1994 Ford Mustang GT - Long-Term Wrapup

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'94Ford MustangGTFord celebrated the 30th anniversary of "America's favorite ponycar" in 1994 with the release of an all-new Mustang. The '94 Mustang had a lot to live up to; it had to be better than the six million Mustangs built before it, while carrying on the styling cues and performance flavor that have spawned a nation of Mustang lovers.

With a limited budget of $700 million (a pittance compared with the $6 billion allocated for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique), engineers built the new car on an improved version of the code-named Fox chassis used for the '79-93 Mustang. A familiar powerplant, the ever-popular 5.0-liter V-8, was put to work in the GT version, allowing a comfortable transition to the new car for enthusiasts and tuners alike.

Ford's accomplishments with the striking new Mustang won our favor immediately, earning it the honor of Motor Trend's 1994 Car of the Year. After our initial tests, we added a GT to our long-term test fleet for the first-hand experience of living with the latest ponycar to wear the galloping-horse medallion. The GT coupe began with a sticker of $17,280, which we optioned up to $20,510, including destination and delivery. Our street champ was ordered in Vibrant Red with a black cloth interior, just the way we remember seeing the original '6411/42 Mustang when it turned heads 30 years previous. Option Group #2, at $1855, included cruise control, air conditioning, and anti-lock brakes. An additional $310 for Group #3 brought remote keyless entry, a cargo tie-down net, and illuminated entry. Next, we ordered the powerful Mach 460 AM/FM/cassette stereo at $375, with another $475 for an accompanying CD player. While we were quite pleased with how well-equipped our long-termer was, our owners' survey revealed that the average buyer added enough options to pass $21,000.

Interestingly, the carryover 5.0-liter OHV V-8 lost some of its beloved raucous character in the transition to the new Mustang. For '93, the 5.0-liter produced 225 horsepower at 4200 rpm, with 300 pound-feet of torque at 3200 rpm. While the horsepower lurked 50 notches behind the 5.7-liter/275-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro Z28, the '93 Mustang GT had plenty of oomph to give hard, tire- shredding launches with a blip of the accelerator.

For '94, the V-8 became more refined, to produce 215 horsepower at 4200 and 285 pound-feet of torque at 3500, meaning the engine had to rev a little higher than before to reach a lower peak, and the driver had to work harder for serious performance. The output change, saddled with the car's 200-pound weight increase, resulted in slightly softened acceleration. Its 0-60-mph performance of 6.7 seconds is still quick, but not as aggressive as before. However, the change in engine and chassis tuning gave the Mustang a well-mannered, refined composure. A Colorado buyer wrote, "Performance is good, but until it's more powerful than a Camaro, it'll never be great."

Any hard-core Mustang enthusiast, however, will quickly point out that there's an abundant aftermarket brimming with go-fast components. Nearly a quarter of the surveyed owners turned to the aftermarket for more performance, with air filters, pulleys, and free-flowing mufflers leading the list of modifications. As our recent "Mustang Stampede" article (Sept. '95) revealed, the only limit for performance upgrades is your credit line.

The lack of low-rpm torque could be compensated for by swapping the standard 3.08:1-ratio ring-and-pinion gear for a more aggressive 3.27:1 or 3.50:1. Logbook entries offered another approach to getting more from this car. One editor wrote, "You have to launch it like Don Garlits on steroids to have much of a sensation of power." Another entered, "You need spurs to get this pony to run with the wild horses." For '96 Ford is offering the best remedy for power starvation: the 4.6-liter/305-horsepower Cobra.

The '94 Mustang GT's handling was much improved over the previous-generation car thanks to progressive-rate springs, longer control arms, new spindles, anti-roll bars, and chassis stiffening. The resulting ride is quite comfortable, while the stock GT suspension is capable of equaling or exceeding the specially tuned '93 Mustang Cobra with skidpad and slalom numbers of 0.87 g and 66.3 mph compared to the Cobra's 0.87 g and 64.8 mph.

From behind the wheel, the new Mustang has predictable understeer calibrated to match skill levels of the average driver. Transient response is well controlled and imparts a feeling of confidence.

The Mustang's dual-cockpit wraparound dash is clearly an evolution of that seen in the Mach III show car. An optional two-tone look akin to '60s Mustangs allows for some wild color combinations that are only appropriate for such an extroverted car. The quiet interior emanates a quality feel, with tight-fitting pieces and carefully textured plastics. Large, spidery drivers were frustrated by the limited legroom, and others commented on the tendency of the seatbelt to rub against their necks. Comfort was quite reasonable for those of average size, with the cloth-covered buckets offering good support, complemented by a perfectly sized steering wheel on a standard tilt column. Our 460-watt stereo system proved capable of both delicately reproducing Frank Sinatra's voice and crisply jack-hammering the industrial tones of Front 242-money well spent there. And while we were too busy shifting to drink, many surveyed owners said they wanted a second cupholder.

Styling dominated the list of influences to buy a Mustang GT at nearly 92 percent, followed by being American made (68.6%) and performance (64.5%). Almost 40 percent of respondents had previous experience with Mustangs, leading them to their Ford dealerships with checkbooks in hand. A woman in Texas captured the sentiment of many owners when she wrote, "When I laid my eyes on the 1994 model, it stole my heart."

Perhaps the single most important attribute of our test car was the improvement it made over the previous generation. Despite a hard year of being driven daily by people who seem to have stock in tire companies, and being used for numerous performance tests and aggressive photo shoots, our long-termer remained as tight as a drum. That the car went 21,000 abusive miles in a year without so much as a squeak speaks volumes about the car.

The Ford Mustang GT is a member of the select roster of performance champions for the everyman. As one owner wrote, it's "a living legend."

Mt Thumbs UpRock-solid constructionFresh, curvaceous interiorAggressive styling

Mt Thumbs DownUninspiring power for a musclecarTight leg spaceLoads of understeer