2020 Ford Mustang

The 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost packs in a couple of changes like a new package, a couple of feature addition, and new alloy designs. The base Mustang EcoBoost starts at $26,670 and goes up to $31,865 for the topmost trim in the EcoBoost range. By the EcoBoost name, it should be clear that this Mustang gets a turbo-four engine and RWD.

Taking on the 2020 Mustang Ecoboost are the Dodge Challenger, BMW 2 series, and the Chevrolet Camaro. The Challenger and the Camaro are as much a classic as the Mustang, joined by a rather sophisticated-looking BMW 2-Series coupe. Read ahead to find out which is the best sports coupe at a bargain of downsized engines.

The 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost comes in two trims – the base version i.e. EcoBoost and EcoBoost Premium. Both trims are the same mechanically in that they are powered by the same engine and gearbox. The EcoBoost Premium trim gets you more comfort and convenience features on board. Both the trims being the entry-level Mustang models are sparsely equipped so you have several optional packages on offer to better equip your Mustang. The High Performance package introduced this year priced at $4,995 can be had to get 20 hp bump in power output, larger brakes, turbocharger, and radiator, active exhaust, limited-slip rear differential, stiffer front springs, and a few more. 

Other than that you also have the EcoBoost Handling Package (can be added only when equipped with High Performance package) available for $1,995 adding larger brakes, summer tires, and MagneRide adaptive suspension. While there is also a Safe and Smart package available that adds advanced driver-assist features. The EcoBoost Premium trim on the other hand offers a Premium Plus package that adds driver seat memory function, 12-inch digital instrument cluster, navigation, unique interior trims, heated steering wheel, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring.

We Recommend

The base version falls a little on creature comfort so we’d recommend the Ecoboost Premium version as it comes decently packed with quite some standard equipment. Also if you are buying a Mustang in EcoBoost trims then the Ecoboost Performance Package is a worthy upgrade. While the handling department can be further improved by adding the MagneRide adaptive suspension and summer tires both of which are available under the EcoBoost Handling package.

“Examined in isolation, the engine is a good’un with thrifty fuel economy and strong torque characteristics in its favour.” – The Drive

The 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the 2020 Mustang EcoBoost produces 310 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. While those are great numbers for a turbo-four engine and the Mustang indeed is quite fast, but there is not much push in the high rev range of the engine. Also, we miss the burbling sound of a V8 engine and honestly, the turbo-four does not sound all that great. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual or an optional 10-speed automatic. Both the gearboxes are pretty good indeed. The manual has short throws and slots into gears easily and the clutch is easy too while the 10-speed automatic is smooth and quick.

The Mustang EcoBoost has a powerful engine and it is no surprise that it is the fastest to sprint to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. If that isn't fast enough then there are other more powerful versions of the Mustang like the Ford Mustang GT. In its standard configuration, the Mustang Ecoboost has a fairly good balance between ride quality and body control. It soaks up most bumps and potholes quite well. It also remains composed around the corners. However, when you opt for the High Performance package, the ride becomes stiff even in the comfort mode. Although it’s rewarding when pushing hard out of a corner or driving around a track. 

The steering is pretty good too. It remains light and easy at low speeds and weighs up adequately as you pick up the pace. While those looking to improve the handling aspect of the stock setup are better off with the Handling package which offers surreal ride quality, courtesy of MagneRide adaptive suspension, and improved handling. When it comes to performance, braking matters as much as acceleration. The Ford Mustang Ecoboost is equipped with 12.6-inch brake rotors all around as standard. While bigger brakes are offered as part of both the performance package discussed above.. 

When compared to its rivals, the Mustang EcoBoost has the most powerful engine. All cars are 4-cylinder motors but the Dodge Challenger has a 3.6-liter V6 engine that still produces less power than the Mustang EcoBoost. The Ford and the Chevy come with 6-speed manuals whereas the Dodge and the BMW have 8-speed automatics. The Mustang is the quickest to hit 60 mph and cross the quarter-mile mark. What’s surprising though is that the Dodge which is supposed to be a drag king and is quite high on power than the rest, is, in fact, the slowest.

