So Hot and So Cool ~ We Got to Test Drive the Smokin’ 2006 Mustang GT
Richard Bonazzoli

Editor’s Note: Last month, we named the ‘06 Ford Mustang GT as one of the hottest new muscle cars of the season. We teased you with a glimpse of its power, sexy retro looks, and overall sense of cool. This month, we treat you to a full test drive of this American beauty. So buckle up and get ready to fall in love.

Spring really is coming, despite the occasional high winds and cold temperatures, so I set out to test-drive the ultimate Cool Convertible, the 2006 Mustang GT. What goes better with sunny days and warm nights that having your top down (your car’s top, that is!) and feeling the wind in your hair? NOTHING. The convertible experience can’t be matched and, as I found out after sliding into the GT, neither can this ultimate Mustang.

A quick trip to Harr Ford and I’d found my mighty steed, a brand new, gloriously shiny white GT convertible. Even standing still, this car looks hot with its bright white paint (also available in other colors like gunmetal gray, royal Mustang blue, and red), chrome wheels and ready-for-action body. Last year, Ford dramatically rebuilt the Mustang from the ground up, and 2006 looks nearly identical; Ford should be commended for keeping the modern Mustang’s tough, (but not over the top) looks intact. They offer two flavors of Mustangs, the standard sedan and the GT, with the primary difference between the two being the engine. The standard coupe has a 6 cylinder, while the GT has a 300 horsepower V8. Even with the higher advertised horsepower ratings of cars today, 300 is a serious amount of power.

Hot looks and under-the-hood muscle aside, it’s the interior of the Mustang where you really begin to feel that you are in a special kind of car. Used to the living room-sized interior of my Chevy Caprice, I was immediately surprised at how different I felt in the Mustang. The seat held me tight without cramping me and all controls were in easy reach. The steering wheel, which consists of 6 aluminum spokes that connect to a center section with the Mustang logo proudly displayed, is probably the coolest I have seen ~ and it still incorporates an airbag. The fit and finish of the interior panels are excellent and ~ while nearly everything inside is made of plastic ~ it does not look or feel cheap. The gauges are a retro mix of speedometer and tachometer that harkens back to the Mustang’s of the late sixties. The look works.

A turn of the key brought the 300 horsepower V8 to life. Ford spends a lot of time tuning the sound of their Mustang engines to be just right, and just right it was ~ the engine sounds great and there was no skipping or shaking.

This model had a manual transmission (thankfully) and as I eased out onto Gold Star Blvd I began to fall in love. There is an abundance of power available and shifting through the gears made me feel like I was getting ready to unleash a beast upon the highway. Despite being a convertible, the car felt tight over even the winter-worn roads ~ there is hardly a trace of the body twist for which past Mustang convertibles have been criticized. I floored the accelerator as I merged onto RT. 190. The engine responded immediately and I quickly reached the top of first, second, and third gear. There was plenty of power to spare, and the sound of the engine erupted into a sweet symphony. Images flashed by as my speed increased. The transmission shifted beautifully and the steering was tight and responsive. Shifting into 4th and 5th easily brought even higher speeds. This was cool! As an off-ramp approached I quickly jammed the breaks and cut the steering to the right. The Mustang responded with no skidding or sliding and my speed dropped in a matter of seconds to near zero. Wow!

I spent the rest of the test drive exploring back roads, dodging pot holes, cruising RT. 190, and listening to the awesome sound of the engine. The car is as much at home on a bumpy country road as it in on the open highway. Repeated rapid acceleration, sharp turns, and quick stops offered consistent, predictable results. Very deep potholes did product a hint of body twist, but nothing too bad at all. The longer I drove the better the car seem to be. Believe me, it was difficult to part with this beauty when I returned to the dealership!

Coming with a sticker price of just over $35,000, the car is a good deal given that it is a convertible with the GT package. Fuel economy average from highway and city driving is estimated to be over 20, quite good for all the power on hand. It is not the fastest, best handling car on the market today, but I can’t think of any other 2006 car in this price range that combines the power, handling, sound, and top-down pleasure that this car does. Good job, Ford.