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I drove a $33,000 Ford Mustang convertible that a lot of fans overlook - and it's now my new favorite 'Stang

I drove a $33,000 Ford Mustang convertible that a lot of fans overlook - and it's now my new favorite 'Stang

Have a gander at the 2018 Ford Mustang convertible. As-tested, my car was about $33,000.

The 'Stang is a true icon. It was first rolled out in 1965 and has been in continuous production ever since.

I took the Mustang and its "Race Red" interior, up to the Monticello Motor Club in New York's Catskills, to test out the new GT 5.0 'Stang in a track.

Read all about the Mustang GT with the Performance Pack Level 2.

The Mustang has always translated well into ragtop trim. The top can be retracted in a swift ten seconds.

The 'Stang's design was tweaked for 2018. The fascia is now sleeker, losing the snoutiness of the 2015 redesign. No mistaking that charging chrome pony on the grille.

I've never been a huge fan of the Mustang's tail lights, but they are distinctive. And they strobe when turn signals are activated.

The EcoBoost Mustang combines all the expected Mustang elements into a whole that isn't as aggressive as its stablemates, but that should be Mustang enough for just about anybody. I could do without the timid fake hood scoops, of course.

The car is also handsome with the top up.

Inside, you have a no-nonsense, slightly throwback vibe, with classic analog gauges and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Buttons galore, but that's what consumers expect these days.

The seats are fairly well bolstered for spirited driving, but nothing too racy. Ford has the best seats in the business, and the EcoBoost Mustang's are no exception.

The infotainment system runs Ford's SYNC 3 on an eight-inch touchscreen. GPS navigation was faultless, and you can easily pair devices with Bluetooth or use the USB/AUX ports. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available.

All in all, a thoroughly modern pony car, when it comes to in-vehicle tech.

We sampled a 10-speed automatic version, with a manual-shift mode. There are paddles behind the steering wheel.

That's a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost turbocharged motor, making 310 horsepower with 350 pound-feet of torque, piped through the 10-speed automatic to the rear wheels.

OK, I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't look as cool or as big as a V8.

So what's the verdict?

The 'Stang recently won a battle of the turbocharged sort-of-but-not-really all-American muscle cars. It smoked the Chevy Camaro.

I wrote that I "enjoyed the Mustang as a sort of tool-around-slowly ride, a weekend chariot that can supply a zero-60 mph sprint in about six seconds if needed," adding that "my colleague Ben Zhang thought the front end was unstable and that it made the back end seem more jittery."

That's not a bad thing in my book, and overall the EcoBoost Mustang comes off as less of a muscle car — which it can't really be, given that it has those V8-powered brethren — than a roadster with a back seat.

Getting this much horsepower, performance, and style for under $40,000 makes the EcoBoost 'Stang an obviously good deal. Sure, you might feel weird getting the rental-car special, but so what? A good car is a good car is a good car, regardless of whether Hertz has it on the lot.

For summertime weekend drives past lakes and through canyons, on winding roads and reasonable speeds, the turbo Mustang is darn near ideal. It put plenty of smiles on my face. And I could also use it to fetch groceries and drive my kids to school.

So I dare you: Try to talk me out of my belief that this is my new favorite 'Stang.