The recession of the late '80s and early '90s really affected the sale of vehicles, and the ever popular Mustang saw its share of poor sales. This resulted in a lower production rate and the 1990 Mustang remained basically the same as it had since 1987. Despite plummeting sales, the Mustang retained its cult like following and while the early '90s would not prove to be the best selling years for the Mustang it did prepare the market for the new Mustang that appeared in 1994.
1990 Mustang Lineup
Powertrain and Performance
1990 Mustang Engine
The power and performance of the 1990 Mustang was very similar to the previous model years. The benefits of the vehicle were that it had great handling and stuck to the road well. Also, consumers loved that the V8 had such good acceleration. Of course the cons remained the same because very few changes had been made to the Mustang since 1987. For example, the V8's fuel economy remained horrendous and the acceleration on the four cylinder was less than desired. The ride was not as smooth as consumers would have liked and the excess noise was a bit annoying. To top things off, the backseat was practically non-existent and had been that way so consumers were wondering what the point of a back seat was anyway. Another complaint was that the brakes were not right for the vehicle and more powerful brakes should have been used.
In general, critics recommended consumers forego the standard four cylinder Mustang especially if they were buying the pony car for acceleration. However, the V8 accelerated well yet had poor traction control in wet weather. One of the benefits of the standard four cylinder was that it was easy to control while the GT provided a bouncy ride to say the least since it had a super rigid suspension. On the other hand, the tight suspension provided good handling while the base model Mustang did not hug curves well.
The 1990 Mustangs had two transmission options, a four speed automatic or a five speed manual. The chassis was available in a Special handling package. This included a turbine 15x7 inch wheel, strong shocks and springs, and a .83 inch rear sway bar and 1.3 inch front sway bar.
The 1990 Mustang GT sported the EFI 5.0 L HO engine that was practically identical to the previous years. The aluminum intake, 60 mm throttle body, the airflow sensor, E7TE truck heads, low restriction air cleaner, and the 19 lb-hr injectors were all featured on this powerful engine. The pony car was also outfitted with rear quadra shocks that sported Goodyear Gatorback 15x7 inch wheels. Boasting gas pressurized struts, progressive rate springs, and a .83 rear anti sway bar with a 1.3 inch front anti sway bar, the handling suspension on the 1990 GT was stiff and provided good handling.
Exterior
The exterior of the 1990 Mustang on all models was virtually unchanged from prior years. The biggest changes were color changes with new exterior colors. Previous colors of Medium Cabernet Red, Medium Charcoal, Light Gray, Oxford White, Black, Silver, and others were joined with Wild Strawberry Metallic, Deep Titanium Metallic, Light Titanium Metallic, and Ultra Blue Metallic. Basically, the 1990 Mustang remained the same on the exterior except for these paint changes.
Another change was the removal of the beltline on the GT. Other classic style features of the third generation Mustang stayed the same on the 1990 GT. These included the taillights, the rear quarter window, aerodynamic front body, flush headlamps, Turbine wheels, and the ground effects package.
Interior
Many Mustang critics have stated the 1990 Mustang GT had the most changes in the interior than anywhere else. These changes were monumental in the Mustang. For example, the warning light that signaled low fuel and low washer levels was eliminated in addition to the tilt steering column. These big changes were made to make room for the new driver side airbag. Although the airbag was a great addition most buyers were not pleased that the warning light and tilt steering column were removed in order to accommodate it.
Other eliminations included the locking fuel door and the center armrest. These were removed in order to meet weight CAFÉ standards. However, consumers were having none of it and the armrest made an encore in mid year.
Some modifications were made as well that included door trim map pockets, shoulder seat belts in the rear, and updated seat upholstery. The ventilation system controls were also changed somewhat. However, much of the interior remained the same. The brake and accelerator pedals, 7,000 rpm tachometer, interval wipers, and swiveling map lights were the same as the previous Mustang. The sports seats and center console also made a return appearance.
Black leather seats were a new option for the 1990 Mustang convertibles. Other optional leather seats were white and red, white and blue, or white and gray on the convertibles. The one interior trim color that was carried over was Scarlet Red. Beige was replaced by Black and Medium Grey was replaced by Titanium. The GT hatchback had the option for Titanium leather seats for the first time in history.
The option list remained long boasting AM/FM stereo with cassette; dual remote mirrors, speed control, sunroof, power locks and windows, air conditioning, and rear defrost. During 1989 and late 1990 models sported an engraved running horse boasting "25 years" was placed on the side dash. After 1990 only the running horse remained on the side passenger dash.
Final Thoughts
Despite the 1990 Mustang being an almost replica of the years before it remained an amazing buy for the power and style it provided. The recession did not help sales nor did the unchanged Mustang help to drive up sales. Most folks preferred to buy a used third generation Mustang and save money rather than a new one because they were practically the same anyway. However, the lack of interest in the 1990 Mustang did not spell disaster. Instead, it catapulted the Mustang into the fourth generation and incredible popularity once again.
