What Used Car to Buy: 1979–93 Ford Mustang 5.0
The Fox-body Mustang, which helped Ford rebound from the Mustang II, has stood up to the test of time.
The Fox-body Ford Mustang, produced from 1979 to 1993, enjoyed a long and successful run and earned three Car and Driver “10Best” trophies. Over the years, Ford offered a range of power options, but the lustiest models wore "5.0" regalia. Which, as the name implies, meant that when you popped the hood, you'd find a . . . 4.9-liter V-8. At least the cars' performance could back up the marketing embellishment, leading Ford back to pony-car credibility after the Mustang II debacle of the '70s. The Fox-body models, particularly the minimalist LX trims, aged well and still deliver an entertaining shove in the back. They were built by the millions, so despite their appeal, a plentiful supply keeps prices reasonable.
Engine
The 4.9–liter — or in cubic-inch parlance, the 302 — really rounded into form in 1985, hitting 210 horsepower with a four-barrel carb. By 1987, the fuel-injected Windsor V-8 made 225 horses and 300 pound-feet of torque. But then Ford lowered those ratings to 205 and 280, respectively, in 1993, giving rise to conspiracy theories that the engine was either overrated in its 225-horse heyday or else sandbagged to provide some distance from the 235-hp Cobra. In any case, from 1987 on, performance was pretty consistent. Car and Driver clocked a 1987 Ford Mustang GT at 14.7 seconds in the quarter-mile; a 1993 Cobra ran a 14.3.