Powered by the turbo-four engine the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost has an EPA estimated gas mileage of 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. The EPA-estimated gas mileage is competitive for its class and strikes a good balance between performance and efficiency.

The Mustang EcoBoost is at par with its direct rival the Camaro and Challenger when it comes to highway gas mileage. But it’s not the best as that title goes to the BMW 2-Series, of course, it does. The Mustang returns 3 mpg less in the city and 2 mpg less on the highway compared to the 2-Series.

“The standard leather seats feel plush, but have narrow cushions, which is surprising considering the size of the average American derriere.” – Which Car

The interiors of the 2020 Mustang EcoBoost are characterized by strong lines and bold surfaces which try to blend in the contemporary style form without missing the classic design language. The interior design is sporty but there are quite a few cheap plastics which is a letdown in such a car. The circular AC vents sit on top of the dashboard above the available touchscreen infotainment system. Further below the center console, you have the climate controls and toggle switches for various vehicle settings. To fit with modern times Ford offers the option of getting the 12-inch digital instrument cluster on the EcoBoost Premium trim which looks quite cool and is worth the upgrade.

Overall, the front seats are a good place to be. The seats are nice and supportive and they hold you well with good bolstering. The seats are fabric-trimmed as standard while leather upholstery, power adjustment, and heating and ventilation are offered for the front seats. The rear seats are very cramped and are strictly for children. Thus in the real world, the Mustang is strictly a two-seater. Moving to the infotainment system you get a voice-activated SYNC system as standard while the EcoBoost Premium trim offers an 8-inch touchscreen with an SYNC3 system.

The infotainment system is pretty easy to use and responds to touch quite adequately. In the base trim, audio is played via a six-speaker setup while the Premium trim offers a nine-speaker setup with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with navigation. These upgrades are also available in the form of a bundled option on the base trim. Moving to the rear, the Mustang EcoBoost offers a modest 13.5 cubic feet of space which is enough for small grocery shopping and a short vacation but anything beyond that would require folding the rear seats down.

While technically all of the vehicles in this bunch are 4 seaters, except for the Challenger which not only offers to seat five but is also spacious enough to allow that, but none of them offer enough space in the rear seats. Also, the Dodge Challenger is much better both in the case of luggage and passenger space. While in terms of the trunk space the Mustang and the 2-Series both do better than the Camaro, which boasts a paltry 9.1 cubic feet in the trunk. Moreover, the trunk on the Mustang can be remotely operated and is easy to load in stuff thanks to its wide opening.

Interior Features

• 4.2-inch center display screen
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Remote start
• Available heated and ventilated front seats
• Available dual-zone automatic climate control
• Available leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel

“First impressions are strong, thanks to muscular bodywork set off by black wheels and massive quad exhaust pipes. It’s fair to assume retro-tough styling is backed up by a throbbing V8 under the bonnet, but that isn’t the case here.” – The Drive

The 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost even though without any fanfare on the exterior like the Shelby GT500 or the Bullitt is still a head-turner. It’s probably one of the best-looking muscle cars that you can buy. This year, the bonnet has been made to swoop further into the large grille with strong character lines to give it an aggressive stance and also make it aerodynamic. The headlamps are sleek and full LED. The bumper has triangular air intakes along with LED fog lamps and also a subtle bumper lip. The front is bold and if you have a keen eye, you’d notice the subtle difference it carries over the Mustang GT.

The standard 18-inch wheels look good enough but you can, of course, opt for larger ones to give it an even sportier look. At the rear, the Pony badge sits in the middle flanked by the signature sequential LED tail lamps on the two sides. The rear is otherwise typically Mustang finished off with dual exhaust pipes. When it comes to performance-oriented cars, exterior dimensions do matter a lot. By no means is the Mustang small. It measures over 188-inches bumper to bumper and offers 107.1-inches between the wheels.   

The Mustang EcoBoost is certainly a large car. It is the second-longest vehicle after the Dodge Challenger in terms of length and width. While it may be a large car, it strictly remains a two-seater car and with the smaller 54.3-inches of height, the headroom is already snug in the front forget about the rear with the sloping roofline. What's surprising is though the Camaro is almost similar in length to the Mustang and offers around 3 inches of wheelbase it neither offers rear space nor a bigger trunk compared to the former.

