The Best Pony: Baby Pony Battle
A comparison between the two cheapest ponies of the Mustang and Camaro lineups.
Welcome back to another installment of The Best Pony. Today we have a battle of the cheapest pony. I will be comparing the Ford Mustang EcoBoost and the Chevy Camaro 1LS. Here we go.
On the cheap end of the muscle spectrum, there is the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Fastback. Starting at just $27,155, this car gives the buyer a bang for their buck. Chevrolet's competitor for this model is the 2020 Camaro 1LS Coupe. This car’s starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, or MSRP without options, is $27,490, a mere $335 more than its Mustang counterpart. Therefore, a point will be awarded to the Mustang for pricing at the lowest trim level.
Ford Mustang EcoBoost - Photo Credit: 2021fordrelease.msrp.com
Moving on, the racing numbers and performance are extremely important to potential muscle car buyers. In this section, the horsepower, torque, braking capabilities, 0-60 and 0-100 miles per hour, or mph times, top speeds, quarter-mile times, downforce, and engines of these cars will be discussed. When referring to horsepower, the terms horsepower, HP, brake horsepower, and BHP will be used interchangeably. Additionally, when speaking of pound-feet of torque, the terms torque, and lb-ft of torque will be used. All this is to make the process of understanding the power of these cars easier.
In the cheap corner, the Mustang EcoBoost and the Camaro 1LS. These produce modest results that hint at the muscle car heritage they came from. The Mustang has a 2.3L turbocharged inline-four engine which produces 310 horsepower with 350 lb-ft of torque. All this produces a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds and clocked in with a quarter-mile time of 13.7 seconds with a finishing speed of 102 miles per hour and a governor limited top speed of 123 miles per hour. Additionally, it was able to decelerate from 70-0 mph in just 164 feet. Its enemy from the "bow-tie", which has a 2.0L turbocharged I4 engine producing just 275 HP and 295 torque, clocked a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds and a quarter-mile of 14.1 seconds and a speed of 100 miles per hour. It has a limited top speed of 145 mph and slowed from 70-0 mph in just 148 feet. Scoring these results is straightforward. The Mustang family receives 3 points for having a faster 0-60 time, faster quarter-mile time, and a better finishing speed. The Camaro will receive 2 points for a faster top speed and better braking capabilities.
Chevrolet Camaro 1LS - Photo Credit: mynschevy.com
All of this brings us to the practicality of such cars. How much gas mileage do they get? How many passengers do they carry? Is there adequate space in the cargo area? These are the questions that will be answered. For gas mileage, miles per gallon, or MPG will be used. For cargo space, the terms cubic feet and total cubic feet will be used.
The Mustang EcoBoost and the Camaro 1LS are similar in terms of interior space. The EcoBoost has space for four passengers, the same as the 1LS. The Camaro has a total of 93 cubic feet of total passenger volume while the Mustang has 84.5 feet. Since both cars have four-cylinder engines, they get better gas mileage than the average muscle car. The EcoBoost gets a combined 24 miles to the gallon and the 1LS gets 23 MPG combined. The trunk of the Mustang is surprisingly roomy for a sporty car. It has a cargo space of 13.5 cubic feet. On the other hand, the Camaro only has 9.1 cubic feet of cargo space. Therefore, the Mustang will get 2 points, one for cargo space, and one for better gas mileage. One point will be awarded to the 1LS for having more space for its passengers.
The Totals
Now, since we have reached the end of our comparison, I will give you the points tally for today, and the total accumulated points by both cars. The EcoBoost racked up 6 points for beating the 1LS in price, practicality, and performance. The Camaro earned 3 points for outperforming the Mustang in braking, top speed, and passenger space. The total points overall so far are 14 for the Mustang, and 7 for the Camaro out of an available 21 points.
There we have it, the battle of the 4 cylinders is complete. Join me next week for a comparison of the mid-range models of the Mustang and Camaro lineups. Thanks for stopping by!
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