AMA: I test drove a Mach-E GT Performance Edition and Model Y Long Range - and I bought a MYP

[AndroidAuto]

First EV experience was the Model Y Long Range. Second was the Mach-E GT Performance. After testing the Mach-E, I would make the purchase for a Model Y Performance with white interior and trailer hitch. Ask me anything. Or not. It doesn’t bother me.

If there is anyone on the fence about a Model Y or Mach-E; I miiiiight be able to help answer questions. This is coming from someone who had no preference for the brands, per se. They both have their strengths. They both have different target customers, in a sense. I am not an EV expert, I approached this as any consumer not wanting to waste $70k on a purchase would approach it; trying to make the most sensible purchase.

So yeah, how about those cars? Hard to find, and pretty impressed that I could even find a GT Performance Edition to test drive.

 

[mrwug]

What made the difference for you?

 

[jcanoe]

Did the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition have the Ford Magneride suspension? How does the ride compare with the Long Range Model Y? Did you get to drive the Performance Model Y?

 

[AndroidAuto]

What made the difference for you?

TLDR: Delays, pricing games, old-school dealership sales tactics, too ICE’y, Sync infotainment, charging experience, range, towing, fit and finish

1. Delays - dealership told me GT Performance models are backordered 12-18 months. People on the Mach-E forums have since told me that is a lie, and basically I shouldn’t trust the dealer. So - enter a 70k financial transaction with shady characters. Got it. I bought my Model Y in my pajamas on my couch, drinking a beer, watching the Matrix, and eating popcorn. While Tesla has increased the price of their vehicles; the transaction is very transparent - with delivery dates, with pricing, etc. Ford website says 28weeks+ for delivery - which doesn’t exactly narrow down the delivery date. Ford dealers tell me 12-18 months. Random internet strangers tell me a different number. Tesla is like…..hey buddy, does March sound good to you?
2. Pricing games - above MSRP pricing. I already wasn’t looking forward to having to bother every family member or friend to see if they have discount pricing at Ford; but when they told me 12-18 months, I knew that would eliminate any financing/monthly payment goals I have (I have a high amount of confidence that I will be able to take delivery of my Model Y with 1.74% financing in 60 days. I have no clue what financing will look like in 1.5yrs. I also did not have confidence that the $7500 tax credit would still be around in 12-18 months.
3. Old school dealership sales tactics - the first two points make it obvious; the dealership was playing games, and I had a taste of the Tesla experience already. The only path forward with the dealer was going to be to pay $78k for a $69k car with several thousands miles on it (yeah - the odometer had a couple thousand miles on it from all the test drives), or… wait 12-18 months. I am a millennial; patience is not in my vocabulary, and I don’t like to feel like I am getting ripped off
4. Too ICE’y. Most people entering the drivers seat of a Tesla have a feeling of; wow this is the future, this is really sweet. The Mach-E could have been any rental on the Avis lot, were it not for the big screen (more on that big screen later). The circular gear shifter definitely reminds me of a rental car. The regen breaking was reallllly weak - weak like a hybrid car. I am not sure if Ford is trying to make the Mach-E drive more like a ICE car - where you can take your foot off the gas and cruise a little, or they don’t want users to experience overly harsh regen breaking. Maybe this lack of aggressive regen breaking is why the range is less on the Mach-E. The Mach-E was nice, and if Tesla did not exist - it would probably set the standard for this type of vehicle. But in comparison to the MY, the Mach-E was just not that unique or inspiring. I didn’t leave the Mach-E feeling like I made some monumental jump in technology or driving experience. The Model Y experience more easily justifies the 70k price tag than the Mach-E, and the Mach-E just seems like a bad bargain when above MSRP pricing is factored in
5. Sync Infotainment / Navigation - Tesla premium connectivity is wicked - nothing even close on the Ford. The Ryzen chip makes the system even smoother. Ford’s Sync system is something I have never been impressed with. I was hoping it would have been more improved for the Mach-E, but it is sluggish, laggy, and lacking in features. I couldn’t easily see if stops on the route had DC chargers or not. The dealership didn’t even know how to use the system that well, and it just didn’t demo well.
6. Charging experience - Tesla has this figured out. Not only with the infotainment easily guiding me to DC fast chargers, but also the payment authorization process. This isn’t necessarily unique to Ford, but every vehicle that isn’t a Tesla. The whole experience is clunky. If I go to a Tesla charger, and walk in to a restaurant to eat; I have confidence it won’t randomly stop charging, or have some issue. From what I understand, no other vendor has anything close to Tesla (maybe they are prototyping stuff - but I am a buyer today (well yesterday), not in 18 months or 3 years).
7. Range. Lack of regen. First time EV buyer worried about range and cold weather performance.
8. Towing - I couldn’t really get a good answer on if this was supported and wouldn’t void a warranty. More confusing than straightforward; with it being a 70k purchase, I am not trying to mess around and void a warranty over a trailer hitch. Tesla is very up front about 3500lb support, with factory installed towing package
9. Fit and finish. I was looking at an almost 80k Mach-E, after dealer markup. The fit and finish of the vehicle was nice, but not 80k nice, and not really even 70k nice. The white interior of the Model Y looks nicer. The Mach-E has a cheap privacy screen over the hatch, that was also broken on the demo car. The privacy screen was pretty cheap, and made me think there are a lot of components from the parts bin at Ford (that is to say - a lot of cheap plastic bits and pieces that could easily be seen in any 20-30k Ford on a rental lot)

