This is the big one. The Face-Off to end all Face-Offs. American versus American. Icon versus icon.
In one corner, defending the Chevrolet Corvette is Senior Automotive Editor Brent Romans, who just came in from polishing his own Vette out in the garage. In the other, more fair and balanced corner is Automotive Editor John DiPietro defending the Ford Mustang he doesn't own.
Get your votes in by Sunday night. The winner will be announced Monday at 10 a.m. PST.
Opening Statements
Brent Romans for the Chevrolet Corvette
To the jury, I ask: Why did you vote the Corvette and Mustang to be finalists? Was it for their roomy back seats? Boxy utility? Trail-busting off-road ability? Nope. It's because each car represents its respective automaker's best attempt at fulfilling America's everlasting automotive desire for performance, styling and heritage. And when you examine these two cars from this standpoint, it's obvious that the Corvette is the better car.
While the top-shelf Shelby GT500 is a pretty good match for a base Corvette, that's about the extent of the Mustang's abilities. Meanwhile, the rest of the Corvette lineup (Z06, ZR1) leaves the Mustang in dazed stupor. Styling? Of course, this is always subjective, but to me the Corvette has more street presence and isn't reliant on gimmicks (retro-look, look-at-me stripes, big fog lights) like the Mustang is. And as for heritage, the Corvette has a decade's more of the stuff than the Mustang. True, the Mustang is a very good car. But when it comes to being the best, well, that's the Corvette.
John DiPietro for the Ford Mustang
Okay Mr. Plastic Fantastic, let's keep this argument relevant to the bulk of the population. The Z06 and the ZR1 are certainly very cool cars and it's easy to get caught up in their awesome performance stats, but most people will only be able to fantasize about them as they drool over their keyboards. That said, historically it's been hard to argue against the "base" Corvette as a strong "bang for the buck" entry. But I'm going to anyway. As White Goodman so eloquently stated in Dodgeball, "Let me hit you with some knowledge."
Performance: The 2010 Mustang GT checks in with 0-to-60 in 5.2 seconds, the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds, a 107-foot braking distance from 60 mph and 68.4 mph through the slalom. The most recent Corvette we tested (the 2010 Grand Sport) posts 4.4 seconds, 12.4 seconds, 106 feet and 68.8 mph, respectively. As expected, the Corvette is quicker ... by about one second to 60 and through the quarter, and then the Mustang virtually ties it in braking and handling. For about two-thirds the price of the base Corvette ($32 grand versus $50 grand), the Mustang GT provides a lot more than two-thirds the performance.
As for heritage, yes, the Mustang briefly went through an awkward adolescence with the Pinto-based Mustang II, but let's not forget the first two years of the Corvette when the sole powertrain was a straight six and a two-speed automatic. And c'mon, even the biggest Corvette fan has to admit that a '66 K-code fastback or convertible 'Stang (black with red interior please) is a pretty sweet ride, as is a '69 Boss 302.
Bottom line? For me, part of being "The Best" car is being accessible. And for the large majority of car buyers, a Mustang GT is a lot more accessible than a Corvette is, while essentially being just as enjoyable to own.
Rebuttals
Romans:
Accessibility, eh? Sure enough, the Ford Mustang is accessible. Heck, you can pick up a 2010 Mustang V6 for around 20 grand I imagine. But at that point, is it really America's best car? Yeah, yeah, I know the Mustang is set to get new engines for 2011. But it's been running around with that lump of a V6 for about a decade now. Pair it up with the popular combo of the convertible body style and automatic transmission and you've got enough wise-crack material to fill up a whole joke book. The latest Corvette, though, stays true to itself no matter what body style or engine you equip it with. Sorry, DiPietro, but the Vette is still the winner here.
DiPietro:
Whoa, cut me some slack. As y'all have noticed, I've avoided mention of the current V6 Mustang. We're free to choose whatever trim we want here, right? I could've been greedy and went whole hog (or is that whole pony?) and picked the asphalt-rippling Shelby GT500. But I wanted to keep it real and give the power to the (most) people (possible)! As I said before, a lot more people can buy and enjoy a Mustang GT than a Corvette. I've a strong feeling that the votes for the Mustang are going to come in like a thundering stampede.
