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The Competition Was Driven Yesterday; 2021 Mustang Mach-e, AWD

7873 Views 46 Replies 21 Participants Last post by OUTAGAS, Apr 27, 2021

FASTGOLFR32

Discussion Starter · Feb 21, 2021 (Edited)

I thought I would share this on here as I know a few others are considering this or want to shop it against the ID.4. VW better get going and get these things on sale quick. Also, check out the cool gift Ford is giving the folks who bought a First Edition.

I drove a 2021 dual motor, AWD Ford Mustang Mach-e Premium today!

Impressions:

Very nice car, Ford did a really nice job with it.
For those that may consider it but are hung up on it being called a Mustang, get over it and go check it out.

The center tablet is huge, maybe too big.
You can feel the mass of the car at first but once driving you get used to it.
It needs more command buttons on the steering wheel. As far as I can remember, there are just radio, wiper and cruise control in the immediate wheel hands touch areas. Nothing for displays or vehicle info options.
It lacked vehicle information it should definitely have. That is, economy data like average miles per gallon but for an EV, miles per Kilowatt Hour (KWH) or watts per mile (Tesla's preferred gauge). I looked everywhere through all the options and it was nowhere. You could see battery level and range but that was it. Being an EV owner/driver for about 5 years now (VW e-Golf) those are things you want to see. I think this is even more important to folks who will be considering this for their first ever EV. (update, found it reading through the owners manual, it's buried in the trip computer)
The battery was at 99% charge but only had 154 miles of range. It was in the upper 30's and that affects range, that is, lithium ion batteries efficiency is greatly reduced in the cold. It should be over 250 miles range normally (88 KWH battery, AWD). I believe Ford's website says 270 miles. If the vehicle efficiency information was available I would have been able to see how they have been driving it. I would have to assume people are also driving it somewhat hard to feel that 4.8 second 0-60mph acceleration.
Yes, I gave it a good hard "Unbridled" launch and that acceleration is strong. Unbridled is the performance mode. With the large tires, AWD and weight, it just goes. No tire spin, no squat, just a foot brake release, smooth hard pushed back in your seat acceleration. I only did this once as I was trying to see if I could get the range to increase.
I drove the car about 15 miles, battery went down to 93% from the 99% when I energized the vehicle. The range was 154 when starting, it only dipped to 151 when parked. Even with a hard launch and a few moments of spirited driving, I was increasing range. Again, I wish I could have seen my driving efficiency other than seeing the range not dropping drastically as I drove.
The one pedal driving mode was great. This is where you really only need to use the acceleration pedal and you don't need to use the brake pedal except for extreme/quicker braking. When you let off the acceleration pedal the car slows as if you are gently pressing the brakes as well. It even comes to a complete stop on its own. I did this when I needed to stop at a few traffic lights. The braking is done with the resistance of the drive motors, it also returns energy back to the drive batteries to increase range. This is a great feature for those who deal with city traffic or commuter stop and go on the daily. The driver assist options help with that as well. It also helps increase range. Another miss that Ford doesn't let you see this on the displays.
The driver assist options were nice and not too intrusive. It did startle me a touch when I was merging from an on ramp and my signal was no longer on, it vibrated the steering wheel on me. That was the first I felt it which reminded me it was on. I played with it a few other times to feel it out. It did a nice job keeping me in my lane and using the one pedal driving through a series of lights. With all the things you can play with on the tablet, it's a must have for the distraction it will be for some.
The door openers were neat. There is a little button to push and they pop out with some electric actuators. Then, you grab a little handle for the front doors or put your hand behind the edge of the door for the rear doors to pull them all the way open. I believe there should be something more there, especially on the rear doors. I see a lot of future paint scratches fumbling with kids, things in your hands, etc. Traditional door handles would be no different though.
The interior was very comfortable, the heated seats warmed nicely and were firm but comfortable. The heated steering wheel was nice too. Back seat had enough room that I think all three boys could sit together without too much fighting.

-It's nice having a rear hatch but the higher floor and sloped rear glass would limit what you can put in there. That is, we may not have enough room for everyone's bags for a quick family trip. The ID.4 is more practical here.
-There is a front trunk as well but not much room for anything more than some back packs or gym bags. Additionally, it requires two pulls of the hood release and a hand pull on the hood itself to open. This will be too much work for some to utilize it often. It would haul groceries nicely though.

So, my opinion. It was fun to drive and I like it but see room for improvement. The driving data information could be fixed/added with a software update. If it is a already there, it shouldn't be buried. I can bring it up with one screen touch on the e-Golf and that has been out for 7 years now. Once people get over the Mustang name and actually give it real consideration they will buy it. Unfortunately, some people just despise EV's.

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