2008 Ford Mustang Review

The decision to recall the styling of an icon is a tricky one in any business, but particularly so with automobiles. Doing so inevitably stirs up deep passions, and it is a very high-risk, high-reward proposition. With the current Ford Mustang, Ford nailed the high-reward part of the equation and has done an enviable job of blending 1960s Mustang design with modern-day themes.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com all agreed that the styling on the 2008 Ford Mustang is a huge success, and Ford's sales numbers support that sentiment. On the exterior, Edmunds feels that the Mustang's 2008 incarnation "stands out thanks to its big grille, round headlights, side sculpting, tri-bar taillights and, on the coupe, triangular quarter windows." Other styling packages received enthusiastic thumbs-up from reviewers, especially the 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt edition, which Road & Track says "just exudes 'cool.'" ConsumerGuide lists the numerous other styling options as including "coupes and convertibles" offered in both "Deluxe and Premium trims," along with the Shelby GT500 and the Shelby GT500KR, a "limited-edition coupe that is only available through select Ford dealers." While both convertible and coupe versions of the Ford Mustang 2008 feature retro styling, Kelley Blue Book writes that, on the convertible, "Styling details from the original and second-generation Mustang convertibles are strongly evident, especially in the grille, rear deck and side scoops." Styling on the Mustang 2008 is particularly aggressive on the Shelby versions, with Cars.com finding that "the headlight enclosures angle in more sharply" and "the hood is fitted with two openings designed to vent heat" on the GT500KR.

The interior styling of the 2008 Ford Mustang doesn't quite live up to the ultra-exciting exterior, though it doesn't have any serious flaws. ConsumerGuide summarizes the interior as "disappointing," although they give credit for the cabin's "eye appeal." On the Ford Mustang 2008 Bullitt edition, Cars.com writes that the "interior is simple and clean," with a "hand-machined aluminum dash" and "charcoal black leather seats" that bring "sophistication without being flashy." Other reviewers, such as those at Edmunds, find the interior styling to be "eye-catching," though they disapprove of the "hard, monotone plastics" that abound in the base models. For the Ford Mustang, 2008 offers consumers the option of "springing for the Interior Upgrade Package," which Edmunds says adds "satin aluminum accents and color-changeable backlighting for the instruments."