Driving Sports

The official EPA ratings on the 2011 Ford Mustang V6 were completed this week. The big news is that the EPA certified that 2011 Mustang models equipped with the 305-hp 3.7-liter V-6 and available six-speed automatic transmission achieve 31 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city. The standard six-speed manual transmission is rated at 30 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city.

That makes the 2011 Mustang the first production car in history to produce more than 300 horsepower and deliver more than 30 mpg on the highway. We've driven the V6 Mustang and it's no slouch. The Mustang took top honors in our evaluation of the retro-pony cars.

The 2011 Mustang is powered by an all-aluminum 3.7-liter dual-overhead-cam (DOHC) V-6 engine. Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) adjusts the valvetrain in microseconds depending on driver inputs, combining with modern engine management to achieve the power and overall efficiency.

The fact that Mustang achieves its top fuel economy rating with an automatic transmission also marks a shift in conventional wisdom. Ford carefully calibrated the box's gear ratios and shift programs to maximize economy, while still delivering high-horsepower driving fun. But for the price of 1 MPG, we'll still choose the stick here at Driving Sports HQ.