For those of you who simply use a car as a method to get from point A to point B, I apologize for this post. It's more technical than most, but the Mustang really brings out the more specific car-guy in me. You've been warned.
Alright, two down, two to go. I’ve driven a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS, and the previous generation Ford Mustang GT ( the 2005-2010 model). The two muscle cars that I’m still hoping to drive are the Dodge Challenger and the 2011 Mustang. For now, I’ll give you an idea of what the 2007 Mustang GT is like.
So then, down to business. Okay, it wasn’t all business for me. I loved driving the Mustang. I’ll make a few comparisons to the 2010 Camaro SS that I tested a while back, but, for the sake of fairness, please keep in mind that the Mustang is three years old, and has roughly 30,000 miles on it.
Hop into the low-slung cockpit of a 2007 Mustang, and you’ll quickly feel at home. You sit low in the bolstered driver seat, which allows for a long, looking-over-the-hood musclecar driving position. Looking over the long hood provides the driver with a feeling of importance, which is good, because nobody buys a Mustang for anonymity, despite their ubiquity. The controls are all within comfortable reach, with a stubby little manual peeking out of the transmission tunnel…unless you got the automatic. I hope you didn’t. From 2005 on, the Mustang has been lauded as the veritable reincarnation of the classic pony car of yore. An automatic just doesn’t do justice to such a fun car. If you want practicality, get (an incredibly overpriced) Toyota Sienna. Anyways, back to that interior. The Shaker 500 audio system does shake nicely, though the optional Shaker 1000 is quite a bit more powerful. There’s the option of MP3 connectivity in the central armrest, and heated leather seats were part of the Premium package that was on my tester.
The base engine, a 4.0L iron dinosaur whose roots go back to 1968, has served dutifully for 13 years of Rangers, among other vehicles. This engine produces 210 horsepower, and 240 lb-ft. of torque. While that’ll get a base Mustang to 60 mph in about 7.2 seconds, that certainly doesn’t put it up in real ponycar territory. That’s where the GT model, with all its rumbling American V8 glory comes in. Though small, the 4.6L mill is well suited to the fairly light car, and, when 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft. of torque meet with the rest of the roughly 3600 pound unit, the Mustang moves. 0-60 blows by in the low five second range, with optimists putting the official time at 4.9 seconds. Of course, the new Mustang GT, with its claimed 412 (they’ve been dynoed at more like 438) horsepower, brings the barrier down in between 4.3 and 4.6 seconds, but that’s another story.
The 4.6 and a nice, short throw five speed manual are a nice combination, but how do they mesh with the handling, which includes a famed live-rear-axle? Well, bumps are generally absorbed by the car instead of your spine, so that’s a plus. Something I noticed, which I’ll attribute to the previously mentioned LRA, is that the car mimics a very confused dog if you throw it into slalom switchbacks; the tail chases the rest. It’s not terrible, and it’s only on the most demanding of turns, but the LRA does affect the car slightly. Apparently that issue was quelled on the 2010 model, as Ford has told me.
The driving experience is absolutely amazing, given the price. When new, a Mustang GT could be had for just under $30,000. Throw in the Premium trim level and all of the options, and the Mustang was still a lot of car for the money, rarely jumping over $40,000. The noise from the beast underhood alone is worth $20,000. Not something you’d expect from a 4.6. The performance and aesthetic appeal of the Mustang make the rest easily justifiable. Though simple, it’s my opinion that blipping the throttle of a rear-wheel-drive performance car is one of the better ways to keep some legal fun in your driving. It’s awesome to feel the whole car roll slightly at a stop when the engine squirms with torque, champing at the bit.What’s that you say? You want practicality for that kind of money? Well , I won’t pretend that the Mustang is as easygoing as a Towncar (generally for older folks, for those of you who were wondering), but you won’t have nuclear bunker visibility (read: none) like you would in the Camaro. The two door style fits the Mustang well in terms of appearance, but getting into one of the two back seats is a hassle, and staying there will be uncomfortable if you’re over 5’4” or so. Trunk space…exists, but don’t go on long road trips unless you have rear-seat space for more luggage.
Overall the 2007 Mustang GT offers great performance and all-around capability for a relatively low asking price. This, and the undeniably catchy looks, saw Mustang sales in great volume. The 2011 models, with the mind-blowing* V6, and monstrously powerful V8, are the newest iterations of what is sure to continue as a highly successful model for Ford’s ever-improving product line.
*why “mind-blowing,” you say? Keep your eye out for some fantastic, and almost unheard of numbers from Ford’s latest Mustang V6. It’ll be here soon.
Thanks for reading!
-Stephen
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