Gilbert Smith is an automotive journalist with over five years of specialized research and writing experience. Before joining CarBuzz in 2024, he produced in-depth buyer’s guides and feature articles for Vehicle History, focusing on practical insights and detailed automotive analysis.
You get to daily-drive a sporty two-door coupe or convertible in your youth, and again when the kids leave the house, but while you're raising a family, sedans and SUVs are the only cars that make sense, right?
Well, for big families, sure. But, before you go selling your Ford Mustang, it may be worth taking a moment to actually compare specs and see if the iconic pony car is really as impractical as people say.
The Mustang Is Bigger Than It Looks
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The biggest concern you're going to have packing your family into a two-door is going to be space. The 'Stang tops out at four seats, so, admittedly, if you and your spouse have three kids, the coupe is a no-go. But the back row isn't just there for show; it actually does offer enough legroom to keep most passengers comfortable. Here's how all the key dimensions measure in the back seat and trunk of the Ford Mustang Coupe.
- Rear seat headroom - 34.8 inches
- Rear seat hip room - 47.4 inches
- Rear seat leg room - 29 inches
- Rear seat shoulder room - 52.2 inches
- Trunk volume - 13.3 cubic ft.
Obviously, it's not hard to find an SUV that offers more space than this. But if we look at the smaller end of the sports utility spectrum, we find that the difference is marginal in some areas, and even favors the Mustang in others. Take the Hyundai Venue's back row and cargo area, for instance.
- Rear seat headroom - 38.6 inches
- Rear seat hip room - 43.5 inches
- Rear seat leg room - 34.3 inches
- Rear seat shoulder room - 53.7 inches
- Rear cargo volume - 18.7 Cubic ft.
The Venue comes up four inches short in hip room, meaning the Mustang will generate fewer "Mom, he's on my side of the seat again!" arguments. The pony car offers an extra inch and a half from shoulder to shoulder, too.
On the other hand, the Venue takes a clear lead in headroom, and offers five extra inches of leg room, but if you have unusually tall children, that's what the convertible is for.
If nothing else, the Mustang is at least as practical as a Hyundai Venue.
The Mustang Knows How To Chill
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It's not just about elbow room, right? Sports cars tend to be built and tuned for performance. Stiff springs, minimalist interior features, and handling that demands constant attention.
When we last reviewed the current-gen Mustang, for the 2024 model year, we found that the 13.2-inch touchscreen and 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster did a fine job bringing the classic pony car into the modern age, along with keyless entry, remote trunk release, and everything else you've come to expect of a modern car.
More importantly, the Mustang is an easy car to live with from day to day. You can upgrade your Mustang with a performance pack, but the car's standard suspension set-up makes for comfortable cruising on all but the roughest roads. The steering can be set to Comfort mode, with a lighter feel and more power assist, Normal, for daily driving, or Sport, for a more responsive feel.
To be clear, we're not necessarily talking about a supercar here. The 315-horsepower 2026 Ford Mustang EcoBoost starts at just $33,490, cheaper than most SUVs, and it offers a very well-mannered ride, with enough oomph to feel like you're not just driving a boring family car.
The same can't be said for an 815-hp Ford Mustang GTD. But if you have $325,000 to spend on a Mustang, you can probably spend another $30,000 on a Honda CR-V and not have to worry about finding a sports car that fits the whole family.
It's An Affordable Car, And An Affordable Car To Own
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The Mustang is available in a wide range of trims before we start getting into premium sports car territory. For 2026, the following trims are all available at well below six figures.
- EcoBoost Fastback - $33,490
- EcoBoost Premium Fastback - $36,345
- GT Fastback - $47,795
- GT Premium Fastback - $52,075
- Dark Horse - $64,080
- Dark Horse Premium - $69,570
Don't let anyone talk you out of buying an EcoBoost. It hits 60 mph in just over five seconds with no performance upgrades, and it hits the quarter mile in under 14 seconds. It's a real sports car.
But, the GT packs a 5.0-liter V8 that delivers 480 hp through a six-speed manual transmission, and it starts at less than $50,000. You know your budget better than we do, but that is a compelling upgrade at the price.
A Mustang Is Surprisingly Easy To Keep
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According to RepairPal, a Ford Mustang should cost around $709 a year to maintain. CarEdge puts annual insurance at $2,666 for a 40-year-old driver with good credit and a clean record. FuelEconomy.gov sees us paying $2,350 a year to keep an EcoBoost model fueled up, assuming 15,000 miles driven annually, split 45/55 between highway and city driving.
All told, that comes out to an annual ownership cost of $5,725, or just $477 a month, which is very low for a one-car solution.
Using the same sources, an annual ownership estimate for, say, a Chevy Corvette comes out to $7,938. A Porsche 911 can cost around $8,887 a year in ownership costs, as a conservative estimate. Compared to many of its mid-range and premium competitors, a Ford Mustang makes a lot more sense, dollar for dollar.
It's cheaper to own than many mid-size SUVs, for that matter. A rear-wheel drive Ford Explorer, for instance, will cost you around $5,743 in annual ownership expenses, a hair more than you'd be spending on the Mustang.
The Mustang Is Safe And Reliable, Too
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When it comes to a family car, what we're looking for above all else is peace of mind. Is this going to get us where we're going safely? And how much time are we going to be spending in the shop?
The Ford Mustang doesn't hold a Top Safety Pick award with the IIHS, but it scored a Good rating in most categories in its last complete crash test, for 2023.
- Small overlap front, driver side - Acceptable
- Moderate overlap front, original test - Good
- Roof strength - Good
- Head restraints & seats - Good
- LATCH ease of use - Marginal
Additionally, the 2026 model holds a perfect scorecard with the NHTSA.
- Overall Safety Rating - 5/5 Stars
- Frontal Crash - 5/5 Stars
- Side Crash - 5/5 Stars
- Rollover - 5/5 Stars
Ford has had some embarrassing recalls lately, but the 2026 Mustang holds an 85/100 rating in Quality & Reliability with JD Power. That's better than a 2026 Toyota RAV4, at 79/100.
If you've seen a lot of clunkers wearing the pony emblem, remember that these are some of the most modified, and most frequently redlined cars in the world. If you're buying new, or buying something you can verify hasn't been tuned, all you need to worry about is routine maintenance.
You Might Be Waiting A While For Used Prices To Come Down
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There are some second-hand deals to be found out there, but our price tracking tool currently sees a 2021 Mustang EcoBoost Coupe trending at $29,500, a couple thousand dollars above MSRP.A big part of the Mustang's appeal is its low entry-level sticker price. If you're looking to buy used, you should be hunting down a classic or a performance model. A 2022 Mustang GT Premium Fastback, for instance, is currently trending at $28,500 from an MSRP of $28,045. There's almost no point in buying a three- or five-year-old EcoBoost, but you can save some money on a slightly used GT if you shop around.
If you're looking for an affordable, practical family car, our advice is to look at new EcoBoost and GT models, take one for a test drive with the kids in tow, and see if it suits your needs.
Sources: Ford, RepairPal, CarEdge, FuelEconomy.gov, NHTSA, IIHS.