Ford Mustang, redesigned for history in mind

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fast, compact and roomy. Runs on regular gas.

Cons: Lack of passenger grab handle. No transmission dispstick. (GT)Not for teens.

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
It is a sleeper car. It will surprise Vett's and Porches, and is cheaper to boot. When a SUV is not an option, give the Mustang a look.

Author's Review
The first thing that strikes you as you look at the front end of the 2005 Ford Mustang GT, is the classic look from the early seventies that brings back memories of the Boss and Shelby variant.

Powered by a 4.6 liter V-8, the GT looks fast even sitting still. An all aluminum block, SOHC with three valves per cylinder, the engine punches out 300 horse power with 325 foot pounds of torque at 4,500 RPM. The engine does not require high test and it is recommended to run only 87 Octane. Motor oil weight is a surprising 5W20, for year around use. In the GT, the Speedo is a 140 MPH unit.

The GT that the reviewer purchased is equipped with the 5-speed automatic transmission. Equipped with traction control that efficiently works with the ABS system, it helps prevent the driver from spinning the tires on wet or dry pavement and improves the ability of the Mustang to get through the snow and ice that many will likely encounter. The TCS can be turned off by the driver in the event he or she needs to spin the tires for some reason or to get it out of a sticky situation.

The driver’s seat a six-way power seat is comfortable for the reviewer and it also has a power lumbar support. The ventilated leather seats insure that the driver and his or her passengers will not stick to the seats in the summer.

There are two optional sound systems for the GT, and they are the Shaker 500 and Shaker 1000. The 1000 adds two huge bass speakers to the trunk. The sound system includes an in dash 6 CD system so no opening the trunk to load the disks. I recommend staying with the Shaker 500 as the additional speakers will rob you of trunk space.

Trunk capacity is small for the car of course but for long objects both rear seats fold downward.
No full size spare is available.

The Pirelli tires P235/75/R17 ZW are sure footed and grip rather well for OEM tires. Note if one wants want to spin the tires a gentle wakeup is in order. To replace the high performance tires of the same or higher speed rating will require a minimum of $180 to $250 per tire depending on manufacture, so keep that in mind.

Interior is well done and harkens back to the original origins of the Mustang to keep things absolutely simple. You can spring for the advanced cluster that will give you the complete vitals of the car, but if you don't you will get the 6,000 RPM redline tachometer then the gas gauge and the engine temp gauge followed by the Speedo then the idiot lights on each side and in the center.

There are the usual blind spots to the right and left rear but the oversized side view mirrors help make up for that issue.

Under the hood in the GT sits the 4.6 liter V-8. Ford did their homework when it came to making the fluid checks easy to carry out with only one exception. In the 5-Speed Automatic, there is NO DIPSTICK. The manual simply says that the transmission does not use up any transmission fluid and if the driver should start to feel slippage then he or she should visit their nearest Ford Dealer to have the transmission serviced.

Handling: Superb. Nimble and agile, the driver can handle most emergency maneuvers. The US Government rating gives the Mustang GT about .008 percent chance of rolling over. That is rather comforting.

Acceleration: With TCS or Traction Control System engaged, it will go from zero to 60 in about 5.1 seconds. Acceleration noise is very noticeable and it is loud. It WILL attract Cops, so be wary when you do use it.

Safety: Front Airbags standard with optional side airbags in the bucket seats. Standard 3 point safety belts for front seats seat sit back a bit and may cause difficulty in terms of riding high on shorter folks. Height adjustment is limited.

For those with kids:

Front passenger airbag deactivates if child safety seat is placed on right bucket seat. Vehicle has LATCH anchors in rear. There are no head rests due to the rear LATCH system so no whiplash protection is afforded for rear passengers unless they are rather short.

Previous models were more compact and did not give the taller folks much leg room. If you are over 6 foot the interior will please you as you can now stretch out. A co-worker who is a police officer and is a little over 6 foot 4 inches found it comfortable in the driver and the front passenger seats, but just Ok for the rear. Note there is no passenger grab handle for entry or exit.

Fit and finish very good. No squeaks or telltale rattles.

Gas mileage: From 16 to 18 in the city and around 20-24 on the highway, depending on how one uses the gas pedal.

Parents who may be hearing the wishes of a teen driver wanting the GT Mustang are encouraged to not purchase the GT, but instead look at the much tamer V-6 Mustang. The GT can be a handful for inexperienced drivers