Mustang Mach-e positive reviews

[alexgr]

I know in the Tesla forum everyone talks about range and efficiency all the time but the average car buyer doesn't even ask those questions.

An average car buyer, according to car dealers, is most interested in the size of monthly payments.

GM is going to be the biggest competition for tesla not ford. GM is spending 27billion though 2025 to develop electric vehicles and plans 40% of GM sales to be electric. That's a push. In 2025 I expect GM to be selling more electric vehicles than tesla. Tesla only has 4 vehicles. We will have 5 or 6 maybe in 2025. If you look around while driving people don't all want to buy the same car.

GM aims to take on Tesla with electric vehicle push

In my opinion, GM is simply bullshit-ing public. They have no new tech and their only EV in the US - the Bolt - feels as an abandoned project. $27B in 5 years is not that much considering that VW is spending $86B and they already have products that they sell. My guess is that GM will spend $27B on PR, CGIs, and executive compensations before they are sold to VW and Tesla after 5-7 years. Regarding that 40% plan, if GM cancels production of all vehicles but Chevy Bolt, they will be offering 100% electric cars.

 

[Koolio46]

I hope it's successful because competition is good and I like Doug but the reviews kill me. Will people criticize the same things? People ripped on Tesla for the phone key yet Doug and others love it when Ford does it. Driver profiles? Tesla has had them for years. Flush door handles? Tesla had them first but it was a gimmick and just something else to break. Your phone showing you where to charge? Seriously, the Nav should have all this and we all have PlugShare. When Tesla releases a car and says features are coming, they are ripped but Ford can do it with the driver assistance and it's perfectly cool. I could go on...

Finally, people try to dismiss the range and charging network claiming no one drives 250 miles a day so there is no range anxiety. The reality is people don't drive that far in one day but they also don't fill their gas cars every night. You charge up, drive 20-40 miles a day and then when it starts to get low, you charge up again. When your down to 75 miles, temp plays a roll and if you suddenly have to take an unplanned trip, range becomes an issue. I've owned 3 other EVs and the public charging infrastructure is horrible. You simply can't ever count on it. The Tesla supercharger experience is a game changer and any review that glosses over it is making a huge mistake.

Totally agree about the supercharger network being a huge benefit.

The Wired review of the MachE highlighted the issue with the lack of good and reliable fast chargers.

 

[Watts_Up]

There's already a lot of Mach E reviews by the pro-Tesla YouTubers (that are somehow car experts to you), and they love the Mach E.

I did in fact watched Doug's review of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E and I think he made an honest review of his first impressions.
However his ranking such as fun and cool factors are purely subjective and entertaining but not very useful.

There is not too much technical content, such as the type of suspension used and power train performance.
But some other reviewers, such as Bjørn Nyland, are good at providing informative tests drive.

Doug mentioned that he would like to test the more powerful GT version to have a better idea of the performance and handling.
And also the currently lack of assisted cruise control makes difficult to compare the Mach-E with the Model Y whose price are similar.

The location of the camera located just above the steering wheel is an interesting concept for checking the driver awareness.
And I kind of agree that the two colors roof gives a softer appearance to the rear panel, but I wonder how this will really looks like.

Doug mentioned the complicated process for opening the frunk by using a lever inside the cabin instead of a button, or the App.
The hood is quite unnecessary long and the frunk is quite large but don't seems practical to use.

Note: I wonder if the frunk will be used to install a ReX (range extender) engine or a fuel cell stack under the hood to improve the EV range?

Final note, I would be very happy if Doug removed this stupid video destroying a perfectly working Audi,
video that he seems to enjoy so much that he put it as its flagship on his Youtube web site.

There are other ways to proudly show that you are a successful Youtuber, such as driving a Ferrari...to attract women !!!

In conclusion, it is great to have so many new EVs coming, and none are really challenging Tesla,
but instead, as Elon Musk mentioned it, the really competitors are the 100 Million of ICEs still manufactured every year.
(or the more difficult is to convince future car owners to get an EV instead of an ICE car)

 

[emiliorescigno]

99% of automotive "journalists" are garbage drivers, tech-obsessed, and are primarily there to feed the marketing engine of automakers. Wait until you hear the opinions from those who are "car guys" inside and out. (Chris Harris and Jason Cammisa are excellent examples!)

That being said, the market needs more good EV options, and the MachE seems like another decent one to add to the list. I know a few people who don't like Elon, or are afraid of buying a Tesla, and we need those people in EVs as well!

