This Is The Best Mustang For First-Time Sports Car Buyers

The Ford Mustang is likely the most quintessential sports car of all time, arguably even more so than the Corvette. I ought to know; many moons ago, something compelled me to write detailed histories of both of these cars, which in the Mustang's case, I published on Mustang Forums. I've worked on them in my time as a tech, driven them, and been around them a lot as someone who frequents car meets. 

And all obnoxious owner stereotypes aside, these are some genuinely good entry-level sports cars. They're generally the cheapest way to get a two-door V8 in the United States, for one. Just about every model, even the loathed Mustang II, has its fair share of aftermarket support. Moreover, with the prevalence of crossovers and SUVs nowadays, they're basically one of the only ways you can even get a straightforward, front-engine rear-drive American sports car in general. Moreover, they have history, and a lot of it.

We'll be diving into that history here, because my pick for the best first-time sports car buyer-friendly Mustang is a bit unorthodox. It's not a new one — I can't reasonably justify paying well over 50 grand at the dealership for a basic GT, I'm sorry. Actually, it isn't even made in the past 30 years — though it did outlive its replacement, the Probe. My top choice is, in fact, the third-gen Mustang, better known as the Fox Body.

Why, though? In brief: It's cheap, forgiving, easily-moddable, available, and cool. Of course, I have justifications for all of those reasons; I'll try and keep this as unbiased as possible. Let's get under the hood and discuss it.

The Fox platform was born from the Creature of the Malaise Era Lagoon, the Mustang II. In 1973, the Oil Crisis struck American shores and near-instantly quadrupled the price of oil, forever changing the automotive landscape. Manufacturers scrambled to build more fuel-efficient cars, leading to the Mustang II in this case. It was basically a lengthened Pinto, but its existence nonetheless saved the Mustang name from collapse, a fate which befell many other muscle cars of this era.

After the heat died down, manufacturers started building cars that were both fast and efficient. For Ford, that meant developing a bespoke platform — one which was lighter, more powerful, and contemporary in its design language. Enter the Fox platform, and the eponymous Fox Body Mustang.

Given its production run ran from 1979 to 1993, the Fox body Mustang is a car of many hats. It was fairly pedestrian in its basic configuration, boasting a 2.3-liter Lima four-cylinder all the way to its finale. Then you have diamonds in the rough, ranging from the turbocharged variant in the Mustang SVO, all the way to the legendary 5.0, and then stuff like the SSP Police Package, the SVT Cobra, or just an LX with a V8, generally paired with a Tremec T-5 five-speed manual transmission.

These Mustangs are examples of modern classics and valued as such — cars from the Gen X era that can still be maintained with relatively little specialized knowledge in comparison to newer stuff, yet still contemporary enough to hang in modern traffic.

What're the most important factors in a sports car? Something fun, lightweight, balanced, fast enough to feel fast, engaging, and accessible, for starters; the Fox body checks all those boxes without exception.

Unlike a modern Mustang GT, this is something which isn't easily capable of burnouts right from the gate; that seems counterintuitive, so let's reframe it. This is a car with a V8 noise, light weight, and engine on-par with modern regular cars in terms of power. If you have a car that feels fast, and can be driven at the limit more frequently than not, I think that's a more rewarding experience than something overpowered that you have to baby all the time. It's why cars like the Mazda MX-5 and Toyota 86 are as popular as they are among so many enthusiasts. 

Of course, if it's power you crave, the Fox has you covered there, too. You can find kits for pretty much anything under the sun for this car. Purpose-built dragster? Why not? Light autocross racer? Absolutely. Grand tourer? Get an LX automatic and hit the road. It's a blank canvas, which is excellent if you're starting out, because you can make it your own with a limited budget and expertise — just follow some tutorials and you're golden. It's excellent as a teaching tool for wrenching and has great restomod potential.

Overall, there are Mustangs that are more powerful, better-equipped, and more prestigious, obviously. That being said, the humble Fox Body remains the best for people looking for something cheap, relatively safe, and decently-equipped for its age.