AWE vs Borla Exhaust Review. Answers, not questions.

[RTG]

So how loud is Borla while towing? Any drone while towing?

I have not towed with that TRX. Never had any drone under any other situation though. I wouldn't think it would be much loader at a static RPM but when towing it will downshift more and rev higher on the hills so yeah, it will make some noise during those times.

 

[AV8R737]

Looking for the best deal on an ATAK system.

What ya got?!

 

[MERAKI AUTOWORKS]

Looking for the best deal on an ATAK system.

What ya got?!

I'll message you.

-Josh

 

[esm]

I have not towed with that TRX. Never had any drone under any other situation though. I wouldn't think it would be much loader at a static RPM but when towing it will downshift more and rev higher on the hills so yeah, it will make some noise during those times.

Such a tough decision! I have the AWE mufflers on my 700hp, 2013 Z06 with heads/cam and catted headers. It got rid of all the drone the stock mufflers had when the valves were open.

I'm almost thinking Borla would be the go-to with everything else stock. But if I wanted to add a Dusterhoff package later, AWE might be the better choice.

 

[cgr]

Corsa is awesome! No questions - just awesome sound!

 

[-Vanguard-]

This debate was settled years ago on the Jeep trackhawk. Borla atak was hands down the best exhaust.

I lived in an apartment building at the time. When I swapped to the atak and remote started my car in the garage from my bedroom ( 4 floors up) I could hear and feel the cold start.

The first floor neighbors hated me lol That thing really was an angry dragon walking up.

 

[2021HBTRX]

Borla atak if your not doing headers, but if you are then I would go another route. I went with AWE with SW headers and it's still really loud at times.

 

[MCooper]

I posted this in November on another exhaust post:


I had the AWE installed first on my TRX, and a couple of weeks later the Borla went onto the wife’s TRX. There are a lot of opinions out there, and everyone thinks their system in best. It's like that when we spend money, we have a personal stake in being right.

Without the ability to hear both systems side by side, with your own ears, it's really a leap of online faith. Based on online reviews, I expected to like both systems, but I was wrong. There is one clear winner, and there is one clear path that will be best for most TRX owners. One exhaust makes me wonder if it is better than OEM. The other produces an uncontrollable smile like the first time I saw big tits.

As I ordered both systems from Johnny @ Just Bolt Ons, I thought I would take decibel readings and hit you with nerd statistics, make a real nerd post that covers all the bases. But this wasn't even close, and I’m not a nerd, so I won’t bother.

Instead, I have developed a scientific approach to help TRX owners pick which exhaust is best for them. Follow the science, and complete this quiz to learn which aftermarket exhaust is best for you.

TRX EXHAUST: AWE VS BORLA QUIZ:
1. Would you like to get a BJ from the hottest women you ever met while driving down the highway at 110MPH? If you answered yes, you definitely want Borla.
2. Would you like to give your husband a BJ, while he is driving at a moderate rate of speed to a Barbara Streisand concert? If you answered yes, you want AWE.
3. Do you pass fords at 6500 RPM just because? Borla!
4. Do you wish your TRX was a Ford? AWE
5. Do you carry multiple guns in your vehicle at all times? Borla!
6. Do you think guns are scary? AWE
7. Do you want your neighbors to feel and hear the sound of American Freedom every morning? Borla!
8. Are you afraid that your husbands boyfriend will accuse you of having toxic masculinity? AWE
9. Do you want to smile every morning when you push the START button? Borla!
10. Do you think nobody should smile because Donald Trump is president? AWE

Now where does this leave me? I own both. If I had to do it over again, I would have replaced the broken OEM section and installed Borla on both vehicles. Now I am normally an "if it aint broke don't fix it" kind of guy, but I wish I had installed Borla when it was first released. This thing has improved my quality of life...but only when I drive my wife's truck

For the unconvinced:

Packaging: TIE
Tie: Both companies did a great job packaging their products for safe transport.