 

[TLLMRRJ]

Final note, I would be very happy if Doug removed this stupid video destroying a perfectly working Audi,
video that he seems to enjoy so much that he put it as its flagship on his Youtube web site

You must go into convulsions when you watch car chase movies. I am guessing you didn't grow up watching Dukes of Hazzard.

 

[angus[Y]oung]

Doug mentioned the complicated process for opening the frunk by using a lever inside the cabin instead of a button, or the App.
The hood is quite unnecessary long and the frunk is quite large but don't seems practical to use.

@Watts_Up about this: yes based on Doug's review I would find that very annoying to open. That said, Kyle (I forget which channel he was on at the time, I think Out Of Spec Motoring?--he's on a few different ones) mentioned in one of his Mach E videos that he was told that Ford was working on a way to pop it via the app instead of having to use the old-fashioned hood release mechanism. Don't forget these review units we're seeing are still pre-production units. He thought they already had them wired up for electronic release but it wasn't in the software yet. Time will tell.

As for the quite large and impractical: the large part was by design to make it feel more like a traditional Mustang which are known for that design feature. The frunk does seem fairly small, but does have a cool idea in the drain plug, so you could fill it with ice to use as a cooler, or hose it down if you carried something messy. The divider is apparently removable too, though I'm not sure how easily.

 

[angus[Y]oung]

The competition is NOT increasing for Tesla.

@alexgr while I agree that there isn't a serious threat quite yet, it is definitely coming. More and more countries (plus California) are inching closer to banning sales of new gas-burning vehicles, which means that the traditional automakers have to get on board or die in the not-too-distant future. A few may indeed die off, but the survivors are going to be gunning for EV sales hard. I know that Tesla isn't known for resting on their laurels, but they are indeed going to have increased competition in the next 5+ years that mean they're going to have to address a few of the proverbial elephants in the proverbial room (quality at delivery, after-sales service, etc.)

 

[chinney]

Some things I like, some things I don't with the Mustang-E. I especially don't trust the range - customers may not ask about efficiency, but they will have to live with it after they buy it - so this will affect the long-term attractiveness of the vehicle.

But what especially has me wondering is Ford's limited production plans. That makes me think that Ford is not yet all that serious about electric vehicles. But maybe Ford mass production - perhaps in other lines (not Mustang-E) - will be coming, though perhaps not for a few years, which is a bit late IMO.

 

[chinney]

I also wonder about dealer sales support. I am a long-time Ford buyer, until our recently acquired Tesla. When I wanted to buy a hybrid from Ford five years ago, they had exactly one on their vast lot of vehicles, and they tried to steer me away from it. The salesperson knew almost nothing about the hybrid model (I knew more than he did) and he thought I should buy something else in their lot-full of ICE SUVS. I bought the hybrid anyway - a C-Max - and it was actually pretty nice; my daughter drives it now. Did you ever even see Ford advertise the C-Max? They really did not try to sell them.

Is the Ford dealership attitude going to be any different with electric vehicles, unless and until Ford decides to go all-in with them?

 

[angus[Y]oung]

But what especially has me wondering is Ford's limited production plans. That makes me think that Ford is not yet all that serious about electric vehicles. But maybe Ford mass production - perhaps in other lines (not Mustang-E) - will be coming, though perhaps not for a few years, which is a bit late IMO.

@chinney well, they are bringing out an electric F150 in 2021, and the F150 is their best seller by far (IIRC it's the best selling vehicle overall in the US even), which is a vote of confidence in my eyes. I'm guessing the limited 50k run for Mach E is due to a combination of battery availability and/or wanting to work out any 1st model year issues that may arise, especially given this is a ground-up new vehicle for them.

 

[chinney]

Good points. Do you know what their production volume plans are for the F150-E?

 

[angus[Y]oung]

Good points. Do you know what their production volume plans are for the F150-E?

@chinney I do not. I would guess they would start out small as well for the first model year, to test the waters and work out any kinks. That's just a guess.

 

[SmartElectric]

These guys are funny and liked the Mach-e, and this review calls out why some car people will flock to the Mustang.
Personally, I really like this Ford EV, and am excited to see the amount of effort Ford dedicated to get this car to the finish line.
Stylish, long range, selection of RWD/AWD and short/long range battery (Tesla forces AWD with long range for example).
My wife prefers her Model S over the Model 3, and she liked the Mach-e when viewing this:

And this review is also funny from a Canadian duo:

 

[FreqFlyer]

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E First Drive | It's well worth the hype

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E First Drive Review: Deserving Of The Name?

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E First Drive Review: A Faster Horse

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Is Ford's Best EV Ever

Don't get the hangup on Youtubers. Who cares? Why not read reviews from people who are actually "car" people? And yes, the reviews are overwhelming positive.

