While there is a more powerful V8 monster available, the standard Mustang has to make do with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which Ford names the EcoBoost engine. This engine might be short on the cylinder count, but the 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine produces much more power than the Mustangs of the past and even more power than the base variants of some of the rivals of the day. This 2.3-liter four-banger puts out a healthy 310-horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.
Ford keeps the old-school feel of the Mustang alive with the standard six-speed manual transmission, but if you are not someone who likes stick shifters and prefers an automatic instead then Ford has thrown in a ten-speed automatic transmission which makes driving the Mustang effortless. The Mustang goes from 0-60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 13.7 seconds. The engine of the Mustang is well-tuned and coupled with a 10-speed automatic you have a pony car that can double up as a daily driver and a track car.
Models
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2019 Ford Mustang Coupe
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2019 Dodge Challenger
|
2019 BMW 2 Series
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2019 Chevrolet Camaro
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MSRP
|
$26,120
|
$27,295
|
$35,300
|
$31,500
|
Engine
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2.3-liter turbocharged Inline-4
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3.6-liter V6
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2.0-liter turbocharged Inline-4
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2.0-liter Turbocharged Inline-4
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Drivetrain
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RWD
|
RWD
|
RWD
|
RWD
|
Transmission
|
6-speed manual
|
8-speed automatic
|
8-speed automatic
|
6-speed manual
|
Power (hp @ RPM
|
310 hp @ 5,500 RPM
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305 hp @ 6,350 RPM
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248 hp @ 5,200 RPM
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275 hp @ 5,600 RPM
|
Torque (lb-ft @ RPM)
|
350 lb-ft @ 3,000 RPM
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268 lb-ft @ 4,800 RPM
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258 lb-ft @ 1,450 RPM
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295 lb-ft @ 3,000 RPM
|
0-60 MPH (sec)
|
5.1 sec
|
6.1 sec
|
5.6 sec
|
5.1 sec
|
Quarter-Mile (sec)
|
13.7 sec
|
14.5 sec
|
14.0 sec
|
13.8 sec
|
Top-Speed (MPH)
|
155 MPH
|
156 MPH
|
130 MPH
|
155 MPH
|
With the new EcoBoost engine, the Ford Mustang is the most powerful and torquey muscle car in this comparison. Not only this it maintains its supremacy with the lowest MSRP and quickest 0-60 mph and quarter-mile timings. Except for the Dodge Challenger that comes with a 3.6-liter V6 the other three coupes get a turbo-four under their hood. The Challenger even with its V6 that puts out 305 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque is not able to match the figures of the Mustang.
Among the rivals, the Chevrolet Camaro is the only one that can match the 0-60 mph timing of the Mustang. As for quarter-mile, the Camaro took one-tenth of a second more than the Mustang to cover the distance. Next comes the BMW 2-Series that is 0.5 seconds slower than the Mustang in the 0-60 mph run followed by the Challenger that took a complete second more than the Mustang to hit the 60 mph mark.
Ride and Handling:
Keeping the heritage alive Mustang still comes as standard with a rear-wheel-drive setup. Even then Ford manages to keep the fun factor alive, while other manufacturers have started opting for more grippy and stable all-wheel-drive setups for their cars. The Mustang remains composed with less weight at the front and when pushing it to the limits on the track but you will notice the rear popping out frequently. Although the car never goes out of control and it's up to you whether you want to increase the drift angle or control it to have an even faster lap time.
As a daily driver you have various driving modes to choose from that are Snow/Wet, Sport+, and MagneRide and there is also a separate mode for drag strips and one mode for track attacks. The above modes are standard on the top trim and available as a part of the package on the base trim. The steering wheel, like most other cars, comes with an electronic assist, but Ford has calibrated it well to make it light in comfort mode, and weigh well in Normal and Sport modes. The independent rear suspension, along with the optional MagneRide mode helps the car deliver a comfortable ride and unmatched handling prowess.
Braking Performance:
The brake pedal feel of the Mustang takes a while getting used to in different driving conditions and especially at parking speeds. The brake bite feels more focused on being performance-oriented as they work well at high speeds and kicks in smoothly to stop this beast and on the tracks, this does help in keeping the car under control, but at slow speeds, and in traffic the brakes feel a bit over-sensitive with firmness in the pedal and you might get a jerky halt at times. That said, both the front and rear rotors offered on the Mustang are 12.6-inch, and in case you need more braking power optional Brembo brake calipers are also available. The standard setup took 97 feet to brake from 60 mph.
Models
|
2019 Ford Mustang Coupe
|
2019 Dodge Challenger
|
2019 BMW 2 Series
|
2019 Chevrolet Camaro
|
Brake Rotors: Front (inches)
|
12.6
|
12.6
|
12.3
|
12.6
|
Brake Rotors: Rear (inches)
|
12.6
|
12.6
|
11.4
|
12.4
|
Curb Weight (lbs)
|
3,542
|
3,858
|
3,411
|
3,339
|
60-0 (feet)
|
97
|
173 (70-0 mph)
|
80
|
93
|
Among the rivals, the Mustang comes with the biggest rotor sets at the front and the rear but the heavier curb weight plays a spoilsport here. The BMW 2-Series with 12.3-inch and 11.4-inches front and rear rotors stopped in the shortest 80 feet from 60 mph. The next was the Camaro with a 12.6-inches and 12.4-inches rotor at the front and rear respectively and it took 93 feet to brake from 60-0 mph.