I stradle the fence. I have a ~450rwhp mustang and I'm working on a ~400rwhp 2.3L .... I Found the 2.3L to be really cheap to make fast, the turbo / standalone fuel system are where I Forked it out. As far as whats easier and whats harder, converting to a 5.0 is a hell of alot less wiring, you just toss in a 5.0 computer and forward harness, put an 8.8 rear in, and a T5 WC and your a 5.0 LX ready to roll, I could do the entire swap in one day no problem. It takes alot of time to make some serious power out of a 2.3L. I blew off stock heads and went right for a fully massively ported stock head, and a hybrid turbo w/ a standalone fuel system, I expect to make 400rwhp at around 25psi with a little dyno tuning. So, either way its fun, as far as handling goes, a 2.3T motor weighs about 100 lbs less than a 5.0, not much at all really.