Magnaflow or Borla?

[Baseballbum]

I'm interested in upgrading my exhaust, but I don't want to increase the interior noise at freeway speeds. Especially the drone some systems create around 2000-2500 RPM.

 

[UNBROKEN]

You don’t want either one you listed then. You want the Thermal R&D built system Whoosh Motorsports sells.

 

[Baseballbum]

What do they do different?

 

[UNBROKEN]

Theirs doesn’t drone. The Magnaflow system reportedly drones horribly...probably the worst of the bunch.

 

[Baseballbum]

I wish I knew somebody who has made the change. It would suck to get it done and not like the sound. I'm an old guy. I like my quiet drives when I'm not stomping on it. LOL

 

[F=MA]

I previously had the Borla S-type and it had zero drone. I purchased the Borla before the Magnaflow was available. I personally prefer the lower tone of the Magnaflow setup. I currently have the Magnaflow system with stock downpipes. I mainly drive in town and/or on the urban freeways say 70 to 80 mph for 10 to 20 miles at a time. Drones at 1600 to 2000 rpm (range changes with burn-in) mainly in 9th and 10th gears which are overdrive gears. I put it in manual mode and 8th gear (which is also an overdrive gear) and the rpm's go up and the drone goes away. Don't have anyone at this time I trust to mig/tig weld helmholtz pipes on to kill the drone.

 

[STJIM]

I’ve have the Borla S system for about 8,000 miles I drive about 50/50 town and freeway. 0 drone at anytime. i don’t believe there is any performance increase but it sure looks and sounds 100 % better. Jim

 

[yngrshr]

You don’t want either one you listed then. You want the Thermal R&D built system Whoosh Motorsports sells.

This. This is my ST:

 

[Honeybadger]

This. This is my ST:

How does it sound inside the cabin?

 

[F=MA]

Borla S Type vs Magnaflow #19515

I prefer the deeper tone of the magnaflow plus its a full length 2.5 inch system versus a partial 2.25 inch system. The 1600 thru 2000 rpm drone I can deal with by raising the rpm's by manually downshifting to 8th gear on the highway. In 8th gear rpms are high enough that the drone is gone. 8th gear is still an overdrive gear so it may be revving 2300 or so depending on speed. Sometimes I shift to 9th if I am going 80+ mph or so. Just was on a multi-hour road trip and it was fine dealing with the drone this way. You can rev up the magnaflow exhaust with the OEM downpipes and it does not crackle back like some I have heard with SPD downpipes.

 

[Bran1226]

Just picked up my st two days ago and I’ve been scouring the Internet trying to decide which exhaust I want. It’s between Borla atak or thermal.

 

[jrgoffin]

A simple H-pipe in place of the resonator is a perfect change. Nice little up-tick in rumble and zero drone. It's how it should have sounded from the factory.

https://www.shopmrt.com/2020-Ford-Explorer-ST-MRT-HiFlow-H-Pipe-p/90r227.htm

 

[yngrshr]

How does it sound inside the cabin?

Sounds great. Has a very nice growl at WOT but zero drone.

Wife and I just got back from a round trip to Fort Lauderdale (from North NJ). Zero complaints from the wife and I enjoyed the sound when I got on it.

 

[bender953]

I have the Borla S-type/ No drone to speak of. Only complaint is I get very random backfire type pops when downshifting after the system is warmed up.

 

[Honeybadger]

Sounds great. Has a very nice growl at WOT but zero drone.

Wife and I just got back from a round trip to Fort Lauderdale (from North NJ). Zero complaints from the wife and I enjoyed the sound when I got on it.

Perfect, sounds like the exhaust for me. The girlfriend doesn't like the fake noise, so might as well add the real thing. I may have to keep the old though, apparently I am having auto start stop issue when remote starting...

 

[GKSTCA]

I prefer Borla to all the rest , a matter of personal preference. I started out with the Borla S and switched to the ATAK. People on this site indicated the ATAK was too loud and I bought into it but its not true. But again I have a 2016 GT350, a 2018 Hellcat and a 2008 Will Cooksey Z06 so its all relative. our ST's are only 3.0 L and twin turbos, the turbos inherently quieten the exhaust note so in my opinion the Borla ATAK brings a throaty sound back into it. Its like a good tequila and all subject to personal opinion.

 

[Bran1226]

I prefer Borla to all the rest , a matter of personal preference. I started out with the Borla S and switched to the ATAK. People on this site indicated the ATAK was too loud and I bought into it but its not true. But again I have a 2016 GT350, a 2018 Hellcat and a 2008 Will Cooksey Z06 so its all relative. our ST's are only 3.0 L and twin turbos, the turbos inherently quieten the exhaust note so in my opinion the Borla ATAK brings a throaty sound back into it. Its like a good tequila and all subject to personal opinion.

I just ordered the Borla atak and a turbo smart dual bov. Should be here in a day or two. From what I’ve read everyone was saying thermal r&d but wanted that throaty sound

 

[Tommyc]

So after researching and listening to videos I like the thermal. Now do I get the mid pipes as well? Any advantage or dis advantage? Thank you for any suggestions.
Tommy

 

[Tommyc]

This is for a 2021. Sorry forgot to add that. Mid pipes would be downpipe back

 

[F=MA]

I believe the OEM downpipes are 2.5 in (correct me if I am wrong), OEM mid-pipes are 2.25 in and Thermal is 2.5 in. No sense leaving the smaller OEM mid-pipes (versus 2.5 in Thermal mid-pipes) in place to be the bottleneck of the entire system.