Vehicle: 2010 Ford Mustang GT Coupe with Premier Trim w/ Color Accent Pkg, GT Track Pkg 1 and Security Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$39799

Performance: Ford has lots on riding with the all-new Mustang, does the new version deliver what it promises? We will find out after this test drive.

The subject of our tester is the uplevel GT Coupe, which is motivated by a wonderful V8 engine under the hood. This SOHC V8 has 4.6 liters of displacement and 32-valves, which is far more sophiscated than any Mustang V8s in the past with pushrod variant. This latest engine has 315 ponies and 325 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. As one expects from an American muscle car, the amount of torque is amazing. 325 lb/ft of torque delivers at 4250 rpm. Drop the anchor and the Mustang flies off-the-line with authority. It also does it with a healthy mid and top range thanks to its 325 hp rating. The throttle response is quick without usual American muscle car’s nasty trait, which is overly sensitive. The 5-speed manual gearbox has nice throw and clean gates, with a light and progressive clutch that provide decent feedback. An addition of a 6th gear would help Mustang significantly, especially on highway cruising. That’s primarily because it revs rather buzzy on the highway even with its sports car status.

Handling: A good sports car has to build on a good fundamantal. The new Mustang has achieved that aplentry. There is a strong and solid chassis for suspension components to hang its heads. Despite the fact that Mustang still suspends with coil springs and Panhard Rod at the rear, its handling is remarkably civilized. While the tail remains very actively slip out when pushed hard through corners, its very easy to control whenever a driver lifts off throttle for correction. The entire car has a very nimble and sure-footness feel that are unfound in Mustangs of the past. The biggest delightful surprise is how sophiscated the new Mustang feel. While the old ones feel cruel and rough around the edges, the new one feels refined and solid. That is something we are not expecting from an American muscle car. It also shows how much the automotive technology has come along in the last decade. The stability control has acted accordingly for enthuisast to have some oversteer fun before steps in. Last but not least, the steering provides excellent feel and feedback. The steering weight and precision are something we are not expecting to find in a Mustang. It has the sort of responsiveness and feedback that ones reserved for Porsche. Dynamically speaking, Ford has done a great job with the new Mustang.

Brakes: With all-wheel discs and standard ABS, the Mustang’s brake feel and feedback have enough sophiscation to match with the rest of the vehicle. Gone is the mushy and numb brake feel of Mustang of yesteryear. In with the solid and firm pedal feel that are matching a performance car in this caliber. The ABS works exceptionally well, as it doesn’t act up at the wrong time.

Interior: The amount of cargo space is good enough for 2 persons on a weekend trip. Throw a couple of travel bags, you shouldn’t be mind the seriously high liftover.

The rear space is cramped especially when the front passengers moved the seats backward. My advice. Leave the Mustang as a 2-seater and leave the back as “dog seats”.

Since the introduction of the Flex, Ford’s interiors have come a long way. Gone are the nasty and cheap plastic materials, in with much classier materials that are soft to the touch. There are plenty of soft plastic around the top of the dashboard to the center console, while the tasteful aluminum trim has added some flash to the the interior. The leather sports seats provide excellent side and lower support when its time to play. Everything else from the stereo, climate control and Microsoft Sync system are all very ergonomically placed; as well as used. If there is one minor pet peeve, its the thick A-pillars. You can’t see both left and right at 45 degrees.

Conclusion: Ford has done a wonderful job on redesigning the Mustang. Its not only got much more sophiscated than before, it also has got grace and pace to match its nice exterior and classy interior.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Ford Mustang
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5