A young man's car...

Apologies to women for the title, but "young person's car" just doesn't have the right ring to it, especially for the GT.

I fell in love with the '06 Mustang's styling the first time I saw it. Finally, after so many years of the Fox-platform, Ford was able to make the Mustang look like a Mustang once again. Still, I did not expect to buy one. "After all", I said to myself, "you're 24 now, two years out of college, with a good job, a promising career, and an old Porsche for weekends already. You don't need another coupe, you need a nice, practical hatchback, an Elantra or a Focus."

And so I test drove both, finding them "peppy" (ah, the "peppy" car, forever damned with faint praise), inoffensive, practical, economical, and bloody boring. On the Ford lot, however, my eyes lingered on a black on black GT with the 5-speed manual and every option except the red seats. The salesman, of course, noticed. "You know, that one's not sold yet, just for fun, do you want to drive it?" I could have stopped myself, arguably I should have, but out came the same phrase that I've uttered before buying each of the 4 previous cars I've bought, "It can't hurt just to drive it..." 10,200 miles and 7 months later, here I am, giving my initial impressions.

The largest reason to buy the GT, for most buyers, is the V8 and the latest iteration doesn't disappoint. Though the third smallest V8 ever in a Mustang at 281 cubic inches (4.6 liters), and the smallest V8 to be used for more than 3 years (260 CID for a couple months in early production before the 289 became the "small" V8, and 255 CID from 1980-1982), Ford's modular 4.6 litre engine continues to give a very good account of itself. Newly revamped for the '05 models and carried over to the '06, it borrows 3-valve heads from the F150's 5.4 litre engine and introduces variable valve timing to the Mustang. Like most overhead cam engines, it is strongest from midrange to redline, but it's still able to light up the rear tires in second gear if you're inclined to do so. Overall it's an excellent engine that doesn't ever feel as though it's been caught wrong-footed (and that sounds simply magnificent at full charge). There are many people who would criticise the engine for being 4.6 litres and producing "only" 300 hp, but such criticism is unwarranted. Yes, there are V6's out there that make close to the the 4.6's power (Nissan's 3.5 litre V6 comes to mind). However, those engines produce significantly less torque, offer no better fuel mileage, and, unlike the Mustang's V8, require premium fuel. They are also found in cars that cost more than the Mustang's relatively frugal $25,000. It should also be noted that Road & Track clocked a Mustang GT at 4.9 seconds 0-60 (April, 2005), so the 4.6 is no slouch in actual driving, even if one agrees with its critics.

OK, so the engine is great, but what good is the engine if it can't get the power to the ground?

Backing the GT's V8, is a Tremec T3650 5-speed manual transmission (Ford's 5R55S 5-speed automatic is available and supposedly very good, but I have not tested it). Tremec has a reputation for sturdy transmissions (and supplies the transmissions for the Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Corvette, Mustang Cobra, and the no-longer-produced Camaro and Firebird V8s) and the T3650 is no exception. However, sturdiness has a price and the T3650 shifts like a muscle car's transmission is expected to shift. The throws are short, stiff, and accompanied occasionally by a clunk. Just like the noisy but indestructible transmissions of muscle car history (the Muncie M-22 "Rock Crusher", named for its trademark noise comes first to mind), the Tremec's noises are not a cause for concern and after a time, the transmission inspires confidence as the driver learns that, unlike the transmissions in European sports cars, the T3650 performs best when the driver is heavy handed. Once old habits are un-learned, there is a unique joy to be found in muscling the car through the gears and the limited slip differential (standard on the GT) ensures that both of the rear tires are contributing to the forward thrust.

A great engine and a solid transmission make for a good car for thundering down the dragstrip, but just how well does that ancient live axle rear suspension deal with corners?

The answer is, "surprisingly well". Given the size, weight, and rear suspension of the Mustang, a romp through curvy roads leaves one wondering just which engineer on the Mustang's design team sold his soul to make the car as good as it is. Perhaps it was more than one of them. The laws of physics will eventually catch up with the Mustang's 3,500 pound curb weight, but it takes a long time for this to happen, and when it does, it's predictable, gradual, and controllable. The Mustang understeers strongly on turn-in, but playing with the tire pressures can mitigate this to some extent, giving nearly neutral steady-state cornering behaviour and the ability to adjust the cornering line a little by using the throttle. In the end, while not a Miata, the Mustang is finally confident and composed through the corners and the live rear axle only makes itself known on incredibly bad pavement.

