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GT350 owner’s Mach-E Review

UnhandledException

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I have been using a Mach-E for the past 2 months due to my GT350 being in service. In this time frame, I put 2500 miles on the car and at this point I have formed my opinion on it. I feel this might help others who might be considering this car, so here it goes:

Short Summary: It is simply not practical as a car (forget about the only car). Charge times are way too long (and I mean really long) even in fast charges. Even as the grocery/school car, it is not practical.

Longer Summary:

- The interior, fit and finish of the car is a level or two above GT350 and close to an entry level German car (like Q5). It was quite surprising (in a good way) when we first sat in it. It doesnt feel like Ford interior and it is worlds above even the most expensive Ford Explorer interior.
- Ride quality is very stiff and uncomfortable and not in a good handling way. Macan (any trim) or Q5 (any trim) handles much better but still absorb road imperfections and bumps much better. Mach-E is extremely uncomfortable for an SUV, to the point it gets to you after 30 miles of city driving the same day.
- Sound system is better than whats in GT350
- The power is useful but at 60 mph, WOT feels like what it feels like on 4th gear in GT350 in same speed - in that, there isnt any. The power falls off fast past 60 mph and is almost non existent at 85 mph.
- Now for the last part and the most important part : range/practicality/efficiency is abysmal. Sorry, it is not a car. Charge times are on average 30-35 minutes on a 50 kw fast charger from 50 to 80%. The battery’s projected range is much less in practical driving in that you can see range going 1 mile literally back to back for several seconds where you just drove 1/2 mile and lost 10 mile range (and this is frequently observed). We have had 2 nights where temperatures dropped to 55F and we have seen battery range dropping a whopping 90 miles (from 280 full to 190 full).

I mean the list goes on and on…. The only time a car like this would make sense is if you have multiple SUVs/daily cars and you use this on/off and you dont need to worry about charging it. But if you are like me and say you go drive down to the shore 50 miles each way and come home and you just feel like another 30 mile unplanned trip to a restaurant, you are kind of screwed as you have to first stop by the ultra (slow) fast charger for 35 minutes (and bring snacks with you to tolerate the hunger) before going to the restaurant.

The whole EV thing is silly until they figure out a way to charge them as quickly as gas pumps.

And on that note, if you do a simple math that 35 minutes is spent to charge the car 30% and you do this 3 times a week on average vs spending 2 minutes at Shell to get same amount of gasoline range, you just would spend about 1 month of your entire adult life waiting for EV to charge. How retarded is that? I just dont get it. Not to mention all the added weight of the battery vs tiny amounts of gasoline….

I cant wait to get my car back. I would never own EV (any brand)…

And on that note, having driven an SUV now for 2 months as the only car (vs GT350 was our only daily driver for 70,000 miles), I feel so sad for you dads and moms who are stuck driving these big ass SUVs 80% of the time. They suck so much that even a simple trip to whole foods 5 miles away is miserable and I just want to go back home:) The only time SUV may be needed is if you truly need 5 seats (have 3 kids). But otherwise, they are so unnecessary. They are huge but dont provide proportional amount of luxury and comfort to what you give up in driving dynamics. Plus driving is about focus and safety, comfort is something the couch in your living room should provide, not a car:):):)
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JAJ

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I have been using a Mach-E for the past 2 months due to my GT350 being in service. In this time frame, I put 2500 miles on the car and at this point I have formed my opinion on it. I feel this might help others who might be considering this car, so here it goes:

Short Summary: It is simply not practical as a car (forget about the only car). Charge times are way too long (and I mean really long) even in fast charges. Even as the grocery/school car, it is not practical.

