You’ve probably seen this movie before. A heavy but powerful SUV taking on a more lightweight rival, but with not as much grunt. You probably think you know how it ends too, but it’s better not to generalize these things, because there are always several factors at play and in order to guess right, your analysis of the situation must be on point.
Before you even start to factor in the powertrain configurations, make sure to check out the weight first. In this case, we're looking at a Ford Mustang EcoBoost and a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (not the supercharged variant).
The latter weighs a heck of a lot more than the Mustang at roughly 5,194 lbs (2,356 kg), while the Ford tips the scales at around 3,648 lbs (1,655 kg). That’s a massive discrepancy and it puts the Jeep at a disadvantage right off the bat.
However, the Grand Cherokee does come with all-wheel drive, to go with its 6.4-liter HEMI V8 engine, good for 475 hp (482 ps) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) of torque. Now, these figures are considerably more impressive than those of the Mustang EcoBoost, which is powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, producing 310 hp (314 ps) and either 320 or 350 lb-ft of torque, depending on model year – post-2018 cars have more torque.
Now, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that an extra 165 horsepower wouldn’t be enough to offset the weight discrepancy. However, that Grand Cherokee is quicker than you might think, needing around 5.1 seconds in order to hit 60 mph. Meanwhile, the Mustang EcoBoost needs roughly 5.8 seconds.
In the end, the Jeep covered the quarter mile in 13.95 seconds, while the Mustang could only manage a disappointing 15.42-second run. It's as decisive a victory as you could get, and it might just reaffirm your belief about there being no substitute for horsepower.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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