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| Best New Vehicle for 2005: Ford Mustang GT |
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By Charlie Romero
Publisher
(January 15, 2005) |
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With just about every chance he gets, Bill Ford Jr. will tell you that his favorite car is a convertible red Mustang with a throaty V8 and a thumpin' sound system. And to be honest, in years past, we used to roll our eyes a little, but that's all changed with the too-cool-for-words 2005 Ford Mustang. We'd take one too, Bill, and we'd be happy to cruise Route 66 with you, just give us a call.
Many manufacturers have worked hard to "advance" or "progress" the styling of their cars, so much so that many have lost sight of their heritage. Not true with the Mustang, where Ford designers took a good long look at some of the most popular Mustangs ever: the models from the late sixties and very early seventies - the heydays of the American muscle car.
Despite its heavy retro stylings, the 2005 Ford Mustang represents the first complete redesign of the Mustang in more than twenty-five years. And the redesign couldn't have been performed any better. The new chassis is stiff, and provides a solid platform for the 107-inch wheel base (up nearly six inches from the previous model). A redesigned front suspension provides more feedback, improved handling, and of all things, a smaller turning radius.
Resting above that new front suspension is a 4.6-liter V8 that belts out 300-horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque. Those ponies are funneled to the solid rear axle by way of either a five-speed manual or five speed automatic. For those who shake their head at the notion of a solid rear axle, consider this: many Mustangs spend a lot of time at the local dragstrip. And for those still in doubt, drive one. The 2005 Mustang GT handles with the best of them, and had we not told you, you'd probably never be able to tell that a live axle resides under the trunk.
Inside, the nod to retro continues, as chrome wrapped gauges that bare an uncanny similarity to the instrument clusters of 1968 and 1969 Mustangs stare at you from behind a classy three-spoke steering wheel. And unlike the old Mustangs, everything inside is well sculpted, easy to reach and comfortable.
For just around $25,000, you can get your hands on a well equipped 2005 Ford Mustang GT, and for just a few bucks more, you can go topless. With so many drastic improvements and so much performance, style and class, is it any wonder why we awarded the 2005 Ford Mustang GT as our Best New Vehicle for 2005? 
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