Roush CAI, worth it?

[itguy84]

Was thinking about putting a Roush CAI on the new Mustang. Does anyone have it? Is it worth it without a tune?

There is conflicting reviews online. Some are saying it makes the car sound better and they notice an increase in the car's response even without a Tune, and even MPG increases.

Some are saying it's not worth it and it does nothing for the car.

I am not looking for crazy gains, but if it allows the car to breathe better and improves the sound of the Mustang I am for it. I also like how it visually enhances the engine bay or makes it look cooler.

Curious to know everyone's feedback

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[BigR4444]

CAIs are always a hot topic. At the end of the day; what I've concluded is that the stock air box is probably really good at what it does, and most aftermarket intakes are too expensive to justify what is a tiny improvement at best without a tune.

If you're going to go with an intake, I personally feel like a closed box is the way to go, so I like that Roush... or the Injen I got for a really good price.
I don't like those open intakes... I feel like they suck hot air from the engine in and probably cost you power...

 

[Blu_stallion]

Was thinking about putting a Roush CAI on the new Mustang. Does anyone have it? Is it worth it without a tune?

There is conflicting reviews online. Some are saying it makes the car sound better and they notice an increase in the car's response even without a Tune, and even MPG increases.

Some are saying it's not worth it and it does nothing for the car.

I am not looking for crazy gains, but if it allows the car to breathe better and improves the sound of the Mustang I am for it. I also like how it visually enhances the engine bay or makes it look cooler.

Curious to know everyone's feedback

I installed the Roush a year ago and have been happy with it. I removed the inner tube and did an E85 tune with Lund at the same time (I later changed the tube and throttle body, see asterisk note below). I know the E85 added power because this has been proven a million times but it's impossible to say if the Roush is giving me any extra power because I didnt dyno the car before and after. However I will say this, the Inlet Air Temps have been impressive with the Roush, which I attribute to the closed box design. As long as I'm driving say at least 20 mph the IAT's are usually only about 4 or 5 degrees over the ambient temp, which to me is pretty dang good. I seriously doubt many (if any) open air box designs can say the same. Obviously the cooler the air, the more power the car will make. That's the whole point of a 'Cold Air Intake' right? As a bonus the Roush design make a very nice presentation for your engine bay, see attached photo (*Note, after the initial install I added a GT350 87mm throttle body and inlet tube thinking it would provide more power **2nd note, don't attempt that part, stick with the original Roush tube and stock throttle body because I learned later on from my tuner that the larger throttle body likely isn't adding much)

 

[NeedForGreen]

I had one on my car before going the Ford Performance calibration route.
The Roush did nothing except increase temps...by a lot when sitting at lights, so imo without a tune its nothing but an eye piece.

 

[Zrussian13]

If you like the idea of some under the hood eye candy and a better induction sound then its worth it. If you want a noticeable performance gain I would spend the money elsewhere.

 

[AZ18yote]

If you like the idea of some under the hood eye candy and a better induction sound then its worth it. If you want a noticeable performance gain I would spend the money elsewhere.

Yep this basically. Think of it as an engine dress up mod. If the look merits the price then it's worth it. Otherwise keep stock box with high flow filter and spend $ on other mods for performance.

 

[pb29590]

What about a drop in K&N air filter utilizing the stock box and having it tuned?
I have a 2021 GT with PP1 and no other mods.
Thx

 

[AZ18yote]

What about a drop in K&N air filter utilizing the stock box and having it tuned?
I have a 2021 GT with PP1 and no other mods.
Thx

I would not tune it just for that unless you are switching fuels like running e85 or flex then 100% worth it. Adding long tubes at the same time too would be a great addition.

 

[MAGS1]

What about a drop in K&N air filter utilizing the stock box and having it tuned?
I have a 2021 GT with PP1 and no other mods.
Thx

The K&N filter is way better than the standard paper filter so it’s worth the $50-$60. Agree with AZ18, without other performance mods, a tune probably isn’t worth the cost.

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