Free stuff: BORLA
Borla included directions, a hat and stickers. AWE included directions.

Directions: TIE
Tie: Both companies included clear and easy to understand directions.

Aesthetics: Borla
The AWE 5" black tips are not deep enough, they are too short. When driving behind the AWE/TRX your eyes see the silver 3" pipe inside of the 5" black tips. This is really noticeable at night with headlights, looks like a rebel exhaust from behind (AWE pro tip, buy chrome tips so the 3" metal pipes blend in better, the 3" pipe will still be visible however).
The Borla 5" black chrome tips on the other hand are cavernous. They are so much deeper and look better from every angle. You do not see the 3" pipes from behind, just a dark black abyss that imprisons the soul of every ford driver you pass.

Sound at start up: Borla
This isn’t even close.
The AWE sounds fine, sounds nice, but when cold starting the AWE, my mind wonders if is this was actually better than stock (side by side, it was, but not by a huge margin). The AWE is 2 decibels louder than OEM at cold start, but quickly settles down to a subtle, deep rumble.
The Borla fires up with authority like you awoke a sleeping dragon. This thing rumbles up front and out back like nothing I had heard from a TRX. Borla takes a fair bit longer to settle down, it is actually loud while warming up. Absolutely louder than OEM.

Sound at normal driving speeds: Different strokes for different folks
The AWE is quieter than OEM while driving down the highway. If you spend a bunch of time on the phone, or really want to hear the lyrics of the latest Beyonce song, then this is a real advantage for AWE.
Borla calms down to a civilized rumble but you still know you're holding the thunder god by the leash. At a constant speed it's as loud as OEM, but sounds better.

Sound when standing on the peddle: Borla
The AWE has a nice, deep toned, bab-bab-bab rumble and sounds different than OEM. This is where AWE sounds best, while driving hard, sounds better than OEM when making power. But also leaves you wishing for more of that rumble when it goes away.
Borla screams. Borla wants to kill fords. Borla drank moonshine and is at the Motley Crue concert. Borla is just a twitch of the peddle away from screaming, and you feel it when driving.

I know this post may bother some AWE owners, and AWE is better if you yap on the phone a lot or if you want the drive through operator to understand what you're ordering. But I don't think that is why most people buy a TRX.

Best write up I have ever read!

 

[enve46]

I’d respectfully disagree, Borla was one of the worst sounding exhausts next to the muffler delete on the TRX platform. It’s just, loud. Loud is good when there’s refinement. My current truck has the AWE and it’s hands down better, to my ears. Some people like loud for being loud, I prefer refinement over loud. The AWE, to me, gives me a loud exhaust that also is pleasant to listen to. The Borla I installed lasted 2-3 weeks before I went back to stock.

 

[DMR]

I’d respectfully disagree, Borla was one of the worst sounding exhausts next to the muffler delete on the TRX platform. It’s just, loud. Loud is good when there’s refinement. My current truck has the AWE and it’s hands down better, to my ears. Some people like loud for being loud, I prefer refinement over loud. The AWE, to me, gives me a loud exhaust that also is pleasant to listen to. The Borla I installed lasted 2-3 weeks before I went back to stock.

If you hated the Borla Atak set up, listen to the Atak paired with the gt haus cats. Makes the stock and awe set up sound like a Prius.

 

[enve46]

If you hated the Borla Atak set up, listen to the Atak paired with the gt haus cats. Makes the stock and awe set up sound like a Prius.

Makes me think I’d hate it more hahaha how are the GT haus cats? I am no fan of catless hellcat vehicles.

Guess my age is showing here hahaha I did have a 69 Camaro with a healthy 427 big block that was not quiet but can we really beat the sound of a healthy big block

 

[MyWifeLetMe]

I’d respectfully disagree, Borla was one of the worst sounding exhausts next to the muffler delete on the TRX platform. It’s just, loud. Loud is good when there’s refinement. My current truck has the AWE and it’s hands down better, to my ears. Some people like loud for being loud, I prefer refinement over loud. The AWE, to me, gives me a loud exhaust that also is pleasant to listen to. The Borla I installed lasted 2-3 weeks before I went back to stock.

