Remember when Mustang went retro five years ago? Many fans of the iconic pony car criticized Ford for not taking a fresh approach.
While I did not necessarily agree with the criticism, I could see where they might be coming from. I like Mustang's retro design theme. Ford grabbed the right stuff from previous generations and molded them together nicely.
For 2010 Ford has modernized the Mustang to deliver a fresh new look, inside and out, with even greater refinement, albeit with a slightly more contemporary feel.
For 2010 Ford has modernized the Mustang to deliver a fresh new look, inside and out, with even greater refinement, albeit with a slightly more contemporary feel.
I like what I see in the 2010 Ford Mustang, which features new headlamps, lower fascias and a power dome hood. Oh yeah, say goodbye to those unsightly hood-mounted windshield washer nozzles. Thankfully, they've been repositioned into the cowl area.
In an effort to reduce wind noise and improve styling, Mustang's antenna has been moved to the rear. Another nice touch is the new taillamp design featuring three LED bulbs that fire sequentially from the inside bulb to the outside bulb.
Heck, Ford even applied a brand-new pony badge to signify the changes. And for the first time, a black, chrome version of the Mustang pony badge will be available on the new GT grille.
I was immediately drawn to my 2010 Ford Mustang tester. Not only is this a head-turner convertible, this 'Stang sported a unique color called Grabber Blue.
This awesome blue hue and convertible roof made me forget that my tester wasn't a pavement-pounding GT model, but rather a milder V-6-powered steed.
As luck would have it, rain spoiled the first couple days of driving my convertible tester with the top down. These unfortunate circumstances did give me an opportunity to experience how refined the Mustang convertible has become.For being a ragtop, the Mustang convertible is fairly quiet with the top up. My only complaint was some body shake when driving over rough roads.
Dropping the Mustang's power top is simple and exhilarating. And I wasn't the only one who liked what I saw. I received many thumbs-up signals from other motorists while driving my Mustang convertible.
The 4.0-liter V-6 in my tester was rated at a meager 210 horsepower. Enthusiasts will obviously prefer the GT's 315-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8.
Although performance is light with the V-6, my tester's engine and five-speed automatic transmission were smooth and quiet. |
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I really liked Mustang's new interior. The instrument panel is clean and flows nicely into the new center stack that features the latest version of Ford SYNC
Fit and finish are noticeably much better than before, and it creates a much more likable cabin.
With MyColor, Mustang buyers can create more than 125 background colors by mixing the red-green-blue palette.
When equipped with MyColor, the 2010 Mustang features a "welcome sequence," greeting the driver with a sweep of the cluster needles as well as staged halo and cluster lighting selections.
The available ambient lighting system can coordinate the gauge cluster color, foot wells, cup holders, door map pockets and rear foot wells. Even the Mustang logo in the aluminum door sills can be custom colorized.
The Mustang convertible is at the top of my list for must-have and fun-to-drive convertibles. Ford has stepped in the right direction for 2010.
FORD MUSTANG CONVERTIBLE PREMIUM
ENGINE: 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V-6
TRANSMISSION: five-speed automatic
DRIVETRAIN: rear-wheel drive
FUEL ECONOMY: 16 city/24 highway
BASE PRICE: $28,995
AS TESTED: not applicable
WEB SITE: www.ford.com |
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