Every day in the new Mustang seems to go by without a hint of trouble. That’s a strange feeling as I’m uber-critical
when I test new vehicles. But the Mustang is winning me over by not putting up much of a fuss. There are usually a
number of trade-offs when driving a car that is so performance based, annoying habits that owners have to live with to
get their speed habit satiated. Not so with the Mustang. It remains a civilized ride.
The car is a nice mix of practicality and performance. Despite the low profile glass and seemingly small rear
quarter glass, visibility is exceptional. Huge rear glass of course is the biggest factor in keeping drivers aware of
what?s going on behind them (click on the picture for a larger view). There are also features like a reminder if you
leave your blinker on too long. This freaked me out when I first heard it, but with the stereo turned up and the
sometimes hard to notice blinker in the center of the gauges it?s not a bad idea.
Obviously fuel economy is big on everyone?s mind these days and the GT doesn?t win any conservation awards. The trip
computer is telling me I?m averaging 13.6 mpg after over 100 miles of mixed driving. That?s pretty poor. Our test
vehicle has less than 3,000 miles on it so it?s not appropriately broken in, but these numbers are still low. Luckily
the GT does take regular 87 octane gas. That computer in the dash is also a handy device telling drivers how many miles
until empty, gallons used, average speed etc. You can even do a system check before leaving the driveway that tells you
if all the doors are closed, fluids are full and the gas cap is on.
A decent sized trunk with flip down rear seats gives a fair amount of cargo space for a sports coupe. But the back
seat, as mentioned before, is still widely unusable for passengers.
The Shaker 500 stereo with 6-disc changer is definitely loud and has tremendous range in the low end. Play some
Black Sabbath or Fu Manchu and cruise freely. After a trip to Best Buy my fianc?e put in an acoustic Maroon 5 CD and
even it sounded good. Punk CDs don?t come through, as the bass is too overwhelming. Hard rock though seems to be the
system?s forte. For the hip-hop inclined the Shaker 1000 system is for you with its trunk mounted subwoofer.
Yesterday I tackled the performance but feel I?m not enough of a gearhead to do the car justice. Out of all the
reviews I?ve read I?d say Road &
Track?s Matt Delorenzo does the best job of accurately painting the car?s strengths and weaknesses.
Also this is my last day in the Mustang. If you think I?ve missed something or want to see a close-up photo please
post a comment to let me know and we?ll address it in the wrap-up tomorrow.
Read about Day 0.5,
Day 1,
Day 2 and
Day 3 in the Mustang.
Day 5 has now been posted.