How to Reason With Your Parents to Consider Buying You a 2023 Ford Mustang
With the watch-me-while-I-dance-on-Tik-Tok generation obsessed with the brilliant vagueness of Tesla, the Ford Mustang seems to have taken a back seat in youthful popularity. Couple that with the seemingly endless supply of post-pubescent-piloted pony cars into stationary objects via torque steer, and it isn’t surprising that those who want one are discouraged. But if you’re a few years into the teenage blues, you’re in luck. Here’s how to get your parents to buy you a 2023 Ford Mustang with reason.
The 2023 Ford Mustang has a reasonable base price
Don’t think you’ll be convincing your parents that you’ll be the one not to peel out leaving a Cars & Coffee event. Let’s be honest, the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 is out of the question, but your parents will save roughly $11,000 and you from embarrassment. Ford’s base sports car is the EcoBoost Fastback, fetching a $27,770 MSRP.
Not long ago, driving a base V6 Mustang in a small town commanded by obnoxious V8s was slightly shameful. And that’s unfortunate because the V6 had lighter subframes and technically handled better. Indeed it was suitable for the average young teenage girl out having fun with her friends or driving to Younglife, but not for her varsity football boyfriend who spent a suspiciously long time grunting in the mirror before kickoff. Psychological repression aside, things have changed with the entry-level Mustang, and it’s far faster than your uncle’s pre-Y2K SN95.
Exciting performance mated with great gas mileage
The 2023 Ford Mustang is no slouch, even with the four-cylinder base engine. With three bills of horsepower and torque, it’ll snap a speedo in just over five seconds. So, you can pretend you’re as fast and furious as Mr. no-crust tuna sandwich Brian O’Connor from that now-classic car movie.
| Engine | 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged I4 |
| Transmission | Six-speed manual or 10-speed SelectShift automatic |
| HP | 310 |
| Torque (lb-ft) | 350 |
Although you’ll be able to sneak away to the school parking lot on the weekend and squeal tires, your parents can take solace in the fact that it won’t cost them much gas. And the fuel-sippin’ ‘stang will help you if you’re paying for fuel yourself, even if you aren’t lucky enough to pull in the big bucks by working at Chick-fil-a after class.
| Transmission type | City fuel economy | Highway fuel economy | Combined fuel economy |
| Six-speed manual | 21 mpg | 29 mpg | 24 mpg |
| 10-speed auto | 22 mpg | 32 mpg | 25 mpg |
The EPA also indicates that selecting the convertible variant will drop fuel efficiency, but not much. The loss is two mpg for the automatic configuration and one mpg for the stick-shift in the combined fuel economy figure.
Impressive standard safety features
Safety features are something most Ford Mustang owners put at a lower priority than the engine, transmission, cupholders, and whether it has AM radio and a cigarette lighter. It’s only when the front of that Coyote V8 is buried in someone’s retaining wall that they thank their lucky stars Ford was looking out for them.
Standard on all 2023 Ford Mustangs is Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology, the latest and greatest driver’s safety assistance suite from the Detroit giant. For under $30,000, potential buyers will have the following:
- AdvanceTrac with electronic stability control
- Automatic high-beam headlights
- Blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alert
- Front seat belt reminder
- Lane-keep assist
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
- Pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking
- Rain-sensing windshield wipers
- Rearview camera
- SOS post-crash alert system
- SYNC
- Tire pressure monitoring system
For the higher-priced trim levels, more advanced features are included. While they aren’t stock on the base EcoBoost Fastback, the following are optional extras:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Reverse sensing system
- SYNC3
- Unique stability control
Nevertheless, each trim level is backed by a five-star crashworthiness rating from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. As well, the 2023 Ford Mustang still has a cigarette lighter but also two USB ports to charge your vape pen. And if you think your parents don’t know, they do. At least your dad does; after all, he was ripping heaters to Sum 41 in his Foxbody a quarter-century ago.
The 2023 Ford Mustang will provide less annoying ownership
There will be times when your 2023 Ford Mustang will need servicing. However, if both your parents work and they don’t trust those older friends you’ve made at Coachella to drive you to the mechanic, Ford will pick the car up and deliver the coupe back to your driveway. Therefore, parents don’t have to waste time driving back and forth because their child didn’t know the oil needed to be changed or what oil was in the first place.
Ford says their service is available at limited dealerships. However, it’s worthwhile if your area supports it. The dealership will also provide a loaner vehicle based on availability, so you don’t have to drive your mom’s minivan to the mall.
Losing keys is another part of adolescence that grinds the gears of stressed parents. Again, Ford is there to help. The base 2023 Ford Mustang features FordPass, allowing drivers to lock and unlock the doors and start and drive the vehicle. So, the next time you lose your keys at a friend’s late-night party, you won’t have to call your parents at home, even if they’re already awake and waiting for you to check those busted battery packs that smell funny.
