A little throw back and a whole lot of fun

Throughout the years, I have owned far too many vehicles. I guess you could call it my one true obsession besides snowboarding. I find that I typically purchase a new vehicle once every couple of years. I know that this isn't the most practical thing to do, but I truly love new cars and with how much driving I do on a regular basis, it is important for me to always have a fresh vehicle.

My vehicle obsession became even more clear when I started working as a Sales Manager for a Ford dealership in the Orlando area. While this job was somewhat short lived after I received a much better job with another company, I was able to experience Ford vehicles in a way that most people would never have the opportunity to. I was also able to learn more about the car industry and the major players which will aid me in future purchases.

Through my tenure as a sales manager, I drove every Ford vehicle numerous times on a regular basis. Since I was provided a new vehicle to drive to and from work, I was constantly testing out different vehicles so that I could be well rounded in the variety of features, functionality, and performance of the different vehicles. This of course aided me in the training of new sales professionals.

One of my absolute favorite vehicles that I drove during the time I was a Sales Manager for Ford and one that I now own is the 2008 Ford Mustang GT.

My Story
There I am, it is 7 in the morning, a light bit of dew on my windows, but nothing my wipers a little heat can't fix. It is Florida but there is a slight chill, but not enough to keep me from zipping the windows down a bit. I hear my 3 year old Jordan in the back seat yelling towards me, "lets go daddy, lets go!". I rev it up a couple of times to warm up the engine a bit. I hear the performance intake zip air into the vortex air tunnel, through the supercharger and eventually out through the throaty performance exhaust. The sound of methanol injection shooting straight into the throttle body spacer excites me as I grip onto the steering wheel even tighter. Quickly I flip through the gears and slam it into reverse. The super low profile tires catch road immediately and I flip the car around with a motion you'd only expect with a suicide handle. It is time for the morning commute!

I flip on my Tom Tom One GPS unit, going through my favorites. I know that I am on a tight schedule as always. I have only 30 minutes to drive to the sitter's house and to work. This is a drive that is really meant to take at least 45, so I know I am already behind the pace, but since I am the manager, I know that I have to make it on time to set the example. I look up realizing that my GPS tells me I should arrive in 42 minutes not even including the time it takes to walk my son to the door of the sitter. This is going to be a challenge. A quick scratch of my shoulder and I slam the car into first, the whirling air makes my son roar into laughter as I whip towards the speed bump and out of my gated community. The car jumps the speed bumps without a squeak of the suspension, catching road immediately and cruising towards the light.

Knowing that I need to make up time, I kick the car into 3rd, easily skipping 2nd with a double clutch. The car flies down the road, engine humming beautifully. I quickly approach one car after another, clinging to the corners as I accelerate faster still. The car barely seems challenged as I zip in and out of traffic, flipping through gears effortlessly. My Shaker 500 sound system bumps Avenged Sevenfold as I pass a car on the shoulder. I assume I was a race car driver in a past life.

As I hit the lights, I stop only for a California second, cruising around the corner just before the traffic behind has a chance to get to me, but quickly they are left to be nothing more than a spot in my rearview mirror. From 0 - 60, the vehicle climbs without any strain. The quality leather cups my body as I transition from one lane to the next in extreme comfort. It is amazing that I don't fall asleep with so little road noise, so little road vibration, and such an excellent fit to my form as if the vehicle was made specifically for me. At times, I swear it was.

Even with the rapid lurching and reeling, my coffee rests without so much as a ripple. The stable platform of the vehicle softening the blows of the crippled road below as I swiftly pass over as if I am a bird skimming so close but not touching at all. Each and every movement more and more responsive than the next. I feel as if the vehicle is driving itself and easily begin to shave my face with an electric shaver. I know I am late, but I also realize that I still have to look the part of a manager. The smooth wheel slides through my legs as I easily shave my face, which seems to be that of a 10 year old with how long it takes me to grow hair. The perfectly positioned mirrors give me all the right angles so that I can see everything around as I shave. I know that I am in no risk and even if I were, the impressive safety features, including an computer controlled airbag delivery system give me the confidence that I could survive anything, but I still would rather not test it.

Finally, after all the driving, all the manuevering, I put the highest ranked midsize sporty car in initial quality according to JD Power to rest and relieved that I am on time to the exact minute.

Style/Features
Besides the obvious throw back styling of the Mustang, the incredible looking 17" painted aluminum wheels, rear deck spoiler, and chrome trim pieces, the 2008 Mustang is loaded with luxury, even though the package itself may appear to be quick cramped.

With features such as tightly wrapped leather seats, which can be ordered heated, you are going to feel like you are driving a vehicle that is substantially more expensive. Upon sitting in these seats, you'll feel as if they were made specifically for your body. They are built to fit the 250 pound or less crowd for incredible comfort and cockpit style driving. Just sitting in the vehicle reminds me of my days working on the F-15 fighter jet. It truly makes the longest of trips incredibly enjoyable and easy on my entire body.

Once you get into the seats, you almost have no choice but notice the awesome chromed out beveled gauges that immediately pop in front of you. The polished shifter, chrome trim center steering wheel, even the silver trim panel beg for your immediate attention. Everything about the interior screams out perfection in detail, including the door inserts that are set to perfectly match the leather seats in both color and style.

Looking in the back, your passengers are going to love the comfort of the full leather bucket seats. At first glimpse you'll assume that everyone in the back is incredibly cramped, but upon investigation, you'll realize that the seats bow inward so that even the biggest legged individuals have plenty of room to rest their legs. While it is still quite the cramped space, it is considerably better than previous Mustang models.

