Mach 1 Vs Camero Vs Challenger Vs Charger Vs Corvette

[LikeMike]

While I am aware of the "why the Mach 1 is a ripoff" thread, most of the comments are centered around comparisons with the other mustang offerings (e.g GT PP2, GT350, Bullit, etc). I am interested in having a comparative debate to other manufacturers. You look at some of these numbers and it's hard in my opinion to justify the Mach 1's pricing. If not for purchasing it under MSRP, I may have waited a little longer. However, maybe I am ignorant.

So therefore how does the Mach 1 compare at $53 - $57k for 470HP with"

Camero LT1 - ZL1, 455HP - 650HP for $38k - $66k
Challenger Scatpack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $43k -$63k
Charger ScatPack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $44k -$70k
Corvette C8 1LT, 490HP for $62k

Why pick the Mach 1 over these other offerings, I feel like M1 MSRP should be closer to $45-$50k based on the competition. I will also admit I have not optioned these out to M1 600A/700A equivalence.

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[Atlas1]

Interesting questions @LikeMike
Here are my thoughts…..
Charger is out as I don’t think it’s a good comparison mainly due to 4 doors.
camaro outperforms the Mach 1 at a cheaper price but forces you to overlook arguably styling and visibility, important for a car that’s not living exclusively on the track.
vette is on a whole different plane and I think when you factor in options and adm it’s a much different price range.
the challenger doesn’t offer the ability to turn as well as the Mach but it’s got great styling and in the case of the hellcat will blow the doors off our cars.
I wouldn’t trade my car for any of them listed but I would be lying if the recent news of the end of the hellcat doesn’t have me thinking about finding a way to get one before they are gone.

 

[Charlemagne]

Make sure to max out those builds with comparable options just like Mach 1 builds on maxed out GT PP1. You'll probably still end with a +10k on Mustang which really carries over from GT PP1 already. If it sells, the price is what it is.

 

[Fishtales]

I didn't get the HP, auto or Recaros but got everything else on the car and it came in at $56.3K from Granger. While a better price maybe could have been had on other manufacturers, I thought the Granger deal was good compared to other Ford dealers (local one wanted $5K above MSRP, wouldn't talk matching the price and was basically take it or leave it).
Not kissing arse, but working with Granger has been seamless. Not a complicated order configuration/option process - kudos to Ford for keeping the order process simple. About 8 things to decide on and then place the order. Going to have Granger prep and then ship it via enclosed carrier to me.
I looked at the Camaro hard, 2SS 1LE and I prob could have saved $4K. Configurator is more complicated to me anyway. Also looked at the previous gen Vette and that was in the mid $50s during the early throws of Covid. A local dealer had a Vette I had my eye on but a dealer from NH bought all inventory in the area from dealers that really didn't sell Vettes but had one or two on the lot due to allocation.
Didn't look at the Dodge. Just not a Mopar fan and to be honest never have been from the 70s forward. New Vette is too new. Dealers can't get parts and many don't even know how to work on them. I don't like the styling and would go with a previous gen anyway.

