Compare the2027 Dodge Charger VS 2026 Ford Mustang

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Dodge Charger 4-Door are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Mustang doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Charger has standard Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Mustang doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Charger has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Mustang doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Charger offers an optional 360° Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Mustang only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Charger and the Mustang have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Dodge Charger weighs 729 to 2240 pounds more than the Ford Mustang. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

The Charger has more powerful engines than the Mustang:

	Horsepower	Torque
Charger R/T 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder	420 HP	468 lbs.-ft.
Charger Scat Pack 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder	550 HP	531 lbs.-ft.
Charger Super Bee 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder	600 HP	531 lbs.-ft.
Charger Daytona Scat Pack electric motors	670 HP	627 lbs.-ft.
Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder	315 HP	350 lbs.-ft.
Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8	480 HP	415 lbs.-ft.
Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8	486 HP	418 lbs.-ft.
Mustang Dark Horse 5.0 DOHC V8	500 HP	418 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the Charger Scat Pack 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder is faster than the Mustang Dark Horse 5.0 DOHC V8 (automatics tested):

	Charger	Mustang
Zero to 60 MPH	3.7 sec	4.3 sec

As tested in Motor Trend the Charger Daytona Scat Pack electric motors is faster than the Mustang GT 5.0 DOHC V8 (automatics tested):

	Charger	Mustang
Zero to 60 MPH	3.2 sec	3.9 sec
Quarter Mile	11.5 sec	12.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	120.5 MPH	116.8 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Charger Daytona Scat Pack electric motors is faster than the Mustang EcoBoost 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	Charger	Mustang
Zero to 30 MPH	1.4 sec	1.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	3.2 sec	4.9 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	5 sec	8.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	7.6 sec	14.6 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	1.4 sec	2.6 sec
Quarter Mile	11.5 sec	13.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	120.5 MPH	97.8 MPH

Motor Trend magazine performs a classic 0 to 100 MPH and back to 0 MPH performance test. The Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack Two-Door completed this feat in only 11.8 seconds. It took the Ford Mustang Dark Horse 11.9 seconds.

On the EPA test cycle the Charger running on electricity gets better mileage than the Mustang Fastback:

			MPGe
Charger
AWD	Auto	Scat Pack 305 Tires Electric Motors	93 city/79 hwy
		Scat Pack All Season 325 Tires Electric Motors	82 city/73 hwy
		Scat Pack Performance 325 Tires Electric Motors	80 city/70 hwy
Mustang Fastback
			MPG
RWD	Manual	GT 5.0 V8	15 city/23 hwy
		Dark Horse 5.0 V8	14 city/22 hwy
	Auto	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/33 hwy
		5.0 V8	16 city/24 hwy
		Dark Horse 5.0 V8	14 city/22 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Charger running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Mustang Fastback:

			MPG
Charger
AWD	Auto	R/T 3.0 turbo 6-cyl.	17 city/26 hwy
		Scat Pack 3.0 turbo 6-cyl.	16 city/23 hwy
Mustang Fastback
RWD	Manual	GT 5.0 V8	15 city/23 hwy
		Dark Horse 5.0 V8	14 city/22 hwy
	Auto	5.0 V8	16 city/24 hwy
		Dark Horse 5.0 V8	14 city/22 hwy

The Charger can travel with zero emissions for 223 to 267 miles (dependent on model). The Mustang can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Charger Daytona’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Mustang doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Charger Six Pack has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Mustang (17.5 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Charger has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Mustang. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage; a locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Dodge Charger higher (6 to 10 out of 10) than the Ford Mustang (2 to 6). This means the Charger produces up to 40.6 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Mustang every 15,000 miles.

All-wheel drive, available in the Charger, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all-wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The Ford Mustang is not available with all-wheel drive.

For better stopping power the Charger’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Mustang:

	Charger	Mustang
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Charger stops shorter than the Mustang:

	Charger	Mustang
100 to 0 MPH	297 feet	312 feet	Car and Driver
70 to 0 MPH	151 feet	153 feet	Car and Driver

For better traction, the Charger has larger standard tires than the Mustang (245/55R18 vs. 235/50R18).

The Charger has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Mustang doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Charger’s wheelbase is 14 inches longer than on the Mustang (121 inches vs. 107 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Charger is 6 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Mustang.

The Charger Daytona Scat Pack Four-Door handles at .97 G’s, while the Mustang Convertible pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Charger Daytona Scat Pack Two-Door handles at .99 G’s, while the Mustang GT Premium Fastback pulls only .95 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Charger Daytona Scat Pack Two-Door executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Mustang EcoBoost Premium Fastback (24.1 seconds @ .84 average G’s vs. 24.9 seconds @ .75 average G’s).

The front grille of the Charger Daytona uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Mustang doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Charger Two-Door a Large car, while the Mustang Fastback is rated a Subcompact.

The Charger has standard seating for 5 passengers; the Mustang can only carry 4.

The Charger Two-Door has 20.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mustang Fastback (103.1 vs. 82.8).

The Charger Two-Door has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 8.2 inches more rear legroom, 8.7 inches more rear hip room and 5.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mustang Fastback.

The Charger Two-Door has a much larger trunk with its rear seat up than the Mustang Fastback (22.2 vs. 13.5 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Charger offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Mustang doesn’t offer a power trunk.

The Charger offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Mustang doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Charger’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Ford does not offer a locking feature on the Mustang’s standard power windows.

The Charger 4-Door has two rear doors to provide better access for cargo and rear passengers. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear doors.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Charger to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Mustang doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Charger’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Mustang.

When the Charger with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Mustang’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Charger and the Mustang offer optional heated front seats. The Charger also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Mustang.

The Charger has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Mustang doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Charger has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Mustang doesn’t offer rear vents.

Compared to the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Charger eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the driver’s visor.

Compared to traditional radio, the Dodge Charger’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio costs extra on the Mustang.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Dodge Charger offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the front center console. The Mustang doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its March 2026 issue and the Dodge Charger Scat Pack Plus Two-Door won out over the Ford Mustang GT Premium Fastback.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Charger as the 2026 North American Car of the Year. The Mustang has never been chosen.