After sitting down and taking in the wonderful accents, you will definitely want to turn on the engine so that you can hear the impressive Shaker 500 audio system. I am sure you'll love this system as much as I do, with 8 speakers of impressive surround sound. Every inch of this vehicle is filled with sound perfection regardless of your typical style of music. But what is a good sound system without loading up your 6 disc in dash cd changer with mp3 audio input. Virtually every single day I plug up my Ipod and get to business, but there are also times when I load up the 6 disc changer, all of which can be done from the driver's seat. And if the changer wasn't enough, the Mustang even comes with Sirius Satellite Radio for the serious radio fanatic.

If you are lucky enough, you'll also notice the incredible style of your California Package. This is the best of the best in terms of Mustang style. With beefy side scoops and mid body strips, the California Style package really adds a stamp on your already aggressive Mustang. This package even gives an upgrade from 17" to 18" on the wheels and brings incredible rolled chrome exhaust tips that make the vehicle look extra hot, especially to those cars that you are whipping past. There is also a black rear valence and front air dam that make the vehicle that much more aggressive and impressive. This is a package that can be ordered and installed for any model of Mustang.

If you want an added touch of personalization, you can even upgrade to the 'mycolor' lighting which features 125 color hue options which will allow you to set your instrumentation to appear the color of your choosing. You can even change the color of your footwells and cupholders with 7 different color options. This just goes to show that nothing was left out when this edition of the Mustang was created.

Performance
With a beastly V8 engine, the Mustang GT is capable of carving up a 0-60 time that is less than 5 seconds. However, even with the V6, you are capable of blowing away the competition with a beefy 210 HP V6. While bigger is always better, the V6 proves to be an excellent package for anyone that is looking for a great sporty looking vehicle without the temptation of racing even a cop that whirls his engine too much.

With an awesome, short throw shifter, the GT begs to be driven hard and shifted quick. I find myself quickly whipping through the gears, often times double clutching, skipping gears, and weaving through traffic just to give me the pleasure of feeling the short throw in my hands.

It obviously helps that this pony is equipped with a front and rear stabilizer bar along with limited slip differential and traction control. All of this adds up to incredibly street performance and a monster that takes advantage of every ounce of power that this mechanized battle horse can punch out.

Handling
With a race-inspired architecture, the 2008 Mustang is built for race battles. Everything about the vehicle is tuned for perfect performance, including every aspect of its handling system. Without quality handling, it doesn't matter how fast the vehicle that you are driving is because it just isn't going to be able to support higher speeds or fast acceleration. It takes a fine tuned vehicle to handle the power and performance of the Mustang and this model definitely delivers.

One of the most important aspects of the handling system is the use of MacPherson coil-over-strut front suspension technology. With custom shock valving and incredibly solid, reinforced reverse "L" lower control arms, this is one heck of a beast of a vehicle. The rear is no different with a 3-link, solid rear axle. With outboard-mounted shocks and panhard rod, you receive one of the best suspension systems in its class. This is one of the many reasons why the Mustang is able to grip the road and whip around the corners unlike any of its many competitors and of course just one more reason why the Mustang has been a household name for years.

Each and every turn with the 2008 Mustang is incredibly crisp and responsive, with very little drag. I find that each turn is virtually effortless as if the vehicle were controlling itself. It doesn't seem to matter how sharp the corner is, I have very little issue controlling the vehicle regardless of the speed that I am traveling.

Safety
While safety isn't typically the main reason why someone purchases a Mustang, it definitely has the safety features and functionality to support its extreme speeds. In addition to the dual stage full frontal airbags, the Mustang is built solid so that even in the most unenviable of crashes, the vehicle will stand up to the impact. There have been numerous Mustangs that came back to the body shop at the dealership that I worked at and I never once saw a Mustang that was totalled so badly that it required cutting to remove those inside. Typically the vehicle was only damaged slightly with a raised bumper and the rest of the vehicle in perfect shape. This of course shows Ford's dedication to developing high quality products that are built for safety and performance at the same time.

Fuel Efficiency / Reliability / Maintenance
If you are truly concerned about fuel efficiency, then you really shouldn't purchase a high performance vehicle such as the Mustang. However, even with that said, the vehicle is still capable of performing with as much as 26 miles to the gallon, but at the low end it could be as few as 15. while this is great compared to many performance vehicles, it is still a long way off of what you would expect with a Focus or Fusion by Ford.

As for the reliability of the vehicle, I have around 40,000 miles on my vehicle in about 5 months of driving and I haven't had any issues with it at all. So far even the tires are still in great shape. The only major issues that I am noticing is that the leather on the doors are starting to discolor slightly from me constantly leaning on them, especially during long trips. This is pretty different to clean up and will never return to the original color. However, the performance of the vehicle, the parts, and every aspect of the vehicle has been great. I haven't had to do anything more than standard maintenance on the vehicle since I purchased in several months ago.

If you are looking to do any real maintenance on the vehicle yourself, it is pretty easy. The big open bay really makes it easy to take advantage of doing your own repairs. I was able to do my own racing modifications quite easily on this vehicle because of the relatively open design. In fact, even the number of aftermarket parts for the vehicle has gone up considerably making it really easy for the enthusiast to push their Mustang to the limit. You can buy some sort of aftermarket part for anything that will increase the performance of the vehicle substantially.

Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a great ride, this is most definitely the vehicle for you. While it isn't really meant for the family, it is a whole lot of fun for those that are single or don't have to worry about carrying a whole lot around with you. The trunk on the Mustang is incredibly small, the backseat is very limited and difficult to place a carseat in, and there isn't really a well formed roof to the vehicle for placement of a rack for any type of travel device. However, the performance of the vehicle, the seating comfort, and all of the luxury inside and out of the vehicle really make it worth owning even if it is for nothing more than weekend fun.