I liked the Mach1 for the following:
- Styling. The Mustang drew me in on exterior styling and worked hard to bring heritage features and feel forward. I actually find the interior styling fresh. Others say long in the tooth, but as this is my first Mustang, I love it.
- Riding on versus in. I'm older and don't want to shoehorn myself or my bride in the car. The in/out discomfort will only get worse with age. I need her to like the vehicle. This is why no Recaros as well. I must say an up charge for a non-powered, low feature seat was is a non-starter. I get it for track use, but not for the street.
- Visibility is a valid knock on the Camaro. It is a real drawback for the street but wasn't a deal breaker for me. I got the feeling my local Chevy dealer didn't want to sell a car and there was no chemistry, no follow up and basically a crappy two visit experience at the dealership. The local dealer turned me off and it was a factor for me looking at the Mustang initially.
- Use case. It's a fun car for the street for me. We'll be doing a lot of weekend trips when I retire and I want something comfortable, fun and fast. I also want a proven platform for regional weekend trips. The GT350 was off my list with the engine history/reliability concerns and believe the vehicle is a tad excessive for my use case. The Mach has many "best-of" S550 parts and to be honest, reliability matters to me.
- I tend to keep my toys for a long time (wife says I have toy issues) and expect this to be passed to one of the kids. I say this as this will be my only and last Mustang so buying the Mach1 trim made sense.
- After market. Hard to beat a Mustang for the options and parts out there to customize it. You can do just about anything with the car and I believe the future market will be strong for these vehicles as time progresses.
- Personal Bias. Grew up with buddies that had Mustangs and I was in them a lot. Just wasn't a Camaro guy and never a Dodge. Buddy has a previous gen Bullitt so had to go with the Mustang, he's putting a super charger on it to keep up!
- While price is always important, there are other factors to consider and sometimes get valued above pure price. I'm fortunate to be writing a check for it, so price while a factor wasn't the primary driver - getting the right fit was.

 

[Ctodd1]

Don't forget to add to the comparison is the 2021 Mustang GT, Fully optioned out os $55,500 and is still not built like the Mach 1.
You can't buy a Corvette 2lt for under 90k in most cases.

The comparison is flawed as the Mach 1 does not fall into range pricing as it's pretty much optioned out with exception of 700a, seats, Hp, Elite, other options are $small.

 

[jsullboy]

For me the Mach 1 offers the right balance of performance and comfort for the occasional track day, lots of road trips and weather permitting around town use.

Manual was a must for me so between the GT PP1 and the M1 just the tremec alone was worth the extra. There is a big difference in the feel between my M1 and my 2017 GT. Maybe if I had a 2019+ with a PP2 it would be harder to justify. I came very close to buying a 2019 GT350. But the dealer was terrible and also most of my driving will be on the street. I think the power band of the coyote is better suited to the main use I will have for the car. But still really love the GT350 and occasionally still have my doubts.

I like the Camaro performance but the visibility and storage make it harder to live with. When I get busy and everyday family life cuts into Mustang time I can more easily fit it in. For example I can fit an order of groceries if I am that desperate no problem. Harder to do with the Camaro. My buddy has a Camaro even just fitting overnight bags can be a challenge. (For two)

The dodge just has no appeal to me. Sorry just not a Dodge person.

I would strongly consider the Corvette C8. But realistically I would not buy a base model. Would go for LT2 and Z51. Where I am that is $30-40k more. I have never seen one sell for close to sticker. If it were available in Maunal and the interior didn’t have the wall of switches I probably would have paid it. But I would probably get less use out of it because it would be harder to fit into my everyday life.

Other options I considered were BMW M3 and Porsche Cayman GTS 4.0. They are a lot more expensive and i just don’t like them that much more to pay the premium. I have owned a couple of Porsches in the past and did like them. Never owned a BMW. I take relentless teasing at work because they all drive Porsche, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. But there is just something about the Mustang that I really like and it works for me.

 

[theruleslawyer]

While I am aware of the "why the Mach 1 is a ripoff" thread, most of the comments are centered around comparisons with the other mustang offerings (e.g GT PP2, GT350, Bullit, etc). I am interested in having a comparative debate to other manufacturers. You look at some of these numbers and it's hard in my opinion to justify the Mach 1's pricing. If not for purchasing it under MSRP, I may have waited a little longer. However, maybe I am ignorant.

So therefore how does the Mach 1 compare at $53 - $57k for 470HP with"

Camero LT1 - ZL1, 455HP - 650HP for $38k - $66k
Challenger Scatpack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $43k -$63k
Charger ScatPack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $44k -$70k
Corvette C8 1LT, 490HP for $62k

Why pick the Mach 1 over these other offerings, I feel like M1 MSRP should be closer to $45-$50k based on the competition. I will also admit I have not optioned these out to M1 600A/700A equivalence.

