2005 Ford Mustang Convertible Preview

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Click to enlarge. 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible Preview

Out on winding canyon roads, the Mustang Convertible holds its own. In fact, it is startlingly close to the coupe, and while there's more performance in the fastback, the convertible is nevertheless adept in corners and straight-aways. It feels like a lot of car on the road, to be sure, but suffers little negative impact thanks to a wide glass rear window, skinny C-pillars and three-quarter back windows.

In order to keep the rattles and wind whine as silent as possible, Ford used a hard shell on the front portion of the top. With the top down, however, there is a bit too much wind swirling into the passenger compartment, though not enough to halt conversations between front passengers. With the top up, the ride is surprisingly quiet. There is no discernable cowl shake, and body roll is negated by the stiffer frame.

Indeed, the convertible is so close in performance and drivability to the coupe that one must really only choose on price and appearance. That's not easy, given the competitive price and the fact that Ford anticipates a healthy convertible mix to sales -- so you should be able to get what you want in coupe or convertible.

It's not easy when your CEO and family icon cuts a commercial about throaty V8s and red convertibles. But Ford delivers exactly what Bill wanted -- and, as a matter of fact, many everyday fans of the Mustang who like to feel the wind in their manes.

Photos courtesy of Ford Motor Company

About Brian Chee
Prior to joining Autobytel in the Spring of 2000, Brian Chee spent 15 years as a writer and editor in his native southern California, his work appearing in a wide variety of regional newspapers and online publications. As an editor at Autobytel, Brian has been quoted in numerous regional and national publications, including the Wall St. Journal and InStyle Magazine. He is responsible for writing, editing and planning content for three of the company’s consumer websites: autobytel.com, autoweb.com and carsmart.com. His “beat” includes vehicle reviews, features, news and Auto Show coverage. Brian considers himself a “SoCal” car enthusiast: the kind who grades a car on how it handles today’s urban and suburban reality of daily traffic gridlock, rising fuel prices and fast-paced lifestyles. Brian is an Eagle Scout, a member of the Automotive Press Association, the Motor Press Guild, and the California State University Advisory Board for Internet Writing. Brian holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism.


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