Exterior Features:

• 18-inch silver aluminum wheels
• Dual Exhaust tips
• LED Headlights w/ LED signature lighting
• LED sequential taillights
• Heated body-color mirrors with turn signals
• Rear diffuser

The 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost packs in several safety features but sadly most of them are part of either a standalone options list or packages. As standard, you only get a rearview camera. But when it comes to safety ratings the 2020 Mustang didn't fail to impress as it got the perfect score of five stars in overall safety ratings from NHTSA while the IIHS gave it the top rating of 'Good' in four out of five parameters. Although in the driver-side small overlap test the IIHS only gave the Mustang the second-best rating of 'Acceptable'.

Safety Features:

• Rearview camera
• Available rear parking sensors
• Available forward-collision warning
• Available automatic high-beam headlight
• Available adaptive cruise control
• Available forward automatic emergency brain w/ pedestrian detection

2020 Ford Mustang vs 2020 Dodge Challenger

The Dodge Challenger looks like an old-school muscle car on the outside and rather cool that way and yet its tech loaded and comfortable on the inside. It certainly has better interiors than the Mustang but both cars look differently handsome. The engine in the Dodge is better than the one in the Mustang. It’s a 3.6-liter, naturally aspirated V6 and it sounds amazing. It also has better power delivery than the Mustang.

The Challenger also offers supple ride quality and has very good straight-line performance but isn’t so good around the corners. The Mustang on the other hand offers good handling and is faster. Between the two choosing one over the other is difficult and it probably comes down to the fact that if you need a bigger boot and have a couple of passengers frequently on-board then the Challenger is a better choice over the Mustang.

2020 Ford Mustang vs 2020 Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is a great daily driver and could still make you look very cool. It does not have quite the performance of the Mustang or the practicality of the Challenger but it’s certainly not far behind. In fact, it seems capable of more than what it is and sounds like you wouldn’t expect a 4-cylinder engine to sound. The interiors are very stylish but the infotainment system might be a little cumbersome to use.

The Camaro does not have the best ride quality. On the upside, it has been rewarded with good handling just like the Mustang. There’s no beating the looks of the Camaro though. It’s very busy but you just can’t ignore it. Boiling down to a choice between these cars is about your preferences. If you want a great daily driver with good performance and stunning looks, it’s the Camaro. If performance is your priority, it’s the Mustang any day.

The 2020 Mustang Ecoboost being powered by a 2.3-liter turbo-four engine, you’d expect it to be mellow and underpowered but the small turbo-four is a cracker. The ride and handling of the Mustang in the stock form are decent but with the optional performance and handling package, the Mustang can surely give a few track-focused cars a run for their money. 

However, by the time it does perform well, you have already specked it up pretty well and the price would have breached the base MSRP of the more powerful Mustang GT for instance.

Thus if performance is all that this car has to offer, then it makes much more sense to save a little more and buy the Mustang GT with a V8 engine, and if you have some money left, you can spec it up even further to make yourself a really capable muscle car.

More from Ford:

• Check out our review on the all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E Electric SUV
• Check out what's new on the upcoming Ford Mustang Convertible
• For 2022 the Mustang Mach 1 is going to be the poster boy of the Mustang lineup, read our review to know more on the Mach 1

FAQs on the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost:

How quick is the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost?

When it comes to straight-line performance, a lot is expected from a muscle car. The 2020 Mustang EcoBoost does 0-60 MPH in just 5.1 seconds and the quarter-mile is breached in 13.7 seconds. 

Is the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost quicker than the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro?

Yes! The Ford Mustang EcoBoost is a tad quicker in both quarter-mile and 0-60 MPH timings when compared to its Chevy rival.

Are the rear seats in a 2020 Ford Mustang useable?

Sadly no. While the rear seats of a Mustang can be used to carry around groceries and other items, they don't offer enough space for adults to fit in comfortably. 

Is the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost covered under warranty?

Ford covers the 2020 Mustang for 3 years/36,000 miles (basic warranty) and 5 years/60,000 miles (drivetrain warranty).