Mustang EcoBoost High Performance Package Review
The 2020 Mustang EcoBoost High Performance Package won’t convert V8 enthusiasts, but it’s a blast in the canyons.
Not much has changed in the Mustang EcoBoost’s power department since the 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder debuted in 2015. Base and premium EcoBoost Mustangs still make 310hp and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at the crank. For 2020, Ford offers a second EcoBoost option for those looking for a little more sport. Dubbed the High Performance Package, the $4,995 option sticks the Focus RS engine into the EcoBoost, bumping peak power to 330 ponies. Torque figures remain the same, but Ford claims the Mustang has a wider power band than the RS, which was also limited to 345 lb.-ft. of torque using an overboost function limited to 20 seconds.
In short, the High Performance Package EcoBoost now features the most powerful in-line four-cylinder in America, with a 40% wider powerband than the standard engine. Ford also claims 90% of available torque from 3,000 rpm to the redline.
Mustang Forums recently joined Ford for a media driving event where we scored the keys to a base model EcoBoost outfitted with the High Performance Package for a trip from downtown Los Angeles to the top of the Angeles Crest National Forest. We ended up driving a 2020 Shelby GT500 on the way down, which was, ahem, a much more visceral experience. But the HPP EcoBoost is easily the best four-cylinder Mustang of all time and lots of fun in the twisties.
It’s actually so good we wish the EcoBoost had been this way from the very beginning and not featured as a $5,000 option.
EcoBoost High Performance Package
In addition to the sportier Focus RS-derived engine, the HPP includes the following features:
- 3.55 limited-slip rear axle
- 19-inch x 9-inch machined-face aluminum wheels with low-gloss Ebony painted pockets
- Active valve performance exhaust
- Black painted strut-tower brace
- Engine-spun aluminum instrument panel
- Exterior mirror in Magnetic
- Gauge Pack (oil pressure and boost)
- GT Performance Package front splitter and belly pan
- Hood accent stripe
- Heavy-duty front springs
- Large brake rotors with four-piston fixed calipers
- Large radiator
- Performance rear wing OR spoiler delete
- Unique chassis tuning
- Unique EPAS, ABS and stability control tuning
- Upsized rear sway bar
EcoBoost Handling Package
Along with the HPP, EcoBoost buyers can also opt for the $1,995 Handling Package, which beefs up a few key components. The Handling Pack wheels are especially attractive, looking very similar to the PP2 wheels available on the Mustang GT.
- 19-inch by 9.5-inch aluminum wheels
- Pirelli Corsa tires (summer only)
- MagneRide Damping System
- Premium Brakes
- 3.55 TORSEN limited-slip rear-axle
Pricing & Our Test Vehicle
Our loaner for the day is a base model Twister Orange Metallic 2020 Mustang EcoBoost High Performance Package outfitted with a six-speed manual. I don’t believe it includes any options and getting a similar spec would run you $33,900 plus taxes. If you wanted a premium EcoBoost with the HPP only, that would set you back $38,915.
Adding in the Handling Package is a little complicated because, on the base EcoBoost, you also need to get the 101A package, which makes it a $3,995 upgrade or $37,895 plus taxes. A premium six-speed EcoBoost with both packages should cost $40,910, which is well into GT pricing territory. None of these estimated prices include optional Recaro seats or other available packages.
What We Love
Our overall experience with the Mustang EcoBoost High-Performance Package is positive. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to drive the Handling Package too to see what that adds. But even without the second package, the HPP is the best EcoBoost we’ve driven to date. Here are a few highlights.
Peppy power. Having owned a 2013 Mustang V6, it was a fun engine with lots of usable power, but it lacked in the torque department. The standard EcoBoost added more torque, but I never loved the way it sounded and it wasn’t as fun to drive up top. The High Performance Package is like the best of both worlds. It revs quickly, has a pretty wide powerband and, with the 3.55 rear end, zips around in city traffic. My co-driver and I are both surprised by the car’s power. It launches with more gusto than the V8s of my childhood.