So Which is The Best American Car?
By pushrod
on January 28, 2010
05:37 AM
I do like them both, and in some ways (given the nature of the audience for this site), I'm not surprised its these two at the end. Both are good cars, and both are capable for some hooning around and as daily drivers.
In the end, though, I would go for the Mustang. I get a little more bang for the buck (relatively speaking), its size and smaller turning circle make it easier to deal with in parking lots, and the presence of more cabin storage (I hesitate to say it has a "back seat" in the useful sense of the term) means I can use it for road trips without having to keep almost everything in the trunk.
I'll take mine as a 2011 GT with the new 5.0l, a stick, in red please.
By ahightower
on January 28, 2010
05:54 AM
The accessibility argument is a good one. But that's relative. The Vette is also a bargain, compared to many $75K+ competitors. The Mustang is great, I owned one, a base V6, manual transmission - I thought that engine was plenty of fun, and got respectable mileage. Tons of fun for less than $20K.
But which is the best? Let's see, which is faster? Duh. Which is better looking? Have you SEEN a ZR1, or even a Gransport in person? I have to vote Corvette.
By rick8365
on January 28, 2010
06:12 AM
Make mine the Mustang GT, please.
Great pics - esp. the blue Vette with its aero compressed/shaped smoke trail and the GT at opposite lock.
By chrome58
on January 28, 2010
06:41 AM
The Mustang's virtue is that it's cheap. But does being the cheapest game in town really equate to being the best America has to offer? And, at over $30,000 for a solid rear axle rolling anachronism, is the Mustang truly affordable anymore?
The Corvette is the best by almost every measure. Unlike Ford who let the Mustang float in and out of relevance over the years (25 years of the Fox platform, really?), the Corvette has been on a consistent path of betterment for 55 years.
It's distinctly American without having any of the typical American negatives that automotive cognoscenti like to gripe about.
The Corvette is world class through and through and it's NOT made on an Mazda assembly line. What's not to love?
By dougtheeng
on January 28, 2010
06:45 AM
I don't know which to pick. I knew these two would be the finalists but I didn't really give any thought to which should win. Ultimately, I'm thinking its the Mustang. The mustang is the penultimate muscle car, and muscle cars are supremely american......
So Mustang has my vote.
By brn
on January 28, 2010
06:58 AM
The Vette has a better performance heritage and has continued to improve significantly. It's a better car.
The Stang has finally come out of it's slump. It's about damn time. Once again, it's a car to be proud of.
The Vette is a better car, but I've been voting based on what I'd be more likely to purchase. In that case, there's no contest.
I vote Mustang.
By iskch
on January 28, 2010
07:09 AM
Vote for Mustang.
By sabastian
on January 28, 2010
07:41 AM
This is a tough one for me, and I have a few reasons for making my decision. First, I saw a 2010 Mustang GT the other day that I wanted as soon as it caught my eye. No Vette has ever had that effect on me. Second, my grandfather worked for Ford for over fifty years, and I can't let him down now. Finally, I really admire the strides that Ford has made lately. They've got some really compelling technology, quality is up, and did I mention the looks?
Go Mustang.
By cruiserhead1
on January 28, 2010
07:47 AM
5.0 Mustang
At $50-60K, the Vette has to meet a different standard. The interior is a big negative. It's worse than a car costing $30K less.
Let's be honest, would you rather have a Vette or Audi S5 for the money? The S5 blows the Vette away in everything except 9/10ths performance for the same money.
The Vette has awesome performance and looks great. It's got one thing over the Mustang GT: exclusivity- even that is relative.
The Mustang is fast, huge aftermarket, huge following, practical as well as emotional. History might go to the Vette but Mustang's evoke Bullit, and a few other key pop culture icons so I consider the history banner to be dead even.
I like the Vette. It's a great performance car. However, $20-30K is a canyon sized gap in price. That's another car in the driveway sized gap!
Is the Vette really THAT much better than a Mustang? Especially the 5.0??
