Finally test drove Mustang

OK, so I finally after months of looking took today off and went to several dealerships in my area to try and test drive a new Mustang. As my readers know I've been drooling over the new Mustang since I first saw it in April of 2005 in Nashville, at the 40th Aniversary celebration.

Since then I've been weighing my options and even had a sort of reader poll on which Mustang I should get, the GT or the V-6 Pony. Many readers, said "Get the GT, you'll regret it if you don't" and I was leaning that way myself for the same reason.

But like it or not kids, my mind is made up and although some of you may not like it, I'm going to get the V-6 Pony package. Now before you boo too loud, think about it. The Pony package gives the V-6 the GT suspension and 4 wheel disc brakes. On top of that, the apearance part of the package is great, a new grille and fog light treatment and the spoiler.

Now today I drove an 05 V-6 Mustang with an auto tranny and you know what? That car is quick and handles well. Now this was not a Pony package car, so the handling should be even better than what I drove today. But what really surprised me was how powerful the V-6 felt. 210 horsepower is nothing to be laughed at. My 91 LX 5.0 Mustang had only 225 hp.

So it's the V-6 Premium in Windveil Blue, with medium Parchment Leather interior, Pony package and Interior Upgrade package and 5 speed manual transmision. I got a price from one dealer of just under $23,000. Now I saw a Windveil Blue GT Mustang today at one dealer that was sold, and the sticker price was just under $27,000. So for the $4,000 I'll save not getting the V-8 and the lower insurance, I can live with less power. I'm not a kid anymore and don't feel the need to race. The V-6 moves on the highway and will get marginally better fuel economy, as well as cost a lot less monthly. Sure I've compromised, life is a compromise, and this one was easy.

I don't think I'll notice the lower horsepower as I'm driving down the highway with 6 CDs loaded in the stereo, the A/C on and my chubby ass in those comfy leather seats.

Couple of notes on the shopping experience here;

Ford sales people don't know dick about what they're selling, I ran into more than one salesman today, who had no idea what the Pony package was. I talked to one fellow who I won't name, who knew next to nothing about not just the Mustang, but several other cars in his showroom and the new Fusion. If you sell these cars, you should know about them boys, be ready to answer questions and be honest. I know it's easy to make fun of car salesmen, but that's not my fault, it's theirs. The guy I bought my 91 Mustang from had sold shoes before cars and was fired by the time the car was in for it's first service. If I knew as little about my business as these boobs, I'd be looking for a new job, probably selling cars.

The cloth interior in the Mustang is absolute crap, I've had better interiors on many less expensive cars, including my 91 Mustang and my 88 Festiva. The leather is great, well worth the extra cash.

Mustangs are very scarce and nobody wants to let you drive one. Their loss though, because I will buy only from a dealer that lets me drive the car. If they take the time to do that, they let the car sell itself.

Update: In all fairness to Ford, I should point out that the Mustang I drove was a used car, a returned rental. So I'm sure that when new the cloth interior is better than what I saw (not much better.) I'm just disapointed that the cloth used seems so cheap. For a car that costs over $20,000.00 the cloth interior should be nicer. But the rest of the car was fantastic, so my solution and yours if you buy, is the leather interior.

One step closer to myforddream !!! A very generous reader ,who happens to work for Ford, has sponsored me for an X-plan discount. I am so psyched, it's amazing, that someone who doesn't know me well, only from my blog, would do something so cool :) So in upcoming weeks, you can look forward to posts concerning the purchase and hopefuly quick arrival of my new Ford Mustang Pony !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!