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Famous car YouTube channel abandons 2024 Ford Mustang GT after just seven months

After more than half a year of ownership, a popular car YouTube channel showcasing a 2024 Ford Mustang GT (S650) is selling it back to the dealer “where” it came from. This pony has participated in more drag races than most Mustangs will see in their entire lives, but now it's time to part ways. But not before laying out everything the drivers have learned after driving it for more than 4,000 miles.

Just over seven months ago, the owners got a great deal on this '24 Ford Mustang GT at a Colorado dealership, snagging it for $42,000 with 15.4 miles or 24.8 kilometers on the clock. At the time, the go-ahead price was around $47,000. A brand-new 2025 S650 Stang with the same specs is estimated to cost $49,345.

Moral of the story: Go hunting for high-performance rear-wheel drive sports or muscle cars around January or February, when dealers are trying to get rid of their excess inventory.

This 2024 S650 is equipped with the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine that produces 480 horsepower and 560 Nm of torque, but it also has the Active Valve Performance Exhaust GT for $1,225 that produces six more horsepower, up to 486 hp. It also comes with the $1,595 10-speed automatic transmission, which outshines the manual transmission ten times out of ten, as the guys at The Fast Lane Car proved a while back.

One of the most interesting statements from Tommy from TFL was when he described it as “Coyote V8 shipping box,“That means you're not buying the car because it's a Mustang.”What you are really buying here is an engine attached to a Mustang,” he concluded.

Ford Mustang GT (2024)

Photo: The Fast Lane Car YT

During its time with the crew, the Ford sports car pitted its “little” V8 heart against formidable opponents such as the Volkswagen Golf R, Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type R and even a BMW i8, proving it could handle anything the competition threw at it. Tommy says the ride feels comfortable thanks to the soft suspension, which is great for an occasional drive. While it doesn't feel at home on canyon roads, it's a great everyday car.

As for the interior, the dual displays are a matter of choice. Some prefer the classic analog look, while others prefer a modern tablet behind the wheel. You'd think automakers would offer both options to increase sales, but that's just the way it is.

The rest of the interior isn't what rich people would call fancy, with lots of hard plastics throughout the cockpit. However, the Premium package tries to solve some of these problems, although it doesn't magically transform into a 2026 Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series with coffee bean-treated seat fabrics.

Storage space is adequate compared to other sports cars, especially those with a hatchback shape, and the fold-down rear seats will even let you stash something for that shed project you've been working on for months. The rear seats, however, are a different story in terms of space and comfort. They can accommodate a child-sized person, but if you're at least 5'8″ tall, your head will probably hit the rear window. And that's without even mentioning the legroom, or lack thereof.

If we talk about fuel economy, the gas cap recommends 87, and if you treat it right on a road trip, you can even go up to 454.1 miles or 730.8 kilometers on a single tank of gas. In other words, you can get 30.6 mpg or 7.7 l/100 km, which is worth a standing ovation for a 5.0-liter muscle car with 486 horsepower.

Ford Mustang GT (2024)

Photo: The Fast Lane Car YT

As a completely irrelevant comparison, a Ford Shelby GT500 (model year 2020) has a fuel economy of 13.6 mpg or 17.30 l/100 km after 26,513 miles or 42,668 kilometers. The longest trip it has ever made on a single tank of gas was 314.5 miles or 506 kilometers. If you take it to the race track, it can consume a whopping 4.5 mpg or 52.26 liters per 100 kilometers in just 30 minutes or 60 miles (96.5 km). With that in mind, one cannot help but wonder what the 800-horsepower, supercharged V8 Ford Mustang GTD has to offer.

Aside from the mighty Coyote V8, the active exhaust system sounds fantastic, or incredibly loud if you select the “Track” exhaust mode in the menu. You can also experiment with “Quiet,” “Normal,” and “Sport” modes. At one point the guys at TFL tried the “Quiet” setting, but it definitely wasn't a “Silent Night” Christmas carol.

Although the team loved the car, they sold it back to the dealer after over 4,300 miles (6,920 km) for $37,000. In other words, aside from gas, tires, service bills and other maintenance costs, they borrowed it for seven months for $5,000.

Although Tommy fell in love with it and doesn't want to give it up, the Mustang GT seems to have been forcibly but honorably retired from their YouTube career because they've done pretty much everything they can with it as part of their activities. That could mean the $37,000 could be spent on a new “mascot” that we've never seen drag race on their channel. Or, who knows, maybe they'll start buying older examples for a third of the price just for fun.

As for the issues during the seven-month ownership period, there is apparently an annoying rattle in the rear end, but that is no longer their problem. Ultimately, the 2024 Ford Mustang GT proves to be a great daily driver, although $40,000-$45,000 doesn't grow on trees. Love it or hate it, it is one of the last remaining nameplates of the ICE Muscle car series.

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