I've gone down this road before ....

Rear-wheel drive.

A near-useless back seat.

American-made.

Irresistible, right? I'll be honest: For me, it kind of is. I have a weakness for muscle cars. Cheesy muscle cars. It's not the roaring engines or the devil-may-care repair records. It's the indulgence factor.

I first indulged this weakness in 1996 when the woman who would become my wife helped me pick out a spankin' new Pontiac Firebird. (Thank you, Cheryl, for encouraging me to go with the black one instead of the purple one.) I recognize the not-so-subtle subtext of me choosing a "chick magnet" car for my turning-30/turning-gay crisis. I also liked it 'cause it was the closest thing I could find to a Batmobile, and that's when I was going through my "I wanna be a superhero" phase.

Now, I am feeling pangs about a new hot car: The Ford Mustang. Retro-ish. Ridiculously unnecessary. Comes in a two-inch version.

Car-dreaming has improved dramatically since 1996: I can go here http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/mustang/index.asp?SECTION=MODELS
and see it in assorted colors at will.

And, what's this? It's one of Consumer Reports' recommended vehicles? (It gets a check mark, which is one step down from a check mark in a circle, but still ...)


REPORT CARD
Highs: Turning circle, solid structure, nostalgic look.
Lows: Rear seat, noise, interior materials, reliability.

The new Mustang's power comes from either a coarse 210-hp, 4.0-liter V6 or a muscular 300-hp, 4.6-liter V8. The latter is very quick and sounds inspiring. The manual shifter works well. The suspension still features a live rear axle rather than an independent rear setup. The ride is a bit stiff. Handling is fairly nimble, forgiving, and secure but lacks finesse at the limits with too much understeer. Fit and finish of the throwback interior is unimpressive. The convertible version features a well-insulated, power-operated top. Reliability of the V8 version is average, but the V6 model is well below average.


OK. I guess I want to get the V8. You know, in 20 years or whatever, when the boys are done with college.