Better Looking Than Ever, the Mustang GT is a Convertible With Kick
Bob Cowan, Canadian Auto Press
I was just about to start this review, “as a former Mustang owner,” but since mine was a 1978 Mustang II it doesn’t really count. Still, even with a Flintstone-size hole in the floorboard, I was fond of that baby Mustang. At least it looked like one, unlike the generation of Mustangs through the eighties and nineties. Thankfully the Ford legend received a retro makeover five years ago, on its 40th birthday, to restore it to its former glory. A few nips, tucks and tweaks for the 45th birthday party make the 2010 Mustang GT Convertible possibly one of the nicest looking in decades. The front end of this latest incarnation is reminiscent of the early seventies version of the Mach 1. If I have any criticism of the overall design I would say the rear end is rather un-Mustang-like. I thought the tail lamps and rear deck should slope the opposite way to pay tribute properly. At least the tail lenses follow the original tri-bar look with an early 21st century touch of sequential LED turn signals. An available rear spoiler, absent on my test unit, would help the look back there. Maybe it should be standard. I know, picky, picky, picky.
2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
Another nod to the past is the beautiful rise to the hood with a power-dome that, while only semi-functional, echoes the commanding presence and view of the hood scoops that first appeared in 1969. Pop that hood open forty years later and it is a beautiful thing. My tester, being a GT, came standard with a 4.6-litre 24V V8 mated to a five-speed manual transmission and delivering 315 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm to this rear wheel drive car. That’s a slight increase from last year thanks in part to an improved cold air intake and computer tweak that also bumps the redline to 6,500 rpm. The cowling over the engine is borderline bling — eye candy that makes it hard to shut the hood. The Mustang GT sounds just as pretty. It hits all the right notes with a beautiful, throaty growl on acceleration that makes driving this Mustang just that much more fun!
The other major source of fun in my test car was the convertible roof, which was easy to operate and impressively quiet. Ford has gone to great lengths to make improvements in this area and claim this year’s convertible is 15 percent quieter than last year’s. I believe it. Ford also claims a 33 percent reduction in rattles, squeaks and creaks of which I heard none. The guys in Ford lab coats say the improvements yield a 10 percent improvement in conversation intelligibility when the roof is down. I am sure your passenger will be a bigger factor.
2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
The interior still has too much plastic in areas like the door skins and armrest console, but the power leather seats are very comfortable with thick padding and a nice contour. The entire instrument panel and console is finished in soft touch Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO) that has a nice feel to it and is seamless. Aluminum panels and chrome-ring gauges create beautiful accents. One of the “surprise and delight” items in the Mustang is the interior lighting. There are 125 colour options to customize the instrument and ambient lighting as well as cupholder rings. The Mustang name lights up on the rocker panel when you open the door. A cool little thing that can make you buy the car before sitting in it! (You had me at “Mustang”).
The Convertible GT comes with a Shaker 500 AM/FM 6-disc CD changer with Sirius satellite radio and 6-month subscription. Audio and speed control can be found on the steering wheel while all other audio and climate controls are within easy reach. At the heart of the centre stack is the latest Ford SYNC that features Vehicle Health Report and 911 assist, which connects you with the 911 operator following an airbag deployment. This is not satellite based like GM’s OnStar — you have to have an activated Bluetooth phone ready to connect. Sounds like a nice safety feature, but there are too many things to go wrong. On the safety end, the Mustang GT provides dual front and front side airbags, tire-pressure monitor, electronic stability control, anti-lock disc brakes and traction control.
The 2010 Mustang’s rubber has grown an inch across the board with the GT getting 18-inch tires and my test car riding on P245/45/R19 tires. The suspension has been beefed up this year with an additional front strut to improve handling. The ride is good with little body roll. Even with the upgrades though, I still find the handling good but not great, with a hint of understeer.
2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible
While the legroom up front is plentiful, in the back it is, as you would expect, non-existent. Just smile and apologize as your passengers try to pry themselves in and out. Cargo volume is a shallow 271 litres, typical for a convertible. With a length of 4.78 metres, 1.88 metre width and 1.43 metre height, Ford intentionally set out to make the 1,602-kilogram Mustang smaller than its long time adversaries, the Camaro and Challenger (the latter is significantly longer and wider). The main reason for this being the perception that smaller is more fuel-efficient. The Mustang GT convertible V8 has a combined city/highway rating of 13 L/100km. My mileage was ‘in there’ at 13.5 L/100 km of mostly highway driving.
With fuel consumption figures like these Ford’s pony car is perhaps not the most economical machine, but if you are researching a Mustang then you have other considerations. The GT Convertible lists at $41,199. My test car with the optional 19-inch aluminum wheels and heated seats topped out at $43,849. Given the Ford Mustang GT is, for now, the only convertible among the reborn triumvirate of muscle cars, this pony may give the most kick.
