12th Jan 2008, 23:22

Original reviewer again. After nearly 6 months no problems. My only complaint is the automatic transmission. Like all Fords, this new 5-speed automatic is not as sporty to drive as even the most basic GM compact due to the lack of smooth and instantaneous downshifts. We also own 2 GM vehicles and the silky-smooth, super responsive 4-speed automatics in them have spoiled us terribly. When you floor it, the Mustang takes a while to decide which gear to use.

Otherwise, the car is great. The leather interior is comfortable, the car handles high-speed cornering far better than any of my 6 previous Mustangs, and the retro styling is the sportiest look around. I have done quite a bit of custom work on the car and have shown it in car shows locally. It's a definite head-turner.

13th Jan 2008, 10:01

It will be exciting to see the Dodge Challenger, and it will definitely give the Mustang competition.

The Challenger looks like a Micro-Machine style, which could be good or bad. It might appeal to a younger set, while the purists may not like it because it looks like a cartoonish version of the original 1970's style.

On the other hand, the new Mustang still has great appeal because it looks so much like the original Mach I -- it looked great then and it still does.

Also, there's no question that the Challenger will be about performance. I don't know if there is any other engine option than the 6.1 Liter Hemi, so it won't even be the same target market as a V-6 Mustang. As far as performance, the Mustang will have a hard time keeping up.

The big knock against the Challenger will be the $40,000 price tag, compared to the Mustangs that are in the mid $20,000's.

14th Jan 2008, 17:42

I've driven two 2007 Mustangs recently; one was a rental and the other belongs to a friend. The rental was actually nicer with leather, Shaker stereo, power seat, and automatic transmission. My friend's has the Tremec 5-speed stick and I have to say that I could not live with this setup as it is way too balky and imprecise to get the full performance benefits. Also, if you let it rev up to about 5,000 rpm, the clutch sounds like it is going to self-destruct when you press it to shift gears. The gearbox itself sounds as though it has oatmeal lubricating it.

The automatic in the rental, while not perfect, seems to be a much better fit for this car. I will say the price for these cars is quite good; but the old school suspension, rod aerial, bonnet prop rod, and poorly designed indicator stalks would drive me crazy on a day-to-day basis. The V6 is very punchy and it DOES seem faster than the older V8 models. I would happily pay more for one of these if they had proper suspension and small refinements such as struts to hold the bonnet up and an integrated aerial. The styling is great and the interior is adequately comfortable.

18th Feb 2008, 17:51

I now have my Mustang reasonably well broken in, and have switched to a high-flow K&N air filter and full synthetic oil. The mileage is up to about 22 average, which could be better, and the power seems to be up a bit. When the car was first purchased it was impossible to break the tires loose taking off (due to the automatic traction control). Now flooring the gas pedal will result in the kind of tire-smoking starts my old 5.0 V-8 delivered.

All in all, this is by far the best of the 7 Mustangs I've owned, and after driving this V-6 for a while now I really don't think I'll ever go back to the V-8. The V-6 is much less expensive to buy and insure, and considering that my old 5.0 got a whopping 12-14mpg, I'm saving a bundle on gas.

The performance is more than adequate, and actually better than my old V-8s. My only regret is the slightly stiff ride, but it is, after all, a sporty car. When I want to be pampered I drive my GM car.

21st Feb 2008, 12:19

Although I look forward to the comeback of the new Challenger and Camaro, I seriously doubt either will pose any threat to Mustang.

First of all, the notchback styling is not nearly as appealing as the Mustang's fastback, and in the area of performance only the Corvette and Viper pose any real competition to the 500 horsepower Mustangs, and with the release of the new 620 horsepower Mustang, it is doubtful that even the Corvette will be competitive.

There are even 1000 horsepower after-market versions of the Mustang (such as the street-legal Shinoda twin turbo) now currently available. Only the after-market Vipers have that kind of power.

6th Mar 2008, 23:07

I just read the first actual road test of the new Challenger. It appears to be a really great car, in the mold of the old pony cars, but with the added benefit of modern technology.

My only real concern is the price. The actual car is actually very attractive (much better than the prototypes I have seen) but the biggest issue is cost. the BASE price was listed as $38,000. That is even more than Pontiac tried to sell the really awesome GTO for.

The GTO was a great car, rode and handled better than Mustang, and offered more power in the low-end models. The problem was price. It listed for 10 grand more than a V-8 Mustang. No one was willing to pay 10 grand more for such a similar vehicle. You can drive a nice V-8 Mustang away for about 25 grand. If you want a less expensive, but still great car, you can opt for a base V-6 at under 16 grand.

I bought my fully loaded V-6 with oversized tires, Bullit wheels, leather, upgraded stereo with satellite radio, custom dash and every available power option for just a tad over $20,000. Paying twice that much for the Challenger is just not a viable option for me.

13th Mar 2008, 20:38

I occasionally see comments to the effect that "muscle cars" or "pony cars" should not be offered with smaller V-6 engines. I have to disagree. We are living in an era of rapidly increasing fuel costs and global warming. We are also a nation of people who cannot all afford a $35,000+ car.

The Pontiac GTO is a perfect example. Great car, great power, great handling. But it's lack of a smaller price and more fuel efficient engine made it a low-sale laughing stock. Our local Pontiac dealer never sold even ONE GTO.

My fear with the new Camaro and Challenger is that they will be over-priced and not available with a smaller power plant. That will result in very poor sales.

The average American is now more concerned about fuel costs, insurance costs and damage to the planet than they were in the late 60's.

I have owned 7 Mustangs. My latest one is a V-6. It is actually rated at MORE horsepower than my previous two V-8's, outperforms them, and gets 7-10 mpg better fuel mileage. I will not buy any more V-8s.