Over on our parent site The Car Connection Rex Roy recently had the opportunity to drive the 2010 Mustang V-6 for a week and we will break down what he had to say. He starts off by talking about how easily identifiable the 2010 Mustang will be to the casual observer with the new body panels in place. One thing that will stick out if you catch the new Mustang from behind are the sequential turn signals which are a bit different if you have never seen them in action. The V-6 Rex got for the week was a premium model which included the high end leather interior with contrasting stitching. Rex says the quality of the leather reminds him of an Audi TTS he recently drove. Another interior feature Rex says is a bit silly is ambient lighting but for the Mustang's V-6 buyer demographic it's probably a feature that will get some use.
Moving on to the engine Rex says it will be familar to many Ford owners, especially Explorer owners because the 4.0-liter V-6 is the same found in past Explorers. The V-6 engine has been tweaked a little to make 210 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, not big numbers says Rex if we compare it to the 2010 Camaro V-6 which puts down 300 horsepower. Rex goes on to say the power put out by the 4.0-liter V-6 is very linear and always available. Highway acceleration from 50-80 mph is just as good as from 80-110 mph with no flat spots noticeable. For the transmissions two are available the five-speed automatic and the Tremec T-5 which is what Rex had the pleasure of driving. Rex says it was heavy to shift and the throws were long. One positive from the T-5 is each gear engages positively so no shifts are missed. A gripe about the T-5 is the gear hums and thrums which might be liked by die-hards but snubbed by those who are not use to them.
Fuel efficiency for the V-6 manual is 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway which a bit off the 2010 Camaro V-6 at 17/29 mpg. What makes it worse says Rex is the Camaro has 100 more horsepower in it's 3.6-liter than the larger Mustang 4.0-liter. The automatic trans in the Mustang gets 16/24 mpg.
Rex goes on to say the new V-6 Mustang is tighter than previous models and the suspension is more susceptible to squeaks and rattles if they were to ever arise from hard bumpy roads. He goes on to say the Mustang V-6 is sporty and responds quickly to the steering wheel. Also Brakes worked like they should and ABS is standard as is traction control.
All around Rex thought the 2010 Mustang V-6 was worth the $24,000 price tag.
