Enough about the cushy ride--the Mustang is supposed to be a bit of a handler, right?
When tossed hard into corners, at first, the Mustang is neutral, then understeer rears its ugly head. No problem. Goose the gas and--whoa!--here comes oversteer. It's all very relaxed, actually, with the car's limits reached smoothly with no surprises. It's no BMW 3 Series in the steering department, but effort is light at all speeds, and there's no artificial feel from any electronic gadgets and kickback is absent. The five-speed stick is accessed via the stubby knob that's clothed in leather
and some more fake aluminum (when will this aluminum trim fad end?). Short throws and a light clutch are noticeable compared to last year's Mach 1.
And what about the horses in this yearling?
The Mustang GT's 4.6-litre vee-eight now breathes though 24 valves rather than 16. The net results are 300 horsepower and 320 pound-foot of torque. At tooling-around-town speeds, the mill loafs in the 2,00 rpm range. But once the tach hits the 4,000 marker, it's locomotive smooth to the 6,000 redline, sounding like a NASCAR racecar the whole way. The standard traction control can be killed for brake stands (always popular with the neighbours in my neck of the woods). If space and the authorities permit, 100 kilometres an hour can be had in five seconds, similar to last year's 305-hp, 32-valve Mach 1.
Now do you remember why we all fell in love with this car twelve months ago?
As much as Ford may have been tempted, the 2006 Mustang GT only gains a couple of hundred in base price dollars. The only other changes for 2006
is a new vee-six "Pony Package" for GT wannabes, and available 18-inch wheels on GT models, a pair of new colours and eventually in the model year, a darker aluminum interior upgrade option (Halleluiah!).
With ABS, 17-inch wheels, traction control, and a CD player as standard equipment, the base Mustang GT coupe is still the way to go: muscle car looks, driver-oriented cockpit, rear-wheel drive, available stick, and, of course, that thumping vee-eight. But it's the balance between the rode and handling that should keep the Mustang at the top of your sport coupe list, even if its rookie status is up.
Just the facts...
Build quality 3/6
Features 3/6
Performance 5/6
Fun-to-drive 5/6
Overall value 6/6
Vehicle Type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
Engine: SOHC, 4.6-litre V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Horsepower: 300 hp @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 320 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Curb Weight: 1,565 kilograms
0 to 100 kms/hr: 5.2 seconds
Wheels/Tires: 17-inch alloy/ 235/55R17
Base price: $32,999
Optional Equipment: Interior Sport Package $225, Interior Upgrade Package $635, Red leather Interior $895
Price as tested: $34,754
photo:John LeBlanc
When tossed hard into corners, at first, the Mustang is neutral, then understeer rears its ugly head. No problem. Goose the gas and--whoa!--here comes oversteer. It's all very relaxed, actually, with the car's limits reached smoothly with no surprises. It's no BMW 3 Series in the steering department, but effort is light at all speeds, and there's no artificial feel from any electronic gadgets and kickback is absent. The five-speed stick is accessed via the stubby knob that's clothed in leather
 |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc, straight-six.com) |
And what about the horses in this yearling?
The Mustang GT's 4.6-litre vee-eight now breathes though 24 valves rather than 16. The net results are 300 horsepower and 320 pound-foot of torque. At tooling-around-town speeds, the mill loafs in the 2,00 rpm range. But once the tach hits the 4,000 marker, it's locomotive smooth to the 6,000 redline, sounding like a NASCAR racecar the whole way. The standard traction control can be killed for brake stands (always popular with the neighbours in my neck of the woods). If space and the authorities permit, 100 kilometres an hour can be had in five seconds, similar to last year's 305-hp, 32-valve Mach 1.
Now do you remember why we all fell in love with this car twelve months ago?
As much as Ford may have been tempted, the 2006 Mustang GT only gains a couple of hundred in base price dollars. The only other changes for 2006
 |
| (Photo: John LeBlanc, straight-six.com) |
With ABS, 17-inch wheels, traction control, and a CD player as standard equipment, the base Mustang GT coupe is still the way to go: muscle car looks, driver-oriented cockpit, rear-wheel drive, available stick, and, of course, that thumping vee-eight. But it's the balance between the rode and handling that should keep the Mustang at the top of your sport coupe list, even if its rookie status is up.
-John LeBlanc is an automotive critic, and publisher of www.straight-six.com
Just the facts...
Build quality 3/6
Features 3/6
Performance 5/6
Fun-to-drive 5/6
Overall value 6/6
Vehicle Type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe
Engine: SOHC, 4.6-litre V8
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Horsepower: 300 hp @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 320 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Curb Weight: 1,565 kilograms
0 to 100 kms/hr: 5.2 seconds
Wheels/Tires: 17-inch alloy/ 235/55R17
Base price: $32,999
Optional Equipment: Interior Sport Package $225, Interior Upgrade Package $635, Red leather Interior $895
Price as tested: $34,754
photo:John LeBlanc
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