1991 Ford Mustang 4 Cylinder Performance

The 1991 Ford Mustang appeared during a time when American consumer interest in pony cars--sports-oriented vehicles with tremendous driving power--was at an all-time low. The least powerful trim for 1991 was the base LX, which had the four-cylinder in-line engine as opposed to the V-8 of the other trims. It was available in coupe, sedan and convertible body styles.

Engine Output and Fuel Economy

The four-cylinder engine of the 1991 Ford Mustang produced 105 horses--up from 90 horses from the previous model year. The 4-cylinder Mustang--equipped with a standard five-speed manual gearbox--got 22 miles per gallon for city driving and 30 mpg for highway driving.

LX vs. LX 5.0L

There was a spruced-up version of the LX dubbed the "LX 5.0L." This was in reference to its engine's 5-liter capacity. Although it shared the same turning radius at 37 feet with the regular LX, its engine was a V-8 and generated more than twice the amount of horsepower.

LX vs. GT

Most automotive journalists ignored the relatively anemic four-cylinder engine-equipped vehicles, considering that the focus of the Ford Mustang was on performance. Most attention was showered on the GT trim, which had the same 5-liter 225-horsepower V-8 engine as the LX 5.0L. It could go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.2 seconds and race through the quarter mile in 15.6 seconds.

Reception

Still, general consumer response to the 1991 Ford Mustang was lukewarm, and the Ford Motor Company was considering halting production of its iconic vehicle until it succeeded in revamping it by the late-'90s. Ironically, for all the attention showered upon its more powerful siblings, the '91 Mustang LX actually had better gas mileage; the other trims could only manage a fuel economy 17/24 mpg.

Price

The original manufacturer's suggested retail prices of the LX coupe, LX hatchback and LX convertible were $10,215, $10,721 and $16,280, respectively. As of May 2010, Kelley Blue Book estimates the price range value of the four-cylinder engine-equipped Mustangs at around $2,500 to $5,000.