Longer Summary:

- The interior, fit and finish of the car is a level or two above GT350 and close to an entry level German car (like Q5). It was quite surprising (in a good way) when we first sat in it. It doesnt feel like Ford interior and it is worlds above even the most expensive Ford Explorer interior.
- Ride quality is very stiff and uncomfortable and not in a good handling way. Macan (any trim) or Q5 (any trim) handles much better but still absorb road imperfections and bumps much better. Mach-E is extremely uncomfortable for an SUV, to the point it gets to you after 30 miles of city driving the same day.
- Sound system is better than whats in GT350
- The power is useful but at 60 mph, WOT feels like what it feels like on 4th gear in GT350 in same speed - in that, there isnt any. The power falls off fast past 60 mph and is almost non existent at 85 mph.
- Now for the last part and the most important part : range/practicality/efficiency is abysmal. Sorry, it is not a car. Charge times are on average 30-35 minutes on a 50 kw fast charger from 50 to 80%. The battery’s projected range is much less in practical driving in that you can see range going 1 mile literally back to back for several seconds where you just drove 1/2 mile and lost 10 mile range (and this is frequently observed). We have had 2 nights where temperatures dropped to 55F and we have seen battery range dropping a whopping 90 miles (from 280 full to 190 full).

I mean the list goes on and on…. The only time a car like this would make sense is if you have multiple SUVs/daily cars and you use this on/off and you dont need to worry about charging it. But if you are like me and say you go drive down to the shore 50 miles each way and come home and you just feel like another 30 mile unplanned trip to a restaurant, you are kind of screwed as you have to first stop by the ultra (slow) fast charger for 35 minutes (and bring snacks with you to tolerate the hunger) before going to the restaurant.

The whole EV thing is silly until they figure out a way to charge them as quickly as gas pumps.

And on that note, if you do a simple math that 35 minutes is spent to charge the car 30% and you do this 3 times a week on average vs spending 2 minutes at Shell to get same amount of gasoline range, you just would spend about 1 month of your entire adult life waiting for EV to charge. How retarded is that? I just dont get it. Not to mention all the added weight of the battery vs tiny amounts of gasoline….

I cant wait to get my car back. I would never own EV (any brand)…

And on that note, having driven an SUV now for 2 months as the only car (vs GT350 was our only daily driver for 70,000 miles), I feel so sad for you dads and moms who are stuck driving these big ass SUVs 80% of the time. They suck so much that even a simple trip to whole foods 5 miles away is miserable and I just want to go back home:) The only time SUV may be needed is if you truly need 5 seats (have 3 kids). But otherwise, they are so unnecessary. They are huge but dont provide proportional amount of luxury and comfort to what you give up in driving dynamics. Plus driving is about focus and safety, comfort is something the couch in your living room should provide, not a car:):):)
Thanks for the review - really interesting!

Two comments:

First, having four cars in the family fleet, four electrics would be a nightmare of chargers and parking. We park three on the street, and there's no way to charge them out there.

Second, I like the SUV (Explorer) for the height and visibility that comes with it. Our neighborhood is all SUV all the time, and it's like being down in a valley if you're in a regular car.

The game-changer for electric vehicles will be "battery stations" that work like gas stations. Drive in and position your car over a target. A robot removes a modular battery and replaces it with a fully charged one. You pay a small fee for the service and the difference in charge levels and you drive away. Done in a minute or two, full range available, no house modifications.
 
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UnhandledException

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Thanks for the review - really interesting!

Two comments:

First, having four cars in the family fleet, four electrics would be a nightmare of chargers and parking. We park three on the street, and there's no way to charge them out there.

Second, I like the SUV (Explorer) for the height and visibility that comes with it. Our neighborhood is all SUV all the time, and it's like being down in a valley if you're in a regular car.

The game-changer for electric vehicles will be "battery stations" that work like gas stations. Drive in and position your car over a target. A robot removes a modular battery and replaces it with a fully charged one. You pay a small fee for the service and the difference in charge levels and you drive away. Done in a minute or two, full range available, no house modifications.
Our neighborhood is also all SUV. But you dont have to worry about visibility and being high if you keep passing SUVs:) Driving around them with a GT350 is like playing a video game with cheats on all the time.

Kidding aside, I cant stand the balloon/boat feeling SUVs have and they all do due to basic physics rules. They are too high and wobble all the time.
 

DCShelby

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I’ve been offered Escalades, Surbrbans and other giant SUV as “upgrades” when my normal rental was not available in Mn. I nope, don’t want to drive one. Give me the small Kia instead.
 

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I drove one for 3 days and while I found the front seats very comfortable I absolutely hated the central ipad-like control screen. Because of its weight the Mach E bounces over bumps/bumpy road services and trying to change the fan speed while driving of such surfaces makes it a challenge. Also the safety nannies are endless. I spent 15 minutes in the car turning everything off. My wife loved it but its not for me.
 

