The 2009 Ford Mustang is just reaching its first customers now, and already Ford has invited journalists to test drive the next pony car.  Several publications have recently been behind the wheel of the 2010 Ford Mustang, in top-of-the-line GT trim, and the early reviews are mostly positive.

Motor Trend says "the Mustang GT remains the ponycar standard-bearer. It's a fast and modern musclecar that still demands old-school respect."  They claim that the next Mustang closely resembles one you can buy today - not the 2009 GT, but the 2009 Mustang Bullitt.  MT took a 2010 GT from zero to sixty mph in 5.2 seconds - two tenths of a second slower than the old Bullitt - and found that the two cars posted exactly the same quarter mile time, 13.7 seconds.  But, they noted, the 2010 did it using less fuel. 

The oldest complaint about Mustangs is that the handling has never been sports-car quick, but MT says "the new Mustang GT is significantly more responsive. Steering feels quicker and more precise, though there haven't been any substantial changes to the rack or ratio. The difference is in the suspension; spring rates and shock damping have been increased, which translates to reduced body roll through corners and less seesawing during acceleration and braking."

Automobile Magazine adds, "The transformation is dramatic on the racetrack, where the GT is well-damped, well-balanced, and easily controllable rather than wallowy and prone to understeer."

Autoblog agrees that the handling is more refined, but says the classic Mustang feel hasn't been refined out of it.  "A car's character can be found in some of its rough edges," they write.  "The sound and the feel of it. The heart of a car like the Mustang is its engine. You want to hear it rumble and sense the slight vibration as it turns over."  The engineers behind the 2010 ‘Stang "refined those elements of the Mustang that don't enhance its character in order to amplify those that do," such as reshaping mirrors and working to decrease road noise in ways that actually enhanced the sound of the 4.6-liter V8 from inside the cabin.  "The new car has 3.5-inch tail pipes from which emanate a wonderful rumble when the engine is opened up," they note.

Jalopnik likes the work that's been done in the cabin as well.  "Inside, there's a new, less rental car-like interior complete with soft touch plastics, greater sound deadening and shiny new instruments. It's a nicer place to spend time," they conclude, and "it looks better (especially with the addition of the aluminum trim)."  The final verdict, they write, is "A vehicle that's better in every way than the one it replaces. It's faster, better handling, nicer looking and now has a big boy interior. It's kind of like a really, really comprehensive tuner version of the old one."

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