Ford Mustang vs Nissan Z

The 2024 Ford Mustang received a style refresh with a reworking of almost every body panel. Its front end featured a larger grille and narrower headlights, giving it an aggressive face that appeared more upright, as if it were charging headfirst into the wind rather than slicing through it. The profile maintained the classic long hood and shorter tail, but with a more angular and pronounced rear fender flare. The most distinctive exterior trait became the sharply angled fascia and taillights at the back, created by a deep-cut bevel. These subtle changes added a touch of seriousness to the Mustang's overall impression and were seen as a positive tweak.

Inside, the Mustang's interior underwent a significant makeover, transitioning from the traditional dual-cowl dashboard to a more modern look, highlighted by a striking glass panel that enclosed the digital instrument panel and the infotainment touchscreen. The middle of the dash had a cleaner appearance with physical climate controls now moved to the infotainment screen. Other interior elements such as the center console and doors were quite similar to previous Mustangs, but the quality of materials improved, replacing hard plastic surfaces with lightly padded sections that gave the cabin an upmarket feel.

The 2024 Nissan Z, carrying over the strong retro vibes from its 2023 redesign, looked like a modern tribute to the original Datsun 240Z. It featured a rectangular grille and round LED headlights housed in a streamlined front end, a long hood, and a sawed-off rear end. The LED taillights paid homage to the Z32-generation Nissan 300ZX. However, some design elements unintentionally echoed its predecessor, the 370Z, owing to the use of a modified version of the old body shell. Despite these carryover elements, the updated front and rear styling blended well, although there were no plans for a convertible version.

The Z NISMO variant featured model-specific styling such as the elongated “Grand-Nose” and smoother edges around the grille compared to the standard Z. It also boasted canards at the corners of the front fascia, a new rear spoiler, a reshaped rear bumper, and red accent striping around the perimeter for optimal aerodynamic properties. Additionally, Performance and NISMO grades came with staggered Rays wheels, Bridgestone and Dunlop tires respectively, and various aerodynamic enhancements to improve airflow and stability.

Inside, the Nissan Z was designed to be all business. The interior featured a digital instrument cluster, an infotainment touchscreen, and a trio of round gauges tightly packed around the driver. The NISMO models included a few red trim bits and standard Recaro seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara.

The 2024 Ford Mustang featured an entry-level EcoBoost 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an output of 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. This engine represented a 5-horsepower gain over the previous model and came paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels.

For a more authentic muscle car experience, the Mustang GT came with a Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 480 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. This engine reached 486 hp and 418 lb-ft with the optional Active Exhaust system. The GT came standard with a six-speed manual transmission, with the 10-speed automatic as an option, and also featured RWD. At the top of the performance range, the Dark Horse variant offered 500 hp alongside several other performance enhancements.

While the four-cylinder EcoBoost's acceleration wasn’t as explosive as the V8 GT, it was more than adequate for an average driver, expected to reach 60 mph in about 5 seconds. The GT, on the other hand, could potentially cut that time by at least half a second, offering a much more inspiring powertrain choice. The manual transmission with rev matching enabled better driver engagement and was easy to operate, making smooth getaways simple even in heavy traffic. The optional High Performance package for the EcoBoost enhanced handling and included a Torsen limited-slip differential, stickier and larger tires, upgraded Brembo brake calipers, and improved steering feel.

The GT provided abundant power from idle to redline and a glorious soundtrack throughout. The EcoBoost also delivered an unexpectedly deep baritone sound for a four-cylinder engine. Both engines exhibited loudness typical for muscle cars, which could become taxing in sport mode. Mustangs balanced performance and comfort effectively, with a well-rounded suspension providing compliance alongside handling prowess. The available MagneRide adaptive suspension offered a broader range of settings, though the difference between Sport and Normal modes was subtle.

A new Electronic Drift Brake feature added to the Performance package enabled lock-up of the rear wheels for drifting, a fun novelty strictly for controlled conditions. Overall, the 2024 Mustang didn’t introduce groundbreaking advancements but maintained its standing as a top athlete in its class.

