The Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger are two of America’s most popular classic muscle cars and with good reason. This year’s models are better than ever, which is fantastic, but it makes it even harder to choose between them.
Price
Price is one of the biggest factors for any potential car owner, and both of these cars are in the same ballpark. The Mustang is the cheapest, with the basic four-cylinder Ecoboost starting at $27,470. The Challenger is more expensive, with a starting MSRP of $30,545 for the SXT model.
Naturally, paying nearly $3K more for a vehicle may turn some people off, but sometimes it’s worth it to pay more for a car as long as it’s higher quality.
Fuel Economy
Just because you’re buying a muscle car doesn’t mean you want to get a gas guzzler. The less money you put in your tank, the more money in your wallet, so which one of these cars has the best fuel economy? The Mustang is slightly better than the Challenger, but not by much, as it gets 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, according to Dodge’s website.
The Mustang’s standard 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine gets 22 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. However, with the 5.0-liter V8 engine, you are looking at around 15 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.
Power
Drivers purchase muscle cars so they can have that power in their hands. Thankfully, both of these awesome vehicles produce enough strength and then some. The base model for the 2023 Challenger comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 303 horsepower and goes from 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds. You’ll notice that this is a bit slower than rivals, but if you’re looking for that quick jump to 60, you can upgrade to the V8 engine.
The Mustang may feel like it has more power because of the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that can pump out 310 horsepower. It can jump from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds.
Driving
The final question is: which car handles the best? The Mustang is an all-around great car for any driver. It’s easy to handle, and it’s relatively pain-free while riding over rougher roads. The V6 engine produces plenty of power without sacrificing control, but it doesn’t compare to the Challenger.
The Challenger excels when it comes to responsive steering, which helps maneuverability. The car feels big, especially on narrow roads, but the control makes up for the size. Overall, it’s responsive, with an easily modulated gas and brake pedal, and it’s one of the best performance cars on the market.