 

[Watts_Up]

You must go into convulsions when you watch car chase movies.
I am guessing you didn't grow up watching Dukes of Hazzard.

I just don't see the point to destroy a nice running Audi Quatro
that would have been my dream to get if I had the Morella at that time.... (well I have a M3 AWD now)

May be Doug was inspired from the infamous 60 Minutes:

A Short, Sad History of So-Called Sudden Acceleration

Because 60 Minutes couldn't get the cars it tested to replicate the "unintended acceleration",
the show modified an Audi 5000 to behave as if it were accelerating out of control,
then aired the segment.
​

In fact, I like to watch The Greatest Lemons Cars of All Time - 24 Hours of LEMONS
but those cars are clunkers converted into fun cars to drive... and to destroy !!!

​

 

[alexgr]

@chinney I do not. I would guess they would start out small as well for the first model year, to test the waters and work out any kinks. That's just a guess.

Give me just one reason why an average F-150 buyer would pony up to get an F-150 EV? Considering Ford's Mach-E efficiency and the size of F-150, the battery capacity must be huge and so will be the price. My guess is upward of $70k for about 300 miles range. WHO would pay for an EV 10+ grand more than for an otherwise identical truck? If ford does F-150 EV version, and runs small numbers, those number will remain small forever. You don't need a fricking marketing PhD to figure this out.

 

[alexgr]

I also wonder about dealer sales support.

Is the Ford dealership attitude going to be any different with electric vehicles, unless and until Ford decides to go all-in with them?

There is another strange problem with Mach-E and dealerships. Ford seems to plan that for all dealerships to be capable of supporting the Mach-E. Ford (and paid reviewers) brag about Fords 3000 dealerships vs Tesla's 110. Now, out of 50,000 Mach-E planned for 2021, it is expected no more than about 30,000 will be destined for US market. This leaves each dealership with no more than 10 Mach-E vehicles to sell and serve for the entire year. IF they are good and don't require service visits more often than, say, once in 6 month, we are looking at 1 Mach-E coming to the service in about a month. Seriously, what dealership will in clear mind invest time and money to potentially serve a vehicle in a month? Even if Ford pays the dealerships, what level of service experience would you expect from them?

 

[cab]

There is another strange problem with Mach-E and dealerships. Ford seems to plan that for all dealerships to be capable of supporting the Mach-E. Ford (and paid reviewers) brag about Fords 3000 dealerships vs Tesla's 110. Now, out of 50,000 Mach-E planned for 2021, it is expected no more than about 30,000 will be destined for US market. This leaves each dealership with no more than 10 Mach-E vehicles to sell and serve for the entire year. IF they are good and don't require service visits more often than, say, once in 6 month, we are looking at 1 Mach-E coming to the service in about a month. Seriously, what dealership will in clear mind invest time and money to potentially serve a vehicle in a month? Even if Ford pays the dealerships, what level of service experience would you expect from them?

Those are really good points. In practice, however, it likely won't be QUITE that extreme. I'm guessing upwards of 40% of all Mach E's will end up being sold in California, with certain "hot spots" being represented at a much higher rate than others. I would anticipate the latter being true for the rest of the country as well (example: there are likely a LOT of Ford dealers in Texas...and a lot in more rural areas, but those in the metropolitan areas will likely get the Mach Es). In short, the actual number of Ford dealers with an allocation of Mach Es of any size will probably be much smaller.

I DO still think you will run into problems like "Sorry, the 'Mach E' tech isn't in today, will have to service your car tomorrow" types of issues though and a lot of "we need to call corporate" on that problem. That curve will, unfortunately, be measured in years.

 

[P3dStealth]

Those are really good points. In practice, however, it likely won't be QUITE that extreme. I'm guessing upwards of 40% of all Mach E's will end up being sold in California, with certain "hot spots" being represented at a much higher rate than others. I would anticipate the latter being true for the rest of the country as well (example: there are likely a LOT of Ford dealers in Texas...and a lot in more rural areas, but those in the metropolitan areas will likely get the Mach Es). In short, the actual number of Ford dealers with an allocation of Mach Es of any size will probably be much smaller.

I DO still think you will run into problems like "Sorry, the 'Mach E' tech isn't in today, will have to service your car tomorrow" types of issues though and a lot of "we need to call corporate" on that problem. That curve will, unfortunately, be measured in years.

True. It's still rare to see electric cars here in NY. Most people don't even consider them here.

 

[Birdman325]

And this review is also funny from a Canadian duo:

[/QUOTE]

I love these guys' reviews! (Although I am Canadian, but not biased)