"Is that a GT 5.0?"
"Nope. It's a V6," we said. And then, as if we had just filled his gas tank with fairy dust, Mustang guy turned around, looked at the ground and walked away. No words. No smile. He just left.
Ford's V6 Mustang, you see, isn't an aspirational car. Never has been. People wind up in the paltry pony car as a hand-me-down or settle on it when desirability and prudence collide. And, as this gas station encounter proves, it's still saddled with the weight of that reputation.
But it shouldn't be.
Coupe Clash
In 2011 everything changed for the Mustang V6. The insertion of a modern 305-horsepower V6 under the hood, a 29-mpg highway rating from the EPA and a functional performance package began a profound transformation. The addition of revised styling and some interior tweaks this year redeemed the 2013 Ford Mustang V6 even further. It's now a real contender in the sparsely populated $30,000 sport coupe segment. It's taken some time, but the minor-league Mustang is undeniably interesting.
So much so that it bears comparing to the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, a car that not long ago — and with 42 fewer horses — toppled the far more costly Infiniti G37 Coupe in a battle of value and performance. For 2013, the Genesis Coupe further increases its value proposition with a revised powertrain and new styling.
The Value Equation
Speaking of character, Ford calls the paint color on this 2013 Mustang V6 Premium "Gotta Have It Green." It's a polarizing hue but it attracted Mustang guy like a gold digger to the Facebook IPO. It also cost $495 and is one of four options on this test car. Also present are the $1,995 Performance package, $695 reverse sensing system and Security package and $650 Comfort package. In total, Ford asks $30,830 for this Mustang.
For that sum you get the aforementioned 3.7-liter, 305-hp V6, which churns out 280 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm on 87-octane fuel. Also present are a real limited-slip differential (no brake differential here, thank you) and 19-inch wheels wrapped in 255/40 Pirelli P Zero summer tires.
At $33,875 the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track offers similar hardware without any options. Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels and Bridgestone Potenza rubber. A Torsen limited-slip differential and four-piston front and rear Brembo brakes are standard.
The Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track comes with Hyundai's updated-for-2013 3.8-liter V6 which is now good for 348 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque on 91-octane fuel. Power and torque are diminished by 4 hp and 3 lb-ft on 87 octane fuel.
Get In. Drive
Settle in, find a rhythm and it won't take long to discover that the Genesis is both the quicker and more dedicated tool for dissecting any road. Largely, this is down to its more sophisticated suspension, stronger power plant and lower stance.
The speed difference, however, isn't as substantial as the chasm that emerges in our confidence during aggressive driving. Drive both cars over the same road at the same pace and you'll come away from the Genesis far less aware of your own mortality. Its better damping and body control are a blessing. And if the going gets even remotely rough, the Mustang's axle begins to show itself for what it is: heavy and old.
Set the Mustang's adjustable steering weight to Sport and steering effort is similar in both cars. We don't love the steering feel in either car, but response in the Genesis is quicker and more intuitive. There's less urgency just off-center and a better sense of control when probing the limits of its chassis.
Work the upper reaches of the tachometer and there's no ignoring the Korean coupe's 43-hp advantage. Despite its peak torque arriving a few hundred rpm higher in the rev range, the Genesis leaves slow corners with more punch. More importantly, it encourages hard driving rather than merely tolerating it. If you're buying one of these cars for back roads, pick the Genesis.
Data Dump
These impressions manifest themselves in our instrumented tests, where the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe also produces better numbers. Its 68.5-mph slalom speed is a full 2.4 mph faster (68.5 mph vs. 66.1 mph) than the Mustang, which protests with awkward transitional response on the less-than-smooth course. Lateral acceleration is nearly a wash, but again the Genesis ekes out a slight advantage despite its smaller tires (0.88g vs. 0.87g).
