1979 Ford Mustang
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1980 Ford Mustang
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1964 Ford Mustang
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1965 Ford Mustang
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2010 Ford Mustang V-6: An Everyday Car?
So what's it like to live with a 2010 Ford Mustang for a week? Well, since we're driving a V-6 model, we didn't bother heading to the drag strip. We also skipped the local street racing scene. So how did we spend our time behind the wheel? Probably a lot like any regular Joe or Jane.
We drove to work. We drove to the hardware store. We drove to buy groceries. We drove our kid to school (10 round trips). We drove to church (using all four seats). So how'd the Mustang work as a real car? Just fine, thank you.
The reality of testing cars for a living is that prolonged exposure to a car reveals different aspects of a vehicle's character and capabilities. Often, during the course of a few days, you'll notice and love or hate things you missed during a brief introductory drive.
For example, when presented with back-to-back drives in a Mustang GT and a base Mustang with a V-6 (as often happens at press-only events), the V-6 doesn't come out on the winning side of that equation. However, when driven alone, not back-to-back with anything, the V-6 powered Mustang has a chance to stand on its own merits, as opposed to having to live up to the merits of its more powerful sibling.
The reality is that the V-6 is plenty powerful. Most people won't ever feel like they need more power than the 210 horsepower from the 4.0-liter V-6. Both transmissions are capable; manual or automatic.
More important than the engine to most buyers will be in the interior and how well it works or doesn't. For our dollar, this interior rocks. The Premium edition Mustangs get much nicer appointments that feel rich and substantial. Combined with the improved chassis for 2010, and the Mustang rides smoothly.
Regarding every-day practicality, the 2010 Ford Mustang delivers that as well. Certainly, the front seats are roomy enough for the average American. The two rear seats are tight, but they worked just fine for my nearly adult size teen children. Granted, the kids are built like teens, but they are 5'4" and 5'7", and neither complained on the two 40-minute trips where they were stashed in the back.
With four on board, the interior was so quiet at highway speeds that it was exceptionally easy to converse front-row to back.
The Mustang did hardware store duty the Saturday it was here. This particular trip required picking up a new storm window and screen measuring approximately 3' x 4'6". Not a small parcel. The Mustang's rear seats fold (a 50/50 arrangements with releases on the interior, not in the trunk), opening up a sizable passage way between the trunk and the cabin. The window and screen easily fit in the space, along with various other purchases.
Anybody who tells you that you can't fit anything in a pony car hasn't lived with one.
Perhaps the best lesson we learned from a week with a 2010 Mustang is that if you want to drive a car like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Dodge Challenger, do it. They work fine as everyday cars.
If you missed yesterday's post on the Mustang, in it we covered more of the mechanical bits plus driving impressions. Check it out here.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2010 Ford Mustang: A Styling History
So now we all know what the new 2010 Ford Mustang looks like. After seeing the car in person, it looks even better than it does in pixels. As you click through the new 2010 Mustang shots we have (and will continue to post) here at TheCarConnection.com, look for a couple of styling details that stand out as being very well done.
Let's start at the back and move forward
Triple-segmented taillamps
The 2010 Mustang gets its tail lamps presented proudly on a chambered surface. The basic design also reaches back to the original Mustang, but is more closely related to the second-generation car that we have represented by a shot of a Mach 1 proudly flying Old Glory.
Any aerodynamic engineer will tell you that a blunt rear end helps detach the airflow from the rear of the car. When you look past the 2010 Mustang's aft detailing, you'll see that it's a pretty blunt shape. The general shape pays dividends in fuel economy and aerodynamic stability, while the details make it attractive.
In a slick bit of showmanship, Ford engineered the LED tail lamp to fire sequentially when indicating a turn. This is a nice bit of detailing, and something that hasn't been seen on any Mustang since 1969.
The rear fender kick-up
Our first image shows a first-generation Mustang GT350. The 2010 Mustang owes its rear fender design as much to this car as any other previous Mustang. The design originated with the 1964 ½ design, and was used on all subsequent designs until the introduction of the fifth-generation Fox platform Mustang (represented here by a 1979 Indy Pace Car replica). This generation of Mustang didn't offer even a hint of rear fenders.
While the currently waning Mustang does have some detailing of the rear shoulders (the fender area), the 2010 design is much stronger and powerful looking.
The hood and nose
Certain colors show off the shape of metal better than others. One 2010 Mustang we spied was slathered in silver paint, a color that clearly reveals the front end's new look. We were particularly taken with the complexities of the powerdome hood and the way the fenders sweep toward the center of the grille. It comes together artfully.
Perhaps design inspiration came from third-generation Mustangs, and particularly Shelby models that featured raised hoods. The lines are more intriguing than the outgoing Mustang, and give the car a bolder nose.
The grille and headlights of the 2010 Mustang are evolutionary compared to the current car, but like the rest of the design, add visual interest. The overall shape of the front end is clearly influenced by aerodynamics. You can tell by noting the new car's rounded-off front corners (by the headlights) and a brooding forehead look to the hood's overhang above the grille.
Mustang faithful will note that the iconic Mustang pony badge has been carefully updated for the first time in the car's 45-year history. The changes are subtle and respectfully update a horse that's grown a little long in the tooth.
More to come
There's more to come from the L.A. Auto Show regarding the 2010 Mustang
and we heard rumors that announcements about upcoming Shelby Mustangs will come at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Stay tuned and we'll keep you up to speed on all the details.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