Any of the exhaust systems with the h-pipe(afe vulcan or awe) are going to give it a deeper and throatier sound than the x-pipe exhaust systems. I'm in the minority having the afe system, but having it paired with the ARH mid length headers and stock cats, it sounds really good. Not too loud or alot of drone inside, but loud on the outside or with the windows down. But a deep and throaty loud, not raspy and obnoxious

 

[enve46]

Any of the exhaust systems with the h-pipe(afe vulcan or awe) are going to give it a deeper and throatier sound than the x-pipe exhaust systems. I'm in the minority having the afe system, but having it paired with the ARH mid length headers and stock cats, it sounds really good. Not too loud or alot of drone inside, but loud on the outside or with the windows down. But a deep and throaty loud, not raspy and obnoxious

Would love to hear your set up.

 

[MyWifeLetMe]

Would love to hear your set up.

I don't have any clips real good clips of it, and the clips I tried to load were too big. But this is the same setup I have

I think that first video was just the catback exhaust with stock manifolds, the second is with headers

 

[DMR]

Makes me think I’d hate it more hahaha how are the GT haus cats? I am no fan of catless hellcat vehicles.

Guess my age is showing here hahaha I did have a 69 Camaro with a healthy 427 big block that was not quiet but can we really beat the sound of a healthy big block

Sounds mean and took the atak to the next level. The initial crack at cold start is loud! Once it warms up it almost sounds cammed with the chop. Cat less is way to unrefined but the catted pipes from gt haus provided the burble and shift barks without the clap clap clap of cat less. Nothing like the sound of a big block. Love me an old muscle car sound.

 

[enve46]

Sounds mean and took the atak to the next level. The initial crack at cold start is loud! Once it warms up it almost sounds cammed with the chop. Cat less is way to unrefined but the catted pipes from gt haus provided the burble and shift barks without the clap clap clap of cat less. Nothing like the sound of a big block. Love me an old muscle car sound.

Not as bad as I thought but a little raspy for my liking. I’m sure that’s rowdy under WOT.

 

[enve46]

I don't have any clips real good clips of it, and the clips I tried to load were too big. But this is the same setup I have

I think that first video was just the catback exhaust with stock manifolds, the second is with headers

Sounds better with the headers for sure.

 

[MCooper]

I’d respectfully disagree, Borla was one of the worst sounding exhausts next to the muffler delete on the TRX platform. It’s just, loud. Loud is good when there’s refinement. My current truck has the AWE and it’s hands down better, to my ears. Some people like loud for being loud, I prefer refinement over loud. The AWE, to me, gives me a loud exhaust that also is pleasant to listen to. The Borla I installed lasted 2-3 weeks before I went back to stock.

Interesting. So AWE vs Borla is that much different? Those are the 2 systems the shop I am using recommended but after reading some reviews it sounds like AWE isn’t loud at all when driving.

 

[MyWifeLetMe]

Sounds better with the headers for sure.

I have no complaints. And the 6 inch exhaust tips fill the bumper cutouts well

 

[MyWifeLetMe]

Interesting. So AWE vs Borla is that much different? Those are the 2 systems the shop I am using recommended but after reading some reviews it sounds like AWE isn’t loud at all when driving.

It depends on what sound you are looking for. Loud and raspy(x-pipe) or deep and throaty(h-pipe)
While the awe might not be as loud, because it does have resonators/mufflers in it, it has the more old school muscle sound. A cheaper route for this sound, would be to go with the afe Vulcan exhaust. It has both x-pipe and h-pipe. It is loud and has the muscle car rumble. I did the ARH mid length headers before I did the catback, so I cant say what it sounds like with stock manifold. But you can get a general idea from the 2 videos I posted above of what the afe sounds like