9 – The drive
The Mustang offers a unique driving experience that can't be explained or compared. You either like it or you don't. Ford’s big trick is to have maintained this uniqueness over the years, even with the arrival of an independent rear suspension with the current version.
Plus, when you play with the drive modes, the car's senses react accordingly. In Track mode, for example, the transmission stays alert and refuses to shift up unnecessarily when you're driving sportily. In short, a lot of fun behind the wheel. I would still opt for a manual transmission for maximum control, but the work of the automatic transmission is flawless.
10 - Men, women and the mechanics
So who buys a Mustang, precisely? Well, the numbers tell the tale, and that tale is frankly predictable when it comes to the battle of the sexes. Over the years, about 25 percent of sales have been to women, 75 percent to men. As for the 4-cylinder EcoBoost or V8 versions, the latter group accounts for 65 percent of purchases (including Shelby models).
Conclusion
The Ford Mustang is a legend, but even legends are imperfect. We saw an example of that recently with the lawsuit filed by owners of models with Getrag manual transmissions. These owners decry the many problems experienced with the manual transmission, and Ford, which apparently was aware of the issues even before introducing it to the market nearly 10 years ago, has been trying to correct the situation ever since.
Warts aside, though, if you have a Mustang on your bucket list, you'll get some serious driving pleasure from it. More practically, know that it benefits from strong resale value. And if you're worried about its reliability, you can always try it out on a lease before you jump in with both feet.