2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra

We waved buh-bye to our long-term SVT Cobra this month, a gesture that left some staffers happy and others bummed. Our musclecar fanatics will miss the Cobra's torquey powertrain and hunky persona. The other camp won't miss the torture-chamber ergonomics, al dente chassis, or the numerous squeaks and rattles that started appearing at the 5500-mile mark.

Our SVT saw the service bay one final time for an oil/filter change and tire rotation, which was picked up by the dealer. We also had the clutch inspected, due to complaints that it chattered at takeoff and the clutch pedal disengaged low to the floor. The techs--rightly or wrongly--pronounced everything in good shape. Otherwise, this car proved rock-solid reliable, in spite of the power it makes and the thrashing it got when nobody was looking.