Gary Yeomans Ford

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• Interior / Walk Around  »
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• Summary

Walk Around

Nothing says modern American sporty car better than this latest Mustang. Its long hood and short rear deck capitalize on 40 years of pony-car heritage. The current Mustang features classic design cues that have defined Mustangs since the 1960s: C-scoops in the sides, three-element tail lamps and a galloping horse badge in the center of the grille. Its menacing shark-like nose is reminiscent of the 1967-70 models.

Yet the Mustang follows modern trends by offering ever-larger wheels, including two distinct 18-inch wheel designs for the GT. So trimmed, the Mustang looks more aggressively handsome than ever, and much like the concept cars that grabbed everyone's attention at the 2004 North American International Auto Show.

And while the Mustang's retro-inspired look pleases the eyes, there's a lot of updated technology you don't see, starting with an aluminum hood to trim weight. The modern Mustang is based on the same mechanical platform as the Jaguar S-Type, albeit with some cost-trimming measures such as its live-axle rear suspension.

Relative to previous Mustangs, everything under the car has been substantially upgraded. The brakes are bigger by nearly 20 percent. A completely new front and rear suspension yields a much quieter, smoother ride as well as much more precise steering during hard cornering. New engines deliver performance with efficiency. Optional antilock brakes bundled with traction control give any a fighting chance in bad situations.

All Mustang engines are secured to the body with hydraulic mounts, which absorb and counteract vibration and pulsing. By adapting ideas and components from luxury cars, Ford has given the current Mustang a level of sophistication its predecessors never had. Yet the Mustang heritage of low-cost performance and flashy styling has not been compromised one iota.

Like its muscle-era namesake, the Shelby GT500 stands out with a unique front grille and bumper fascia, providing both a functionally larger and unimpeded air intake, while reducing air flow under the body. A unique engine hood with dual air-extraction slits is domed to clear the larger, 5.4-liter engine. Around back a vintage-style duck-tail spoiler on the decklid and a series of four strakes under the rear fascia contribute to air management (or at least the appearance of it). Carroll Shelby's signature striking-Cobra emblem glowers from the gas cap and from a characteristically off-center position in the grille. The whole package rides on unique 18-inch rims sporting Ford's SVT (Special Vehicle Team) logo. Just as in 1968, coupes are topped by Le Mans-style racing stripes. They look terrific, though we're not sure they should carry down onto the rear bumper where they compete with the rear license plate.

Shelby convertibles feature a premium fabric for the top.

Interior

2007 Ford Mustang

The Mustang interior is as blatantly throwback as the exterior, and nearly as well done. It's sporty and crisp in appearance and straightforward in function.

There's a heavy dose of 1967 Mustang inside, with the dash divided into distinct right and left pods, blended with modern touches. Chrome-ringed air vents align across the dash, precisely in line with the gauges, and the steering wheel has three spokes with a center hub marked by the horse-and-tricolor-bars logo. While some of the materials have a cost-saving look and feel, the package is not bad given the high style and price of entry. An interior upgrade package adds red leather seats, red door inserts and red floor mats on cars with appropriate exterior colors.

Along with its new inside duds, Mustang offers an optional color-changeable instrument panel display, with 125 color schemes to choose from. It's a gimmick, to be sure, but it's easy to use, and it can brighten your day, and especially your night, as you drive. We're all for that. Speaking of brightening, however, there's enough shiny metal on this car's dash and steering wheel to create some glare problems for drivers on sunny days (just like the old days). Another interior upgrade package, with satin or dark-finish aluminum inserts instead of chrome, goes a long way toward eliminating traces of cheapness.

These are the good old days in terms of roominess in the Mustang. The 107-inch wheelbase and 187.6-inch overall length of the current model are the longest of any Mustang since 1973, and are within an inch of the dimensions of the 1969-70 model. But Ford has learned something about space efficiency since then, so today's Mustang offers more front-seat hip, leg, elbow and shoulder room than any previous generation. We found the front bucket seats to be comfortable, supportive and retentive in hard corners.

The back seat, however, isn't much more accommodating than in the old fastback 2+2 variant of 1965-68. It's not a place adults will want to spend any time. At least it still folds flat, just like in the old days, to expand luggage capacity.

And even without folding the back seat, the Mustang's trunk is as large as those in some more overtly practical sedans.

Seats in the Shelby are more aggressively bolstered, and the positions of the speedometer and tachometer are swapped. The Shelby is upholstered in black leather, with or without red inserts. All interior chrome is replaced by satin-finish aluminum for reduced glare. Snake logos slither on the seatbacks and steering-wheel hub.

The standard sound system that comes in the Mustang is good. The 500-watt upgrade is reasonably priced as part of the premium package, and adds a six-CD changer. The 1000-watt upgrade will impress most audiophiles, but the extra subwoofers in the trunk steal a good chunk of cargo space. We'd be inclined to pass on those.

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