The Mach-E was nice, but the dealer was trying to play games, and milk the consumer for every penny they had. It immediately eliminated any pipedream idea I had about the Mach-E being a better value. What good is a $7500 tax credit, if the dealer is just going to mark it up 8-9-10k?

Did the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition have the Ford Magneride suspension? How does the ride compare with the Long Range Model Y? Did you get to drive the Performance Model Y?

It did have the Magneride suspension. When we first drove it, the vehicle seemed to bounce around at lower speeds - more so than the Model Y. It seemed to get less bouncy as we drove around. Not too bad going over railroad tracks. The tires are definitely looking to be cheaper than what it costs for the 21” Uberturbines. The Mach-E doesn’t seem to have as much of a learning curve with driving as a Model Y (took a few minutes in the Model Y to get used to it). The regen breaking in the Mach-E is practically nonexistent compared to a Tesla. Ford also only provides 1 regen mode (regen on), whereas the Tesla allowed us to configure it.

I have not drove a Performance Model Y. Tesla service center told me that due to end of quarter, the SC liquidates all their demo vehicles and they start new quarter fresh. I have only drove a Model Y Long Range. The steering in the Model Y LR felt quicker/more nimble. I did not drive the vehicles on the same day, or same weather conditions; so that factors in to how easily I can compare/contrast the driving experience. In short; the MY LR and Mach-E GT Performance appeared to drive pretty similar. Both vehicles seem to have blind spots, but I felt more unsure about my surroundings when changing lanes in the Mach-E. There seemed to be more windows to observe your surroundings in the Model Y, whereas the B-pillar in the Mach-E seemed to negatively impact my comfort level w/ surroundings. I wish I could compare the MYP ride quality to the GTPE ride quality, as I can’t really say if the MYLR or GTPE had better ride quality.

Summary: Tesla makes EV ownership seem realistic. Tesla makes the whole idea very approachable. Tesla makes me feel…..like I am in better hands with this 70k purchase. Their sales people (everyone I’ve worked with at least) are just cool, no pressure, not sleazy, no problems attitude, and they have all the knowledge needed to walk us through the process. In other words, this isn’t Tesla’s first rodeo. Ford…..well, they are just figuring out how to build EV’s, charge them, sell them - and it shows. The entire experience at Ford was abstract and made the idea of owning a EV seem difficult or inconvenient, unless I wanted to get ripped off. They didn’t know the ins and outs of the vehicle, they don’t know the charging experience, they basically seem ill-prepared to support me as a customer. It feels Ford is half heartedly approaching the EV industry, whereas Tesla is showing up to win. Ford needs to improve the dealership experience, massively improve the infotainment system, and quit reusing parts from cheaper models in their flagship vehicles; there is a reason the Mach-E is cheaper than the Model Y.

 

[jcanoe]

The regen breaking in the Mach-E is practically nonexistent compared to a Tesla. Ford also only provides 1 regen mode (regen on), whereas the Tesla allowed us to configure it.