Well you have to make some assumptions about your buyer. If you're looking into these I'm going to assume that you're interested in track days or at least want something focused as a canyon carver. IE handling has to matter. Also I'm going to assume this is going to be your primary car so livability matters.

There is one more you might want to throw in the mix- Lexus IS500. Its a na v8 with similar power around the same price.

Mach 1- Discount Invoice -4% possible. If you're not willing to ship or drive you are going have a rough time at MSRP. If you're a track rat you probably want the HP, but the base car is already pretty well configured for a dual use car. Same on recaros. VS a similarly configured GT it isn't much more if you value all the coolers and handling. Its a no brainer if you want a manual vs an optioned up GT. If you want an auto it is a significantly less appealing deal however. Mine will be $52.4k

Camaro 2ss 1le- Discount Supplier Pricing MSRP -2.5%. This is fairly easy to get and referrals are available locally. You can waste a lot of money on cosmetic stuff, but its $49,012 manual. So probably 3k-9k less. It'll be a more capable track car from all the reviews I've read. However it is a much harder car to live with day to day. Trunk sucks, bad sight lines, hard to get in and out, etc. TBH, what make the Mach 1 a hard comparison is the ZL1 can be had around $65k with the supplier pricing. If you can live with the downsides its clearly a better value.

Charger/Challenger scat packs- 1% over invoice via the FCA affiliate program (maybe there are special dealers, but I didn't look into these that deep) These cars are ancient. Their interiors look super super dated. I think they would be the last choice of someone who wants a track car. They are more a street/'strip car. MSRP is around $52k for how I'd configure it as a dual use track car. That puts it around the same price as the camaro and I'd much much rather have it than this. Its a bit more practical than the mach 1 with the huge trunk, but I don't think dodge is really competitive without money on the hood and there aren't incentives right now.

Corvette c8- MSRP is the best you're going to do on this one and be prepared to wait a very very long time. Realistically you're looking at a lt1 zr51 at $68.5k here. Its easy to go nuts on options though. This car is probably the best track toy, but as a dual use car its almost disqualified. The trunk is impossible to live with unless you have another car. Ironically I would have bought a c7 over a mach 1. I used to have a c5 and the hatch could fit a ton of stuff, even with a roll bar in it. Trouble is as a track toy you almost need a support vehicle the storage is so bad. If you compare it vs a Zl1 that is closer in price to this, it doesn't look like a great value.

Lexus is500- Discount I don't know any programs. Expect to spend low 60's on one. I called a few dealers and they aren't taking orders. I'm assuming you can get one for MSRP. In a lot of ways this is a great competitor for the mach 1. Its a very livable car. Its not a track toy however. Reviews complain about the gearbox being a little lazy. If you want mostly a street car it's a really nice option however.

So overpriced? Maybe a bit. IMHO it comes down to it or a Camaro 2ss 1le. The Camaro is a better deal, but the Mach 1 is a more livable car. For the car I'd order it'll be about 3.4k more. Part of the reason I ordered a Mach 1 is that in 10 years the Mach 1 will still be a bit of a 'special' car due to the badging and exclusive bits from the shelby line. The Camaro will just be another Camaro. If I were to get a Camaro I'd actually spring for the ZL1, which will still be a special car years from now.

 

[kz]

While I am aware of the "why the Mach 1 is a ripoff" thread, most of the comments are centered around comparisons with the other mustang offerings (e.g GT PP2, GT350, Bullit, etc). I am interested in having a comparative debate to other manufacturers. You look at some of these numbers and it's hard in my opinion to justify the Mach 1's pricing. If not for purchasing it under MSRP, I may have waited a little longer. However, maybe I am ignorant.

So therefore how does the Mach 1 compare at $53 - $57k for 470HP with"

Camero LT1 - ZL1, 455HP - 650HP for $38k - $66k
Challenger Scatpack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $43k -$63k
Charger ScatPack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $44k -$70k
Corvette C8 1LT, 490HP for $62k

Why pick the Mach 1 over these other offerings, I feel like M1 MSRP should be closer to $45-$50k based on the competition. I will also admit I have not optioned these out to M1 600A/700A equivalence.

