Peter Palmer: 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt Review: It’s A Real Sleeper!

Excellent

2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt

Overall Impression

Ideal summer car.
Fast, fun, and furious.
Nice slice of nostalgia.

Pros

Styling

Manual Transmission

Engine Performance & Sound

Cons

Small Backseat

Parking In Big Cities

The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt marks the 50th anniversary of the 1968 movie Bullitt. If you aren’t old enough to remember, or haven’t seen the movie, you need to. The film has one of the most iconic car chases in cinema history. The film stars Steve McQueen and a Highland Green 1968 Mustang fastback. The car was the biggest hit and it made the already successful Mustang even more popular at the time. The Mustang Bullitt returns and it’s a sports car any performance enthusiast would want sitting in their garage.

Over the weekend, we drove a 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt in Dark Highland Green.

Ford Mustang Bullitt: What’s New For 2019?

Ford dipped into the nostalgia pool and created the 2019 Mustang Bullitt, and we could tell they had fun doing it. It’s available in Dark Highland Green or Shadow Black, but we can’t imagine anyone not getting the iconic green hue. The manual gear shifter features a white cue ball knob as a nod to the original car.

The optional Electronics Package includes navigation, driver memory seats and mirrors, upgraded sound system, and blind-spot detection with cross-traffic alert. Ford’s MagneRide suspension and RECARO seats are the only other two options for this classic Mustang.

Features & Options: A Real Sleeper

The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt comes standard with black alloy wheels, power-adjustable front seats, and rear parking sensors. The Performance Package is standard on the Bullitt. It includes red Brembo brakes, 19-inch wheels, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer performance tires. The Performance Package gives your Bullitt a shorter differential ratio, a bigger radiator, stiffer front springs, and a larger rear stabilizer bar. Our Bullitt tester came with the optional MagneRide adaptive suspension and blind-spot monitoring.

We liked how the new Mustang Bullitt is a real sleeper. The spoiler, fender logos, and grille badges are all removed. You can’t tell this coupe is a special edition or a high-performance model. There’s added chrome trim around the side windows and grille, but the only thing that gives it away is a Bullitt-specific crosshair badge on the rear. Maybe the red Brembo brake calipers peeking through the wheels – but that’s about it. Otherwise, it’s a true sleeper.

Our Bullitt tester came with the optional Electronics Package which included a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium sound system and navigation. Our tester was not for sale and Ford did not give us any exact pricing info. Based on our research and depending on options, plan for $47,000 to $53,000 if you are going to purchase a new Mustang Bullitt. Ford could get a lot more money from this coupe if they wanted to.

2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt.

Interior Highlights: Symphony of V8 Sound

The first thing you have to consider is parking your Bullitt! You don’t want to park too close to someone for fear of door dings on that gorgeous Highland Green paint. We also found out real fast how the long doors make it nearly impossible to get in and out of the low-slung Mustang. If you have rear passengers they need to be child-size, because they will have a hard time accessing the rear. The seat belts are another issue in this performance car. It’s quite a long reach back just to get the belts. Once we got in, however, there’s a good range of adjustment for the steering column and seat height, allowing both tall and short drivers the ability to find a comfortable driving position.

We immediately noticed the white cue ball shift knob, and that brought back good muscle car memories. Our Bullitt tester came with green accent stitching, a 12-inch LCD instrument cluster, and a heated steering wheel.

The cabin feels spacious up front and there’s plenty of elbow room to get comfortable. Everything is well laid out and the build quality feels solid, even though there are some hard plastics. The fit and finish feels tight with no annoying rattles to detract from the 5.0 V8’s rumble. Visibility is not great as you would expect from a raked roof coupe like this. Decent side mirrors help shrink the typical blind spots, and we were thankful for the standard rearview camera when backing into a tight spot. Given the rear seats are very size-restrictive for passengers, it’s a great place for additional storage.

2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt interior layout.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs

The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt is powered by a sweet 5.0-liter V8 with an open-element air induction system and an intake manifold sourced from the Shelby GT350. Although torque stays the same as the current Mustang GT (420 lb-ft.), horsepower gets a bump to 480. The Bullitt only comes with a six-speed manual gearbox; an automatic is not available.

EPA fuel mileage ratings come in at 15/24 city/highway, but you won’t even get close to that.

Driving Dynamics: Perfect For Those Who Love Cars

Power from the Mustang Bullitt is off the charts, and the sound from the dual exhaust is even better. We downshifted the healthy V8 and heard the rev-matching system, which is addicting to the ears. You can’t drive this Mustang without getting a big grin on your face! Anyone within earshot will know this is a special car.

We had more fun this weekend than any auto journalist should be allowed to. We took out more friends who couldn’t wait for us to give them a ride. After a few drives, we seriously thought about charging admission! Everybody we knew wanted to feel the raw power and listen to the throaty growl from this 5.0 V8.

We pushed the Bullitt hard around the mountain corners near Denver and it gave us everything we could ask for. The MagneRide suspension provides plenty of stability at higher speeds, and the manual transmission’s short throws make it a rarity when so many cars today have automatics. The Bullitt is a special car for rare occasions. As an everyday driver, you would likely get a boatload of speeding tickets.

Anyone within earshot will know the 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt is a special car.

Conclusion: An Ideal Summer Ride

The 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt is for the performance enthusiast who wants a car for extreme fun. This needs to be a second car that’s taken to the track on weekends ideally. It’s the only way you will experience the optimum performance this pony car has to offer.

Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his firsthand reviews are archived on our test drives page. Follow Denis on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy