Is The 2.3L ‘High Performance’ Mustang The Best Muscle Car On A Budget In 2020?
Better than the V8?
Without dressing up this intro – this vehicle is not what I expected – in a great way.
The 2020 2.3L High Performance Mustang is huge bang for the buck, and a tonne of fun to drive. It’s hard to find a better buy for a car with this many features for the $54,000 CAD pricepoint. The additional perks of the high performance package with the 2.3L engine make this Mustang feel like a different vehicle altogether, rather than just an upgraded one.
2.3L High Performance – Is 350lb of Torque enough?
Simply put – it’s enough power.
The badging on the side of the vehicle makes it feel like a pseudo 5.0L V8 Mustang, and it definitely piqued the interest of a few V8 Mustang drivers when I pulled up to them at the light. It’s not a V8, and it also isn’t badge-less, but it still deserves a head nod.
This isn’t your regular 4 cylinder Mustang. The model comes with a $6500 upgrade to the 2.3L turbocharged engine, with an enhanced active performance exhaust – adding an extra 20 horsepower on top of the base 310hp. In total, you get 330hp and 350lb of torque, which is a LOT of power for a 4 inline engine. Ford and Chevrolet are killing off the V6 engines in their performance vehicles in favour of better tuned 4 cylinders with technology and more power in a smaller form. After driving this vehicle for a week – I can certainly understand why.
The badging on the side of the vehicle makes it feel like a pseudo 5.0L V8 Mustang, and it definitely piqued the interest of a few V8 Mustang drivers when I pulled up to them at the light. It’s not a V8, and it also isn’t badge-less, but it still deserves a head nod.
Maybe it was the comfort of the ‘engine cabin noise’ that the 12 speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system helped to produce, however the car doesn’t lack in power in any way. This model is the sweet spot between handling and speed without feeling overwhelming to an uninitiated driver.
Interior Features
The first thing that caught my attention after getting in the Mustang is how well the ventilated seats pump air through the vehicle. For this pricepoint – with the powertrain and features you get – the value is unbelievable. From working with manufacturers I can confidently tell you that having a feature on paper or its buildsheet can sometimes be a very different story to it actually performing well in the real world. To my surprise, the Mustang did everything it said it would – very well. On a 30+ degree July day, you get in the Mustang and are in a different climate all together.
The aerodynamics of the windows are fantastic. When your window is down, the vehicle has been designed in such a way that no outside air buffets in.
Speaking of the seats, they were plenty comfortable and for a 2 door coupe the cabin felt plenty spacious. The windows in the Mustang are massive and I was highly impressed by the field of view, compared to it’s competitors like the challenger or Camaro. Despite the vehicle not having a sunroof, I didn’t miss it because the window’s brought in so much light.
Another awesome feature that the Mustang silently wins my vote on is the aerodynamics of the windows. When your window is down, the vehicle has been designed in such a way that no outside air buffets inside. Compared to other vehicles, this is such a hidden gem because I love having my windows down. Normally my girlfriend doesn’t like open windows because her hair gets whipped around, but it was a lot more tame while driving with this car – huge bonus!
This is one of the few cars I’ve been in where I spent less time listening to music, and more time listening to the vehicle’s active exhaust – hoping to hear a satisfying pop or crackle.
As far as safety features, this Mustang was pretty basic. Nothing overly exciting, but this isn’t the reason you’re buying the vehicle.
This Mustang came equipped with the Sync 3 infotainment screen – which was slightly laggy to the touch. I’ve seen faster screens, however with navigation, easy bluetooth pairing, easy phone calls and messages, and simple navigation, it’s not a deal breaker. From what I’ve seen, the Sync 4 has significant speed updates so lag between button presses should be fixed.
One silly feature that plagues the Mustang is the hidden heated steering wheel button within 2 menu layers on the infotainment screen. I tested this car in July, so clearly heated steering is not needed, however if it was the middle of winter I’d definitely be complaining. The Camaro has the button on the steering wheel, where you’d be looking for it. I feel like this is just common sense.
This Mustang also came with the upgraded 12 speaker Bang and Olufsen soundsystem, which performed incredibly well. As much as I wanted to enjoy it, I found it was one of the few cars I’ve been in where I spent less time listening to music, and more time listening to the vehicle’s active exhaust – hoping to hear a satisfying pop or crackle.
Fuel Economy
Is the 2.3 a clear winner against the V8?
The fuel economy is my favourite thing about this vehicle. You get an excited engine and awesome drive without being punished. While in the normal driving mode, the Mustang is able to get less than 8.0L/100km without working for it. Contrast it to the track mode, when pushing it my fuel economy was 25L/100km!!! Pretty terrible – but the reason why I was happy with it is because I felt like I earned it.
The fact that this vehicle has such a dynamic engine range and fuel economy variance makes it so much more practical for daily driving. You have a fast car when you want it, and you have a fuel efficient car when you need it. Compared to the V8 engine, you have the option to drive and save gas depending on what mood you’re in – LOL.
Driving Modes
The high performance package includes 5 drive modes that make it stand out against the base model, with the addition of the track and drag strip modes.
Wet/Snow– The vehicle shifts gears at a lower RPM to help provide better traction, the steering is unaffected, and the exhaust notes disappear. The vehicle also allows for more wheel spin to help make sure you don’t get stuck in the snow.
Normal – Its the default and balanced setting for driving – with balanced steering, handling, and suspension. The vehicle remains with its safety features on, so you’ll still get warnings if you’re too close to a curb or pedestrian.
Sport+– This is where the fun begins. When you switch to this mode, you’ll notice the steering wheel stiffen up right away, and the AdvancedTrac is more forgiving with it’s grip over the vehicle’s powertrain. I was trying to figure out what the + was for (besides great marketing), and it’s because you have the option to change the setting feel with a toggle on the dash. Here, the sport+ mode is just represented as ‘sport’, and only the steering is changed, but the exhaust and suspension are not. In the Sport+ mode you’ll also notice a higher RPM count between shifting
Track – In this mode the first thing you’ll notice is that traction control turns off. The steering is also more raw than in sport, and the feedback of turning corners is better articulated through the vehicle’s suspension.The active shutters on the exhaust open up completely in this mode and you feel the rumble without the car even being in gear. This was the most fun mode of them all.
Drag Strip – In terms of driving, I couldn’t feel a difference between this mode vs. Track – however, Ford claims that the ‘Drag Strip’ mode provides peak torque through all gear shifts and it’s meant for straight line acceleration. Undoubtedly this mode would be more pronounced in the V8 GT version of the vehicle, however in the 2.3L the vehicle seemingly ran out of horsepower to provide a distinction. I appreciate the homage to the Shelby and GT engine though!
Pricing Breakdown
Final Thoughts
I don’t think you can find a car that will be more fun to drive, and have as many Canadian needed creature comforts as this 2.3L Mustang has. It satisfies as a sports car and a commuters car, all on a budget without sacrificing the performance. The upgrade of the additional 20 horsepower and active quad exhausts on the high performance package are absolutely worth it.
