2026 Ford Mustang GT vs. Dodge Charger Sixpack: American Muscle Is a Two-Horse Race Again

• Dodge brings back a gas-engine Charger with a few twists on the classic muscle formula.
• America's pony car, the Ford Mustang, is simple by comparison and the less expensive option.
• Which of these octane-fueled, red-white-and-blue performance coupes would you pick?

Power and fuel economy

We'll address the elephant in the room first: The gas-swilling Charger may be returning, but its Hemi V8s aren't (at least not yet). Is a turbocharged inline-six sacrilege? Maybe. Dodge is leaning on the Sixpack branding here, even though that originally referred to a V8 fed by a trio of two-barrel carburetors. But the result is an engine offered in two strengths (one of which handily beats the Mustang GT's 5.0-liter). The gas Charger R/T makes 420 hp, while the high-output six in the Charger Scat Pack is turned up to 550 hp.

The Charger bucks convention in another important way: It's now available only with all-wheel drive. (Dodge is quick to point out that the Charger can go RWD at the press of a button, meeting the needs of burnout purveyors, but the AWD hardware is there no matter what.) It could be argued that two extra wheels' worth of traction are necessary to put all that torque to the pavement, but that's not always the aim of an American muscle car, and the old Charger and Challenger did just fine with 700-plus-hp Hellcat engines feeding only the rear axle.

Mustang GTs are much simpler by comparison. Power is routed to the rear only, through a choice of a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The Chargers are automatic-only. If you want a little more power, you can opt for a 500-hp Mustang Dark Horse.

Keep in mind that the Dodge weighs a half-ton more than the Ford, which should even up the acceleration results. Edmunds hasn't put the gas Charger through performance testing yet, so that's a comparison for another time.

Dodge hasn't shared fuel economy numbers for the new gas Chargers, but it's likely that turbochargers and a smaller-displacement engine mean better EPA ratings than the Mustang's. Of course, your mileage will vary.

Interior

As the newer car, the Charger has a more modern cabin by default, but the Mustang's has aged well and still feels fresh while nodding in many ways to the model's heritage. The most obvious reference to Chargers past is the Dodge's pistol-ish grip shift lever. Exiting the Charger requires a button press, while the Mustang holds onto its old-fashioned door handles. Bottom line, you won't be fooled into thinking you're in the '60s original in either case.

With the Mustang still in the pony camp it invented and the Charger more of a muscle car, it shouldn't be surprising that the Dodge is bigger inside. With the exception of front legroom, the Charger's passenger-compartment dimensions beat the Mustang coupe's. 

If you're wondering what a longer wheelbase can do — Dodge's 121-inch span has 14 inches on the Ford's — just look at the difference in rear legroom. The Charger also has the advantage in number of seats, with a fifth spot on the rear bench that the Mustang doesn't match. Your friends will thank you (as long as they're not sitting in the middle).

A hatchback generally beats a standard trunk, and that's definitely the case here. The Charger can swallow a lot with its rear seats in place and even more with them folded. The Ford's conventional trunk is OK by coupe standards, but the Charger would make a better (which is to say bigger) only car.

A frunk is optional on the electric Charger models, but that's sort of where the engine goes for the gas version. For that reason, we don't recommend storing anything there.

Technology and safety equipment

If you're not a big fan of big screens, these may not be the cars for you. Digital gauge clusters come on both, with Ford's measuring 12.4 inches and Dodge offering both a 10.25-inch and a 16-inch option. The center touchscreens are also big, at 12.3 inches for the Charger and 13.2 inches for the Mustang. There are at least a smattering of hard controls below for the Mustang, while the Charger resorts to a shelf of touch-sensitive "buttons" that are hard to see and harder to stab at when driving.

Most folks probably don't buy a performance coupe for the driver assist systems, but it can be nice to know they're there if you want them. Long highway drives are a slog no matter what steering wheel you're behind. Ford's standard Co-Pilot360 bundle includes forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert and lane keeping assistance, while the available Assist+ pack offered on the GT Premium brings adaptive cruise control and lane centering. Dodge throws a ton of safety systems in, at least on the Scat Pack model (R/T features haven't been divulged yet) — adaptive cruise control, active lane management, a hands-on highway driving assistant, blind-spot monitoring with a side camera view, and forward collision warning. A surround-view camera system is available.

Trims and pricing

Ford sells the Mustang GT coupe in standard and Premium flavors, with the former starting at $49,250, including a $1,995 destination charge and acquisition fee. The automatic transmission is a no-cost option.

The gas Charger will start at $51,990 (with $1,995 destination) for a 420-hp R/T model, while the 550-horse Scat Pack costs $5,000 more. The latter is not to be confused with the electric Scat Pack model. (In an attempt to help you tell them apart, Dodge adds "Daytona" to the names of its EV Chargers, though the moniker is not an entirely obvious or meaningful differentiator.) Should you want the four-door version for easier access to the giant back seat, that's an extra $2,000.

Which one you select comes down to preferences for rear- or all-wheel drive, a naturally aspirated V8 or a force-fed inline-six, and somewhat svelte versus large-and-in-charge. Thankfully, despite their differences, whichever one you go for will be able to roast its rear tires. There's perhaps nothing more American than that.