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 V6 Fastback starting at $25,185. The Challenger is more expensive with a starting MSRP of $27,190 for the SXT model.
Naturally, paying $2,005 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. In the end, if you do choose the Challenger over the Mustang, the difference will cost around $33.42 extra per month in a 60-month auto loan before interest and taxes.
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 is more money in your wallet, so which one of these cars has the best fuel economy? The Dodge Challenger is slightly better than the Mustang, but not by much. It gets 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, according to Dodge’s website.
The Mustang’s standard 3.7-liter V6 engine gets 17 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. However, you could purchase the EcoBoost upgrade, which comes with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder that gets 22 mpg in the city and 31 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 2017 Challenger comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 305 horsepower and goes from 0 to 60 in 6.4 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 3.7-liter V6 engine that can pump out 300 horsepower. Some reports claim that the Mustang can go from 0 to 60 in as little as 5.3 seconds, which sounds about right considering the four-cylinder EcoBoost reaches the same speeds in 5.9 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 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.
