I’m looking for an exhaust for my completely stock GT. What do you guys prefer, Roush or Borla ATAK? I want to avoid headers and other performance mods for now, just want to hear your thoughts on the best cat-back exhaust for a 5.0 sound.
I just got a Roush cat-back on mine, I love how it sounds, especially at high RPMs. It also has a great cold start. I haven’t tried Borla, but I’ve heard good things about it.
If you plan to do long-tube headers later, I wouldn’t recommend Borla ATAK or Corsa extremes. Go for a slightly quieter version instead.
I went with MBRP race. I think the Borla ATAK is too raspy, personally.
LisaEcoBoost said:
I went with MBRP race. I think the Borla ATAK is too raspy, personally.
I agree with this.
Borla makes Roush and FRPP. I think the Borla ATAK and the Roush are pretty similar, but the ATAK might be a little raspier overall.
I have the ATAK on my car, and I’ve had it for a long time. I never get tired of it.
@Han
Would you say it’s too raspy, or is it more of a good kind of rasp?
Abi said:
@Han
Would you say it’s too raspy, or is it more of a good kind of rasp?
I think it’s perfect, but some of my friends say it’s borderline annoying. You only really notice it when I really push the car. Just cruising around, it’s not too bad.
I had Borla ATAK on my old 02 GT and loved it. Now I have a Roush exhaust on my 2013 GT. Both are great choices, but for the 5.0, I like the sound of the Roush more.
I just put a Borla on before the winter, and man, it’s loud but sounds amazing. Emissions shouldn’t be a problem at all. I thought about headers, but there’s no way I want my car any louder.
If you like a deep, loud sound without being too crazy, the Borla S-type with an H-pipe is the way to go.
Edit: I also wanted to check with you guys—any issues passing emissions with either exhaust? I’m in Arizona, and I don’t want any issues because of the exhaust.
I had the Borla ATAK on my '19 GT. It’s aggressive and loud, but I thought it was perfect. The Corsa is loud too, but the sound wasn’t as clean. Cold start is amazing, deep, and no drone.
I’ll send you a video of my setup.
I did an H-pipe resonator delete with Roush. Best muscle car sound. Borla is too raspy and too common. I went with H-pipe and FloMaster American Thunder. A guy at Cars & Coffee has the Roush, and his is louder. Mine has a deeper rumble. You should listen to different cars and talk to other Mustang owners. Headphones and sound clips online don’t show the true sound. Good luck!
I got to hear both the ATAK and S-type at a carwash (both on Mustang GTs). The ATAK was too loud for me. I loved the sound of the S-type with an X-pipe.
I ended up going with the S-type with an X-pipe.
I put a Borla ATAK cat-back on my '14 GT over 8 years ago. It’s perfect. I never had the urge to change it. The cold start always gets compliments from people around. It’s loud but not too loud. Any louder, and I’d feel bad waking people up. A cold start in winter while scraping my windshield is probably an alarm for some people.
Both are really raspy. A lot of Coyotes sound terrible because they try to make a V8 sound too muscle-car-like. It’s not a muscle car. It’s a high-rev track car. It’s better to keep the volume down.
I posted a video of my Roush cat-back about a week ago. Check it out. It’s with an X-pipe, no active exhaust. 22 GT
I have the ATAK on my 2020 GT500, and my friend has the Roush on his 5.0.
He wishes he got the Borla ATAK instead.
It has a bit of rasp on the high end, but it’s not annoying. It sounds perfect for the car. I get more pops and burbles too. Cold starts shake the house, and my neighbors always mention it. YouTube doesn’t do it justice.
The best part is, there’s no drone in the cabin while driving. I found that the Roush had a bit of drone.
Hope this helps. I also have a JLT Big Air Intake, but that’s it.