Lexus/Acura/BMW have their place. The mustang has its.

I'd like to pull up next to Dan in his Bentley and show him what a supercharged mustang is really about.

:drive:

 

The guy that wrote this article seems to me the classic "status-oriented" wiener:
if Mercedes one day decides to put 4 wheels on a toilet but still badge it with their star and sell it for 10'000 dollars, this guy would be the first in line at the dealership.
It's a Mustang, it's gorgeous, but this guy can't like it just because it's a Mustang. I am sure that if Porsche had made the Mustang and put a badge like "Retro Cayman S", he would have been the first one to sing its praise...
What an idio.t ...

 

You know, one time I read an entertainment article that really ticked me off. it was an article about Julienne Moore where she was talking about filming the Hannibal movie. She talked about how horrible it was to "have" to drive a redneck "Mustang" car in the movie. I have banned her movies ever since. Guess I'm a redneck that loves her Mustangs. This forbes article reminds me of the hatred I had for her at the time. Such snobs. I have no use personally for any car other than american cars. To me, foreign cars all look the same. Mustangs are distinctive cars and scream Apple Pie, Baseball, and the American way!! -Marci

 

:angry:

 

I'm European and I've had my share of European cars, all of them technically great, yet I love my Mustang GT!
Here we have a slightly different view on cars: the Germans are engineering marvels, yet expensive and dull (even the M3); the Japanese are either cheap family cars or sports car wannabes (and that includes the 350Z); the Italians are... well... you need an all-white outfit with a beige scarf to complete the image ; finally, the American cars: technical simpletons, thirsty engines, highly overpriced after import taxes, yet regarded as very cool down here, both the old and the new generation (Mustang, Corvette, Camaro, Thunderbird, etc.). I will not go into more detail concerning different manufacturers, but in Europe we even put Audi, BMW and Mercedes in totally different categories from the point of view of their respective buyers.
In Europe, the average owner of a Mustang or any other iconic American muscle car is a middle-aged, middle class car afficionado who truly enjoys the experience of driving a muscle car, while the average Porsche driver is a 50 yo lawyer/banker/doctor, bored with his life, hitting on 20 yo girls who are waiting at the bus station at 11 pm. The M3 and 350Z drivers are kids who play Need For Speed on their Playstation and then go out and crash their cars racing them at night in the McDonald's parking lot (later they will buy a family sedan and at the age of 50 will remember their "wild days" and buy a Porsche).
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the author completely missed the point of owning a Mustang: it's primarily about feeling cool, not looking cool. Further, he is highly ignorant when it comes to cars. Indeed, comparing a convertible with a sedan?!?!?
And to finish off with a rethorical question: if the Mustang is a cheesy car, why is Steve McQueen (pictured driving a fastback) seen as "the essence of cool"?

 

Dave Lineart obviously has Corvette/Lexus envy himself and feels that everyone else should too. Grasp this Dave, if folks can save $10k+ and still get what they want in a vehicle, then why waste the mulla?


EK

 

He's an donkey doughnut!!

 

Hey guys, please direct your angst towards Forbes through this link:
http://www.forbes.com/story/mag/comments_f...T%20convertible

 

You owe me royalties on that one

 

Ok any writer who would use the word "dorks" as in his wording, "It's for dorks." cannot be taken seriously. This guy must have been given a porsche boxster when he graduated college, and now he has nothing better to do than bash those below him. He obviously doesn't understand the pride of owning one of our beloved cars.

 

'We don't understand. Why shouldn't Ford try to sell the Mustang for $40,000?'

Here's your red flag.....

That's your problem, genius - you don't understand.

Gee why don;t all pairs of jeans cost 60$??? Why would you buy a pair of 20$ jeans when you can pay 60$?

Because I don't wipe my a** with fifties like you apparently do......

(apologies - this guy ticked me off.... )

 

I do not consider myself below anyone that owns a Porshe Boxster, just smarter with my money.


EK

 

Whatever...saying you would by a TL or a IS...hey buddy..those are 2 entirely different cars.

Also, by saying you cant where a tie and drive up in elegance with this car is such a joke. It is saying that you need to drive an Audi or BMW to think that you look good. Puh-leaze.