Jason304

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I drove one for 3 days and while I found the front seats very comfortable I absolutely hated the central ipad-like control screen. Because of its weight the Mach E bounces over bumps/bumpy road services and trying to change the fan speed while driving of such surfaces makes it a challenge. Also the safety nannies are endless. I spent 15 minutes in the car turning everything off. My wife loved it but its not for me.
My biggest complaint with all modern vehicles are the nannies. I have nearly 30 years of driving experience. Most of which was on vehicles with few if any nannies. I don’t need that crap. Especially traction control.
 

Veteran

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Suppose a Mach e is only a tool. No petrolhead, car junkie, etc would want to drive one for fun I guess ? Did Ford even want it to be fun ?

Thanks for the review. Made a lot of practical sense as to its shortcomings.
 

bobsled

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Suppose a Mach e is only a tool. No petrolhead, car junkie, etc would want to drive one for fun I guess ? Did Ford even want it to be fun ?

Thanks for the review. Made a lot of practical sense as to its shortcomings.
Nobody would buy one if it didn't say "Mustang." Man that car is ugly.
 

Hack

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Suppose a Mach e is only a tool. No petrolhead, car junkie, etc would want to drive one for fun I guess ? Did Ford even want it to be fun ?

Thanks for the review. Made a lot of practical sense as to its shortcomings.
From what I read, it's not a good tool either. Currently cars with ICE engines are a lot more practical than EVs.
 

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UnhandledException

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Engineering explained has a lot of high quality youtube videos comparing various EVs (including his own model 3). Bottom line is, they should be purchased if a person is truly into EVs because they like/prefer their characteristics not because they are cheaper to own/operate. He did a 2000 mile road trip and if I am not mistaken he saved $45 total over what it would cost in a gasoline car and ended up spending 8 hours time charging (over 38 hours total time spent). Tesla is a generation or two above Mach E both as far as battery/charging speed but also interior technology and even that is not enough for it to replace an ICE car. Yes ICE cars are vastly inefficient BUT the fuel they use is far more dense and cheaper than batteries. Thats the biggest catch unfortunately most people lack average curriculum courses in Physics or Calculus so when you say things like “electrical cars are 99% efficient”, they think they are amazing. But when you consider how much space you need to have a battery that is comparable to 1 gallon of gas, how much that weighs, and how much it costs to make/maintain/replace batteries (you cant). You realize they are nothing but a iphone or iwatch with 4 wheels. Another gadget in today’s spending loving culture that you have to have because others around you also have.
 
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UnhandledException

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Some more data points: I started the day at 92%. I drove around 120 miles and now I am at 39%. It was 90F outside. A/C was set to 70F. At some point while in the walgreens parking lot, range went from 193 to 186 in less than 2 minutes as I was idling doing nothing other than A/C at 70F and listening music. Now I need to drive to the “fast” (slow) charger to bring the charge back to a reasonable level before going to bed or tomorrow I dont have a car to drive.
 

The Rooster

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Our neighborhood is also all SUV. But you dont have to worry about visibility and being high if you keep passing SUVs:) Driving around them with a GT350 is like playing a video game with cheats on all the time.

Kidding aside, I cant stand the balloon/boat feeling SUVs have and they all do due to basic physics rules. They are too high and wobble all the time.
I’m not sure my (wife’s) explorer st does too much “wobbling”… pretty sure it’ll hold the road better than most solid axle mustangs from the past)
For that matter my ‘21 lariat sport isn’t a wobbler either… lmao
the Shelby is on another level obviously but our household daily drivers drive pretty damn good.

I haven’t driven a mach e but I suspect it’s not quite as bad as the op might suggest.
 

Trackaholic

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When you own an electric car you charge it in your garage or driveway overnight and start each day with a full “tank”. You need a 240V setup for this, so not something you can do for a rental or loaner. However, for an owner this means you practically never need to charge anywhere else for daily driving.

For road trips a Tesla is by far the best experience, but I would still personally choose an ICE vehicle (or plug in hybrid).

Electric cars are definitely not for everybody, but for many, they can be an excellent daily driver, starting each day at full can be pretty nice.

-T
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