2020 Ford Mustang Ecoboost vs Mustang GT: Which One is the Better Sports Car?

A four-cylinder muscle car used to be considered blasphemous, but the Ecoboost Mustang actually has a lot going for it. Although it doesn't feel as big and mighty as the V8-powered Mustang GT, the Ecoboost version holds its own as a legitimate sports car. In this video, autoTRADER.ca's Road Test Editor Dan Ilika and Editor in Chief Jodi Lai compare the two coupes head to head to determine the pros and cons of each.

Read the full review on autoTRADER.ca:

[MrHammoreds]

If you are weighing up your Mustang options, DON'T be swayed by fuel economy. If you drive the 4cl turbo Mustang hard (and you probably will), it's every bit as thirsty as the GT. As the former owner of a 2.3T Mustang and now owning a GT, I would say that 90% of the Mustang 'comparison' videos are misleading - not many tell you that if you cruise on the highway in the GT you can get over 35mpg. Choose the 2.3 ecoboost because you want a turbo car which is more nimble than the heavier GT and that handles twisty roads better (which it does) and really doesn't feel that much slower overall, but don't choose the Ecoboost to save on fuel - because you probably won't.

[FurkanCemTurfanda]

My favorite thing about the video is that it compares the two available reds 😄

Also, a 330 hp rwd sports car is nothing to sneeze at. I'd probably get the Ecoboost for the cost, mileage, and handling.

[swanblake]

Love the sound of that V8 with the active exhaust. Great video you two👍

[toomuchsauce]

Dude said the screen is outdated
Not for me😂😂I just upgraded from a 2006 mustang GT to a 2021 mustang GT

[louka]

Ecoboost - Manual - Premium package - active exhaust - enhanced security and B/O sound system 🤩

[ResonantFreq]

I finally got to drive both versions. I own the the ecoboost mustang but decided to rent the GT. The one thing that really surprised me is how much better the ecoboost handles over the GT. The GT definitely felt kind of floaty on the road when you stepped on the gas or going around corners. The ecoboost is definitely quick off the line and the GT is definitely a bit quicker. I think if the ecoboost is modified to have the GT power it will most definitely be the superior of the two because of the handling. The GT definitely also does sound more aggressive than the ecoboost, but the ecoboost does not have a bad sound.

[xrmerkur]

The 1984-1986 SVO is my favorite Mustang of all time. It wasn’t until 2005 (fifth generation) that I would take notice again of the Mustang. When the sixth generation Mustang was revealed for 2015, I knew I had to finally buy one.

btw; Nice comparison between eco & GT

[mistamaog]

GT is great if you can afford it, Ecoboost is great if you can't afford a GT. But you should get them in a manual.

[nicholaslenzini]

I own an ecoboost. 2016.
NOT RELIABLE.

Head Gasket blew at 86k. 2.6k to fix from a mechanic. Ford gave me 4k quote.
The radiator cap also welded itself to the reservoir. Needed to yank the thing out with tools to replace it.

Had to replace the lug nuts because every mechanic told me they were expanded and warping because they are a 2 peace design. Upon replacing for 20 bucks online, yes they were indeed in need of replacement.

Sun visor internal wires for the lights get torn up from repeated extending and compressing, causing an on demand lamps fuse to blow.
A/C needed to be recharged at 43k miles.
Ebrake wire was loose at 45k miles causing a dash light to appear saying ebrake activated. Easy fix.

Loud clanging/metal torquing sound from rear on stop start acceleration (repeatable every time). It was the ebrake wire hitting the calipers. Needed to be tightened. Took ford 2 weeks to fix, telling me they couldnt replicate. HORRIBLE COMMUNICATION service. Gosch ford. Had to drive it for them.

EVAP valve threw check engine light. Warrantied fix, finally some good news.

