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.
Gallery: 2022 Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta GLI
The channel puts the pair through a series of drag and rolling races, but the results are the same each time – the Jetta sweeps the Mustang regardless of the vehicle settings. In the first race, the two are in their Sport settings, but it doesn’t matter as the Jetta ekes out its first win. The second race is still in sport mode but with traction turned off. The Jetta struggles to get a good launch, but it has the power to pass the Mustang before the finish line.
The rolling races are no different, with the Jetta continuing to win. That Mustang’s handicap is its weight. The convertible adds a considerable amount of weight over the standard EcoBoost, which puts the two on a more level playing field. The Jetta is down on horsepower and torque, but it still had the chops to beat a Mustang, and that’s pretty impressive.
