Dad’s Bullitt didn’t have an independent rear suspension, magnetic dampers, or nearly 500 horsepower, not to mention multiple drive modes (including one for track and strip), navigation, or all the safety systems. If you’re okay with the regular GT’s price and would spring for the many upgrades, the Bullitt’s extra 10 grand seems well worth the money for the style alone, not to mention the added performance, but I still can’t pretend this is a cost-effective endeavour.

Note: Images and video show a US model.