As iconic as the mountains and plains of this great province, the Mustang embodies the epitome of open-road driving. Symbolized by a galloping horse, the freedom and excitement associated with the Mustang mirrors that of our western spirit.
Nothing quite screams summer like cruising around in a convertible. When opportunity knocked this summer to test drive the Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible, well, we did what any sane person would do and jumped at the chance.

Having once owned a Jeep YJ, I was very familiar with a standard transmission but it had been awhile since I last drove one. Fortunately it was like riding a bike, it all came back instantly and I remember how enjoyable this style of transmission was to drive.
For several years Ford has offered the EcoBoost engine in its vehicles. For those that do not know, like me, an EcoBoost engine is a combination of turbocharging and direct fuel injection that improves fuel economy without sacrificing engine power.
The Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible comes in your base model with a 6-Speed Manual Transmission and a 2.3L EcoBoost Engine. The starting price tag is $31,994. With this you get a rear view camera, TrackApps™, LED Headlamps with LED Signature Lighting, Intelligent Access with Push Button Start (one of my favourite features), Dual Bright Exhaust with Rolled Tips, Enhanced Security Package, Wheel Locking Kit, SYNC®, Enhanced Voice Recognition Communications and Entertainment System with 6 speakers, and Active Anti Theft System.
Nice, right? Of course you can customize your package through the Ford Canada website – my husband didn’t waste any time pricing out the perfect Mustang for us.

The interior is elegant, with lots of well planned detail. There is plenty of legroom in the front and the kids were not squished while they rode in the back seats. The trunk storage is huge. It doesn’t fit the family dog, but I’d give up our miniature pony (rough collie) for the Mustang. Ha ha ha, just kidding kids!

While parked, the convertible top goes down in a matter of seconds with a quick twist of a handle and push of a button. A far cry from the days of having to take the top off my jeep, myself!
This is not a car for the faint of heart. It might not be a GT, BULLITT or offer a large engine but it has power and speed to spare, and for this kid that was simply enough. The colour of our Convertible Mustang was Orange Fury. Kind of an ironic way to end the summer considering we started the summer driving an orange 2018 Ford EcoSport!

The one thing you notice when driving a car like this, is all the other Mustangs everywhere. You find out quickly you are in a brother or sisterhood of Mustang drivers. You pass one they wave at you, so you wave back feeling like you are now a part of a special and secret ‘hood.
Also important to note is why people with sports cars park far away from everyone else in parking lots – you do not want your car to get one ding or scratch on it. We obviously followed suit.
During our week with the Mustang we were treated to a trail ride adventure at Boundary Ranch, a working ranch in the Kananaskis Valley of the Canadian Rockies. Our ridge ride took us through lush forest, steep climbs and equally steep descents, offering what would normally be breath taking views of mountains and forest although some of our view was obstructed by the forest fire smoke.

Following our peaceful and serene ride through the mountains, we were served up a delicious cowboy steak lunch.

This authentic cowboy experience was full of Western hospitality. Other activities at the ranch include longer pack trips, barbecues, horse-drawn wagon rides, pony rides, white water rafting, and dog sled rides working in collaboration with Mad Dogs & Englishmen. What a treat it was to experience this ranch and the horses symbolizing the wild spirit of the Ford Mustang.

Through pricing out a mustang on the Ford Website, we discovered this car is affordable and one we could quite nicely see ourselves cruising around in once the kids have flown the coop. There are several colours to choose from including black, white, silver, magnetic, red, blue, green and of course orange. We loved all the colours but really enjoyed the uniqueness of the orange.
If you were buying a Mustang, what colour would you pick?!
Disclosure: Ford Canada gave us a 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Convertible to test drive for a week and a complimentary trail ride at Boundary Ranch. As always, opinions are my own based on our experience.
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