By cruiserhead1
on January 28, 2010
07:53 AM
I noticed Romans paid $43K for his Vette. In that case, the decision becomes much more difficult.
I imagine the price gap between a 5.0 and $43K Vette would not be much more than $5-6K... hmmm
By mozzz77788
on January 28, 2010
09:07 AM
Corvette! I don't really need to explain why
By gharry
on January 28, 2010
09:13 AM
Corvette! You don't really care why I choose it.
By deagle13
on January 28, 2010
09:24 AM
I voted on this contest with my wallet 3 1/2 years ago, now I'll vote with my keyboard:
Corvette.
By hoops26
on January 28, 2010
10:32 AM
Mustang!!!
By 00s10
on January 28, 2010
11:25 AM
Corvette +1
By auto4fun
on January 28, 2010
12:07 PM
+Corvette!
By vttelvr
on January 28, 2010
01:13 PM
Eh, there really isn't much of a major decision to make. CORVETTE!!
By mlh
on January 28, 2010
01:15 PM
'stang
By 430
on January 28, 2010
01:15 PM
Ridiculous comparo.
CORVETTE!
By vchacon6
on January 28, 2010
01:28 PM
i'm the proud owner of a Corvette and i would never give it up for any mustang ..ever
my vote is for Corvette!
By corvette17
on January 28, 2010
01:29 PM
CORVETTE ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!!
By spyglass05
on January 28, 2010
01:47 PM
Corvette all the way! Mustangs are for jerks.
By splitapear
on January 28, 2010
01:51 PM
Corvette wins any day! With their beautiful styling, classic power, and fantastic character, there's no beating the original American sports car.
By danz06
on January 28, 2010
01:51 PM
The only Mustang I would get would be a Red with a white stripe '09 Roush like my neighbor. But I have a Corvette Z06 :P
Corvette +1
By lovemyvette
on January 28, 2010
01:52 PM
Mustangs are a beginner's sportscar. Corvette's are for the graduates! You can't possibly compare the two. The Corvette is America's most coveted car. It is America's sweetheart!
By stl1psu
on January 28, 2010
01:56 PM
Corvette! It's America's Sportscar!
By crowb
on January 28, 2010
02:09 PM
Mustang
By chardrc
on January 28, 2010
02:16 PM
corvette by far.. performance is key. mustang is good looking and all but it can't compete. if you want a value performance chevy get a/ compare against the camaro. not everyone can have the best. if everyone has one (the argument of the mustang fanboys) then it isn't so great or spectacular now is it.
my vote is corvette
By ehh0144
on January 28, 2010
02:17 PM
What? This shouldn't even be a real comparison, Edmunds. Put the Mustang up against its real rival, the Camaro. Corvette is in a different class performance and technology wise. I vote Corvette.
By tsenre
on January 28, 2010
02:22 PM
Corvette!!!
By jriz
on January 28, 2010
02:24 PM
You're right, this shouldn't be a real comparison. That's why it isn't.
By chel2
on January 28, 2010
02:27 PM
Corvette for sure
By fordfan16
on January 28, 2010
02:31 PM
MUSTANG!!!
By huyracing
on January 28, 2010
02:33 PM
Mustang.
Does cheap and fast make you the best? No. Look at how many people pass up the Corvette for slower cars... or they simply spend more and get what they really want. Mind you, the Corvette is not cheap to me... I can't afford one new and frankly would not buy one if I could.
Why do I choose the Mustang GT, then? It is also cheap and fast. (It is not cheap, but I can actually afford one) Engine sounds fantastic, handling is great, and it is surprisingly refined. A complete package for me. The Corvette is simply lacking...
Case in point, Camaro SS costs the same as a Mustang GT and also blows it away in performance, BUT... I'd rather have a Mustang GT.
By michael_js
on January 28, 2010
02:37 PM
NO Contest! The Vette! Mustang is fairly cool car, but there's absolutely no comparison! You'd have to mod the heck out of the stang to keep up with the Vette! I'll even keep my Camaro SS over the Stang!
By kemorc
on January 28, 2010
02:53 PM
Corvette, no contest as stated before. Corvette is sleek and sexy... mustang is just a dog and ugly. GT's are slow, I don't care what anyone else thinks, they simply have no get-up when comparing to the Corvette.