I have had at least 5 compliments about my car everyday I drive it. If I had a Honda/Lexus etc..people would not even notice.

 

What a lame and terrible review. Since when should these guys take it upon themselves to start reviewing cars? What a Joke!

Let's take a good look at what he says here:

For roughly the same price ($31,000 base), we could have an infinitely more refined Lexus from Toyota Motor (we could get a Lexus ES 330 or IS 300) or an Acura from Honda Motor (a TL or a TSX or, for $10,000 less, an RSX).

First things first, we are comparing apples to oranges. The car they tested was a convertible. Show me a rag top ES, IS, TL, TSX, or RSX. Any? That's what I thought. So let's take it down to the 25,000 base price and start the comparison with equal pricing.

Does the Mustang have the luxo features of these other cars? No. I've had a great discussion with DKE about this in a different topic. The Mustang is no Luxury car. It's a modern Muscle car. It's designed to connect you to the road and the experience of driving while keeping you comfortable (much more so than muscle cars of old). What's more, the price has to be affordable, and I'm here to tell you that a Mustang GT (base price) is more affordable than any of the offerings he gave. It's also more fun to drive.

Further more, all of the cars he listed are FWD. The Mustang is RWD and as such offers a completely different driving experience - more connected and enjoyable.

The Mustang is, of course, a sports car, and its secret lies in offering high horsepower for comparatively low money, but at the expense of sophistication and, in our opinion, the driver's dignity

Now we are immediately destrying any semblance of argument that he had against the car. It's a sportscar. You can't compare sub 30k sports cars to 30k+ Luxury sedans. Take note that he didn't even mention the Infinity G35 which would have made an excellent comparison to the Mustang. It's still priced higher, but at least it's close in terms of design. In terms of dignity... I wouldn't be so quick to shoot your mouth off about that. 05 Mustang drivers get more attention than most other new cars on the road right now. People are drawn like magnets to the car, and you can hold your head high as you stand there pumping gas. Family guys drive by in their mini-vans just dreaming of having a taste.

The Mustang is not appropriate for upscale events. If you think you look good wearing a tie and driving a Mustang, you are almost certainly having a midlife crisis. Pick the wrong color combination--our tester had an obnoxious pairing of a screaming "Torch Red" exterior and a "Crimson Red Leather" interior (complete with "Crimson Red" floor mats)--and passersby may think the same thing of the car that we did: It's for dorks.

No kidding Pickle wad. The Mustang is the working man's sports car. Does it mean you can't pull up to a black tie event in one? Absolutely not. If I made disgusting sums of money and was going to a party where I knew that cars like Rolls, Bently, Benz, and others were going, would I feel like I was in the correct car? Perhaps not. Then again, If I had that much money, I'd roll up in a Ford GT, a Vette, a Viper, or a Ferrari (GASP!). Let's not make this car out to be something it isn't. It's not for those that turn their noses up. It's for the everyday driving hard working middle class man that wants fun and excitement. If you want more, go buy more. The Mustang is not all things to all people. Rather, it is all things to the RIGHT people. It's about time that middle america got a really REALLY cool car they could be proud of and enjoy driving. It's about time we got something that is priced affordably and reasonably enough for us to have it.

We deserve it. Don't try and rain on our parade just because you would rather drive a Vette, a Lexus, or an Acura. Not all of us can afford those cars, or would WANT those cars. Most of us are not DORKS either. We're the ones investing the money that you get to play around with on wall street all day.

The new Mustang's ride is far smoother than that of the old one, and the car has the ability to make you feel powerful. At the very least you feel like you're commanding an enormous engine.

Here, the guy actually starts to get it. Could it be? Could he start to understand that it's the THRILL of driving such a car that looks like old muscle that really makes the difference?

But the driving dynamics are still frequently crude--noisy and inelegant, with the power's delivery often feeling brutal.

No. NO NO NO! You moron! What kind of statement is that? He was so close to understanding the point and then... just like that... like someone making up excuses why NOT to like something, he drops a line like that. He's lost. You can't make someone like this understand a car like that.