Those are all significantly different cars - Camaro - compare to 1/LE, not ZL1.
C8 is in completely different ballpark.
Charger / Challenger are heavy boats but it's hard to beat Charger's practicality and they look good for their age. Question is what do you want in the car and how much you are willing to pay for it.

Most people won't be cross shopping M1 and a C8.

 

[AUsomTiger]

Those are all significantly different cars - Camaro - compare to 1/LE, not ZL1.
C8 is in completely different ballpark.
Charger / Challenger are heavy boats but it's hard to beat Charger's practicality and they look good for their age. Question is what do you want in the car and how much you are willing to pay for it.

Most people won't be cross shopping M1 and a C8.

I sold my C8 and replaced it with a Mach 1 Made a profit and didn't want to go to the back of the line. Both cars are great. The Mach 1 is more livable as a daily driver.

 

[TonyNJ]

While I am aware of the "why the Mach 1 is a ripoff" thread, most of the comments are centered around comparisons with the other mustang offerings (e.g GT PP2, GT350, Bullit, etc). I am interested in having a comparative debate to other manufacturers. You look at some of these numbers and it's hard in my opinion to justify the Mach 1's pricing. If not for purchasing it under MSRP, I may have waited a little longer. However, maybe I am ignorant.

So therefore how does the Mach 1 compare at $53 - $57k for 470HP with"

Camero LT1 - ZL1, 455HP - 650HP for $38k - $66k
Challenger Scatpack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $43k -$63k
Charger ScatPack/Hellcat, 485HP - 717HP for $44k -$70k
Corvette C8 1LT, 490HP for $62k

Why pick the Mach 1 over these other offerings, I feel like M1 MSRP should be closer to $45-$50k based on the competition. I will also admit I have not optioned these out to M1 600A/700A equivalence.

No one is getting Corvette for 62k. The mark ups are ridiculous. But you can grab a Mach1 for around MSRP if you look.

 

[cheeser]

A few thousand $$$ doesn’t bother me...I just want a car that is fun to drive on the track...looking forward to a few HPDE events at our local track.

For most folks, its bragging rights…they are probably the limiting factor anyways in taking a car out to maximize times on a consistent basis…I know I am. The better driver may be more important depending on the situatio.

In the end, I will never buy a GM product anyways…more of a Ford guy

 

[theruleslawyer]

No one is getting Corvette for 62k. The mark ups are ridiculous. But you can grab a Mach1 for around MSRP if you look.

That's not true. It'll just be a year or more wait.

 

[traxiii]

That's not true. It'll just be a year or more wait.

I heard from a friend in the market for a Vette told me the wait is over a year, and the dealer stock units are all loaded up with options, that's even before the ADM. Good luck finding one in 2022 for less that $80K. Personally, I would never fit in one, so it wasn't on my list.

 

[LikeMike]

I heard from a friend in the market for a Vette told me the wait is over a year, and the dealer stock units are all loaded up with options, that's even before the ADM. Good luck finding one in 2022 for less that $80K. Personally, I would never fit in one, so it wasn't on my list.

Not true I just left a dealer who promised me one within 1-4 months a little over MSRP from build and price, $500 down. I wont be pulling the trigger because it turns out Chevy no longer offers manuals (paddle shifters are useless IMHO) and looking at the vehicles they had on the floor this really is more than a "car". Looking at it I did NOT feel comfortable doing any service, modifications, etc. at all on this vehicle. Major head turner appearance but lacks "soul", and dealer had no test drives even on used models. But yeah manufacturers ARE getting production levels up, its not just Ford. Flippers and anyone else whos paying these insane markups, are going to be underwater relatively soon. Z06 demand is however still very strong, behind the scenes/word of mouth has them going $130k+

edit: For used you are 100% correct though, several first year production CPO/Used cars selling for $90k+ crazy. The car isn't worth THAT much imho.

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