The Ford F-150 and Mustang have been two of the company’s—and the country’s—most popular vehicles for decades now, and that doesn’t look like it will be changing any time soon. In fact, both were just named to the “Consumers’ Top Rated for 2010″ list, put together by Edmunds.com. Significantly, though, even though the website tallied the numbers, the actual vehicle ratings came from the true experts: Vehicle owners themselves.
According to Edmunds.com, this year’s rankings had customers lauding the F-150 for its “smooth and quiet ride, its great looks and cutting-edge in-cabin technologies such as SYNC.” Of course, you don’t get to be America’s best-selling truck for the last 33 years (and the top-selling vehicle of any kind for the past 28) without providing a truckload of capability, too. That comes courtesy of features like the F-150′s tough, fully boxed steel frame, which helps the pickup deliver best-in-class payload and trailering numbers.
And things will get even better for Ford truck fans before the year is out. That’s because the automaker has taken the EcoBoost V6 that currently lurks beneath the hood of the Taurus SHO and now upgraded it for use in the F-150. Ford says the result will be best-in-class fuel efficiency along with the power and towing ability usually found only in a V8. The F-150′s popularity extends to the used market, leading many in New Mexico to search for an Albuquerque used F150.
As for the drop-top Mustang, the 2010 model’s “new interior is a big hit with our consumer reviewers, as is the wonderful V8 soundtrack and its accompanying wallop of horsepower and torque. SYNC voice activation also ranks highly on owners’ lists of favorite features, as does the optional MyColor customizable lighting.”
Now, truth be told, some of those Mustang drivers weren’t too keen on the ’10 Mustang’s 210 hp V6—but neither were Ford engineers. Which probably helps explain the all-new, all-aluminum mill holstered by the 2011 Ford Mustang and Mustang Convertible, both of which are on sale now.
The current V6 sets a new standard in the segment, and in the marketplace as well. Packing the six-cylinder engine, the Mustang rings up a powerful 305 hp and a surprising 31 mpg highway. Those numbers make the fast Ford the first production car to surpass both 300 hp and 30 mpg.
Plus, while no one was complaining about the big eight-cylinder powerplant in the 2010 model, Ford showed off its dedication to continuous improvement by dropping an all-new V8 into the 2011 Mustang GT and Mustang GT Convertible anyway. The new models bring back the iconic “5.0″ badging and back it up with a 5.0-liter powerplant that makes a neck-snapping 412 hp as well as a segment-leading 26 mpg highway.
Which means that with performance like this, both on the road and at the gas pump, the 2011 Mustang Convertible will once again be hard to top.
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