The old-fashioned instrument panel and steering wheel, to our eyes, seem more hokey than cool--more like ornaments to jazz up a bland cockpit than integral elements of a truly killer, nostalgic design (say, that of the controls in Ford's GT supercar, which is also nostalgic but much sharper-looking and more of a piece). Add in those awful red floor mats and seats and, in our opinion, you have a car that is hard to describe as "sexy."

Anyone see Charley's angels? Remember the scene where all of them are piled in that 69 Camaro with Chevy Red interior? I DARE you to tell me that wasn't sexy. Go ahead! We're all mustang guys, but I don't think I'd get a single dissenting vote. Red leather is sexy. Would I combine it with a red exterior? Personally, I wouldn't. Still, red on red is classic. It's always been done. It's in your face, and it says... I'm loud and I'm in need of freedom. If you can't understand how beautifully retro the interior of that car is, then you've obviously never sat in a 1968 mustang. EVERYTHING that is added to the interior of a car is to Jazz it up and make it less ordinary.

we feel the design of the new Mustang is not as successful a resuscitation of a brand name as that of DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler 300 sedan.

Go look at the sales numbers. The Mustang is outselling your precious 300. The 300 is a great car. It's beautiful and ellegant. It's also not as bold as the Mustang, and it's not selling as well. A sportscar is outselling the 300! Your opinion doesn't matter, because the public is proving that it's wrong.

I can't continue to tear him appart because I think I've done it enough. He crosses his own words and shows that he has no respect for what Ford has done. He is of couse entitled to his opinion. There's nothing wrong with feeling that way. He just needs to understand that the better part of America, and the WORLD for that matter would likely disagree with him.

Know when to hold em... know when to fold em.

 

Maybe he's so shallow that he thinks his latte drinking, Lexus leasing, metrosexual friends care what he steps out of when he drives up to the front door at his country club in his Brook Brothers suit.

Well I drive Torch Red mustang with a red interior and red floor mats, and when I pull up at the country club, I get a thumbs up from from the valet, the grounds keeper, the waiter, and several CEOs. Why, because everyone of them owned a Mustang at some point in their life. I love it when someone stops me and tells me about the Mustang they use to have. I wear a suit because I'm a lawyer and I have to, I drive a mustang because I choose to, and I don't care if he think it makes me look like a middle aged dork or not. The fact that the Mustang doesn't appeal to an eletist snob like him just makes me appreciate the car that much more. This car is an American icon, it transends class structures, and brings car guys/gals together. You'll never see that happen with a Lexus or Acura.

 

It doesn't change the summary of your argument any, but note the IS is rear wheel drive and available with a 5 speed.
Still, it's more of a Toyota than a Lexus, and you'd be stretching to call it "luxury".

 

This reject from Forbes is assuming that there can't be a cross section of people who appreciate both genres of cars. I own a 02 RSX Type S and I love it. Its very very nice on the inside, the shifter is probably the best I've ever had the privilage of using, and its decently quick and fun to drive. I am about to trade it on a 06 GT. They are radically different tools for different objectives. I would love to keep the Acura to drive to work and what not, and the GT in the garage to pull out on weekends and to races and shows, but I dont have that kind of lootage. He doesnt realize that some people like it both ways. Ive had the semi-luxo ride for a while, but soon I'll be painting two big black stripes down my street.

Why do people always seem like you can only either like Import styles or Domestic styles? Why can't you enjoy both?

 

Ok, now that I think about it I kinda understand. This guy must have gotten beat up by guys (or maybe girls) who drove mustangs. Now he writes for Forbes and he's "above" any loser with a mustang.

 

I stand corrected on that. I totally forgot about that. My brother used to have an IS... I should know!

It was a great car to drive. Yes, the Toyota Alteza is the base for this car, but the car is distinctly lexus on the inside. It's way more fun than most other lexus cars, but It's a lexus none the less. Either way, a Mustang GT would be tons more fun to drive than that car. It was fun, but not nearly as fun or as cool as a GT.

You are right though... it doesn't much change the summary. Thanks for reminding me of that though. I don't like having my facts wrong. Can't beleive I forgot that!

 

I think you may be on to something there.