Ford Mustang

Significant changes for 1999 improved this muscle car's ride, handling, and braking. The 3.8-liter V6 feels more sprightly but is still fairly anemic at high revs. The 4.6-liter V8 is much stronger and more in character with the car. Unfortunately, only the uplevel Cobra version gets an independent rear suspension. The manual transmission feels neither slick nor sporty. The front seats aren't especially comfortable, and neither one scoots forward to make for easy access to the rear. Adults won't be happy there, but then rear-seat comfort isn't why people buy this piece of Americana.