1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Review

It should be prime top-down convertible weather for two more months, and enjoying that weather in Ford's Mustang GT soft top is one of the most ``American'' activities you could indulge in.

The $23,495 Mustang GT convertible, which I recently tested, is just right; this 215-horsepower V-8 model falls between the lazy, $21,060 Mustang 150-horsepower V-6 convertible and the $27,580 Mustang Cobra soft top. The muscular Cobra costs an awful lot for a Mustang and has a 305-horsepower V-8 that is a lot for the car's chassis to handle.

Although a decent performance car, Mustang soft tops are more cruisers than performance cars. They never have been as fast as, say, costlier Chevrolet Corvette convertibles. The typical Mustang V-8 convertible's main appeal always has been its value for the dollar, and the GT soft top certainly offers plenty of that.

Convertibles--especially small ones with tight rear-seat areas like the Mustang--are hedonistic cars not found in many areas of the world.

In fact, with its cheap gasoline and abundant wealth, the United States is a prime convertible market. The U.S. market for this type of car is about 200,000 units per year--or more than half of worldwide convertible sales.

For the past two years, the Mustang has been No. 1 in convertible sales--thanks largely to the arrival of the revamped Mustang for 1994. The much-improved car replaced an aged, rattly model and came as a coupe and convertible.

The soft-top version carries on a long Mustang tradition. The Mustang debuted as a nearly perfect car for baby boomers, many of whom had reached driving age when the slick little auto debuted in April, 1964. Some 72,000 of the approximately 600,000 1965 Mustangs were convertibles--a high percentage, especially considering that the Mustang hardtop coupe and fastback models were very attractive.

One big attraction of the 1996 Mustang GT is its easily operated power soft top. It fits snugly and has a glass rear window, not a cheap plastic one. However, the top does little to cut down on the GT's considerable engine, exhaust, tire and wind noise when up.

Another major attraction is Ford's butter-smooth single-overhead-camshaft V-8, which has replaced the ancient 5-liter pushrod V-8 that powered the Mustang since its 1964 debut.

The high-revving new 4.6-liter V-8 is robust and emits a sexy exhaust note. It has gobs of neck-snapping torque and doesn't run out of breath like the pushrod engine at 4,500 r.p.m. It provides strong acceleration (0 to 60 m.p.h. in 6.9 seconds) with the standard five-speed manual transmission and has a wide powerband that makes it easy to live with on a daily basis.

The manual works with a nice clutch and shifts decently, although its shifter can get notchy when rushed. Overdrive fifth gear is strictly an economy gear that causes 65-to-75 m.p.h. passing maneuvers on highways seemingly to take forever; a downshift to fourth gear is needed for good passing times. Also, using fifth gear in town causes the V-8 to lug severely. Third gear is best in town.

Economy with the 4.6 V-8 and manual is an EPA-estimated--and poor--18 in the city and 27 on highways.

Figures are 17 in the city and 24 on highways with the optional four-speed automatic transmission, which costs $815. You can't get the automatic without ordering air conditioning, but it only comes for the GT convertible in a $1,650 option package, which contains items such as anti-lock brakes, power driver's seat and rear spoiler.

The automatic downshifts quickly, but upshifts too slowly.

The GT convertible is built solidly, with only a small number of squeaks and rattles. The standard power steering feels rather heavy and dead, but is precise. At least the overly light ``no-effort/no-feel'' power steering of previous Mustangs has been banished.

The GT's non-independent rear suspension has an old-style solid rear axle, but it's well-controlled--thanks to angled upper and lower trailing links and two horizontally mounted shock absorbers that minimize axle twist during fast acceleration. Handling is even pretty good in bumpy curves, and the ride is decent despite the GT's performance suspension and extra-wide tires.

Four-wheel disc brakes stop the car with great authority, although the brake pedal should be given better ``feel.'' The anti-lock system offers an extra safety margin.

Unfortunately, the rear-wheel-drive Mustang is not offered with a traction-control system, which means the GT's wide tires are likely to do a fair amount of slipping and sliding on icy winter roads.

The snug, dual-airbag interior has a nice dashboard, but tall drivers will wish their supportive bucket seat slid back more. Only pets and small children will be comfortable in the rear, and the trunk space is meager.

But, as we said, the Mustang GT convertible is a hedonistic car that is not about people- or cargo-hauling. It's about driving kicks.