2008 Ford Mustang Convertible Performance Review

• Overall
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Specs
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Performance - What the Auto Press Says

The 2008 Mustang Convertible comes in two engine options, a V6 and aV8, with reviewers preferring the V8's performance. Automobile Magazine reports that the Mustang "makes for a driving experience that's just as good as this car looks."

Reviewers are partial to the V8's deep exhaust note and power. Overall, both trim levels deliver capable handling and confident braking. About.com is delighted by the "throaty, mechanical rasp" of the V8, adding that "there's really nothing like a big honkin' American V-8 for fun driving." Automotive.com concludes that it "may be retro inspired, but the Mustang is a thoroughly modern car . . .today's Mustang is faster and more agile than ever."

Acceleration and Power

The Mustang V6 Deluxe and V6 Premium house 4.0-liter SOHC 12-valve V6 engines, which deliver 210 horsepower. Reviewers are impressed with the V6's capabilities, and csay that it is more than adequate for most driving. Automotive.com calls the V6 engine "technologically sophisticated and a solid performer for urban, exurban and suburban duties." Newsday adds that the V6 is "once again more adequate for ordinary driving." The 2008 Mustang hardtop, with a V6 engine and manual transmission, has an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway. The convertible is expected to get similar figures.

The Mustang GT Deluxe and GT Premium come with a 4.6-liter SOHC 24-valve V8 engine with dual exhausts, which reviewers credit for "the quintessential muscle car experience," Edmunds says. They continue to say that the V8 has "loads of torque available right off the line and an exhaust note to match." The GT delivers 300 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. Kelley Blue Book calls the V8 "the engine of choice for the boy-racer, providing blisteringly quick acceleration and a deep, burbling exhaust note that tells everyone exactly what's under the hood." Meanwhile, the Chicago Sun-Times calls the V8 "smooth" and "throaty," adding that the GT Convertible propels "to 60 mph from a standing start in five seconds and to 100 mph in 12.5 seconds. That's moving." The GT Mustang, housing a V8 and manual transmission, has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 15 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

V6 and GT Mustangs come with a standard five-speed manual transmission. Reviewers enjoyed the manual's feel and ease of use. Road & Travel Magazine says it is a "precise, five-speed manual with a rounded, stubby shift knob." The San Diego Union-Tribune adds that it "makes smooth work of handling such shaggy horsepower. The clutch is no struggle to depress and the gas pedal is placed for competitive heel-toe shifting, which it wasn't in the previous generation."

A five-speed automatic transmission is available as an option on 2008 Mustangs. Reviewers find it capable but prefer the standard five-speed manual. Automotive.com says that the "ratios in the five-speed automatic transmission seem well matched to the available torque," and Cars.com adds, "Where the manual V6 is surprisingly satisfying, the automatic version's drama comes more from the noise than the acceleration itself."

Handling and Braking

The '08 Mustang is rear-wheel drive and has a MacPherson strut suspension with reverse "L" lower control arms and stabilizer bar in the front and a constant-rate coil spring rear suspension. The GT trim adds a stabilizer bar. With all this hardware, reviewers find the Mustang's ride "firm but not harsh," as Motor Trend says. The Chicago Sun-Times echoes that praise, calling the ride "comfortable on most roads," and adds that the Mustang has a "good road feel." Despite the tendency of some convertibles to feel loose and shaky over rough surfaces, Car and Driver says the Mustang "convertible hangs together remarkably well on rough surfaces, transmitting little vibration or movement through the steering wheel . . . All of this is evidence of good cowl rigidity and a tightly constrained structure."

All trim levels of the Mustang come with power rack-and-pinion steering, which reviewers like. Automotive.com calls the steering "crisp" and "precise." The Detroit News reports that one of the Mustang's strong points is a "satisfying steering feel," noting the "good, responsive feedback it provided." Edmunds concludes, "The Mustang turns crisply and eagerly into corners with a flat, composed attitude."

The 2008 Mustang convertible comes with power four-wheel disc brakes. The GTs come standard with an anti-lock braking system with traction control, which can be added as an optional feature for the V6 trims. Echoing the majority, the Los Angeles Times calls the brakes "firm and muscular," and the San Diego Union-Tribune says they have "robust stopping power."