Tesla removed the option in the Tesla Model Y to set Low regenerative braking setting starting with Model Y vehicles built after the end of August 2020. Tesla Model Y vehicles produced after that time do not have the ability to select Low regen, only have Standard regen.

 

[DaveORD]

Tesla removed the option in the Tesla Model Y to set Low regenerative braking setting starting with Model Y vehicles built after the end of August 2020. Tesla Model Y vehicles produced after that time do not have the ability to select Low regen, only have Standard regen.

Via the car's UI yes, but it looks like the capability to change it still exists under the covers as reported earlier this week in a post about a product soon to be available... S3XY Buttons

 

[MJP.P3D-]

TLDR: Delays, pricing games, old-school dealership sales tactics, too ICE’y, Sync infotainment, charging experience, range, towing, fit and finish

1. Delays - dealership told me GT Performance models are backordered 12-18 months. People on the Mach-E forums have since told me that is a lie, and basically I shouldn’t trust the dealer. So - enter a 70k financial transaction with shady characters. Got it. I bought my Model Y in my pajamas on my couch, drinking a beer, watching the Matrix, and eating popcorn. While Tesla has increased the price of their vehicles; the transaction is very transparent - with delivery dates, with pricing, etc. Ford website says 28weeks+ for delivery - which doesn’t exactly narrow down the delivery date. Ford dealers tell me 12-18 months. Random internet strangers tell me a different number. Tesla is like…..hey buddy, does March sound good to you?
2. Pricing games - above MSRP pricing. I already wasn’t looking forward to having to bother every family member or friend to see if they have discount pricing at Ford; but when they told me 12-18 months, I knew that would eliminate any financing/monthly payment goals I have (I have a high amount of confidence that I will be able to take delivery of my Model Y with 1.74% financing in 60 days. I have no clue what financing will look like in 1.5yrs. I also did not have confidence that the $7500 tax credit would still be around in 12-18 months.
3. Old school dealership sales tactics - the first two points make it obvious; the dealership was playing games, and I had a taste of the Tesla experience already. The only path forward with the dealer was going to be to pay $78k for a $69k car with several thousands miles on it (yeah - the odometer had a couple thousand miles on it from all the test drives), or… wait 12-18 months. I am a millennial; patience is not in my vocabulary, and I don’t like to feel like I am getting ripped off
4. Too ICE’y. Most people entering the drivers seat of a Tesla have a feeling of; wow this is the future, this is really sweet. The Mach-E could have been any rental on the Avis lot, were it not for the big screen (more on that big screen later). The circular gear shifter definitely reminds me of a rental car. The regen breaking was reallllly weak - weak like a hybrid car. I am not sure if Ford is trying to make the Mach-E drive more like a ICE car - where you can take your foot off the gas and cruise a little, or they don’t want users to experience overly harsh regen breaking. Maybe this lack of aggressive regen breaking is why the range is less on the Mach-E. The Mach-E was nice, and if Tesla did not exist - it would probably set the standard for this type of vehicle. But in comparison to the MY, the Mach-E was just not that unique or inspiring. I didn’t leave the Mach-E feeling like I made some monumental jump in technology or driving experience. The Model Y experience more easily justifies the 70k price tag than the Mach-E, and the Mach-E just seems like a bad bargain when above MSRP pricing is factored in
5. Sync Infotainment / Navigation - Tesla premium connectivity is wicked - nothing even close on the Ford. The Ryzen chip makes the system even smoother. Ford’s Sync system is something I have never been impressed with. I was hoping it would have been more improved for the Mach-E, but it is sluggish, laggy, and lacking in features. I couldn’t easily see if stops on the route had DC chargers or not. The dealership didn’t even know how to use the system that well, and it just didn’t demo well.
6. Charging experience - Tesla has this figured out. Not only with the infotainment easily guiding me to DC fast chargers, but also the payment authorization process. This isn’t necessarily unique to Ford, but every vehicle that isn’t a Tesla. The whole experience is clunky. If I go to a Tesla charger, and walk in to a restaurant to eat; I have confidence it won’t randomly stop charging, or have some issue. From what I understand, no other vendor has anything close to Tesla (maybe they are prototyping stuff - but I am a buyer today (well yesterday), not in 18 months or 3 years).
7. Range. Lack of regen. First time EV buyer worried about range and cold weather performance.
8. Towing - I couldn’t really get a good answer on if this was supported and wouldn’t void a warranty. More confusing than straightforward; with it being a 70k purchase, I am not trying to mess around and void a warranty over a trailer hitch. Tesla is very up front about 3500lb support, with factory installed towing package
9. Fit and finish. I was looking at an almost 80k Mach-E, after dealer markup. The fit and finish of the vehicle was nice, but not 80k nice, and not really even 70k nice. The white interior of the Model Y looks nicer. The Mach-E has a cheap privacy screen over the hatch, that was also broken on the demo car. The privacy screen was pretty cheap, and made me think there are a lot of components from the parts bin at Ford (that is to say - a lot of cheap plastic bits and pieces that could easily be seen in any 20-30k Ford on a rental lot)

