New Mustang is classic Detroit muscle

The first Ford Mustang debuted in April 1964 and was met with rave reviews and long waiting lists at dealer showrooms. With its long nose, short deck, rear-wheel performance drive and affordable price, Mustang started the pony car stampede; the Camaro, Firebird, Barracuda, Javelin and Challenger followed. Now, more than 40 years later, the galloping pony is the only one left. And for 2005 it's all new and by far the best Mustang ever.

For the "all-new" Mustang, Ford designers modeled the look of the 1960s fastback. It's retro without trying to be cutesy á la PT Cruiser. The exterior styling cues like the long hood, short rear deck, side C-scoops, three-element taillamps and a chrome galloping horse badge in the center of the grille honor classic Mustang heritage. Its menacing shark-like nose is reminiscent of the 1967 model and louvers in the C-pillar panel above the trunk line have been replaced with stationary windows like the '66 Shelby Mustang.

Inside, Ford carried over the retro-futurism look with a dual-hooded instrument panel, huge coffee-can size speedometer, and tachometer gauges neatly lifted from the '60s. One other neat touch is the changeable backlighting for the dash gauges. At the press of a button, you can change the color to white, blue, green, orange, red or more than 125 different hues to suit your mood or personality.

Another nostalgic interior feature is the pinstriped brushed-aluminum trim spanning the entire length of the dashboard and around four large chrome-ringed air vents. The three-spoke steering wheel has a center hub marked by the original Mustang horse and tricolor bar logo.

My tester, the Torch Red GT Coupe Premium, featured an optional interior color accent package ($175) that added red leather seats, door inserts and floor mats over the dark charcoal carpeting and interior trim.

Ford added six inches to the wheelbase for '05, dramatically maximizing interior comfort. For a tall driver like myself, the '04 just didn't have enough leg, head or shoulder room. The new interior takes care of that problem and I found the front bucket sets to be comfortable and supportive. Forget about asking any adult to sit in the back seat; they just won't fit. And because Ford didn't include air bag protection in the back, I would be hesitant to put my grandkids back there either. It's a serious oversight.

While I'm at it, my other serious complaint is the unavailability of stability control for the Mustang, even as an option. Some safety experts believe accident avoidance is as important, if not more so, as air bags, rendering stability control mandatory. This is a real problem on wet and icy roads, especially for the rear-wheel-drive high performance Mustang with a 300-horsepower engine.

Ford is offering the Mustang in two body styles (coupe and convertible) and four major trim levels: V-6 Deluxe, V-6 Premium, GT Deluxe and GT Premium. Base prices range from $19,570 to $26,405 including shipping. Convertible models will not be available until spring 2005 and look for a higher performance Cobra model at a later date.

For 2005, the standard engine is a new 4.0-liter that replaces the old 3.8-liter in the 2004 model. The 210-horsepower is 23 more than the '04. The GT models come equipped with a 4.6-liter V-8 generating 300 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. It is the first standard Mustang to break the 300-horsepower arena. All Mustangs come equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, or can be ordered with an optional ($995) five-speed automatic transmission.

One of the best features of the new Mustang is its affordability. Getting a 300-horsepower GT for under $25,000 is about as good as it gets; it's the least expensive 300-horsepower car you can buy. Essentially loaded, our test GT Premium had a list price of $27,630. The GT, with its design-engineered sound, provides a rich attention-getting rumble from its dual exhaust. You can hear this car coming from a distance and might be a few decibels too loud for some drivers.

Car and Driver magazine tested the GT and clocked a zero-to-60 time of 5.1 seconds and a standing quarter-mile time of 13.8 seconds. Those are serious times for not-so-serious money.

At cruising speeds, the Mustang is everything the previous version was not. It's quiet, comfortable and rattle free. The driving dynamics are impressive with flat cornering without excessive rear roll. The P235/55ZR 17-inch performance tires provided exceptional lateral grip and the larger brakes will outbrake any number of more expensive sports cars.

Front passenger side air bags are a $370 option, but rear and side curtain airbags are not available. This is a distressing oversight by Ford. Antilock brakes and traction control are standard on the GT, but a $775 option on the base model. The 2005 Mustang has not been crash tested.

Ford did a fantastic job of capturing the best of the classic Mustang and matching it with performance, handling and drivability, while taking out the squeaks, rattles and harsh aspects of the previous Mustangs. All that at a price less than expected makes it hard to beat.

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