Mustang Gas and Insurance Cost More Than Depreciation

Our calculator puts the 2025 Ford Mustang at $651 a month over five years, $39,074 in total. The surprise is where that money goes. Depreciation, the thing most buyers worry about, is $13,200. Fuel ($10,735) and insurance ($9,422) add up to $20,157. You will pay about $6,957 more to feed and cover this car than you will lose in resale value.

That is the Mustang's real personality. The sticker is friendly. The habits are expensive.

The $20,157 problem hiding behind a $33,000 car

We assume a $33,000 purchase price for this model year. Depreciation takes 40 percent of that over five years, which is normal for a car like this. Nothing alarming there.

Fuel is the bigger story. At 12,000 miles a year, our calculator lands on $10,735 over five years, roughly $179 a month. That is 27 percent of the total ownership bill. For comparison, repairs ($2,932) and maintenance ($2,530) combined come to $5,462. You will spend about twice as much on gas as on keeping the car running.

Insurance is the other quiet bill. Our figure of $9,422 is an estimate built from the car's value and class, not a quote. Your own number will differ, and it can differ a lot if you are under 25, live in a dense city, or have a few tickets. Drivers who buy a Mustang tend to be the drivers insurers watch closely.

Registration is only $255 across five years. Ignore it.

Who this car is really for

The Mustang is for someone who wants a two-door rear-drive coupe, likes the noise it makes, and has already accepted that it is a want, not a need. It suits a single driver or a couple with no regular back-seat passengers. It also suits someone who drives under 12,000 miles a year, because every extra mile hits that fuel line.

It is not for anyone who needs a practical daily car. The rear seat is tight, the trunk is small, and a convertible makes both worse. It is also not for a first-time buyer stretching to afford the payment. At $651 a month in all-in cost, the loan is only part of the bill.

Trims and pricing: the price climbs fast

The base car is the one that fits our $33,000 assumption. Move up and the price rises quickly. The figures below are approximate starting prices before destination fees and options, so check Ford's Mustang build page for current numbers.

Trim	MSRP	What you actually get
EcoBoost	About $32,500	Turbocharged four-cylinder, rear drive, the full Mustang look without the V8
EcoBoost Premium	About $38,000	Nicer interior materials, more driver-assist and comfort features, bigger wheel options
GT	About $43,000	5.0-liter V8, manual or automatic, sportier suspension and brakes
GT Premium	About $47,000	V8 plus the upscale interior and tech
Dark Horse	About $60,000	Higher-output V8, track-focused hardware, aggressive tuning

Convertibles cost several thousand dollars more on most trims.

The gap between the base car and the V8 is roughly $10,000. That is the real decision in this lineup, and it is worth thinking about before you walk into a showroom.

Powertrains and what they do to your fuel bill

There are two main engines. The EcoBoost is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder with a little over 300 horsepower. The GT and Dark Horse use a 5.0-liter V8 with roughly 480 to 500 horsepower. The V8 can be paired with a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic. The four-cylinder comes with the automatic.

Official mileage numbers change by engine, transmission, and body style, so look up the exact version you want at fueleconomy.gov. We will stick to dollars. Our $10,735 five-year fuel figure is a typical-use estimate for the model. If you pick a V8 and enjoy using it, expect your own bill to run higher. If you pick the four-cylinder and drive gently, it may come in lower.

The four-cylinder is the sensible one. It is also the one many Mustang shoppers feel slightly embarrassed about. That feeling is expensive, and we would not pay for it.

What it gets right

The cabin is a clear step forward from older Mustangs. A large digital gauge display and a big center touchscreen sit under one curved panel, and the software is quick enough that it rarely annoys. Seats are supportive, the driving position is low, and the hood stretches out in front of you in a way that feels like the car it is.

The car looks the part. It is also easier to see out of than many rivals, and the steering and rear-drive balance make even the base car fun on an empty road.

The manual gearbox is a real plus. Few new cars at this price still offer one with a V8.

What it gets wrong

The interior looks better than it feels. Plenty of hard plastic shows up in places you touch, especially on lower trims. Moving up to Premium fixes some of it, at a price.

Most climate and media controls live on the screen, which is a pain while driving. The back seat is for bags or small children. Trunk space is limited, and the opening is awkward for bulky items.

The bigger complaint is value. The jump from $33,000 to the mid-$40,000s is steep, and options push it higher. A well-equipped GT costs as much as many family SUVs, yet it carries fewer people and burns more fuel. Our $2,932 repair estimate is not scary, but it is not small either for a car that should be in warranty early on.

Safety ratings

As far as we can confirm, the current Mustang does not have a complete crash rating from NHTSA or the IIHS. We would rather say that plainly than guess. Check both sites before you buy, because ratings can be added at any time.

The car offers common driver aids such as automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring, but some of them are packaged on higher trims. Confirm what is standard on the exact car in front of you.

First-year costs for the mid-level trim

We use the EcoBoost Premium as the mid-level car, at roughly $38,000. These are rough first-year figures, separate from our five-year model.

Depreciation: New cars typically lose 15 to 22 percent in year one. On $38,000 that is about $5,700 to $8,400.

Fuel at 15,000 miles: Our calculator's $10,735 over five years at 12,000 miles a year works out to about $2,150 a year. Stretch that to 15,000 miles and you are near $2,700.

Insurance: Our estimate averages about $1,884 a year across the five years. That is not a quote. A 22-year-old in a big city may pay far more, and a 45-year-old with a clean record in a small town may pay less.

First service: Expect an oil change and inspection when the car's oil-life monitor asks for it, often somewhere between 7,500 and 10,000 miles. Maintenance runs about $2,530 over five years in our model, so this first visit should be modest.

How it stacks up

Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ: The Mustang wins on power, size, and a usable back seat. It loses on price, weight, and running costs, since the smaller coupes are cheaper to fuel and insure.

Nissan Z: The Mustang wins on price at the V8 end and on the sound. It loses on the Z's sharper twin-turbo punch and more compact feel.

Chevrolet Camaro (used only, production ended after 2024): The Mustang wins because you can buy it new with a warranty and better visibility. It loses on pure handling, where the best Camaros were hard to beat.

Verdict: buy the base car, skip the stretch

Buy the Mustang if you want a fun, loud, rear-drive coupe and can afford the $651 monthly average without flinching. The EcoBoost is the one we would choose. It keeps the look and most of the fun, and it keeps your fuel and insurance costs from running away.

Skip it if you need one car for kids, cargo, and commuting. Skip it if you plan to finance a loaded GT at the edge of your budget, because our numbers show the car's running costs matter more than its depreciation. And skip it if you drive well over 12,000 miles a year, since gas will quickly become the most expensive part of owning it.

The Mustang is a good car to want. Just price the fuel and insurance before you price the car.