DETROIT – Man, in this age of navigation systems, control touch screens, adaptive cruise controls, seat massagers, driver alert systems, Bluetooth, etc., my 2012 Ford Mustang test car was about as barebones as you can get. Still, it was the most pure fun I’ve had driving in a while; and I test drive a lot of cars.
Obviously, my Mustang didn’t have any of the stuff I just mentioned. Although it was wired for satellite radio as well as a Bluetooth phone, that stuff wasn’t live. In fact, of the four Mustang models offered for 2012, it was on the bottom of the rung. Or, another way of putting it is that I had the entry level Mustang.
But what it did have was a 305 horsepower 3.7-liter V6 that was an absolute gem of an engine. It made 280 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 RPM and it was mated to a six-speed manual transmission. A six speed automatic transmission is also available.
The car produced that power on regular gasoline; these days that is an advantage. My Mustang had a 16 gallon tank and it had a power to weight ratio of 11.3 horsepower per pound of car weight. In other words, my test car weighed 3,447 lbs. But it drove heavier than that in a good way.
From the driver’s seat, I was looking at the power dome on the aluminum hood. It conveyed strength and muscle. That character trait was augmented by the deep note coming from the dual exhaust pipes. In a phrase, my Mustang sounded as though it had a lot more horsepower than it did. But 305 horses is nothing to snivel about.
I’ve always liked the way Mustangs with manual transmissions don’t need to be coddled. My test car had to be driven and shifted with authority, especially when cross gate down shifting.
The car handled really well, as you’d expect. It had a three link solid rear axle with coil springs in the rear and independent Macpherson struts with stabilizer bar in the front. I was particularly impressed with its relatively tight 33.4 foot turning radius.
The interior of my red test car was egalitarian. It had black cloth seats as well as a black dash. There was some chrome edging around the vents, on the tip of hand brake as well as on the knob of the gear shift. But there was nothing cheap about the interior. It was straightforward and pragmatic and as cool as black can be.
My test car was not completely bare of creature comforts. It had an anti-theft system, a wheel locking kit, reverse park assist, 19-inch summer tires, a 3.31 limited slip axle, 19-inch machined and painted aluminum wheels and black painted side view mirrors. That came to $2,690 worth of options.
Given that the sticker was $25,685 which included an $850 freight charge, the 2012 Ford Mustang’s $22,145 base price is not a bad place to start for fun to drive and power to boot.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.