The Mach-E was nice, but the dealer was trying to play games, and milk the consumer for every penny they had. It immediately eliminated any pipedream idea I had about the Mach-E being a better value. What good is a $7500 tax credit, if the dealer is just going to mark it up 8-9-10k?



It did have the Magneride suspension. When we first drove it, the vehicle seemed to bounce around at lower speeds - more so than the Model Y. It seemed to get less bouncy as we drove around. Not too bad going over railroad tracks. The tires are definitely looking to be cheaper than what it costs for the 21” Uberturbines. The Mach-E doesn’t seem to have as much of a learning curve with driving as a Model Y (took a few minutes in the Model Y to get used to it). The regen breaking in the Mach-E is practically nonexistent compared to a Tesla. Ford also only provides 1 regen mode (regen on), whereas the Tesla allowed us to configure it.

I have not drove a Performance Model Y. Tesla service center told me that due to end of quarter, the SC liquidates all their demo vehicles and they start new quarter fresh. I have only drove a Model Y Long Range. The steering in the Model Y LR felt quicker/more nimble. I did not drive the vehicles on the same day, or same weather conditions; so that factors in to how easily I can compare/contrast the driving experience. In short; the MY LR and Mach-E GT Performance appeared to drive pretty similar. Both vehicles seem to have blind spots, but I felt more unsure about my surroundings when changing lanes in the Mach-E. There seemed to be more windows to observe your surroundings in the Model Y, whereas the B-pillar in the Mach-E seemed to negatively impact my comfort level w/ surroundings. I wish I could compare the MYP ride quality to the GTPE ride quality, as I can’t really say if the MYLR or GTPE had better ride quality.

Summary: Tesla makes EV ownership seem realistic. Tesla makes the whole idea very approachable. Tesla makes me feel…..like I am in better hands with this 70k purchase. Their sales people (everyone I’ve worked with at least) are just cool, no pressure, not sleazy, no problems attitude, and they have all the knowledge needed to walk us through the process. In other words, this isn’t Tesla’s first rodeo. Ford…..well, they are just figuring out how to build EV’s, charge them, sell them - and it shows. The entire experience at Ford was abstract and made the idea of owning a EV seem difficult or inconvenient, unless I wanted to get ripped off. They didn’t know the ins and outs of the vehicle, they don’t know the charging experience, they basically seem ill-prepared to support me as a customer. It feels Ford is half heartedly approaching the EV industry, whereas Tesla is showing up to win. Ford needs to improve the dealership experience, massively improve the infotainment system, and quit reusing parts from cheaper models in their flagship vehicles; there is a reason the Mach-E is cheaper than the Model Y.

Wow—a very thoughtful, clear, concise and well-reasoned response. I look forward to more of your contributions on this forum once you take delivery of your MYP. Welcome!

 

[chillmode]

I think the big issue for the Mach E GT Performance Edition (or the normal Mach E GT) is that they are "Mustangs" and they are the "GT" or "GT PE" and that implies a certain level of performance. Take out the Mustang name and the GT/GT PE name and then I think a lot of the problems with this car are easier to overlook. They should have called it the " Ford Mach E" and "Ford Mach E Limited" or something like that.

They also should not have called the Model Y Performance out as their benchmark. Ford had a huge advantage in terms of besting the MYP 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, because they were second to market. Ford set the stage, told people what they were competing against and then fell short in terms of acceleration.

