Ford's full-size Crown Victoria sedan carves out enough room in the cabin to haul a team of tall basketball players plus heaps of gear bags stuffed into the cavernous trunk. The rear-wheel driveline and a chassis with wheelbase extending nearly ten feet comes from a platform also used by Lincoln's elite Town Car. There's ample power from a V8 rigged with high-tech hardware and tuned for low-torque output. The 4.6-liter Ford plant in standard application produces 224 hp. An optional performance package adds dual exhaust pipes and boosts output to 239 hp.

The three trim grades for '06 are Crown Victoria Standard, LX and premium LX Sport, with performance equipment like an up-rated torque converter, monotube shocks and rear air suspension. Side air bags are optional, along with TCS, a perimeter alarm device and a six-disc CD changer.

For 2006 Ford's pony car, rising from a rigid rear-wheel-drive (RWD) chassis, conforms as a sporty two-door hardtop coupe or a luxurious new soft-top convertible. Exterior styling for both models seems fresh and clean although familiar Mustang signatures are evident -- that long hood and stubby tail, the C-scoops on flanks and a shark's pointed nose with round headlamps.

Ford builds Mustang in two trims for coupe and convertible. Mustang V6 stocks a 4.0-liter plant pumping 210 hp while Mustang GT pulls from a powerful 4.6-liter aluminum V8 that roars to 300 hp. The V8 links to a Tremec 3650 five-speed manual gearbox, while the V6 uses a Tremec T5. Optional for either is a five-speed automatic using Ford's 5R55S trans-mission. Model designations divide further by trim packages -- Deluxe and Premium, while a new Pony Package for Mustang V6 adds GT suspension components, ABS and TCS. (...BACK)