2007 Ford Mustang Pony Edition Coupe review from North America

The car is brand new, so nothing has gone wrong with it yet. Since we have driven Fords for over 30 years (including several that went over 200,000 miles and one that made 325,000 miles), I don't expect any problems with this one either. This is our 7th Mustang, and none of our previous Mustangs ever saw the inside of a service department.

I love the car. The Pony package adds awesome 5-spoke retro style 17" wheels and huge 55 series tires, as well as driving lights in the grille at a very reasonable price.

I chose the V-6 for economy, and the first tank of gas yielded 21mpg. I know this will increase to at least an average of 25-26 in mixed driving. The V-6 provides plenty of power and a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds, which is very respectable.

The 5-speed automatic shifts very smoothly and down shifts as demanded for great passing power, even at freeway speeds.

The interior is top notch. The leather seats are very comfortable, and all instruments are well-placed and easy to read. The gear indicator could be a little more obvious, as it is hard to see the little light in daylight to see when you have it in a particular gear. Mine has the optional retro style aluminum dash panels and bright spokes on the steering wheel. The back seat is virtually worthless for anyone over 7 years old, but people don't buy sport coupes to haul people around in.

The handling is great, though I wish car manufacturers would offer those of us who don't street race, but like sporty cars, a softer suspension option. The ride is harsh by any definition. The ride in my 8 year old GM compact is much smoother.

I plan to do a good bit of custom detailing on the car, as that is a hobby of mine. I'm adding black GT stripes and blacking out the panel between the tail lights. I'll also be changing to a wing style spoiler, and adding 1970 Mustang style rear window louvers to add to the retro feel.

In looking at so-called sporty coupes, I quickly realized that there AREN'T any except for Mustang. Next year Chevy will be coming out with the retro Camaro, and Dodge will have the retro Challenger, but I don't think their notch-back styling will compete with Mustang's sporty fastback look very well. Right now there just aren't any other sporty coupes made by foreign or domestic companies that can come close to competing with the Mustang.