The 2022 Dodge Challenger Has 3 Advantages Over the 2022 Ford Mustang
In terms of muscle car market dominance, the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro are in constant competition. All of these brutes are fast, loud, capable cars with their own charm. However, while the Mustang GT and Camaro have evolved to create track day stars like the Mach 1 and ZL1, the Challenger retained its old-school drag strip focus. Still, the 2022 Dodge Challenger has three advantages over the 2022 Ford Mustang.
Is the Dodge Challenger more powerful than the Ford Mustang?
The 2022 Dodge Challenger offers higher horsepower at nearly trim level than comparable 2022 Ford Mustangs. The Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack packs 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque into its musical naturally-aspirated 6.4L Hemi V8. That puts it just ahead of the sharp and track-focused Ford Mustang Mach 1’s 480 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Not to mention that the Scat Pack has a starting price of $46,650, an entire $10,000 less than the Mach 1.
The gulf is even larger at the range-topping trims. The 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye produces 797 horsepower, about 37 more ponies than the savage 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. However, if you want to win the horsepower wars, the Challenger SRT Super Stock makes 807 horsepower, just one less than the venerable SRT Demon from 2018.
Is the 2022 Dodge Challenger more practical than the 2022 Ford Mustang?
The 2022 Dodge Challenger has a larger trunk than the 2022 Ford Mustang. According to TrueCar, the Challenger boasts 16.2 cubic feet of trunk space, nearly two times the size of a comparable Chevrolet Camaro’s trunk. That makes the Challenger a decent grocery-getter and a retro muscle car. Furthermore, the Dodge Challenger has the largest back seat in the segment, much larger than the Mustang.
Are Dodge Challengers loud?
Finally, the 2022 Dodge Challengers with V8 powerplants make a better sound than the comparable Ford Mustangs. Motor music is subjective, but many people find the 5.0L Coyote V8 raspy and noisy compared to the baritone sounds of a naturally aspirated 6.4L Hemi engine. It often gets worst when owners introduce unrestricted exhaust, although not always.
Still, the most orchestral soundtrack in the muscle car segment is arguably the 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and its supercharged 6.2L V8 engine. The Hellcat motor produces a layered song of supercharger whine and bassy V8 roar. Car and Driver describes it as a “throwback soundtrack,” no doubt to the muscle cars of yesteryear.
Which muscle car should you buy?
Although many of the V8-powered 2022 Dodge Challengers are more powerful than comparably priced 2022 Ford Mustangs, it doesn’t mean they’re faster. In fact, the Mach 1 is quicker to sixty and much faster around a track than the R/T Scat Pack. The same goes for the Shelby GT500 and its wild track credentials.
However, the 2022 Dodge Challenger retains its old-school, round headlamp, muscle car styling and feel that the Mustang and Camaro evolved away from. Either way, the upcoming iterations of both cars will be the last to pack traditional gas-powered engines, so enjoy them while we can. Scroll down to the following article to read more about muscle cars!
