2005 Ford Mustang GT Published 02/17/2005

It's hard to feel the passion of an era from history books. So it's hard for someone under 45 years old to remember the glory days of American muscle when inexpensive cars were transformed into sporty and fun cars that defined a generation. Of the muscle nameplates that ruled the road during the 1960's such as Mustang, GTO, Charger, Camaro, Nova, Firebird Trans Am, Road Runner, Super Bee, AMX, Javelin and Barracuda only the Mustang and GTO remain. The current GTO, while an excellent car from Australia, shares no heritage and bears almost no resemblance to its American muscle car nameplate predecessor.

However, everything about the 2005 Ford Mustang builds on 1960's passion. Mustang was a product of a generation that changed and questioned everything. It was a time much like these times, when many questioned why Americans were dying daily in a foreign land that had never attacked our own country. We sought lofty goals like protecting the planet, peace, and personal freedoms all while demanding fun. The Ford Mustang came into this highly charged political environment without agenda and offered passionate fun at a reasonable price.

I loved my Mustang. My first car I ever bought was a 1965 Mustang, 289 V8, four-speed, notch back with the pony interior. And while I was rough on the old car she saw me through high school and college. Graduation and marriage staring me in the face, I traded the beloved Mustang for a Pinto station wagon. I've been making good car deals ever since? The Pinto was soon vilified as worthless but the original Mustang became a collector's car, harboring youthful passion for the now middle-aged child of the 60's.

This new 2005 Ford Mustang still lights my fire. It is every bit a Mustang with a long hood and short rear deck but now it's bigger, better and badder than ever. From a "clean sheet" design the new Mustang retains heritage while building on a highly modified but thoroughly modern platform shared by the Jaguar S-Type, Lincoln LS and Thunderbird. This luxury base gives this pony car a level of sophistication that the previous Falcon based platform could never achieve.

The platform upgrade stretches the wheelbase six full inches giving much appreciated room to larger taller drivers. In every area the interior of the 2005 Ford Mustang is better than the previous model. The UPI or Upgraded Interior Package gives a novel personalization of dash lights enabling the driver to select any of 125 background colors. While colors are interesting I really liked the ribbed aluminum dash feature of the package. The red leather contained in this upgrade never grew on me so I could do very well with solid color leather hides.

I drove the coveted GT version with the tire shredding 300 horsepower 4.6-liter all-aluminum V8 engine. But don't disrespect the 210 horsepower 4.0 literV-6 engine found in the standard Mustang for less than $20,000. That's a lot of horsepower, heritage and fun for the buck. My 2005 Ford Mustang GT was loaded and still did not reach $28,000 MSRP.

This can be a dangerous car in the hands of a stupid driver. Three hundred horsepower of rear wheel drive power mated to the 5 speed transmission can rocket this 3,483 pound pony car from zero to sixty in less than 5.5 seconds. Brakes are improved and overall handling makes this an exciting car to drive. The throaty exhaust rumbles and heads turn, as the 2005 Ford Mustang demands attention wherever it goes.

I like the fact that Ford kept the price down, for this is a car that cries out for personalization and aftermarket tweaking. New tires and wheels, louvers for the quarter window, shaker hoods and stripes can all make this car uniquely yours. Upgraded intake and exhaust along with some minor tuning can bring out the passion in any driver of any age.

You don't have to be a 45-year-old gear head to appreciate the 2005 Ford Mustang. This modern American pony car is relevant for all ages and will compete with anything from Asia or Europe when it comes to quality performance and value. The difference is when you drive the 2005 Ford Mustang you drive a legend that stirs the soul. Blast Mustang Sally on the stereo and then tell me what was the last song written about a Mitsubishi?

2005 Ford Mustang GT Premium
Rear Wheel Drive "Pony Car"

300 hp 4.6 L V8
5 Speed Manual Transmission

$27,825 Price as driven

17/25 EPA MPG estimate

Additional Web only Information and Resources

For Additional Reviews: