I have a 5.0L V8 1997 Mercury Mountaineer. I already got a KN FIPK Cold-Air Intake that worked WONDERS. Sometime in the future I would like to put a cat-back exhaust system on it. The catch is, there are tons of companies (edelbrock, gibson, magnaflow, flowmaster, dynomax, etc.) and I don‘t know a whole lot about cat-back exhaust systems. I‘m not looking for SOUND at all, I‘m looking for performance gains like I accomplished with installing the cold-air intake. I want a cat-back exhaust that is going to help my car function easier/better and therefore improve power and fuel economy and all that other good stuff. I‘m not concerned with how it looks or sounds, I‘m concerned with the health and performance of my car. Which company is the best for that in regards for my vehicle, or how could I figure it out on my own? Some of those companies don‘t even have something for my particular vehicle, but I know that they can pretty much finesse whatever you want. THANKS
Most of the cat backs sold are in smaller pieces so the average guy can install them without a lift. Exhaust systems with large pipes can't usually be hooked around the axle, etc. without the car being lifted high off of the ground. It's usually better and cheaper to have a custom exhaust made for your car in less pieces at a good performance shop. You could also add a resonator to make a performance exhaust quieter without losing much performance. All of the brands you mentioned are among the best and will perform well. Don't go too large on the pipes, particularly with a dual exhaust. You'll lose velocity, gas scavenging and power at low RPMs. The gains from a performance exhaust or any other bolt-on are minimal and splitting hairs about the difference between different performance exhaust systems is a waste of time. It's mostly what you like the sound of. If you want real horsepower gains. boost or engine internals are the only way. The Magnaflows are pretty loud, but perform very well. I have them. Their cat back kits are among the pricier ones out there. You could have a shop put on something sturdier that comes in less pieces with the same mufflers for less money.
Magnaflow usually has the best model coverage and they have a mellow muted tone, performance wise they're all pretty close. For longevity, pay the extra for the stainless steel system.