Visual Upgrades. I’m not sold on the hood stripes, but the EcoBoost Handling Package certainly looks the part. The side and rear Hi-Po and running Pony badges pay homage to the past. The grille looks very similar to the 2013+ California Special Editions, a look I enjoy. And the dark spoiler & side mirrors evoke the current Performance Pack Level 2 Mustang GT. Coupled with the larger front splitter and those Handling Package wheels, and the EcoBoost looks more like an EcoBEAST.
Crackling quad exhaust. I generally don’t like the way four-bangers sound. (Sorry, I’m just a sucker for V8s, V10s, and V12s.) But the HPP active quad-tipped exhaust rewards its drivers with a grizzly rasp and lots of cracks and pops as you move up and down through the gears. It’s not a classic Mustang sound, per se, but it’s very similar to the Focus RS or professional Rally Race cars. It’s an addictive sound and among the best four-cylinders I’ve ever heard.
Extremely balanced. I adore V8 Mustangs, but cutting out a couple hundred pounds of fat over the front tires does wonders for the S197 and S550 platforms. With the extra power pushing you forward, the EcoBoost High-Performance Package soars through the canyons. We chase a GT500 up the mountain and, in the twistier sections, we can actually keep up. (Anything resembling a straight is a different story.) Even without the wider, summer tires from the Handling Pack, the HPP feels glued to the road. In short, it’s a blast to drive in the canyons and a wonderfully balanced car.
What We’d Change
Despite an overall net-positive experience, the more time you spend in an EcoBoost High-Performance Package, the more you wish you were driving a Bullitt or a Shelby GT350 simply because they’re more capable (even though they’re heavier). Here’s what we would change about the car if we worked at Ford.
All EcoBoosts should be like this. Our first note is that this engine is SO GOOD, it’s a shame it hasn’t been the heart of every single Mustang EcoBoost. It hits harder, drives faster, and sounds better than the standard 2.3L engine and we wish more people would get to experience this without having to pay a $4,995 premium for all of the other GT-sourced performance bits.
Needs more torque down low. Despite being an upgrade over the Cyclone-era 3.7L V6 and the standard 2.3L EcoBoost, it takes a little while to get used to driving the HPP. Yes, the torque shows up over 3,000 RPMS, which has been true for almost all Mustangs since 2011, but the HPP EcoBoost still feels weak when you’re below 3K. The whole car feels heavier and sluggish unless you keep it revved up all the time. And yet, unlike the Coyote, as you ramp up, you don’t get that same exhilarating sense of building power because the torque curve is so flat.
Raise the redline. Along those lines, after driving a Coyote that redlines at 7,200 or 7,500 RPMS, driving a turbo-four-cylinder that dies out just over 6,000RPM is an underwhelming experience. It feels like there should be so much more room to build power, but instead, it just peters out quietly and unspectacularly. Again, I’m writing this as a V8 owner (2013 Boss 302), so I’m biased that way. Still, this engine, despite its strengths, produces a less involving and invigorating driving experience, for me.
Bottom Line
The EcoBoost High Performance Package is the best four-cylinder Mustang ever made. It’s fun to drive fast, loves to corner, and even sounds pretty good. Is it going to convert any Mustang owners to drop half their cylinders? No, the high-revving Coyote V8 is just so much more visceral despite making the Mustang heavier in the nose.
But if you love autocross or canyon driving. Or you dig the snap-crackle-and-pops of the dearly departed Focus RS. Or maybe you’re looking for a daily driver that can sip fuel at times, but still be fun to drive. Whatever the reason, if a V8 Mustang isn’t in the cards for you, get the EcoBoost High Performance Package. It’s the real deal.
Photos by Michael S. Palmer for Mustang Forums
Join the Mustang Forums now!
You must be logged in to post a comment.