So for those that may have missed it, I traded my 2014 Infiniti Q50 in a year ago for a car I had been casually seeking out for quite a while. Oddly enough a friend and fellow staff member here works for a dealership and I was browsing their inventory one evening and there it was... A 2015 Ford Mustang with the 2.3L Ecoboost and a 6 speed manual, finished in Guard(a Dark Green-Grey) Metallic with black interior and only 31k miles on the clock.
Yes, I know it sounds a bit strange to want non-V8 Mustang but I had my reasons and the special thing about this car was the color. Guard Metallic was a rare color for the Mustang and only came on it certain years. It's a very striking and unique color that I've been a huge fan of since I saw it the first time. Yes, there are plenty of other colors that look great too but this is the one that without a doubt I had to have. I grew up around Mustangs though and have owned 3 prior to this one, so I knew sooner or later I had to have one again.

So outside of the color the other reasons I wanted a manual Ecoboost Mustang was for somewhat practical reasons. I wanted something fun that I could daily drive, that could still get somewhat decent fuel economy. Plus I love the quirks of the 4cyl turbo and the more perfect weight balance you get compared to the V8. You still get 305hp stock, great handling, massive aftermarket support, and great fuel economy(23mpg city and 32mpg hwy).

I had also been fed up with my Q50 from nearly the beginning and really never enjoyed the car much throughout my nearly 4 years of owning it. For an Infiniti, it was boring and bland to drive, it had a lot of issues early on and just never really hit the right buttons to make me enjoy driving it. I have owned numerous Nissan and Infiniti vehicles over the years and this one just never had that magic, or gave me any reason to make it feel special enough to be even remotely attached to it aside from its looks. So when the opportunity arose, I decided to see if we could work out a deal. Everything worked out and about a week later I made the drive to finalize the deal.
Fast forward to now and I've just passed a year of ownership with it and it has been pretty uneventful for the most part. I've run across a few quirks with it here and there such as the Sync Infotainment system and the power windows freaking out once, but all were pretty easy to remedy. Most things have been either routine maintenance or upgrades to the car. So far I've added a Steeda Front Strut Tower Brace, a JLT Tuning Oil Catch Can, and a Radium Engineering PCV Baffle Plate. It already had a Roush Cold Air intake, a Borla Atak Catback exhaust system, and a Ford Performance Tune(which is said to push it to the near 350hp range). So combine all of that and it has been an absolute blast to drive and it honestly exceeded my expectations in the fun department. It's so easy to toss around, has plenty of power everywhere you want it, and is extremely comfortable doing it. It's almost too easy to drive compared to what I'm used to - the transmission and clutch are absolutely perfect, plus hill-start assist feels like a sin to use(but I love it) . The sounds it makes is so off-putting at first, because you expect V8 or V6 sounds but you get turbo sounds, pops and bangs instead. So it gets tons of looks and it really throws V8 guys off when you roll up beside them and take off.

As far as being a daily driver goes though, it really is the most perfect daily I've had in a long time. I wish it were a little easier to fit the kiddos in, but aside from that it's very roomy for me and I'm pretty tall. The truck has a stupid amount of room in it for a coupe. I haven't been able to get it to return less than 22mpg in the city, no matter how hard I beat on it and on the highway I've seen as good as 34mpg. It's extremely mild mannered when you drive it normal and really doesn't get too crazy unless it's wet and you get heavily into boost. Tons of room in the engine bay to access everything too, so about everything you can think of is easy to repair or replace. Oil changes are simple and the filter is actually mounted in a sensible location. All of the controls are easy to reach and it has a decent sound system for a base model. The only things I've found control wise than annoy me is that the stereo controls and cruise control are on the right of the steering wheel, which is super annoying when you're driving a manual and the e-brake handle rests up against your right leg, which will activate the e-brake warning at times. Oh and the interior lightly is lame - one small dual map light at the front of the vehicle and no rear dome light anywhere. So at night the rear is pitch black dark. Other than that, nothing else really to report.

Plenty of future upgrades coming though. In the short term, I'm probably going to add a compact subwoofer, tint the windows, and convert the seats to leather for interior upgrades. Performance wise, short term I'm going to upgrade the intercooler and piping, upgrade to Brembo brakes, upgrade more of the suspension to dial in the handling a little better and maybe go to a better wheel/tire setup. Long term I'll likely focus the most on handling improvements, since I'd like for it to see some light track use here and there. I would like to upgrade the turbo and turn the boost up a little more too at some point, along with upgrading the motor to handle it so I can step up into the 400-450ish hp range reliably.

So considering it's the first time I've daily driven a Ford in about 10 years, I have no complaints so far and highly recommend if you want a fun coupe you can daily drive, that won't break the bank. Well as long as you don't mind ignoring the long list of Mustang stigmas and jokes that come with owning one. The S550(2015 and up) is a massive departure of the crowd mowing Mustangs of the past, but that doesn't mean it won't pull towards the crowd if you decide to drive it like an idiot

I still have the Pathfinder and drive it fairly often too, but 13mpg and about 220 miles per tank of fuel discourages using it more than I need to. It just rolled over 180K miles and still is ticking along just like it did the day I bought it. It could use some attention to the paint and minor rust, but otherwise it still drives awesome and isn't going anywhere. Oh and I have a 92 Ford Ranger too, which is the next incoming project. I was actually seeking out a decent D21 or Frontier, when this Ranger just sorta fell into my lap for basically free. Then of course we still have the family hauler, the 2014 Honda Odyssey - which we just passed two years of ownership on and I could make a complete separate post about how great it has been too. But for now I've rambled on enough, so I'll spare you the boring the details of life with a Honda Odyssey

.......to your Mustang..................(I'M not toasted yet )

Looks like you have found that perfect daily driver. I really do like the S550 mustangs, but the first gens just has a spot in my heart and dream car list.

Would you recommend the S550 as a weekend toy, compared to a Type S or M3? I know the 5.0 is sooo common and pretty much became the norm in my area. And about your Odyssey, I know what you are saying, because my daily is basically on the same platform as the Odyssey. Right now, I am looking at replacing the Timing Belt since the tensioner is failing now at 85k miles. I really do miss that 2016 Rogue.

I'm not sure I'd 100% choose an S550 V8 over an M3/M4, but it all depends on the year of the M and what you're wanting from the car. Definitely over a Type S anything though. A Mustang GT is going to be more raw power, so if you want it to compare to a BMW you want to seek out a GT with the performance pack that comes with Magnetride suspension and Brembo brakes. The Performance Pack takes the handling to a whole new level. A GT can be a handful though regardless if you're not used to them.

Pretty much its either the F80 or G20 for the M3, which are the recent ones (also specifically I am looking at 6MT variant). The older ones are becoming expensive and collectible/highly sought after as of recent. Idea is to be able to take to the track frequently and also on some back roads (Polk County, FL specifically has some amazing driving roads). After all Sebring and Daytona are close to me.

A GT Performance Pack would probably suit that purpose very well. Don't overlook the Camaro 1LE either. Both are serious performers for fun back road driving and occasional track use. The Camaro isn't tall people friendly though, so I have always stayed away from them.

Most people overlook the S550 Ecoboost Performance Pack(basically everything you get with the GT Perf Pack, just Ecoboost powered) too though and it's a lot of car for most people. Same goes for the Turbo 4 or V6 1LE Camaro. The 300hp range is a pretty decent balance for a RWD Coupe. Plus they still have upward potential from there. The V8's can put you in a bad situation real quick if you're not used to driving one. Even mine likes to remind you who's in charge from time to time.