The 2024 Nissan Z, powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 similar to the Infiniti Q50 sedan's, produced 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque in the Sport and Performance models. Both came with either a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic transmission, the latter featuring paddle shifters and launch control.

The Z NISMO brought this engine up to 420 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque through improved engine cooling, revised electronic wastegate control, and an independent ignition spark timing borrowed from the GT-R NISMO. Unlike other trims, the NISMO only came with a specially tuned nine-speed automatic transmission, with revised clutch packs promising quicker downshifts.

NISMO upgrades included a Sport+ driving mode, unique stabilizer bars and dampers, larger front and rear brake rotors, and a stiffer structure for improved handling. The interior featured comfortable Recaro buckets and noise-cancelling for a somewhat quiet ride. Even in Sport+ mode, the NISMO was suitable for road use, keeping the engine and transmission's sharp reflexes without sacrificing too much comfort.

On a track, the Z NISMO's extra horsepower, torque, and braking prowess became more apparent, instilling confidence with its upgraded suspension and grippy tires. It maintained stability and eager cornering while absorbing hard braking zones without faltering. The NISMO was also quite comfortable on road drives, managing a balance between sportiness and everyday usability.

The 2024 Ford Mustang's front seats were accommodating to larger occupants, offering ample cushioning for long distances, and the cooling feature was highly effective. Conversely, the cramped rear seats were more suited for cargo overflow than passengers but could work for short trips.

The convertible top operated with ease, deploying and folding quickly to deliver a classic open-air experience. The Mustang Convertible offered 10.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity, while the Fastback provided up to 13.3 cubic feet, sufficient for a weekend getaway. However, small personal item storage in the Mustang was fairly limited with average-sized cupholders, door pockets, and a small center bin. A rubberized tray with an available wireless charging pad helped keep phones secure.

The 2024 Nissan Z, as a two-seat sports car, wasn’t high on practicality. While it offered similar headroom and legroom to its rival Toyota Supra, taller drivers might struggle to find a comfortable position. Medium-height drivers, however, found it easy to get comfortable, even with a helmet on.

The Z offered minimal onboard storage. Specific cargo space figures weren't provided, but the small, shallow cargo area was somewhat mitigated by a rear hatch that made loading easier. Inside, the Z had a proper phone storage area, a small glovebox, a covered spot between the seats for USB cables, and cupholders.

The 2024 Mustang featured a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument cluster, with base models having two separate screens and Premium models combined in a single enclosure. The Sync 4 system had sharp graphics, a logical menu structure, and generally easy-to-use climate controls integrated into the screen. A physical volume knob and a button for performance features added a useful tactile element to the Mustang’s tech setup. Customizable gauge cluster themes included a nostalgic nod to the Fox-body Mustangs of the 1980s.

Standard tech features across all Mustangs included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa integration, and a Wi-Fi hotspot with remote monitoring capabilities. An optional navigation system and a premium 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system were available.

For the Nissan Z, base models featured an 8-inch touchscreen, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB ports, and a Nissan-branded six-speaker audio system. Performance and NISMO models upgraded to a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, and an eight-speaker Bose audio system with noise cancellation.

The touchscreen and instrument cluster had a functional white-on-black theme in line with recent Nissan models, focusing on driving with easy-to-read text at a glance. NISMO models included a red-ringed virtual tachometer and subtle startup animation as exclusive touches. The instrument cluster displayed large, clear tach and speedometer readings along with a gear indicator.

Crash test results for the 2024 Ford Mustang weren’t available, but the previous generation earned five stars from the NHTSA and mostly "Good" ratings from the IIHS, with an "Acceptable" rating in the driver-side small overlap test.

Standard safety features for the Mustang included frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic high beams. Optional features included adaptive cruise control and a safe passenger exit warning.

For the 2024 Nissan Z, safety ratings weren’t available from the IIHS or NHTSA due to the model’s low volume. However, it came with standard driver-assist features including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and forward collision warning.