My wife and I set out to try every convertible on the market. The range went from the tiny Toyota MR2 with absolutely no storage space ... to the Chrysler Sebring convertible. We were ready to settle for the Chrysler when we spotted the Thunderbird in a Ford specialty showroom. We took it for a test drive and fell in love immediately. It was well above the price range we were shopping in ($42k list) but in the end that didn't matter. We bought it two weeks later.
The 2003 Thunderbird has two options that earlier models did not. 280 horsepower and an auto-manual shifter. Since the car weighs close to 4000 lbs, the additional horsepower was a welcome addition. It now runs 0-60 in a respectable 6.8 seconds. Keep in mind, this is not designed as a sports car; so acceleration in that range is admirable. The auto-manual shifter is selected by pushing the shifter to the right, then selecting up or down a gear manually without using a clutch. We are still getting used to this feature, but I can say that it does improve acceleration.
The overall look and feel of the Thunderbird can be summed up in one word : Style. The retro stylings take you back to the original Thunderbird in most every detail. Even the rag top has its original roots. Rather than take the car to a fully automatic top as was done in the Volvo C70 (another Ford) they left a simple manual latch in the center of the top, with an automatic open/close button easy to reach on the dash. When the weather gets nasty, our model came with the optional hard top. This top snaps easily into place, but be sure to have two strong adults to remove it. It weighs a solid 85 lbs and is fairly awkward. Fortunately it also came with a stand for garage storage of the top during the fair weather months.
Inside the cabin you will find tastefully detailed leather seats, with wood and stainless appointments. Heated seats, dual climate control, 6 disc CD changer, dash ignition key, steering wheel mounted radio controls, power mirrors, cup holders and cigarette lighter adapters round out the dash. Power seats make driver swaps a breeze.
The real fun for this car is a good twisty road. Rear wheel drive combined with good weight distribution (and lots of it!) make for a very fun drive. Brakes are extremely competent - especially given the weight of the vehicle. Testing panic stops left me very happy with the car's safety systems. With the top down, the noise level is acceptable. Raising the windows brings noise down to soft conversation levels. This includes both wind and engine noise. I can't believe how quiet the engine is while cruising. Put your foot in the floor and it will audibly remind you of the v8 heritage under the hood. Speaking of the windows - each time you open the doors, the window automatically drops a quarter inch to release from the rag top. The window automagically creates a tight seal when you close the door again. Inserting the key in the ignition prompts the power tilting steering wheel to return to its previous position in front of you. One turn of the key, and you wonder why you didn't just sleep in that comfortable driver's seat! Unfortunately the trunk only has space for a couple of small suitcases or a large garment bag. This would not be a good car to take on a two week tour of the country.
Gas mileage has been fairly consistent, running 18 city and 23 highway. We only have 1500 miles on the car so far - the engine won't really be broken in until 3500 miles or so.
I have to give Ford credit for building a high quality product with little competition. This car is a definite head turner, be it a weekend driver or a daily commuter.
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