Review of the Mustang Mach E
electrek.co
electrek.co
Even then, I'd probably have bought one if it wasn't for the name, and the friggin screen. It bugs me calling that thing a Mustang. Though, I'm sure it'll sell well, and people like me will just grumble when we see one on the street. And no doubt that stupid screen will start showing up in more cars too.
One of the things I've disliked about teslas is the massive touch screen in the middle, and I'm disappointed to see that this has it too, but in most other ways I find this pretty interesting.
It did things, the UI was spartan, but not confusing. Compared to the Tesla Model 3 I've test driven, the experience there seemed the same to me. Maybe a little better since the control wheel meant some things can be done without touch, and having a secondary driver display in front of me meant less looking to the side. I can't comment on it for long term use, of course. The sales person was confused why I'd want to turn it off, and didn't know if it was possible, though that means, well, nothing. I didn't explore it much, since my gut feel by this point was "no buy", and I didn't feel compelled to talk myself out of that.
I immediately see something like that and have a built in hatred of it. I picked my daily driver partially because I confirmed I could turn off (not just dim) the infotainment screen, and dim most everything else. When I drive, I want to drive, not have a screen blaring at me.
Clearly, based off car design trends, I'm in the minority here.
As far as justifying my "it's not really a Mustang" comment, you just have to... you know... look at it. It's a crossover SUV. SUVs don't drive like sports cars. Higher center of gravity, more suspension travel distance and heavier body which means more body roll. In that sense, the reviews I've read match my expectations because it couldn't have been another way. Instantaneous torque, which is fun, but bland steering and some body roll. So an electric SUV that vaguely resembles a Mustang.
I think I have to agree with you here, that's a more accurate description.
I wonder if it'll be like the Toyota Corolla Matrix, as it was known for its first year, subsequently just the Toyota Matrix. (Different story there; it actually was a Corolla body so I could get all sorts of aftermarket suspension parts even for a just-released car...)
Come to think of it, all sorts of brands have launched with a bridge year, haven't they? I won't be surprised if future years of this car are simply known as the Ford Mach-E, but for now they're trading on the cachet of the Mustang brand.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/25/17282562/ford-focus-musta...
For perspective, dropping the wheelbase, height, and weight of current Mustang by that much puts you in a car roughly the size of a BRZ, but as tall as a first generation Miata.
Since you’re making references to the agility of the thing (wheelbase and weight), I’d be curious how the Mach E does in the real world, though. (Do people even buy Mustangs with this in mind?)
Also, it weighed about 1000 pounds less the current ICE Mustang.
Ford has so many great nameplates to use for future electric models: Galaxie, Lighting (high spec F-150e perhaps?), Fusion, Orion, Probe, Skyliner, Sunliner, and Starliner. I hope to see many of them on upcoming cars
As a former Mustang owner I'm not a huge fan of this branding, but that said... it sure as hell can't get worse than this!
https://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/10/02-ug...
> But to get that fast, you are downshifting, red-lining, and hitting gears jerky and hard in most fast gas-powered cars. It feels and sounds like you are doing real damage to the struggling engine that was not designed to do this often.
As a car enthusiast (and multi-Mustang owner) I feel like this statement really hurts the credibility of the review. The current Mustang GT is brutally fast for a street car and certainly does NOT feel like the engine is struggling or is going to explode at 7600 RPMs. In fact, it feels buttery smooth at all RPMs. With the Performance Package, you can drive these on a racetrack in the desert and you'll run out of gas before the engine breaks a sweat. It's a car designed to handle the idiots who buy them (too bad the idiots who buy them can't handle the car).
That being said, most of the enthusiast reviews of the Mach E have been positive. The major complaints seem to be around the height of the driving position, and the relatively underwhelming handling (0.86g on the skidpad vs 0.95g for the Model 3 Performance, or the 1.0+g of the performance package ICE Mustangs).
This is on my radar due to curiosity, but I think I'll probably end up with a Model 3 Performance due wanting something with handling chops.
tl;dw: he likes it a lot.
First thing, the range sucks. The range on the Model Y already is borderline for me, dropping another 15 miles off the top is rough.
Next, no option for a tow hitch? I know there are likely after market options, but a factory hitch is usually just a little nicer. The Tesla even has a tow mode where it changes the way the backing cameras and autopilot works to account for the trailer. Not a total deal breaker but I tend to have a bike rack on my hitch all the time.
I can't see why anyone would get the AWD version of this. It's $3000 more and has 20 miles less range.
The only reason the Mustang is interesting at all is because it still qualifies for the $10k government rebates.
Having a bike rack affixed to your car destroys your aerodynamics, so it's kinda funny that you're complaining about 15 miles when a bike rack probably strips that much from the Model Y.
AWD is great for racing, perfectly inline with the mustang brand. And again, who cares about range for a sports car.
If you want to look at it as a performance vehicle, it's a pretty sad offering for a EV. The Model Y Long Range completely crushes it in terms of performance and Range.
But since you don't care about utility, you'd probably go for the Model 3 where the performance differences are even greater.
The Mustang's performance numbers might look interesting for an ICE vehicle, but they are purely middle of the pack for an EV. Calling the Mustang EV a sports car is like calling a 70s Pinto with a 6 banger a performance car.
EDIT: FWIW, I've had a hitch rack on my car for the past 9 years, I'm quite aware of the impact it has on range.
There's a great scene in the recent Ford V Ferrari, where Christian Bale's character Ken Miles goes off on a Ford exec for making a crappy car. The clip is on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFX_Oc5fAM
It's not middle of the pack for a sports car. Middle of the pack for any EV. It's competitive speed wise with only the slowest base Teslas. It's slower than the mid-range Cybertruck will be.
I guess they can brag about being faster than the Nissan Leaf!
I wouldn't want the Mustang's AWD version because it has even worse range than the already mediocre range the base model has. For comparison, the Model 3 Long Range (their base AWD model) has 115 miles more range and is faster.
If you like camping or going on adventures outdoors, that's a pretty big deal.
You can learn more by watching this Webex with the design team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UABOgZR1txY