The Ford Mustang is an iconic performance vehicle, but not every flavor of pony is equal. The mighty GT has a 5.0-liter V8 under the hood, but Ford offers an EcoBoost 2.3-liter four-cylinder, too. It makes more horsepower than the sixer, but affordable performance is more accessible than ever, and a new Sam CarLegion video shows how it has changed. The channel pits the Mustang against the VW Jetta GLI in a series of drag races.
The Mustang outshines the Jetta on paper. Its EcoBoost four-cylinder makes 330 horsepower (260 kilowatt) and 350 pound-feet (474 Newton-meters) of torque, and it’s equipped with the HPP. The Jetta uses a smaller 2.0-liter unit that makes just 228 hp (170 kW) and 258 lb-ft (349 Nm) of torque. Ford routes the Mustang’s power to the rear wheels through a 10-speed auto, while VW powers the front wheels through a 7-speed DCT.