Engine, transmission, chassis, all working together to make a car that looks great by numbers, but what's it like to drive it every day?

This is where the new Mustang is the most surprising. Settle into the driver's seat and the first thing one realises is that the controls are all easy to find. The steering column tilts through a stepless range. (Note to Ford: Thank you for FINALLY getting rid of the ancient 5-position tilt wheel and replacing it with a proper adjustable column.) The seats in the GT are Firm, and yes the capital "F" is intentional. Some people have complained about this, but I prefer it this way. I have had lower back trouble for several years now and the Mustang's seats are some of the best I've sat in. I would prefer more side bolstering, but that's pretty much a universal issue that I have with the seats in most cars. Another minor complaint is that the seats are too high, placing the pedals slightly below, but this is probably attributable to my love of small roadster type cars with seats that are so low as to put the pedals straight out in front of them. The seats do include side impact airbags (optional) however. The back seats are actually comfortable, but have essentially no leg room, so unless you are sitting behind someone who is 5'2", adults should avoid sitting in the rear. The shift lever is perfectly placed for me, requiring no extra reach and the throws are short and precise. The gauges are readable most of the time, though very strong sunlight can wash out the smaller center gauges between the tachometer and speedometer. The round air vents are a revelation, and I can see why so many cars are now using this type of vent. They are easy to adjust and can flow massive amounts of air, which is a good thing since a black on black car tends to get very hot in the summer. Air-conditioning works well, and the compressor load on the engine is never felt. I do have a small complaint that the shifter can block the rear defrost button and the air conditioning button, and that the cup holders are placed directly behind the shifter, which can make things interesting. The radio controls are large, well marked, easy to manipulate and well within reach.

And what about that radio?

The car had the Shaker 1000, which I would not have chosen over the Shaker 500 if I'd ordered the car rather than finding it on the lot. That said, the stereo is excellent when properly adjusted. The Shaker 1000 has a "Shaker Mode" that is turned on by default. This mode severely over-drives the rear subwoofers and is only useful if you want to be the jerk who annoys everyone at stoplights by pumping muddy bass. (Another note to Ford: Shame on you for including that stupid "Shaker Mode" on the 1000 system and greater shame for having it default to "on".) With the mode turned off and the subs driven at normal levels, the sound is crisp and clear with lots of headroom. When set up by someone who knows sound, the system is formidable. Unfortunately I fear that too many people will simply use it to increase the bass response to almost painful levels. Unless you are dead set on the extra subs of the Shaker 1000, look into the Shaker 500 instead. It offers 95% of the sound quality at much less cost and still includes the 6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 capability.

The interior trim is largely hard plastic, even with the optional interior upgrade package adding real aluminum trim (the package is a necessity, in my mind, to counter the otherwise bland coloring). This is unfortunate, but the car's price must be considered, and at least nothing feels flimsy. Ford put the Mustang's development money into the chassis and drivetrain and to my mind they made the right decision. I do wish, however, that Ford had seen fit to install an interior trunk release. As it stands, there is no release button for the trunk in the passenger cabin, to open the trunk you must either use the remote key fob, or open the trunk from outside with the key. It's a small thing, but it would have been nice. The same goes for the omission of the key hole on the passenger's door. Trivial issues really.

Overall, I can only say what others have already said; the Mustang has grown up without losing its spirit. It's more capable and practical than it has ever been since the 60's. It's quiet on the freeway when cruising, but growls beautifully when driven hard, and while it's capable cornering, it doesn't beat up the driver on normal roads. When I come in to work each morning and park it next to the Audis, Jaguars, and Infinities in the parking lot, I don't feel like an immature upstart. As I feel I am, the Mustang is young, confident, a little bit brash, capable enough to excuse the brashness, and still civilised. A package with some rough edges, but with redeeming virtues far beyond the flaws. In a word, youthful.