Fast, fun and a blast in twisty stuff, the Mustang GT is a real value among American performance cars.If America had a soundtrack, it would open with the rumble of a V8 engine being fired to life. The Mustang is an American original and would likely be the car tapped to provide the opening stanza to that soundtrack. The GT is a supremely tossable, romp-on-the-throttle retro ride. Ford has nailed it, delivering a balanced car that looks good inside and out, pulls hard in a straight line but also handles well. Build quality is excellent, making the GT a "vice" that one should be able to live with for years to come.
However, we like the base or lightly optioned GTs more than our heavily optioned tester. The pony car has always been premium performance at a bargain price, and at $34,000-plus there may be more tempting cars out there. But at $27K, the GT is more than alluring — it is downright irresistible.Entry-level Mustangs feature a 4.0-liter V6 that develops 210 horsepower at 5300 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm. The GT flexes an all-aluminum 4.6-liter V8 that pumps out 300 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 320 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. The modular 4.6-liter is a SOHC design with three valves per cylinder and variable camshaft timing.
The 4.6-liter can be backed by a Tremec 3650 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic. Our manual test mule carried an EPA fuel-efficiency rating of 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway. During our stint behind the wheel, which included some aggressive throttle manipulation, we saw 19.6 mpg combined.
Pros:
V8 audacity, great tone at 5000 rpm
Outstanding roomy, hip, functional cabin
Throwback styling hits the mark
Cons:
Watch bottom line, can get pricey quick
Shifter could use a little weight
We’d like more power, say 350 horsepower
However, we like the base or lightly optioned GTs more than our heavily optioned tester. The pony car has always been premium performance at a bargain price, and at $34,000-plus there may be more tempting cars out there. But at $27K, the GT is more than alluring — it is downright irresistible.Entry-level Mustangs feature a 4.0-liter V6 that develops 210 horsepower at 5300 rpm and 240 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm. The GT flexes an all-aluminum 4.6-liter V8 that pumps out 300 horsepower at 5750 rpm and 320 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. The modular 4.6-liter is a SOHC design with three valves per cylinder and variable camshaft timing.
The 4.6-liter can be backed by a Tremec 3650 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic. Our manual test mule carried an EPA fuel-efficiency rating of 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway. During our stint behind the wheel, which included some aggressive throttle manipulation, we saw 19.6 mpg combined.
Pros:
V8 audacity, great tone at 5000 rpm
Outstanding roomy, hip, functional cabin
Throwback styling hits the mark
Cons:
Watch bottom line, can get pricey quick
Shifter could use a little weight
We’d like more power, say 350 horsepower
