On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 08:53:16 -0400, JohnH wrote:

On Sat, 14 Oct 2006 08:34:16 -0400, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:

JohnH wrote:
On Fri, 13 Oct 2006 08:57:09 -0400, Harry Krause
wrote:

My lovely wife informed me the other day that she "really likes" the new
little Mustangs and might want to buy one.

She's looking at a 2007 "V6 Premium," with the 4 liter V6, 5-speed auto,
and anti-lock brakes with traction control, and a bunch of other
accessories. Our local dealer is more than willing to "make a deal."

Any thoughts about this vehicle as an "everyday car?" Most of my wife's
driving is suburban, with very few trips of more than, say, 50 miles.

I drove such a vehicle recently and thought the power-brakes-handling
were more than adequate. Any ideas about gas mileage, reliability, that
sort of thing?

I'd prefer she buy a new top of the line Toyota, but she wants something
sportier.

Wimmins!

The V6 does not have the suspension, engine, or handling of the V8.
Comfort-wise, I wouldn't recommend it for anything over about 25 miles. My
neighbor's wife is trying to figure out the best way to get rid of her V6.
If you're really interested, I'll put you in touch.

I got 23 mpg with the V8. The V6 should do better.

Why is the Mustang such an uncomfortable car? Seats? Suspension?
Handling?

Seats coupled with a firm suspension. I think it was mostly seat design.
Even though the electric seat adjustments were wide-ranging, I couldn't
find a combination which would take the pain out of my hips.

I just made the same trip in the pickup. No problems whatsoever.

I just got back a couple of days ago from a business trip. I rented
and drove the new model Mustang for the first time. It was a base V6
model. I had a 40 mile trip from the airport to the hotel I was
staying in, and then drove it around town while there.

I thought it was pretty comfortable, as I was able to get the seats to
a position that I liked. The nearly one hour drive didn't bother me
at all. Interior ergonomics were decent.

While I would prefer the GT's V8, I though the V6 had good power and
was fun to drive. They've even tuned the exhaust to make some fairly
throaty sounds when you're getting on it.

The handling was good, but the road feel was just fair. Suspension
thumps and tire noise was pretty loud, but it may have been the cheap
base tires. Ride was fairly bumpy. My Boxster rides far better and
is a much smaller car. Cars don't have to be stiffly suspended to
handle well, but that's the cheapest way to do it.

The interior was pretty cheap, but it was a base model, and a rental.

In the end, if the situation presented itself, I'd own one for general
use. I'd make sure to have something more comfortable for long trips
over a coupe of hours.