Craig's Selection

This ain't the best picture, believe me the GT looks better in person ...

The 35K luxury coupe that almost was

The new 2010 Ford Mustang GT hit the dealerships last week and I couldn’t resist taking it for a spin. After driving the Audi S5 (review to follow soon) I can’t shake the impression that Ford almost made an Audi competitor – for half the price. Or maybe it’s the other way round, maybe Audi created an sophisticated Mustang with the S5. Anyways, both cars are similar: strong V8’s, great sounds, nice interiors, sporty good looks combined with an unusable back seats and a hedonistic fun.  The comparison limps a bit once you get into the details. The Mustang can be a luxury sports coupe competitor, but Ford needs to make a few changes.

The Good

The Mustang interior and exterior is actually good looking. Gone are the cheap plastics.  Say hello to a rich and classy cabin. My tester was fully loaded: navigation, 19inch wheels, HID lights and some other goodies and rang in at 35 large.
 After seeing the new Camaro in person I actually like the Mustang better. It’s more mature, less cartoonish and you will not look like a Transformers action figure driving it. The GT design probably will age well, just like the Audi.

Lombard Street in San Francisco

One drive and you know that this car is all about:  The V8.

It sounds awesome the moment you start it. And you don’t need to drive it hard to get an entertaining soundtrack. I actually prefer driving it slower. Once you floor the gas the intake air noises overshadow the V8 – I like the V8 exhaust rumble better. If you lift your foot of the gas you even get this nice rally style “roecheln”. The clutch is amazingly easy to use. My girlfriend could drive it up Lombard street in SF. And that aluminum kids size baseball shift knob feels just right in the palm of your hand. 
It’s down on power compared with the Camaro, but really you never feel slow in this car. Except of course when there is a 2010 Camaro SS waiting at the stoplight.
Regardless,  you WILL grow hair on your chest and hang your elbow out the window once you fire up the V8. The engine is THE reason to get the Mustang. The rest of the car, the modern looks and upgraded interior, is icing on the cake.

The Bad

If the engine and sheet metal is the main reason to get the Mustang, the suspension and lack of safety features are the biggest reason to look elsewhere. I like the car, I love the engine and I actually think it’s a great deal. Almost.
When you look closer, a few things are amiss. The suspension seems good until you cross railroad tracks or hit a bump in mid corner. It becomes apparent who developed this car – truck guys. The Mustang GT setup feels like a lowered F-150 suspension. And that’s not a compliment. Ford,  it’s 2010! There is not need to make a sports coupe with a truck suspension.

Forget about the “traditionalists” who supposedly prefer it that way, it’s only tradition because back in the 60’s nobody knew better, and yes, it was dirt cheap. The rest of the world figured out long ago that a fully independent suspension is best, in particular for sports cars.  How much can you save using the sold real axle? Ford sells $15,000 Fiesta’s in Europe that have a more sophisticated suspension.
 Way to go, Ford. I wonder if the Tata Nano has an independent suspension.
The second disappointment is lack of head airbags. This is a $35,000 car. That’s an entry level luxury price. The Hyundai Sonata (or Ford Fusion!) has head airbags standard for half the price (16K after current discounts). Really, you can’t spring for another $50 for bags? Ford, do you think customers are blind, ignorant or both?

Conclusion

The GT is the car that I wanted to love but couldn’t. I like it. I still want it. Add a suspension worthy of a $30,000 plus coupe, add airbags with passive safety, and you will have an Audi S5 competitor for half the price.
Or, Ford could do nothing and go down the familiar path of making a half-baked sports car only Mustang aficionados love. In a few years when they are done buying, the rest of us need 10K in incentives to consider a GT. Getting the car right in the first place will be more profitable. Don’t be cheap – it’s usually doesn’t pay.
Ford should have launched the 2010 with head airbags. If the suspension design needs to wait until the next re-design so be it, but I can’t think of another car in the 30K price range that is lacking basic airbag safety features. I guess I have to get the S5 after all…