Surprisingly, not much.
In fact, Ford engineers and designers did a fantastic job capturing the muscular acceleration and good handling of the Mustang and packing it into a non-petrol, rear-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive pony car. It was a massive stretch and they took it away.
Although the version I was driving was a first edition, not the high-performance Mach-E GT that won’t be available until later, it was so much fun that I had to remember that I took it a little easy : the police, you know, like I do when I drive a Mustang GT coupe with a V8 engine.
According to Ford, the Mach-E can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in about five seconds, and that seems very correct. There are faster SUVs, but that’s fast enough. Driving along a winding country road, the Mach-E makes a good corner. It’s balanced and doesn’t lean too far to the side. The petrol Mustang coupe works great, but it’s not exactly a lightweight sports car with ultra-precise steering and the Mach-E shares that personality. He’s a little strong, maybe, but he can dance surprisingly well. Maybe taking it to a racetrack would reveal some handling flaws, but especially for an SUV, it felt fantastic on the public road.
The steering, which becomes stiffer and more sensitive as it goes through the different driving modes (whispered, engaged and unbridled), may have felt a little sleepy, but again not as different from the Mustang coupe. The brakes felt good, although I kept the Mach-E fixed “A pedal driving,” so I didn’t have to use them much. When driving a pedal, lifting the foot off the accelerator braked the car as if it were gently pressing the brakes. As he lifted, the electric motors spun, pushed by the wheels instead of upside down, and the energy they generated in this way was put back into the batteries.
It is a common feature of electric cars. The Mach-E is a bit annoying at low speeds, often giving a bit of a “hit” as the accelerator pedal lifts, but it’s smooth and fun at higher speeds. (The annoyance of low speed can be reduced with subsequent software upgrades, a Ford spokesman said).
The first edition of the 346-horsepower Mach-E he drove had a base price of $ 50,000, not including a $ 7,500 federal tax credit. The models of the first edition are already sold out, but the Premium models with all-wheel drive offer the same performance at a slightly lower price. Prices for low-end versions start at $ 40,000. The 480-horsepower Mach-E GT will be available later with a starting price of $ 60,500.
For Mustang buyers accustomed to a 460-horsepower car with a $ 36,000 V8 engine, those prices might seem offline. But this is an electric crossover SUV with optional all-wheel drive, four doors and seats for five.
However, the Mach-E has some issues. For one thing, exterior door handles (or exterior door knobs) seem unnecessarily high-tech and demanding. I understand that having soft, nice buttons saves a bit of aerodynamic drag, but I’d rather grab a handle and pull to get in my car.
Even with the help of the FordPass app, chargers were often hard to find in part because I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. They could also be confusing to connect. Chargers from different companies work differently with the app. In some cases, using the app was not necessary to start charging the SUV. In other cases, it was.
Most people who buy a Mach-E Mustang, just like most people who own a Tesla, will have a charger installed at home, which will easily handle their charging needs most of the time. Publicly available chargers are a convenience for long trips. But they offer reassurance to those thinking of buying an EV and, in my experience with Tesla and (so far) Ford chargers, the advantage lies with Tesla.
As for the SUV itself, however, Ford achieved a great result in this part. The Mustang family should do it be proud of your new member.