The 2009 Ford Mustang is available as a coupe or convertible in four trim levels: V6 Deluxe, V6 Premium, GT Deluxe and GT Premium. The V6 Deluxe includes 16-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning, full power accessories, a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack. The V6 Premium adds upgraded 16-inch wheels, a power driver seat and a Shaker 500 upgraded stereo with six-CD changer. The convertible versions feature a power vinyl top with cloth material as an option. In addition to its V8 engine, the GT Deluxe comes with all the V6 Deluxe's features plus 17-inch alloys, a rear spoiler, foglamps and sport seats. The GT Premium adds the Shaker 500 sound system and leather upholstery.
All Ford Mustangs are rear-wheel drive and come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic is optional on all versions except the manual-only Bullitt. The Mustang V6 is powered by a 4.0-liter V6 that produces 210 hp and 240 pound-feet of torque. Given this output, fuel economy is disappointing at 16 mpg city/24 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined -- the same as Ford's 262-hp Flex SUV. The Mustang GT features a 4.6-liter V8 with 300 hp and 320-lb-ft output worthy of its muscle-car looks and heritage. With a manual transmission, the GT goes from zero to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and clears the quarter-mile in 14.3 seconds. Its fuel economy is 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined.
In National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests, the 2009 Ford Mustang earned a perfect five stars for front-impact protection and side-impact protection of front passengers. The convertible got a five-star rating for rear side protection, while the coupe got four stars. In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the Mustang scored "Acceptable" (the second highest of four ratings) in frontal-offset tests and "Good" (the highest rating) for side-impact tests.
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