Compare the2024 BMW 8 SeriesVS 2024 Ford Mustang

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Drivetrain
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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The 8 Series’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Mustang doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The 8 Series offers an optional Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Mustang doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The 8 Series offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mustang doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The 8 Series offers an optional Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Mustang only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the 8 Series and the Mustang have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The 8 Series comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Mustang’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The 8 Series’ corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Mustang’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the 8 Series for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Mustang.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 8 Series first among large premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Mustang isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Ford.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 18th.

Engine

The 8 Series has more powerful engines than the Mustang:

	Horsepower	Torque
840i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder	335 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
M850i 4.4 turbo V8	523 HP	553 lbs.-ft.
Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder	315 HP	350 lbs.-ft.
Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8	480 HP	415 lbs.-ft.
Mustang Dark Horse 5.0 DOHC V8	500 HP	418 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the 8 Series’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Mustang doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The 8 Series has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Mustang (18 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Drivetrain

All wheel drive, available in the 8 Series, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The Ford Mustang is not available with all wheel drive.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the 8 Series’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Mustang:

	8 Series 840i	8 Series	Mustang EcoBoost	Mustang Dark Horse
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	15.6 inches	12.6 inches	15.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	15.7 inches	12.6 inches	14 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the 8 Series has larger tires than the Mustang (F:245/35R20 & R:275/30R20 vs. 235/55R17).

The 8 Series’ standard 245/40R19 front and 275/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang EcoBoost’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the 8 Series has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Mustang EcoBoost. The 8 Series’ optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Mustang.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the 8 Series can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Mustang doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The 8 Series M850i has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Mustang doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The M850i offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Ford doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Mustang.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the 8 Series’ wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Mustang (111.1 inches vs. 107 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the 8 Series is 2 inches wider in the front and .3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Mustang.

Chassis

The front grille of the 8 Series uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Mustang doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The 8 Series Coupe has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .5 inches more rear legroom than the Mustang Fastback.

The 8 Series Convertible has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mustang Convertible.

Cargo Capacity

The 8 Series Coupe has a much larger trunk than the Mustang Fastback (14.8 vs. 13.3 cubic feet).

The 8 Series Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the Mustang Convertible (12.4 vs. 10.3 cubic feet).

The 8 Series’ standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Mustang doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the 8 Series’ rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Mustang doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the 8 Series’ trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Mustang doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 28% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Mustang Premium, the 8 Series has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The 8 Series has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Mustang doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The 8 Series’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Mustang’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The 8 Series’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Mustang Premium.

When the 8 Series is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Mustang’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The 8 Series’ standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Mustang offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The 8 Series has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Mustang Premium/Dark Horse.

The 8 Series has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Mustang.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the 8 Series has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW 8 Series has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Mustang.

The 8 Series’ optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Mustang doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The BMW 8 Series comes in coupe, convertible and sedan bodystyles; the Ford Mustang isn’t available as a sedan.