Ford Mustang is still cool

2010 Mustang GT

Now 45 years old and revamped for 2010 with new styling and more powerful V-8, the "pony car" that debuted in 1964 is strikingly muscular, more energetic than before and thoroughly cool for a modern buyer.

You dont even have to pretend to be Steve McQueen, the lead actor in the 1968 film "Bullitt" who famously drove a Mustang in one of Hollywoods best chase scenes, to enjoy the new Mustangs unique persona.

Just take todays low-riding, sporty and sinister-looking Mustang out on the streets amid roundly styled sedans like the Toyota Camry and tall-riding sport utility vehicles and see how the Mustang stands out as a special ride.

Surprisingly, the Mustang remains a bit practical, too.

The federal government gives the 2010 two-door Mustang coupe across-the-board 5 out of 5 stars for safety protection of driver and front passenger in frontal crash testing. The coupe gets the same high marks for protection in side crash testing.

It gets an average rating for reliability from Consumer Reports.

Starting manufacturers suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $21,845 for a base, rear-wheel drive Mustang powered by a 210-horsepower V-6 mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Unfortunately, the real gems of the Mustangs — models with V-8s — are priced much higher. The 2010 Mustang GT with 315-horsepower, throaty V-8 has a starting retail price of $28,845 with manual transmission.

A key competitor, of course, is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, which has a starting retail price, including destination charge, of $23,530 for a base model with 304-horsepower V-6 and six-speed manual. The rear-wheel drive Camaro with 426-horsepower V-8 starts at $31,595.

Ford officials rightfully play up Mustangs longevity, its status as one of the best-known nameplates in history and its notoriety over the years in film, television and even a magic act in Las Vegas recently.

The test Mustang GT seemed to have some magic, too, with its makeover for 2010. The car arrived wearing an eye-catching "Grabber Blue" paint color, and it was complemented by ambient blue lighting inside illuminating the door sills, cupholders and center console.

I couldnt miss the big Mustang horse badge in the middle of the steering wheel as I slid down and into the drivers seat. The Mustang rides low to the pavement, so a driver cant see anything but the back bumper and tailgate of a pickup truck or SUV ahead in traffic.

The round, deep-set instrument gauges on the dashboard looked old-school, but in a cool, not clunky, way. They also were easy to read.

Turning the ignition on, I heard the 4.6-liter, single overhead cam V-8 come to life. Even just idling, it sounded exciting, and a tap of the accelerator with the gearshifter still in neutral brought up the decibels considerably.

I grabbed the gearshift knob and moved into first gear. The Mustang GT rolled out of the garage as if it was on the prowl. I worried that the low front air dam might scrape at the dip of the driveway where it meets the street, but there was no problem. Indeed, only because I couldnt ever see where the front of the big hood ended did I bump the dam once against a concrete curb that marked the front of a parking space.

Torque in the Mustang GT is 325 foot-pounds at 4,250 rpm, and thankfully, the engine runs fine on regular gasoline. By judiciously selecting gears, I zoomed forward into and around traffic. Glancing frequently down at the speedometer, I found the car always was going faster than I had guessed. At highway speeds, the car almost seemed to be waiting to go faster.

The gearshifter was a bit notchy feeling in the test car, but it seemed to fit fine with the cars overall personality. A few times in city driving, I noticed some driveline lash.