2026 Ford Mustang GT Manual Matches 2009's Fuel Economy

Fuel economy hasn't budged for the manual V8 Mustang in nearly two decades. Jalopnik found that the 2026 Ford Mustang GT with a six-speed manual carries the same EPA ratings as the 2009 model: 15 mpg city, 23 highway, and 18 combined. That's after 17 years of engine development.

Meanwhile, the automatic version did improve. The 2009 Mustang GT with a five-speed automatic was rated 15/22/18 mpg. The 2026 model, now with a 10-speed automatic, is rated 16/24/19 mpg. That's a 1-mpg bump in combined economy.

The Corvette shows a similar pattern. Jalopnik notes that combined fuel economy for base-model Corvettes has stayed at 18 or 19 mpg across the 2004, 2013, 2019, and 2026 model years.

The trade-off: power

Ford's gains went into speed, not fuel saving. The 2009 Mustang GT's 4.6-liter V8 made 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. The 2026 model's 5.0-liter V8 makes 480 hp and 415 lb-ft - a 60 percent increase. Car and Driver numbers cited by Jalopnik show the manual 2009 GT hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds. The 2026 GT does 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and a 12.5-second quarter-mile.

The Corvette story is similar. The 2004 base model's 5.7-liter V8 made 350 hp; the 2026 base model's 6.2-liter V8 makes 490 hp. Quarter-mile times dropped from 13.4 seconds to 11.2 seconds. Fuel economy held flat.

Performance engineers have focused on making these cars faster while holding the line on efficiency. Jalopnik concludes that flat fuel economy across decades is a testament to how much power has climbed without making mileage worse.

• 2026 Mustang GT
• EPA Ratings
• Ford
• Ford Mustang
• fuel economy
• V8 Engines