When it comes to getting down the road, the 2013 Ford Mustang V6 is quick, but its 5.7-second run (5.4 seconds using a 1-foot rollout as on a drag strip) to 60 mph is a few clicks behind the Genesis Coupe's 5.4-second time (5.1 seconds with rollout). The gap narrows some at the quarter-mile, where the Genesis produces a 13.8-second pass at 102.0 mph to the Mustang's 14.0-second run at 100.3 mph.
Braking performance, though, falls easily in the Mustang's favor, which is ironic considering the hardware that's stopping both of these cars. With 13.4-inch front rotors and fixed four-piston Brembo calipers, the 3,533-pound Genesis should easily provide more thermal capacity and better brake feel. But it's the 3,526-pound Mustang's 12.4-inch rotors and two-piston sliding calipers that produced better pedal feel and consistency.
Only 2 feet separate the coupes' 60-0 stopping distances (112 feet Mustang, 114 feet Genesis), but after five consecutive stops, the Genesis showed significant pedal fade, which never materialized after six stops in the Mustang.
Daily Living, Daily Driving
Reality says that practical matters will weigh into the purchase decision of any buyer shopping this segment. And it's here that the Mustang's ease of use and practical shape give it an advantage. Simple things that any automaker should get right are mostly right in the Mustang.
Its electronic throttle is honest, its clutch take-up is consistent and intuitive and its brake feel is surprisingly good. The Mustang offers upright seating, a bigger greenhouse, more rear-seat headroom and a bigger trunk than its Korean competitor. What's more, its split-folding rear seats provide better usability than the Genesis' single-folding seat.
The Mustang feels bigger than the Genesis and in every dimension except wheelbase, it is. This, of course, means the Mustang has longer overhangs, which you can feel every time you corner this pony. But it's also a straightforward machine to operate. It moves away from a stop with ease, steers with more precision than most American cars and embraces drivers who don't concern themselves with rigorous apex clipping. There's value here not because it's simple, but because it's easy.
The Genesis, in contrast, demands your constant attention. Its neediness is a product of an unnatural throttle calibration, which requires thoughtful clutch/throttle work, millimeter-precise pedal movements and perfect timing. And that's not what we want every time we go to the store. In fact, this car lacks the performance to merit such attention, especially considering the number of quicker machines that don't come with those compromises.
Consider the Inside
Each car's character is as conspicuous from the driver seat as it is from the outside. Waistlines, in both cases, are high — at least for those of us who aren't tall in the torso. But the Mustang's muscle car roots mean a more traditional packaging of controls and instruments set at right angles to the driver. The Genesis envelops its driver in a GT-style cockpit where most controls and gauges are driver-focused. Hyundai's coupe is more contemporary, but Ford does a good job of modernizing the Mustang's retro theme into full functionality.
The Hyundai's seats are narrower, harder and provide more lateral support, yet they're not so firm as to punish one's backside on long drives. Both cars offer heated front seats.
Ford and Hyundai have demonstrated solid progress in material and assembly quality in the last five years, and the evidence is on display in both cars. Each offers an interior finish on par with its price. Accordingly, noise at 70 mph is nearly identical between the two.
The Take-Away
When it comes to the qualities we think are most important in this class — character, speed and value — the Genesis Coupe wins. Certainly, its drivability quirks are annoying, but they are limitations we'd work around in exchange for its strengths.
Even so, the 2013 Ford Mustang V6 is a solid choice. There's value in its practicality and ease of use that the Hyundai can't match. Plus, it's still reasonably quick. And if you're not concerned with performance minutia, then it might feel just as fast. At the very least, it's deserving of a second look even if it doesn't have the "5.0" badge on the side.
But the strengths of the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe are many: a superior powertrain, better suspension, more rewarding at-the-limit behavior, and — in our eyes — better looks. Also, the 3.8 Track trim level comes with Hyundai's intuitive touchscreen Nav Traffic system, keyless entry/start and automatic climate control. So, yes, you'll pay more, but you'll also get more. And in this fight, getting more wins every time.
The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation.
