Entry MSRP falls by $110
While Mustang Nation is up in arms over the likely changes coming to the all-new 2014 model, Blue Oval dealerships are still focused on selling the current one, which is now available with new pricing for the 2013 model year. Ford has managed the MSRPs fairly well, actually lowering the cost of entry for the well-sorted Mustang V6 at the lower end of the spectrum and adding a relatively modest increase—all things considered—of $5,390 to the Ford Shelby GT500 at the upper end.
Read on for the details, but remember, prices do NOT include Ford’s $795 destination charge.
The word “value” gets tossed around plenty when discussing cars, but the Mustang V6 is one of the rare vehicles that truly deserves that description. Already undercutting its muscle-car competition for 2012, Ford has now lowered the starting price of the car by $110—to an MSRP of $22,200—for the new model year. This compares to $23,280 for the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro and a surprisingly stiff $24,995 for the current Dodge Challenger.
Further, although all three now deliver more than 300 hp, the Mustang offers the best power-to-weight ratio and the most torque, and still delivers the best EPA line. The tale of the tape:
Mustang V6—305 hp, 280 lb.-ft of torque, 19 mpg city/31 mpg highway/23 mpg combined, with a curb weight of 3,501 lbs.
Camaro V6—323 hp, 278 lb.-ft. of torque, 17 mpg city/28 mpg highway/20 mpg combined, with a curb weight of 3,780 lbs.
Challenger V6—305 hp, 268 lb.-ft. of torque, 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway/21 mpg combined, with a curb weight of 3,834 lbs.
A few other notable notes: The weights above are for the Mustang and Camaro with six-speed manual transmissions; the latter is actually 10 lbs. lighter with an automatic, but no doubt less fun, too. As for the Challenger, it’s not available with a traditional DIY gearbox, but does offer a five-speed “Auto Stick” that allows for manual gear selection.
The Mustang V6 drop-top drops the same $110 from its MSRP, to start at $27,200.
Further, Ford offers a V6 “Premium” model that gains goodies like a premium Shaker Audio System with six speakers and two subwoofers, the Ford SYNC with AppLink connectivity/infotainment setup, ambient lighting, and assorted up-level accoutrements. The car also gains a $585 increase to its price tag and now comes with an MSRP of $26,895 for the Premium coupe and $31,200 for the Premium convertible.
2013 Ford Mustang GT MSRP Starts at $30,300
Moving up to the Mustang GT, here we find Ford ratcheting up the sticker price by $590, representing a minor bump of under 2 percent. That brings the GT coupe to $30,300 and the GT Convertible to $35,300—reflecting a similar $590 increase. Here, again, a quick comparo against the competition is appropriate:
Mustang GT—420 hp, 390 lb.-ft of torque, 15 mpg city/26 mpg highway/19 mpg combined, with a curb weight of 3,618 lbs.
Camaro SS—426 hp, 420 lb.-ft. of torque, 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway/19 mpg combined, with a curb weight of 3,849 lbs.
Challenger R/T—375 hp, 410 lb.-ft. of torque, 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway/18 mpg combined, with a curb weight north of 4,000 lbs.
Pricing-wise, the Chevy and Dodge bracket the Mustang, with the Camaro SS coming in at $32,280 and the Challenger R/T starting at $29,995.
Ford offers a Premium package to upgrade its GT lineup as well, adding a premium of $4,695 to both the Coupe and Convertible.
2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Stickers from $42,200
The 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 gets a more substantial $1,890 price adjustment—boosting its MSRP by almost 4.7 percent—and will start with an entry price of $42,200. Of course, that doesn’t change the ratio of bang per buck very much, as the Boss 302 is an all-around high-performance machine that outshines cars costing twice that amount.
That’s courtesy of features like a retuned 5.0-liter V8 that now makes 444 hp, Brembo brake components up front, a limited-slip differential with carbon-fiber plates, staggered-width 19-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero rubber and a thoroughly re-engineered suspension—with driver-adjustable shocks and struts—designed to ensure the Boss was the best-handling Mustang ever.
For 2013, the Mustang Boss 302 adds a standard SYNC system, retro “hockey stick” graphics, and a new School Bus Yellow paint scheme for the ultimate Laguna Seca model.
Neither Dodge nor Chevy offers a real rival to the Boss, at least not yet. However, the Camaro will be available in a new 1LE configuration for 2013, and that car will offer a similarly focused approach to high-performance handling at under $40,000.
2013 Ford Shelby GT500—$54,900 and 200 MPH
Yes, the starting price of the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 grows by more than 11 percent to $54,200, but never have so few dollars produced so many mph. On the odd chance you’ve missed it, the new Shelby GT500 has been fitted with the world’s most powerful production V8, capable of 662 hp, 631 lb.-ft. of torque and a top speed above 200 mph. And in unexpected turn of events, the car even manages to be 1 mpg more efficient than the 2012 model in both city and highway driving—in fact, Ford claims it’s the most fuel-efficient car in the country to offer more than 550 horses. The EPA line here: 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway/18 mpg combined.
Frankly, no other modern-day muscle car comes close to those kinds of numbers, but then again, neither do many other modern-day cars period. Even something like the Nissan GT-R, widely acclaimed for its ability to provide supercar-like performance at an “affordable” price tag, costs over $40,000 more than the Shelby. And the Ford still produces 117 more hp and 168 more lb.-ft. of torque.
But let’s take a gander at the range-toppers from Chevy and Dodge anyway: The new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is $795 more expensive than the Shelby GT500, and it’s also down more than 80 horses and 75 lb.-ft. of twist as compared to the Ford. The ZL1 runs out of steam at a mere 184 mph as well—some 16 mph below the Shelby’s top end. The Dodge Challenger SRT8 stickers at a significant six grand under the cost of the Ford, but it only offers 470 hp and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, with a terminal velocity of just 182 mph.
(Oh, and the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible shows the same price increase as the Coupe, and now has an MSRP of $59,200.)