I’m going on a road trip in Utah in late October and I’m looking for a manual car on Turo. I had a lot of fun driving a Civic Type R on the Blue Ridge Parkway in April, but I can’t find many options in Utah. However, I see a lot of convertible Mustangs (EcoBoost) available for a good price.
I’ve never driven a Mustang before, but I’ve seen videos of people speeding and crashing. I really liked how the Civic Type R handled curves and hugged the road. How do Mustangs handle curves? Is it a good idea to rent one if I’ve never driven it before? I want to drive on some winding roads in Utah.
I totally agree. I love my car for solo road trips. With adaptive cruise control, I can just set it to 10 mph over the limit in speed trap areas and relax while it maintains pace with the car in front of me.
It’s surprisingly comfortable too; even with the performance package, the ride never feels jarring.
I used to work for a company about a seven-hour drive away and stopped booking flights in favor of driving for on-site visits. I really miss that since I left about a year ago. But, that’s life.
My car has regular cruise control that I’ve never used because I don’t trust computers. I’d prefer an accelerator cable (which mine sadly lacks), a physical brake pedal (which it has), and a real steering column (also included).
I absolutely refuse to drive a car with an internet connection; never going to happen.
Apologies for the tangent.
I make the drive from Northern Virginia to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for a vacation every couple of years. I absolutely love it. It’s a comfortable 8-hour journey, especially since speed limits are mostly ignored in the Carolinas.
Most of the videos you see online come from teenagers with their first cars boasting over 400 HP, often left unsupervised. The newer Mustangs (S550/2015+) handle really well, and even the older models are quite decent. An EcoBoost convertible makes for an excellent road trip rental, especially if you don’t need a lot of extra space and are traveling with just one passenger.
As long as snow isn’t in the forecast, you’ll have a great time. Just keep the assist on and avoid stomping on the gas if the steering wheel isn’t straight; you’ll be fine.
If snow is expected, though, I’d recommend considering a different option. With Turo, you can’t always rely on the quality of their tires.
That said, snow won’t necessarily be a disaster; you just need to be more cautious. If the tires are poor, it will make for a slow journey. If they have decent all-weather or winter tires, there’s a driving mode for wet or snowy conditions that limits throttle response, helping you avoid over-accelerating. You might also want to add some heavy items in the trunk to put extra weight on the wheels.
Visiting from abroad. I rented a Mustang for a road trip through Joshua Tree National Park, and it was fantastic. I managed to avoid hitting a single tree.
I’ve been driving a manual Mustang every day since I was 19 in Ohio. Now at 36, I’m planning to get another one before they stop making V8s and change the car for the worse. They’re so much fun on road trips, as long as you don’t need a bigger backseat.
I recently rented an EcoBoost convertible in Florida and took it all the way to Key West. It performed well on gas, had good acceleration, and offered solid braking. However, I didn’t encounter many corners, so I can’t fully assess its handling. Overall, it’s a fun and fairly comfortable ride. Just keep in mind that rear-wheel drive is less forgiving than front-wheel drive when it comes to cornering.
The Ecoboost is easy to handle, and its weight distribution is better than that of the V8, so you should have no issues. While I’m not familiar with the pre-2024 Mustangs, the S650 features an excellent chassis and offers fantastic handling. I love driving my 2024 Ecoboost on the country roads in the Ozarks, and it’s a lot of fun. I think you’d really enjoy it.
My girlfriend falls asleep in my car without a problem. A lot of people tell me it’s really comfortable, and I totally agree. Climbing those hills is a breeze, too. The only downside? You might not want to give it back, haha.
I’ve logged over 30,000 miles on mine in just two years. I’ve taken it through rain, snow, and, of course, plenty of sunshine. At 6’0", I find it quite comfortable, and it drives exceptionally well.