The Ford Mustang is one of the most iconic cars in American history, and Ford is continuing its legacy by introducing the brand-new 2024 model year version of the Mustang. But just like in the past, the Mustang isn’t the only muscle car on the market, and the Dodge Challenger is still one of its main rivals. That being said, the 2024 Ford Mustang’s fuel economy gives it one huge advantage over the Challenger, and here’s a look at how.

Here’s how the 2024 Ford Mustang compares to the 2023 Dodge Challenger

Edmunds wrote that the 2024 Mustang starts at about $30,900, and Ford offers several trim options to the car. Likewise, the 2023 version of the Challenger starts at about $31,100 and has many trim options. The top trim on the Mustang is the Dark Horse trim, and it starts at around $58,000. The Challenger’s most expensive trim is the SRT Hellcat Widebody Jailbreak, and it goes for almost $77,000.

The Challenger is also bigger, as it seats up to five. The Mustang, meanwhile, only has seats for four. Due to the size difference, the Dodge muscle car also has more spacious seats than the Ford does. However, the ‘Stang comes with more smart safety features, and it has a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen. In comparison, the Challenger starts with a 7.0-inch touchscreen. 

And, of course, there are a lot of differences between the two under the hood. The Mustang starts with a 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder, and it gets 315 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, the Challenger comes with a 3.6-liter V6, making 303 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque.

Both sports cars have a lot of engine options, but the 2024 Ford Mustang’s fuel economy advantage is found in the starting trim.

2024 Ford Mustang fuel economy is a huge advantage

Although the 2024 Ford Mustang is the first in the new generation of the pony car, its standard 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder engine is exactly the same engine that was offered in the prior model years of the car. This engine allows the Mustang to get an estimated fuel economy of about 21 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on highways, for 27 mpg combined.

That gives the 2024 Ford Mustang fuel economy that’s superior to what the Dodge Challenger’s standard V6 gets. That Dodge engine gets 19 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on highways, for 25 mpg combined. What’s also impressive is that the Ford can get better fuel economy despite having a more powerful starting engine than the Challenger.

There are a few smaller advantages too

On top of being more efficient and powerful, the standard Ford Mustang is also about $200 cheaper than the standard Challenger. Another advantage that the Mustang has is very minor, and most drivers may not care about it either. The brand-new Mustang is assembled in the U.S., while the Challenger is assembled in Canada.

And while the Challenger is larger than the Mustang, the Mustang’s standard 13.2-inch touchscreen is bigger than any touchscreen that Dodge offers for the Challenger. For comparison, Dodge’s biggest display is an optional 8.4-inch touchscreen. However, the Challenger’s size gives it many advantages over the Mustang.

In addition to having more seats and more spacious seats, the Challenger has 16.2 cu-ft of cargo capacity. That’s more than the Ford’s 13.3 cu-ft. Furthermore, Dodge offers far more customization options on the Challenger right now. As far as trims go, Ford offers seven, while Dodge offers nine.

Both vehicles offer plenty of reasons to buy, but the 2024 Ford Mustang’s fuel economy does give it a slight edge.