Consumer Reports Names 2011 Ford Mustang as Top Sporty Car

Consumer Reports has released its annual “Best and Worst” cars of 2011, and the Ford Mustang has won the title of the best sporty car beating out a touch lineup of European competitors as well as other American cars like the Corvette, Camaro and Challenger. Consumer Reports praised Ford’s pony car for its “scorching acceleration, a great exhaust sound, and good fuel economy for this class” and ranked it highest overall after considering a detailed road test, reliability and safety.

Here are the qualifications for being named a Consumer Reports Top Pick:

• The vehicle must rank near the top of its category in our ratings.
• It must have average or better reliability, according to our latest subscriber Annual Auto Survey.
• It must have performed well, if included in government or insurance-industry crash or rollover testing.
• It must have electronic stability control as standard equipment. (This is in advance of the 2012 deadline for it becoming standard across-the-board.)

Here’s what Consumer Reports had to say about the Mustang:

One of the high points of this iconic sports car is the strong, rumbling V8 engine that propels our GT coupe and convertible test cars. It delivers scorching acceleration, a great exhaust sound, and good fuel economy for this class. For 2011, the Mustang received a refined, punchy V6, which provides strong acceleration and a decent 24 mpg overall with a manual transmission. But there’s now more to the Mustang than power. Agile handling, a decent ride, comfortable front seats, and very good fit and finish make this thoroughly modern version a reasonable choice for daily driving. A tight rear seat limits passenger versatility, though.