By vicious6
on January 28, 2010
03:15 PM
They are really two different types of cars. The Vette I consider more of a sports/muscle car. The Mustang is a pony/muscle. Both are great cars and American icons, but I have to go with the Corvette! Can't improve on perfection.
By albert_fl
on January 28, 2010
03:16 PM
When I wanted a new car last year, I wanted something sexy and fast. I saw a C-5 Corvette (2003, the 50th Anniversary model) that grabbed my attention and I bought it. Now, from behind the wheel, all other cars look like boxes with wheels or cute imitations of the Corvette that don't quite measure up.
Corvette!
By johnnyturbo
on January 28, 2010
03:18 PM
@kemorc,
Actually a Mustang is not a dog; it's a horse. And a car that runs a 13.5 quarter is slow?! Umm...yeah, right.
BTW, the expression is "Get-up-and-go".
By albert_fl
on January 28, 2010
03:27 PM
Before someone points out that I wanted a new car but bought a six-year-old car, the Corvette I bought is in mint condition despite having 68K miles on the odometer. If price is an issue for you as it was for me, there are a lot of older Corvettes out there that are reasonably priced. They hold their value better than most cars. If this contest is icon versus icon, not 2010 model versus 2010 model, the Corvette as an icon is way ahead of the Mustang.
By siarizona
on January 28, 2010
03:41 PM
Tough choice, great cars.
Corvette looks & performance are tops, but the Mustang's performance and looks are classic muscle car. The price and slightly more practical interior make it the choice for me, and for many, many more Americans than the Corvette.
Mustang GT!
By misterfusion
on January 28, 2010
04:06 PM
When the vote comes down to a choice between two icons, one must resort to nitpicking. In that vein, I do agree with the accessibility argument. Therefore,
MUSTANG.
By dinoz
on January 28, 2010
04:09 PM
Apples and oranges... while the Ford and Mustang people like to think that their Mustang is the best car in the world, the Corvette is in a whole other class. You might as well compare the Atari 2600 to the Xbox 360. That's the difference between the Mustang and the Corvette, respectively. The Corvette is the best bang for the buck performance car on the road today.
By 7thvwaudi
on January 28, 2010
05:51 PM
Corvette is seconds, miles and smiles ahead of the mustang!
By greenpony
on January 28, 2010
05:52 PM
Mustang. Absolutely, with no doubt. Mustang.
By ne1butu2
on January 28, 2010
06:41 PM
2011 Mustang GT please. I love the idea of the Vette, but they are just so damn cheezy. With its soft bendy panels and an interior that would make a German belly-laugh, it's too slapped together to be a serious consideration.
By subytrojan
on January 28, 2010
06:46 PM
Chevrolet > Ford
Bow-tie > Oval
TAHOE!!! :o)
Corvette I guess... :sigh:
By bluvettegirl
on January 28, 2010
08:34 PM
Profile is BluVetteGirl, do I really need to say more? Okay - CORVETTE!!!!!!!!!
By heffling
on January 29, 2010
06:34 AM
I feel like a traitor, as I own a Mustang, but I'd trade her for a Corvette in a heartbeat if I could afford to do so.
The Corvette is really the American Dream of sports and performance cars.
By 08subaru
on January 29, 2010
07:01 AM
MUSTANG!!!
I'm a practical guy and an American. I can't see paying such a high price tag for the base model of the Corvette. Don't get me wrong, the Vette is a great car, but for me the Mustang has been accessible to so many more people and in turn been able to bring smiles to the faces of so many more Americans. I'm sure even the people who bought the V6 still love their Mustang. And isn't that the whole ideal for Americans? To be able to stretch their hard earned dollar as far as it can possible go? To get the most, for the least amount of money? I know its been the case for me. In the end being less expensive, still providing great performance, and (in my opinion) looking better, is why the All-American Mustang gets my vote.
By mrchrzan
on January 29, 2010
08:42 AM
CORVETTE of course.
By wjtinatl
on January 29, 2010
09:26 AM
MUSTANG!
