Everything You Should Know About This Early 00s Mustang
The Mustang has a long history of excellence, but the 2002 Mustang GT wasn’t its finest hour. Here’s a look at why this 2002 Mustang was more of a disappointment than a triumph.
in a never-ending quest for improvement, the 2002 Ford Mustang GT was a bit of a dud.
1999 brought a new generation for the Mustang. 2000 had the legendary SVT Cobra R Mustang. But the 2002 Mustang GT left most muscle car lovers disappointed. Here's why.
The last of the American muscle cars
While we can come up with a long list of complaints about the 2002 Mustang GT, at least the Mustang was still in production. Pontiac had discontinued the Firebird, and Chevy had discontinued the iconic Camaro (although it was reborn in 2010).
The muscle cars that were ever so popular from the ‘60s-’80s would have gone extinct if it wasn't for Ford continuing the Mustang in the early 2000s. A lot of speculation has gone into why muscle cars fell out of favor, with popular scapegoats being rising gas prices and increased safety requirements.
Whatever the cause, the 2002 Mustang was the lone American Muscle for that year.
has a long list of complaints, from cheap plastics in the interior to jerky handling on the automatic transmission models.
The base trim of the 2002 Mustang came with a 3.8-liter V6 Engine that produced 193 hp. Not too shabby, but those specs really aren't indicative of a muscle car either.
The GT trim was intended to address the flaws found in the base model. This "Gran Turismo" trim is better stocked with a V8 engine, traction lock rear axle, dual exhaust, and upgraded suspension. These modifications boosted the horsepower all the way to 260.
However, both the base trim and GT have one major con: a solid rear axle. This can make steering a bit difficult in this old pony. Not a problem for drag racing, but it can be troublesome on a curvy racetrack.
The biggest upside of the 2002 Mustang GT was its price. Brand new, it would cost you about $27,500 (or about $42,618 when adjusted for inflation). At such an affordable price, that solid rear axle doesn't sound so bad after all.
The 2002 Mustang GT was popular enough that there are still plenty left on the road today. If you live in a major city, chances are you can find dozens of listings nearby.
Generally speaking, the engines on these cars tend to make it to 200,000 miles pretty easily. If it was well maintained throughout its life, it can last even longer.
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