I am not saying the Mach E GT PE is a bad car, I am not saying it doesn't have it's benefits. I am only saying if you market it as a Mustang GT, then you set the expectations and you missed those expectations.


Also, from my understanding, the 5 seconds of acceleration is due to thermal management. Basically Ford did not put sensors everywhere it was needed, they instead use an algorithm to throttle back power when that algorithm guesses that temperatures are getting too high. Seems to me, if this is true, that these are some growing pains or entering the EV market.

 

[Whatstreet]

For the money, you bought the right car.

 

[FOOLSLFDRVNG]

I think the big issue for the Mach E GT Performance Edition (or the normal Mach E GT) is that they are "Mustangs" and they are the "GT" or "GT PE" and that implies a certain level of performance. Take out the Mustang name and the GT/GT PE name and then I think a lot of the problems with this car are easier to overlook. They should have called it the " Ford Mach E" and "Ford Mach E Limited" or something like that.

Mustangs are there #1 selling car. They named it to sell mass amount to everyone which the ICE sold mainly V6s to rental companies, women and people who didn’t care about speed but liked the sporty look. There are the enthusiast into the GT, Cobra, Roush, Shelby, Bullit but that is not the bread and butter to keep Ford alive in the EV transition. Besides the current generation of GT ICE, they weren’t even that fast previously until you dropped money to modify it. The handling was also mush with rear drum brakes .

Not only is the Mustang GT Mach E unable to keep up with Tesla, so is the BMW M4 electric and the Porsche Taycan 4S or until you pay over 130k Turbo edition.

 

[kev1nk]

Why Performance over Long Range?

 

[chris2222]

I looked into the Mach E, and a few other EVs before landing on the MY. It all came down to one thing that made me automatically throw out all other considerations, the charging network. I don’t have a home charger, and Tesla’s network is the most extensive and reliable - by far. If Tesla’s network opens up in the future, or other non-Tesla chargers were better, I’d actually consider other brands.

 

[ElectricAnt54]

Ford…..well, they are just figuring out how to build EV’s, charge them, sell them - and it shows.

Some background. The mach-e is not Ford’s first electric vehicle t be sold by their dealers. Around 2014 or so they made a Ford Focus BEV. Not sure if they sold it nationwide or in select states. Over the decades Ford has made electric car‘s for r&d purposes too. totally True that most dealships do not know how to sell EV cars. When I bought my Volt in 2013, they had one sales person who handled regular car sales in addition to the Volt. The fellow volunteered because he said he was a nerd and liked the tech. I still knew more about the car than he . I took care of haggling With the Chevy dealer via text message which was a thing even back in 2013 .

 

[thesmokingman]

You know what they say....

Ford files a patent for 'Pet Mode,' a spinoff of Tesla's 'Dog Mode'

Ford has filed a patent for its “Pet Mode,” a spinoff of Tesla’s revolutionary “Dog Mode” feature that created a safe interior vehicle environment for animals when a human is not present. Made public earlier this week, US Patent 11,247,693 describes Ford plans to utilize a Paw Print-shaped key...

www.teslarati.com

 

[tm1v2]

Some background. The mach-e is not Ford’s first electric vehicle t be sold by their dealers. Around 2014 or so they made a Ford Focus BEV. Not sure if they sold it nationwide or in select states. Over the decades Ford has made electric car‘s for r&d purposes too. totally True that most dealships do not know how to sell EV cars. When I bought my Volt in 2013, they had one sales person who handled regular car sales in addition to the Volt. The fellow volunteered because he said he was a nerd and liked the tech. I still knew more about the car than he . I took care of haggling With the Chevy dealer via text message which was a thing even back in 2013 .

The Focus BEV wasn't bad for a compliance car. Drove better than a 1st gen Leaf if I recall correctly. Trunk space was compromised by the battery though, and obviously it was only a short range car, not suitable for anything beyond short-to-medium commutes and running errands.

The Mach-E has some flaws but it's a world apart from a compliance car at least!

 

[mangrove79]

I think the big issue for the Mach E GT Performance Edition (or the normal Mach E GT) is that they are "Mustangs" and they are the "GT" or "GT PE" and that implies a certain level of performance. They should have called it the " Ford Mach E" and "Ford Mach E Limited" or something like that.

