I too am trying to find some time to drive a Mustang.

BTW, I have neither praised nor criticized the Mustang's suspension set-up. I'm was merely expressing the feeling that I would not be happy with such a set up on a new Camaro. My '89 IROC...with a similar suspension....feels almost quaint today. I'm assuming Mustang's suspension works better (certainly it's structure is much more rigid!)....but I'd doubt it's dynamics are that much better. Maybe I'm wrong.

At any rate....if GM said that the LSx motor in the 5th gen Camaro needed to replace it's 6 bolt mains for two bolt mains, replace it's forged connecting rods for cast connecting rods and swap it's alumunum heads for cast iron.....all to save cost.......I don't have to drive it to know it's a bad idea.

 

I test drove one when I was out looking to buy a new car.
There are 3 basic criteria that I was looking for:
Modern powertrain- High power, manual transmission, smooth ride.
Nice interior-Self explainitory
Nice Exterior


On the first note I felt while the GT was quick, it just wasn't quick enough on the highway speeds for me. I didn't like that it had a solid rear as this would be my daily driver, but it did have a 5 speed.

I didn't care for some parts of the interior, I got blinded a few times from the sun hitting the vent chrome. Seats were nice though, decent enough layout.

At first I didn't car for the exterior, but it doesn't bother me anymore.
I wanted to give the car a chance but in the end it just didn't fit what I wanted most in a car.

I'll give it this, it has a much larger trunk than the GTO . Not a priority for me at all though.

 

What I think is great about the new Stang is the V6 actually having POWER. 0-60 of a 5 speed AT tested by C&D recently was 6.8 seconds, the same as 5.0 '94-'98 AT Stangs! I assume the stick would cut another tenth or two off.

I plan to drive one soon. The plan to buy the '04 GT didn't pan out, so now as soon as my fiance graduates and finds a job, its down to an '06 N/A Cobalt SS coupe, G6 coupe, or a Mustang. If they add t-tops to the Stang, consider it sold

 

Well, managed to put over 2000 miles on the rental Mustang in just 4 days (nearly 1200 in the past 36 hours). Vegas was great, but about the car...

1. Ford did wonders with the live axle.
Took it through some rough curves I know of, and despite having just 215 tires, it stuck better than my Z with 255s. Very little sidewards hop. Ford's chief engineer is right. Before slamming them over using a live axle, drive it 1st.

2. That base V6 is "Da Bomb"
Once you figure out how to work with the computer, the V6 is actually pretty powerful. Anyone who currently drives either a 5.0 or an early 4.6 Mustang with an automatic will surely feel at home. Still hard to believe this is a "base" powerplant.

3. The automatic is actually very good.
Unlike the trend with autos, Ford actually programed this one to actually go into the gear you pick, instead of being over-ridded by the computer... unless you do something really stupid (No neutral drops. Sorry).

4. I still think the new Mustang has a fat a**.
I still haven't gotten used to parallel parking the thing.

5. The seats are the most comfortable long distance seats I've sat in.
Great bolsters, good padding, etc. I do have one serious beef though. The new Federally mandated headrests are annoying. I tend to drive with my seatback erect. With the new headrest, it puts my chin to my chest. With the seat slightly inclined, having the tip of it against the top of my head for hours on end gave me a headache. I finally reclined the seat enough to where it didn't bother me.

6. Great base stereo.
It's better than my stock upgraded '97 system. The system really puts out.

7. MY GOD, THAT THING CAN TURN!!!
If you are going to test drive a new Mustang, take a few minutes to do sharp turns with your Camaro, and check out the turning radius. Then go do that on the new Mustang. You'll think that Jeep show truck from earlier this year has nothing on this car.

8. The interior is full of cheap plastic.
But the strange thing is that it all actually works well.

9. The throttle by wire system actually works well.
I hate throttle by wire, but I have to admit, I couldn't tell the difference by driving it. Still hate the idea, though.

10. The Fuel filler sucks if you are in California or Neveda.
We have those vapor trapping attachments to our fuel nozzles, and the Mustang doesn't like them. Set the dispense on automatic, and it will cut off as soon as you walk away. If there is a trick to filling up these cars without the nozzle cutting off frequently, I haven't found it yet.

Overall, it's a great daily driver. It's very quick (I actually outran a post 97 Camaro V6 that was running with me), it has a huge trunk, it's actually comfortable and easy to get in & out of, it rides unexpectedly smooth yet handles very well (save the crappy tires), is very easy to drive, and is overall a pretty fun ride.

It's not perfect, and some of the more nit-picky types will find something about the car's components to complain about. But unless you are the type to make philisophical arguments on retro vs heritage designs, or crawl under cars and unbolt components, pop unibody spotwelds, or do engine teardowns as part of your purchase process, you can't help but to be very impressed with the new Mustang.

 

I read that wrong the first time around