Really, you couldn't go wrong with either one. A great commentary on America's two automotive icons.
Don't get me wrong, if I could throw 50k away, I'd have the 'Vette, as long as I had something else to drive everyday, and didn't mind seeing my neighbor's 50 yr old wife cruising the neighborhood in her red Vette convert, Gap Band blaring "Burn Rubber" as she burbled by!
Mustang GT can be had for 30k, leaving enough left for a used Fusion or Malibu for when I need a back seat. Or...a Roush supercharger! Plus, even though Mustangs are as common as "y'alls" in Atlanta, I wouldn't feel as bad seeing myself on every corner after spending 30k!
By fordracefan
on January 29, 2010
10:38 AM
Mustang
By dylanmitchell
on January 29, 2010
11:29 AM
I'll take mine as a 2011 GT with the new 5.0, brembo brakes and a stick.
By deandre94
on January 29, 2010
12:42 PM
Although the vette is better performance wise, I would have to go with the mustang.
The vette's are so damn expensive, and each year prices go up. You paying for plastic, and no matter what level or version of it you still get plastic.
The mustangs does to much of what the corvettes do to call the vette better. Mustangs are better, and I like their style better.
By tmack41
on January 29, 2010
01:25 PM
CORVETTE +1
... it gets 'em wet
By hybris
on January 29, 2010
05:03 PM
Mustang --The working man dream car that he can buy BEFORE he retires.
By gofasttillidie
on January 29, 2010
07:46 PM
Corvette, Corvette, Corvette!!!11!!!1! I like the Mustang and I'm glad it has a huge following, I hope it never goes away! But that's about the extant of my Mustang love. I'm always going to pick the Vette over a stang. With that said, I wish GM, Ford and even Chrysler a bright future. One can hope cant he?
By b_boy_007
on January 29, 2010
08:56 PM
Corvette gets my vote.
The Corvette is a true world class, uncompromising sports car. The Mustang is well....not.
However, I think the new Mustang is my favorite muscle car.
By smokey_b8
on January 30, 2010
06:26 AM
Corvette always! Fell in love on the test drive and deeper in love everytime I get behind the wheel.
By hwkwings
on January 30, 2010
09:54 AM
The Corvette is truly world class though distinctly American, and it embarrasses Ferrari's at the race track. The Mustang can't do that. Corvette for the win!
By cruiserhead1
on January 30, 2010
09:59 AM
After some consideration, and seeing a new Vette yesterday, I'm going to have to change my vote:
Corvette ftw!
By 02firebird
on January 30, 2010
05:26 PM
We have had Mustangs and we have have had Camaros in our family. The Camaros have always been very reliable cars, as long as you keep them maintained. The Mustangs, however ,always had a major breakdown,even when well maintained, well before 100k mi. When it comes down to it, the Corvette has a much better mechanical design and the basic engine block has been around since the 50's. How long has the mustangs been around? aren't they getting ready to change,(more complex) yet again? NO, THANKS!! MY VOTE IS FOR THE CORVETTE, ALL THE WAY!!!
By 02firebird
on January 30, 2010
05:37 PM
We have had both Mustangs and Camaros in our family over the years.When you keep both cars well maintained, the Camaros have proven to be far more reliable. The Mustangs never made it to 100k mi. before something major would break. The basic engine block in the Corvette has been around since the 50's, so you know they have to be doing something right. How long has the mustangs block been around? Aren't they getting ready to change it(more complex) yet again? NO THANKS!! MY vote is all the way for the CORVETTE!
By ajayrg
on January 31, 2010
09:33 AM
1 more vote for the Vette please. :)
By stangster
on January 31, 2010
12:45 PM
MUSTANG!!!!!
Mustang is the coolest american car!!!I own one...and it's a proud feeling :)
I also like the CORVETTE but the MUSTANG is the clear winner for me.
My vote is for the MUSTANG.
By smith71
on January 31, 2010
01:28 PM
Corvette all the way, but if you occasionally have more than one passenger, want the same engine and could stand saving 10 grand go for the Camaro.
By mptlptr
on January 31, 2010
02:09 PM
Corvette