Road test: 2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible (2024)

The 2010 Mustang has been nipped and tucked to keep it contemporary.With the exception of the fastback roofline on the coupe, the sheetmetal is all new — everything from the headlights and front fascia tothe fenders and stronger "powerdome" hood. The tail end is also moreangular. The changes are wide ranging but are still subtle in nature.

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Theupgrades to the cabin are more recognizable and certainly moreappreciated. The new one-piece, soft-touch dash panel and better trimaccents are now a match for the rest of the cabin. The heated leatherfront seats are comfortable and the new centre stack is eminentlylogical and now features larger buttons. The stack’s centerpiece, GTstyle, is the loud and proud Shaker 500 audio system — it blasts 500watts of superior sound through eight well-placed speakers. With thetop down, which entails releasing the header latches and holding abutton for a few seconds, the Shaker out-booms those really annoyinglittle vroom-and-boom puddle-jumpers and the awful racket the usuallyyoung driver considers music. Nice.

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The test car also arrivedwith Ford’s Sync system and something called MyColor. The former easesthe chore of communicating with the outside world (the hands-freecellphone feature is a snap to pair) and it allows the driver tocontrol the audio system simply by talking to it. The latter lets thedriver personalize the interior lighting. Everything from the classygauge cluster and its backlighting to the ambient cabin lighting can becustomized. It is a nifty way of letting the owner stamp his or hermark on the car without resorting to garish add-ons (no more fuzzydice!).

As before, the back seat is really only usable when theneed to ferry four is, well, urgent — there is little leg space,headroom is at a definite premium and getting back there is a chore.However, if the rear seat is viewed as additional storage space, itworks. The convertible’s trunk, at 9.6 cubic feet, needs all the helpit can get because of the top’s intrusion into the usable space.

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Whenit comes to power, the Mustang GT is not shy. For 2010, the 4.6-litreV8 pushes 315 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. This is, tostate the obvious, more than enough power to keep the driverentertained. When fired through the five-speed manual transmission, theGT romps to 100 kilometres an hour in 5.4 seconds and accomplishes the80-to-120-km/h passing move in an equally speedy 4.4 seconds.

Oneof the Mustang’s true pleasures is rowing the manual box. Unlike somany do-it-yourselfers, the GT’s gate is crisp and well defined. Thecredit goes to the fact the shift lever drops straight down into thebox and so there are no cables or external linkages to blunt the feel.A five-speed automatic transmission is also available.

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Sound isthe other important attribute of any muscle car. The Mustang GT has athroaty burble at idle that builds to a rewarding roar at full chat.There are some more refined sounds (a Ferrari at wide-open throttle,for example), but nothing raises the goose bumps like a full-bodiedNorth American V8 giving its all. It’s wonderful, especially with theconvertible top down.

In terms of its handling, the GT is poised.The front struts and three-link solid rear axle brings a balancedapproach. There is enough compliance to weather a rough road, yet ithas the firmness needed to counter body roll through a fast sweeper.The one thing that did surprise me is just how well the back endbehaves. In spite of the solid rear axle, there’s little axle trampwhen the coals are poured on and, mid-corner, the tail stays beneaththe driver, although dabbing the gas with a little too much enthusiasmwill see it skate out. Thankfully, AdvanceTrac, a very good electronicstability/traction nanny, is ready to step in to prevent it from goingtoo far.

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The rest of the dynamics live up to expectations. Thesteering has a light feel at lower speeds and firms up nicely to keepthe driver up to speed. An option worth the money ($1,200) is the wheeland tire upgrade. The stock 18-inchers work well, but the P245/45R19tires deliver better grip and they fill the wheelwells with moreauthority. The option also adds a cross-car strut tower brace, whichfurther limits cowl shake (it’s only really evident over train tracks).Finally, the anti-lock brakes and four-wheel discs scrub off speed withalacrity — it takes just 40.7 metres to stop from 100 km/h.

Therevamped Mustang is a decidedly decent set of wheels. The GT handlesvery nicely, it comes with a ton of power and a slick manualtransmission.

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In the tester’s case, the ability to drop the topiced the driving experience. Yes, the folding lid does limit thesightlines to the rear when it’s up, but, when folded flat, the sweetsiren the V8 sings takes on a new life. Of all the convertibles on themarket, this is one of the very best.

The Specs:

Type of vehicle: Rear-wheel-drive convertible

Engine: 4.6L SOHC V8

Power: 315 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 325 lb-ft of torque @ 4,250 rpm

Transmission: Five-speed manual

Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS

Tires: P245/45R19 (optional)

Price: base/as tested: $29,699/$42,499

Destination charge: $1,350

Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 12.7 city, 8.2 hwy.

Standardfeatures: Air conditioning, power locks, mirrors and windows, powerconvertible top with glass window and rear defroster, leather-trimmedsix-way power driver’s/passenger’s heated seats, cruise control, Shaker500 AM/FM/six-disc CD/MP3/Sirius satellite audio system with eightspeakers and auxiliary input jack, steering wheel-mounted controls,Sync voice-activated communications and entertainment system, compass,outside temperature readout, remote keyless entry, tilt steering,easy-fuel capless fuel filler, oil pressure gauge, tire pressuremonitoring system, fog lights, 19-inch machined aluminum wheels withcross-car strut brace ($1,200).

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