Exactly. After reading extensive reviews, I get the sense that this choice on their first pure EV is one of the biggest branding mistakes. I get it that they want to trigger some kind of nostalgia, but it's just short-sighted. EVs are by definition a revolution, a total change from ICE, I would want to start fresh and get away from traditional brand names as far as I can. The new generations are the ones who, as a demographic, your best bet for adoption. Trying to court the old fossil-fuel generation is only going to pigeonhole your new EVs into a dead-end. Yes, I'm part of that older generation as many are here, but we're the progressives. Apparently, Ford is not run by future-looking minds.

 

[Whatstreet]

Exactly. After reading extensive reviews, I get the sense that this choice on their first pure EV is one of the biggest branding mistakes. I get it that they want to trigger some kind of nostalgia, but it's just short-sighted. EVs are by definition a revolution, a total change from ICE, I would want to start fresh and get away from traditional brand names as far as I can. The new generations are the ones who, as a demographic, your best bet for adoption. Trying to court the old fossil-fuel generation is only going to pigeonhole your new EVs into a dead-end. Yes, I'm part of that older generation as many are here, but we're the progressives. Apparently, Ford is not run by future-looking minds.

I think it's an attempt to include the old school thinkers that avoid change. They have been given a familiar model name that projects a performance car image in an attempt to include people who might otherwise avoid EV adoption. Even if the familiar styling cues result in less efficiency that requires a larger, heavier and more expensive battery which results in even more inefficiencies,

In the end, given the difference in efficiencies the Mach-e just looks stupid. Unfortunately, it appears to me that those who buy the Mach-e will be stereotyped as ignorant and coarse by many.

 

[jcanoe]

I think it's an attempt to include the old school thinkers that avoid change. They have been given a familiar model name that projects a performance car image in an attempt to include people who might otherwise avoid EV adoption. Even if the familiar styling cues result in less efficiency that requires a larger, heavier and more expensive battery which results in even more inefficiencies,

In the end, given the difference in efficiencies the Mach-e just looks stupid. Unfortunately, it appears to me that those who buy the Mach-e will be stereotyped as ignorant and coarse by many.

On the street where I live there is currently only one other EV; a Mustang Mach-E. I don't think the woman who drives the Mach-E is any of those things. The federal tax credit is still available for Ford, VW, Kia, Hyundai and Audi. The tax credit probably influences many buying decisions.

 

[advocate8]

I think it's an attempt to include the old school thinkers that avoid change. They have been given a familiar model name that projects a performance car image in an attempt to include people who might otherwise avoid EV adoption. Even if the familiar styling cues result in less efficiency that requires a larger, heavier and more expensive battery which results in even more inefficiencies,

In the end, given the difference in efficiencies the Mach-e just looks stupid. Unfortunately, it appears to me that those who buy the Mach-e will be stereotyped as ignorant and coarse by many.

The sharp edge in front of the trunk on Y and P is a nod to ICE design traditions and is and inefficiency surely worth 15-30 miles of range versus a complete rounded off front end. the various optional wheels on Y and P are a triumph of style over efficiency. you’re talking about pretty minor differences that all car designers, including Tesla’s, succumb to at some point along a spectrum. Humans can’t be completely separated from their aesthetic comfort zone, no matter how rational they style themselves.

 

[Whatstreet]

The sharp edge in front of the trunk on Y and P is a nod to ICE design traditions and is and inefficiency surely worth 15-30 miles of range versus a complete rounded off front end. the various optional wheels on Y and P are a triumph of style over efficiency. you’re talking about pretty minor differences that all car designers, including Tesla’s, succumb to at some point along a spectrum. Humans can’t be completely separated from their aesthetic comfort zone, no matter how rational they style themselves.

I am aware of the inefficiencies of available wheel choice for the Model Y. I am not aware of significant inefficiencies of the sheet metal design, but I suppose there could be. That would give them a chance to improve.

However, the Model Y has a Cd of 0.23 (coefficient of drag) and the Mach-e has a Cd of 0.3. This contributes to the 30% greater power requirement to maintain 75 mph cruse (paraphrased from Car and Driver coast down test). Therefore, the Mach-e looks stupid.