Judging by the title, you have already figured out what we are comparing. But before we get to that, here is something to notice about the American muscle cars. They are like superheroes of the car world but with a bit of a rebellious streak. That is why Bumble Bee was a Chevrolet Camaro and not a Mercedes-Benz AMG in the Transformers movie series.
American muscle cars have a simple recipe, shove the most possible power under the bonnet and give it a flamboyant body with flared wheel arches. However, changing times have upgraded this segment to be much more than a car for the drag strips. And today on DubiCompare we are pitting the two best examples of this segment head-to-head: the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger. Let’s see who takes the quarter-mile victory.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Dimensions
For this comparison, we are going with the top-spec trim that is offered by Ford and Dodge in the UAE. As for the Mustang, it is the Mach1 and the Challenger is represented by the R/T Scat Pack Widebody.
| Dimensions | Mustang | Challenger |
| Length | 4,783mm | 5,027mm |
| Width | 1,915mm | 1,988mm |
| Height | 1,382mm | 1,460mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,720mm | 2,951mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 61L | 70L |
| Ground Clearance | 145mm | 132mm |
| Boot Space | 382L | 459L |
Starting with the overall dimensions, since the Challenger has a widebody kit, you would think that is the bigger of the two muscle cars. However, notice that the wheelbase of the Challenger is over 220mm longer than the Mustang and is actually bigger regardless of the widebody kit.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Exterior Design
| Features | Mustang | Challenger |
| Lights | LED | LED |
| Wheels | 19-inch | 20-inch |
| Puddle Lamps | Yes | Yes |
| Wide Body Kit | Available | Standard |
| Flared Fenders | Yes | Yes |
| Front Splitter | Yes | Yes |
| Rear Spoiler | Yes | Yes |
| Exhaust | Quad Tip | Dual Tip |
The widebody kit, headlamp-positioned ram-air intake, spoiler, and slightly larger wheels are the appealing factors on the Challenger. On the other hand, the Mustang’s design is one of the greatest in the muscle car history. If anyone can create a modern design with old-school inspiration, then Ford is the best in the business.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Interiors & Features
| Features | Mustang | Challenger |
| Instrument Cluster | 12-inch Display | 7-inch Display |
| Infotainment | 8-inch Display | 8.4-inch Display |
| Upholstery | Leather | Leather/Alcantara |
| Android Auto | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Carplay | Yes | Yes |
| Climate Control | Dual-Zone | Dual-Zone |
| Heated & Cooled Seats | Optional | Optional |
| Powered Seats | Driver & Passenger | Driver & Passenger |
| Ambient Lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Audio | 12-speaker | 6-speaker |
Both have the bare minimum in terms of creature comforts as standard. American muscle car buyers like that the cabin is not turned into a tech-fest. Out of the two, the Ford Mustang has a better look and feel to the interiors. Dodge and Ford offer a ton of options with both these cars to personalise according to the buyer’s taste.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Engine & Performance
Now we come to the main aspect of the American muscle car — the power and performance under the bonnet. The Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger are offered with a couple of engine options depending on the trim level. Here are all the details.
Ford Mustang:
- 2.3L EcoBoost: 310hp | 475Nm | 6-speed MT | 10-speed AT
- 5.0L V8: 450hp | 556Nm | 6-speed MT | 10-speed AT
- 5.0L V8: 470hp | 556Nm | 6-speed MT | 10-speed AT
Dodge Challenger:
- 3.6L V6: 303hp | 363Nm | 6-Speed MT
- 5.7L V8 HEMI: 375hp | 556Nm | 6-speed MT | 8-speed AT
- 6.4L V8 HEMI: 485hp | 664Nm | 6-speed MT | 8-speed AT
| Engine | Mustang | Challenger |
| Capacity | 5.0L V8 | 6.4L V8 |
| Max Power | 470hp | 485hp |
| Peak Torque | 556Nm | 664Nm |
| Top-Speed | 267km/h | 283km/h |
| Acceleration | 4.4 seconds | 4.3 seconds |
| Gearbox | 6-speed MT | 10-speed AT | 6-speed MT | 8-speed AT |
| Drivetrain | RWD | RWD |
For the actual comparison, we are considering the two best available engine options on both cars. The larger 6.4-litre V8 on the Challenger has a slight edge over the Mustang’s famed 5.0-litre V8. Hence the overall performance of the Challenger is better than the Mustang. However, if you are racing on the drag strip on stock cars, the minuscule power difference might vanish altogether. Additionally, some might be even happy with Ford’s efficiency as compared to the Challenger.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Safety
| Safety Features | Mustang | Challenger |
| Airbags | 10 | 8 |
| ISOFIX Anchors | Yes | Yes |
| 360-degree Camera | Yes | Yes |
| Park Assist | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | Yes | Yes |
As mentioned earlier, American muscle cars have a bit of a rebellious streak and had very little in terms of safety in the past. Present times have called for safer cabins to keep occupants safe and both these cars do a good job. The Ford Mustang is slightly better in this aspect as the muscle car comes with more active crash avoidance safety features as standard.
Ford Mustang v/s Dodge Challenger: Price
Finally coming to the price, both these muscle cars are exported to the UAE and the pricing will vary with each dealer.
Ford Mustang, the most sophisticated muscle car out of the two is priced between AED 180,000 for the base-spec EcoBoost model and goes all the way up to AED 350,000 for the top-spec Mach 1. Check out used Ford Mustang for sale in the UAE and new Ford Mustang for sale in the UAE.
Alternatively, if you want to choose power and performance, then the Dodge Challenger costs between AED 140,000 for the base-spec GT and AED 360,000 for the Scat Pack Widebody. Here are used Dodge Challenger for sale in the UAE and new Dodge Challenger for sale in the UAE.
