2005 Ford Mustang Coupe 4.0 Liter V6 from North America

Summary:

A real head-turner with gobs and gobs of fun!

Faults:

No problems as of yet.

General Comments:

First, let me say that I have been a Mustang fanatic all of my life owning several throughout the years. Taking a break in 1984, that particular Mustang was the last year I had owned until now. I was just not impressed with the old Fox (Fairmont) chassis and like others, I too felt the Mustang was long overdue for a total make-over from the ground up. The 1967 Fastback that I owned had always been my favorite year until now...

Although this car may look like your father's Mustang, believe me, it isn't!

(After all, I should know...)

I have the 4.0 liter V-6 and for a V-6, this engine has gobs of torque. You can feel the Gs if you put the "pedal to the metal". The V-8 obviously is going to have more power and torque, but the gas crunch (and higher price) kept me from going that route. Being used to the V-8 rumble-rumble, the sound this V-6 makes took me a while to get used to. I don't know quite how to describe it accept that it's very different from every other V-6 that I have heard before.

In my opinion, this automatic transmission is the best that Ford has built to date. Shift changes occur at just the right RPM no matter what your driving agenda is at any given moment.

This car has the "Pony Package" which includes ABS and traction control. The handling and braking is a dream.

With the 17" wheels and tires, the ride can be quite choppy on the bumps, but the fun-factor makes up for this. I love the factory Mag wheels with the 3 spoke spinners in the center.

The interior has leather seats which I like. I also like the nostalgic look of the dash, but I wish Ford would have used a little less plastic as it looks a tad cheapish.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2005

28th Oct 2005, 09:34

You should have stuck with the Fox body until the late 80's/ early 90's when they had the fuel injection and the suspensions were better. They were a blast to drive, cheap to maintain and great on gas. I averaged easily 25 mpg on both of mine and sometimes around 27-28 mpg on long trips. I see people complaining about the mileage on the '05's, but it seems like the V-6 is only besting the V-8 by 2 or 3 mpg which isn't enough for me to warrant NOT having the V-8. If it were 7-8 mpg I could understand, but for the fun factor alone it would be worth the small sacrifice in economy. I guess I don't get why you'd buy a sports car and be worried about a couple mpg. Besides, if you can afford the mark-up on these first year new Mustangs you should not be worried about a little extra gas money.

2005 Ford Mustang GT Convertible 4.6L, 24-valve V8 from North America

Summary:

A totally perfect car, if you can afford the gas

Faults:

It has assorted light rattles, particularly one in the passenger side of the dash.

General Comments:

The car is very fast, though it has a throttle management system (throttle-by-wire) that makes you feel a little disconnected sometimes as opposed to cable-driven throttles.

It really likes gas a lot. I drive my Jeep as a daily driver because it actually gets better gas mileage.

Everything has worked wonderfully. No issues with any quality control at all.

It handles very nicely. The ride is bumpy (which I like), as a performance car's should be.

It certainly turns head, at least right now. I get more looks than I ever dreamed I would. This is a seriously attractive car.

The convertible top works wonderfully, and it stores attractively without having to use a boot with its "Z-fold" mechanism.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd August, 2005

1st Sep 2005, 17:10

The Chevy Cobalt SS features superior value, acceleration and handling. Plus it is a contemporary design, not a warmed over Ford Falcon!

28th Oct 2005, 09:22

A warmed over Ford Falcon? Yeah, that's an intelligent statement. obviously you know nothing about cars. The Cobalt SS is an okay car in it's own right, but it isn't even near the same class as a Mustang so it is a ridiculous comparison. The Mustangs is still a real musclecar with a V-8 and rear wheel drive. Sadly, due to the SUV boom there are few of these cars left for sale as new cars. You shouldn't criticize any car you haven't owned or even driven and probably never will. Just stick to your warmed over Cavalier.