ROAD TEST: Updated Ford Mustang GT convertible
The all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine in the 2011 Mustang GT uses advanced technology to deliver 412 horsepower and a best-in-class highway fuel economy of 26 mpg. Credit: Wieck/Ford
Over the years, owners of a variety of collectible cars have graciously allowed me to drive them. Among my favorites have been muscle cars from the 1960s. But, invariably, they were more enjoyable to look at than drive - with 1960s steering, brakes, tires and body construction. And fuel economy.
For fans of the era, Ford, General Motors and Chrysler will sell you cars that let you have it all - almost: a 1960s personality and 2010 handling.
Today's subject, the 2011 Mustang GT offers the delight of a rumbling 412-hp. V-8 engine - displacing 5.0 liters and paired with either a new manual transmission or six-speed automatic. Car and Driver magazine said zero to 60 miles per hour took 4.6 seconds. Fuel economy is improved slightly despite the power increase from last year's 315 hp.
The new electric steering is tight and responsive. Brakes are larger for 2011; Brembos are available and those in the tester were powerful and easy to modulate. A rearview camera is available, and there are small wide-angle mirrors set into the outside rearview mirrors to help overcome the blind spots to the rear and the rear quarters that are inherent in convertibles. And, of course, there's traction and stability control.
Still, there are drawbacks. Regular gas costs about $3 a gallon - even at the cheapest pumps - not the 25 or 30 cents we paid in the '60s.
More and more of the other cars on the road have four cylinders, not the eight or even six that were common back when gas was cheap and only a few scientists knew what global warming was. While the 22 mpg I averaged in my GT convertible tester would have been considered amazing in 1965, it still meant frequent refuelings of the small, 16-gallon tank - at $30 and $40 a pop.
In 2010, there's no way to justify a car like this in practical terms. For the sake of your wallet and the environment, consider the V-6 model, whose engine also is new for 2011.
Back on the upside, my test convertible's body seemed quite solid - always a concern when a car lacks the structural contribution of a steel roof.
The driver can feel the convertible's extra 117 pounds, though, and there's still a tendency for the rear to hop sideways over an expansion joint. But the retuned suspension provides a more comfortable highway ride with no compromise in handling.
Mustangs start at about $23,000, the GT coupe starts at $30,500 and the GT convertible at $35,500. Mustangs are average in reliability, says Consumer Reports; market researcher J.D. Power and Associates calls them better than average.
The 2010 Mustang coupe and convertible got an almost perfect safety rating from the federal government.
