2002 Ford Thunderbird Review

Prices
$34,965-$38,465
Likes
Nifty retro styling. Fast. Comfortable. Good handling. Exclusive.
Dislikes
Stiff steering feel. Plain gauges. Occasional floaty ride. Water drips from soft top when doors opened.

Do you believe in magic? No? Then try the new Ford Thunderbird. It just might make you feel as if you've been whisked back to the simpler, more optimistic America of the 1950s. It's certainly the latest hot piece of driveway jewelry. Few industry observers thought there would be another Ford Thunderbird two-seater after the 1958 model arrived as a four-seater, which generated higher sales and profits. The Thunderbird looked good until the early 1970s. No model captured the magic of the 1955-57 two-seater, but many four-seat T-Birds were sold before the car was dropped after the 1997 model year.

It's taken more than four decades, but the first two-seat T-Bird since the 1957 model finally has arrived, and it's a deft blend of retro styling and modern mechanical features. The booming economy of the 1990s and growing number of foreign two-seaters prompted Ford to bring back the two-seat T-Bird. About 25,000 are expected to be sold annually. List prices range from $34,965 to $38,465, depending on whether you get the Deluxe or slightly higher-line Premium model. Both are offered with an extra-cost removable hardtop.

How will the new Thunderbird be received? Well, all 200 of the $41,465, specially trimmed Neiman Marcus Edition models were quickly snapped up. The new Thunderbird takes styling cues from the 1950s two-seater, developed as a more comfortable rival to the Chevrolet Corvette sports car. For instance, the front has an egg crate-style chrome grille, hood scoop and simulated air vents of the 1955-57 model, while the rear has the round, swept-back fenders and bullet taillights of early 1960s Thunderbirds. Naturally, there are dual exhausts. Interior color packages with such features as an exterior color dashboard and seat inserts liven up the roomy cockpit, which has comfortable seats.

Brushed aluminum trim panels on the dash and door panels are a nice touch, but gauges look plain and need larger numbers. Radio and climate controls are big enough for easy operation and there are large console-mounted cup holders. Integrated armrests on the doors are commendably wide and flat, but there's little interior storage space. The trunk is long, but shallow, and has a rather high opening. Like the original two-seaters, the new Thunderbird comes as a convertible with a V-8 and rear-wheel drive. The hardtop has the trademark porthole windows of 1956-57 models. The power convertible top lowers quickly and has a heated glass window.

But occupants who exit in the rain will find the top drips lots of water on them. The T-Bird has the sophisticated 3.9-liter, 252-horsepower engine that powers the European-style Lincoln LS. It has a shortened, beefed-up version of the platform used by the capable LS and Jaguar S-Type. Most body panels are plastic. Bumps elicit some cowl shakes, and the doors sound tinny when closed with the windows down. But the car generally has a solid feel. Wind buffeting with the top down at highways speeds is minimal.

The dual-overhead-camshaft, 32-valve V-8 lets the T-Bird hit 60 mph in just 7.1seconds, although it weighs 3,775 pounds with its big body and large amount of comfort and convenience equipment. No manual transmission is offered, but the five-speed automatic is responsive. Fuel economy is in the mid-teens in the city and about 25 mpg on the highway. The power steering feels stiff, but is quick. The supple, all-independent suspension provides a smooth ride, although it gets bouncy on road irregularities such as dips.

Big tires help allow surprising high cornering speeds. And an available traction control system provides better grip on slippery roads. Powerful brakes stop the car quickly and surely, with good pedal feel. This is no sports car like a Corvette. But neither is it an old-style country club auto or just a stylish cruiser. It's exactly what you might expect the 2002 version of the original Thunderbird two-seater to be.