Best car for spring break

Matthew Bishop

JOUR 102 Sec. 4

3 March 2011

Best Car for Spring Break

With the temperature in the 70’s and clear skies in places like Panama City and Orange Beach, which are some of the most popular places to go on spring break, the best car to take would obviously be a convertible.

But which one?

Well, for the dollar per smile factor the best choice would be the 2011 Ford Mustang convertible.

Sure you could get more luxurious convertible like the BMW 328i, or you can get cheaper options like the Mazda MX-5, both of which made my Best Buy list for 2011.

But what makes the Mustang stand out from these other great convertibles is that it has the total package.

It has things like a back seat and ample trunk space, both of which the Miata is lacking. This can come quite handy when you have more than one friend and have to travel eight hours to Florida.

“ We could have defiantly used the extra trunk room last year, because my friend literally had to sit crossed legged all the way to Florida so she could put her bag in front of her seat,” said Emily Perkins, a Miata owner, on her trip to Panama City last year.

The Mustang is also rather inexpensive with a base price of $27,145, just $2,000 more than a similarly equipped Miata. The premium model which has added amenities such as heated leather seats starts at just $31,045 which is more than $15,000 cheaper than the BMW 128i convertible. Of course the Mustang may not have as good interior materials and finishes as the BMW, but arguably not $15,000 worth.

The 3.7L 307 hp V-6 in the Mustang is also the most powerful engine in the group, which really shows. The Mustang gets to 60 in a scant 5.2 seconds which is 1.5 seconds quicker than the Bimmer and 2.3 seconds faster than the Miata.

But that performance doesn’t just show up on highway on ramps, it also performs well at the gas pump where the Mustang gets 31 MPG on the highway. That beats out the much smaller and lighter Miata’s 28 MPG and the BMW’s 27 MPG.

So there you have it, the Mustang has performance, efficiency, and practical. Just make sure you bring the tanning lotion.