16th Nov 2008, 11:02

There are a lot of inconsistencies in this review. Having owned 7 Mustangs I find the V-6 to be a VERY good engine with more than adequate power.

The seats tilt back at any angle you want. They are adjustable.

The turn signal lever is no different than those in any other car.

I ran my '90 5.0 into an 8" high curb at 50mph. The jolt was so severe it knocked my sunglasses off. Not only did the car not "crack in half", it didn't even knock the front end out of alignment. These cars are incredibly tough. My brother's son skidded into a curb at 30mph in his Japanese import, and it wiped out the entire front end and cost a fortune to fix.

Yes, the Mustang DOES handle terribly in snow or on wet pavement. That I admit. It has a light rear end.

What on Earth does a "sunny day" have to do with the way a car sounds?? That's a new one on me. Cars tend to run much better on rainy, cold days because the air is denser and makes for better combustion (which is why people install cold air induction systems).

As a mechanic, I can virtually assure you that if you had bought a new Maxima instead of this Mustang, you would have tired of the very expensive repairs and dumped it long ago. If you want a dumpy 4-door sedan you could always opt for a Ford Fusion V-6. They are fast, solid, smooth and the highest rated car in reliability in the world.

5th Mar 2009, 23:35

Why did you buy the car then? There is something called a test drive before you buy.

8th Mar 2009, 13:37

Yes, there IS such a thing as a test drive, and I have steadfastly maintained that those who want to KNOW how a car will perform give any vehicle they are considering a VERY GOOD test drive.

Acceleration testing is easy: Just floor the accelerator a few times. Likewise with braking: Make several very hard stops. Take some tight corners at speed (where it is SAFE to do so of course). Drive the car at speed on a freeway, and allow enough time for the engine to fully warm up.

If a dealership refuses to allow you to take the car for a good test drive on a course of YOUR CHOOSING, tell them "No thanks" and go to another dealership. It is YOUR hard earned money that is buying the car. You have EVERY RIGHT to test its performance before you obligate yourself to buy it.

The dealerships in my area know me, know I am a car enthusiast, and have no qualms about tossing me the keys to any car I want to test drive and allowing me as much time as I need to evaluate it. They know I won't buy it otherwise.

I have a test drive route consisting of interstate highway and curving, lightly-travelled roads. There are areas where I have the opportunity to make flat-out acceleration tests from one marker to another in order to compare different vehicle's rates of acceleration. There are very tight turns where I can check the cars roll tendency and understeer/oversteer characteristics. To know how a car will perform, you have to test its limits.

12th Mar 2009, 21:29

Update on my original thread - "All show and no go" for my 1998 Mustang V6.

My 1998 Mustang V6 now has 76,000 miles as of 3/12/09.

My lovely Mustang leaks antifreeze from the intake manifold gasket.

It also has at least 1 inch of play in the steering wheel.

The PAS anti theft system module went bad as well.

This car is the best! I love spending my Saturdays waiting for my car at the repair shop with expensive repair bills. I can't wait to buy another American car, especially a Ford!

Ford is Quality #1.

Amen!

14th Mar 2009, 17:07

Too much putting down American cars. Japanese cars have problems too. Specially those Nissan Maximas, go look at those. In the junk yards half the cars in there are Japanese cars. Same crap. But for American you need to buy V8 to get the best.

14th Mar 2009, 17:57

I suppose it might be possible to have all the problems listed in comment 21:29 at only 76,000 miles, but after owning 7 Mustangs since 1976 I've never seen ANY of these problems. Mine were showroom fresh at 100,000 miles and NONE ever required ANY repairs beyond tires, batteries and brakes.

I looked over a 2001 GT convertible at a Mustang club show last summer. It looked as if it had been kept in storage since it was new. When I talked to the owner, I discovered that it was his daily driver and had 200,000 miles on it!! NEVER a repair. I've found that typical of every Ford we've ever owned.

I guess if you try hard enough you can trash ANYTHING in 76,000 miles, but it takes a lot of work!! Only our Honda was ready for the junk yard before 100,000 miles.

25th Mar 2009, 18:18

I have a 1998 Mustang V6. It has little over 80,000 miles runs great. I actually hydro-locked it a month or too ago, emptied the motor, oil change, new belt, checked everything. Had a professional Mustang tuner/mechanic check the whole motor and it checked perfect. All together the car has been awesome for me. Good gas mileage and s nice ride.

26th Mar 2009, 20:49

To 18:18: Congrats on a great little car. My family has owned literally dozens of Fords, including about an even dozen Mustangs (I've owned 7 myself). If you take care of these cars they will last a VERY long time. None of my Mustangs ever had a single problem, and one of our Fords (not a Mustang) made well over 300,000 miles with less than $500 in repairs. My current 2007 V-6 Pony is the best yet. It's faster than my previous 5.0 V-8.

31st Mar 2009, 14:50

I also own a 1998 3.8L Mustang auto, and I never had any problems with it. I have 140k with original everything (except for a good tune up), and my car runs good like brand new. Hell it is even show room condition no rust/dents, interior looks like new.

I drove it all last winter with no issues! And I beat up on it all the time, and it can handle anything I give it.

Also when I hit bumps, it does not sound like it will break in half. Actually, last winter in a bad snow storm, I cut a corner too short, went over like a 4inch curb doing about 30MPH and it made a big thud. Believe it or not there was no damage, and it did not "break in half". Now it that was some piece of crap plastic ricer, it would have totaled that thing out haha.

2nd Apr 2009, 11:35

I LOVE this comment, but just HAD to add my own to it. A few years back I was cut off by another car, veered off the pavement and hit a 6 or 8 inch high curb (it was DEFINITELY higher than 4") head on at over FIFTY mph in my 5.0 Mustang. The jolt was so severe it knocked my sunglasses off. I was terrified to even LOOK at the damage, but after inspecting it I didn't see any. I drove it to a tire store I deal with and had it checked. IT WASN'T EVEN OUT OF ALIGNMENT!!! No damage of ANY kind, not even to the alloy wheel.

That stands in stark contrast to my nephew's experience. He was driving a Japanese import and skidded into a 4" curb at less than 20mph on a rain-slicked road. It wiped out the entire front suspension, struts, and bent the sub-frame!! It cost thousands to repair. He now drives a Dodge Charger. Domestics are not made out of tinfoil.