Transmission grinds and pops when cold. (Manual) Improved with trans fluid replacement. (BG Products)
On hot days, sitting in traffic causes 1st gear to be really hard to engage as well as reverse on cold. (BG Fluids Trans fluid improved this. Way better)

AND NOW AT 87k at 3200 rpm, only when decelerating under no load, there is a grinding sound coming from the clutch (bell housing). You can make the grind continuous if you engine brake at that exact RPM, the engine cannot be making power or it goes away. Its loud.

My Mechanic Loves me

But hey, The car is fun. Get the Ford Performance Power Pack 1 tune. Warrantied by ford. Whole new car. Way more fun. Mostly Highway at 70-80 and a few city miles nets me 24.5mpg.

Also, do not drive worn tires on this car. In the rain, it has no problem letting you die. Haha, car go slide. Otherwise, very controllable even if you take it for a slide in the rain because of better weight distribution. Feels way better then the 5.0 around turns.

[indianoutlaw]

Proud owner of 3 mustangs (past and present)! Last year acquired my latest, it still makes me question the many reviews. You tested an "ecoboost" but failed to add until the end the model was 7k over regular pricing (good luck getting what you drove for that amount). Why not test the basic models and let us decide to add the mods, or test both, but be upfront about the process. You are not alone, other channels and a certain British car show never test affordable cars. But you do

[wdbressl]

NO! The Ecoboost HP is not an Ecoboost with a Performance Pack! It is the 2.3L from the Focus RS with some additional upgrades like GT front calibers, etc.

[vanshjaipuria]

People arguing in the comments about the Gt and the Eco Boost when I know that the Shelby is the father of these too.🥵🔥

[TheWombat]

In my state (Queensland, Australia), there’s also registration costs to consider.
A four cylinder is about $750 a year to register yearly...a V8 is nearly $1200 a year now...

We just bought a 2.3 High Performance (the only version of the 4 that we get in Australia) Mustang with a six speed manual, and we love it. I did have a couple of guys start telling me how awesome the V8 was and that I should have spent the extra and bought one, that it was foolish to buy the four, no matter how much power it has.
I replied by saying “So tell me...what colour is YOUR Mustang...?”
Hint: the Hyundai and Nissan hatchback they both drove away in told me they couldn’t answer...😂

[cadmando]

I don't know if anyone actually buys these cars for fuel economy and if that is a factor, there is the MachE. For me I got the EcoBoost HPP with the 6 speed manual and all the track options because I wanted a car to take to the track. I'm going to tell you that those boys with the GT love to talk trash, but once they have gone around the track 10+ times and I'm passing them again because their brakes are faded and their temp gage is climbing... they quiet down a bit. Not saying I don't love the Mustang GT, I just have more fun on the track in my EcoBoost HPP.

[macvaliente]

Since Craig left auto guide, well it kinda went down just a little. Now that Jodi left autoguide is actually meh. Glad to see you still do what you do 💖

[johnwhite]

V8 sounds better but i prefer the look and colour of that ecoboost hpp. Being in uk I'd chose the ecoboost i own a 2017 manual ecoboost one in white but wud love to get a 2020 model in grabber lime or twister orange with black alloys 😁😁👌, good honest review on both mustangs guys great cars 👍👍

[ResonantFreq]

I ordered my Ecoboost about 2 1/2 months ago. I really had to evaluate what I was looking for. Balancing the idea of performance and what I really wanted as far as options. My build was 39k with a $1200 discount for having it custom built for what I wanted. There are options I wanted bug because of the way things were packaged the price was more than I wanted to pay. I wish they had the option to get the magnaride without getting the hpp engine.

[drnch_gd]

Its not weird to have Manual seats with no heated/ventilated seats in more expensive models for weight reduction

[ST_DCT]

I like the price as tested, 54K (Canadian) for the HPP vs 66K for the premium GT. If you spent comparable amounts of cash, the HPP with a bigger turbo, intercooler, race downpipe, cat back exhaust & tune, the power will be GT like for still less money, AND more fun to drive in the corners...

[Ready]

I just had an ecoboost convertible as a rental. Maybe not quite as cool as the GT, but I still liked it a lot.