Mustang still running strong

The 2009 Mustang is pretty much the same as 2005, which is good but also somewhat disappointing. There's lots of updates for 2010. (Ford)

We haven't reviewed the Mustang since its 2005 redesign, so it was high time to see how this pony car has aged, especially since it will be redesigned again next year. After spending a few hundred miles behind the wheel of a 2009 Mustang GT coupe, some things still impress, but there's room for improvement.

When the Mustang was redesigned for 2005, it created a sensation in the car world. It was easy to see the car's modern interpretation of classic Mustang design cues; it took what was great about older Mustangs and brought those elements into the 21st century. Since then, Ford has had free reign in the muscle car realm, but Dodge and Chevrolet are returning to this once hotly contested segment with a modern-day Challenger and Camaro. Ford is set to answer with an updated Mustang for 2010.

I haven't driven the new Camaro, which isn't on sale yet, but I have tested the new Challenger, and I'd still take a Mustang over it because of the Ford's more engaging driving experience. People have strong allegiances when it comes to muscle cars, and on the whole I like the Mustang's exterior design. The current model's larger dimensions work well with the retro styling cues and give the coupe better proportions overall.

So what are those retro cues, you ask? Practically anywhere you look on the exterior, you'll see one. In front, it's the forward-swept grille and round headlights. On the side, it's subtle sheet-metal creases behind the doors and the fastback roofline, both of which are reminiscent of the late '60s. In back, it's large red taillights that recall those from early Mustangs.

What impressed me more in the Mustang than in the Challenger was handling prowess. Both cars offer relatively comfortable ride quality for performance cars, but the Mustang's weighty steering feel is worlds better than the Challenger's light steering.

Helping the Mustang's cause is the fact that it's smaller than the Challenger. While the Challenger feels huge when you look out over its big hood, that sensation isn't there in the Mustang. Even though the Challenger is quite large, it handles corners surprisingly well, as does the Mustang GT; body roll in the Mustang is well-controlled, and the chassis feels very planted and stable.

The Mustang's biggest downside in terms of ride and handling is its solid rear axle, a design that's long past its prime for a sports car. You would think that if the Ford Expedition full-size SUV gets an independent rear suspension then the Mustang would too, but that's not the case. My problem with this design is its tendency to, when the car hits a bump or hole in the road, distribute the impact of one rear wheel to the other one, thereby unsettling both wheels rather than just one.

By definition, a muscle car needs to have some actual muscle under its hood. In the Mustang, that muscle comes in the form of an optional V-8 engine (a V-6 is standard). The all-aluminum 4.6-liter V-8 makes 300 horsepower. That may sound like a lot of power, but it falls well short of the power specs for the V-8s in the Challenger R/T (376 hp with the manual transmission) and upcoming Camaro SS (422 hp with the manual). Both the Challenger R/T and Camaro SS, however, are heavier than the current Mustang. I wouldn't be surprised if Ford answered with a more powerful V-8 for the 2010 Mustang.

But back to the car at hand. The 2009 Mustang GT's V-8 offers strong, if not overwhelming, acceleration, accompanied by a sonorous exhaust note through the dual exhaust system. The exhaust rumble is still there when cruising on the highway, but it's much more muted.

Like the V-6, the V-8 is available with a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. My test car had the five-speed manual, and it features a short-throw shifter that moves from gear to gear with a mechanical feel; it takes some effort to push the shifter around, but this does more to enhance the beefy feel of the car than to make it feel unrefined. The clutch pedal, on the other hand, is light and doesn't take much effort to depress; even after constantly working the clutch pedal when commuting in traffic, my leg never tired.

The Mustang's brake pedal feels much more solid underfoot, which is good for your confidence if you have to hit the brakes hard.

Like the outside of the Mustang, the cabin has a number of retro cues, including a stepped dashboard and thin-spoke steering wheel. The script for the gauges and the appearance of the optional leather seats in my GT test car also fit into the retro theme. Some areas of the car, like the center control panel, have a generically modern look, but the buttons and switches move with a fair degree of refinement.

The GT's front bucket seats offer good comfort on longer drives; I took a three-hour trip in the Mustang and stepped out without feeling sore at all thanks to the seat's soft cushioning.

The Mustang is also available with a glass roof, which is a new option for 2009. For $1,995, Ford replaces the coupe's metal roof with a large, fixed piece of glass that makes the Mustang's cabin feel extremely open. You can dim external light sources somewhat with a sliding sunshade, but you can't completely block them out because the shade is made of a mesh fabric.

Even though the Mustang is a two-door sports car, it offers a usable trunk that measures 13.1 cubic feet (9.7 cubic feet in the convertible). Coupes have a 50/50-split folding backseat that makes it easier to carry long items inside the car.

The Mustang has standard side-impact airbags for the front seats, but a number of other important safety features are either optional or not offered: Antilock brakes and traction control are optional, and side curtain airbags and an electronic stability system aren't offered. Most Challenger trims have a stability system, while the Camaro will offer it as standard equipment across the line.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the Mustang convertible Good overall (the highest score possible) in its side-impact crash test and Acceptable overall in the frontal-offset test.

The big unknown in the muscle car world is the new Camaro, which looks like a promising entry on paper but hadn't been tested as of publication. If you're a Camaro fan, waiting a few more months for your car is probably preferable to getting a Mustang now.

The state of the nation's economy and continued concern over gas prices are sure to put a damper on sales of these "fun" cars, but even though Dodge and Chevy have newer offerings, the current Mustang is still a solid muscle car. It'll be interesting to see how the new one compares.