2010 Ford Mustang Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Ford Mustang overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 Ford Mustang, and includes safety, reliability, and fuel economy information for the 2010 Ford Mustang.

In the face of mounting pressure from the all-new Chevy Camaro and the popular Dodge Challenger, Ford elects to remake its pony car for 2010, using the 1969-70 models as inspiration. Based on the same platform and powertrains as last year’s car, the 2010 Mustang is completely redesigned except for the greenhouse. Key design elements include the first new galloping horse emblem to grace a Mustang since the original 1964 version, rear fender sculpturing meant to evoke the ‘hips’ of the ’70 ‘Stang, and the return of sequential rear turn signals.

Inside, a new dashboard, center console, and other interior elements add a greater sense of quality to the cabin. The instrument panel is covered in a single piece of soft-touch material, and most Mustangs have real aluminum trim gracing the dashboard and steering wheel. Added sound deadening materials mean the cabin is quieter than before, too.

The changes for 2010 are not limited to cosmetics. All Mustangs are equipped with standard stability control and Ford’s new Easy Fuel capless fuel filling system, and most models can be equipped with new 911 Assist and Vehicle Health Report technology for the Sync communications and entertainment system. The Mustang GT is equipped with the mechanicals from last year’s Bullitt special edition: larger wheels, returned suspension, added horsepower, throatier exhaust note.

The Shelby GT500 is also upgraded for 2010, with additional horsepower and torque. Essentially, this year’s GT500 matches the 2008 GT500KR model pony for pony. Ford has also made aerodynamic improvements by reducing drag and improving downforce. The six-speed manual gearbox is refined, a 3.55:1 rear axle ratio is standard, and a new hood extractor helps to better cool the massive supercharged 5.4-liter engine.

Ford sells the 2010 Mustang in V6, GT, and Shelby GT500 trim levels in coupe and convertible body styles. The V6 and GT coupe models can also be ordered with a unique glass roof option.

Standard features on the Mustang V6 include 17-inch aluminum wheels, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, stability control, side-impact airbags, and an SOS Post Crash Alert system that helps rescuers better locate a Mustang in the event of a significant impact. Power door locks with remote keyless entry, power mirrors, power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, floor mats, and a stereo with a CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack are also included.

The Mustang V6 Premium adds machined-finish alloys, aluminum interior décor, leather upholstery, a six-way power driver’s seat, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Premium also includes a Shaker 500 audio system with Sirius satellite radio, Ford Sync communications and entertainment, ambient interior lighting, and a MyColor instrument cluster that allows the driver to select any of 125 different shades of illumination for the gauges. An optional V6 Pony Package is offered only on Premium models, and has a unique grille with inset fog lights, automatic headlights, 18-inch alloys, body-color side mirrors, special badges and trim, and a decklid spoiler.

Mustang GT models build from the V6 trim levels, all equipped with a more powerful V8 engine, better brakes, performance suspension, and other go-faster goodies. The GT comes standard with V6 equipment plus 18-inch wheels, inset fog lights mounted in the grille, automatic headlights, body color side mirrors, a decklid spoiler, and dual bright rolled exhaust tips. The GT Premium adds a cloth top (convertible models), plus the same equipment as the V6 Premium model.

Options for the Mustang V6 and Mustang GT include a five-speed automatic transmission, upsized wheel choices, a thunderous Shaker 1000 audio system, and a panoramic glass roof (coupe models). Other available features include HID headlights, a navigation system, dual-zone climate control, a 6-way power front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, and a reversing camera.

If optimum Mustang performance is what you seek, the Shelby GT500 is your answer. The Shelby adds significant power under its unique aluminum hood, fortified by Brembo performance brakes, Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels (convertibles have 18-inch wheels and tires). Inside, the Shelby sets itself apart thanks to leather seats with racing stripes and Alcantara inserts, a unique leather- and Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, a short-throw shifter with cue-ball shift knob, an SVT gauge cluster, and bright metallic pedals. Shelby buyers can add a navigation system, dual-zone climate control, a Shaker 1000 audio system, and HID headlights as options.

More Mustang buyers choose the V6 model than the GT or Shelby, which makes sense, because it provides Mustang style for a low price. The only problem is the engine that’s included in the car, a 4.0-liter lump of a V6 engine sourced from Cologne, Germany. This is an old motor, weak, inefficient, and unimpressive. It makes 210 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 240 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy is 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway for the manual, and 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway for the automatic.

Why would anyone choose a Mustang V6 when the 4.6-liter V8 found under the hood of the Mustang GT is almost as fuel-efficient? The engine slurps more gas with the manual at 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, but with the optional automatic – and let’s face it, most Mustangs have an automatic – the car delivers 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. Not bad for a V8 that makes 315 horsepower at 4,250 rpm and 325 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm.

If the Mustang GT hasn’t got enough juice, there’s always the Shelby GT500. It’s got a supercharged and intercooled 5.4-liter V8 engine under its aluminum hood, making 540 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 510 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. Basically, this is the same engine that was stuffed into the limited production 2008 Shelby GT500KR. Running on premium and available only with a 6-speed manual, the Shelby gets 14 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.

Based on crash tests performed by the NHTSA, the 2010 Ford Mustang Coupe is slightly safer than its convertible counterpart. In every measure, the NHTSA awards the Mustang Coupe with 5-star ratings. The Mustang Convertible, on the other hand, received a 4-star side-impact rating for the rear seat passenger, noted with a safety concern. Apparently, during testing, the crash dummy’s head struck the convertible roof linkage mechanism, causing the dummy to register high head acceleration data, which translates to greater potential for serious head trauma in a side-impact crash.

When it comes to crashworthiness ratings doled out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), there’s more strangeness for the Mustang Convertible. Models built before January of 2010 received a Poor rating in the frontal offset crash measure, while models built during and after January of 2010 get a Good rating. Clearly, Ford made some kind of a running change to rectify a potentially problematic safety concern. As for side-impact and rear crashworthiness, the IIHS rates the convertible model Good in both measures.

The Mustang Coupe received a Good rating in the IIHS offset frontal impact test, and Acceptable rating in the side-impact test, and a Good rating for rear impact crash protection. The agency’s new roof crush rating has not been assigned for the coupe.

When it comes to reliability, Consumer Reports says the 2010 Mustang is expected to perform at an average level. JDPower.com predicts the Mustang’s reliability will be slightly better than average, an expectation perhaps colored by the car’s impressive “among the best” performance in the company’s Initial Quality Study.

A good car made great, the 2010 Ford Mustang is a step forward in terms of refinement, quality, and even safety (for the coupe, anyway). Our pick is the GT model for its blend of performance and fuel economy, but since the Shelby GT500 is light years ahead of the Chevy Camaro SS and Dodge Challenger SRT8 in terms of power, handling, and refinement, we’d say the GT500 makes a solid case for its substantial price premium. The Mustang we’d avoid is the popular V6. Not only is it thirsty and weak, but it’s getting replaced with a new V6 in 2011 that is almost as powerful the Mustang GT’s V8.