Full Review After 2 Months | 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E 

Correction: The GT is 480 HP, not 600.

The intro makes me feel like I'm about to watch an educational video from the 80s.

We've had ours for a week (AWD Premium 2022). I've noticed early reviews are not really representing the current experience. The car has indeed been refined via software... and has the best balanced interior of any car I've driven. Range estimates have been accurate... which is not common among electric vehicles. I'm beyond impressed. Don't leave this car out of consideration.

this is literally one of the very few places that listed all of the different power options with the different specs. Good review

"Mustang stung by a bee." This is the best description of this car I've heard yet!

As for this vs. RAV4 Prime, I personally would go for the Mach-E. I currently drive a Prius Prime. What I appreciate most about it, as Alex has also pointed out, is that it is a *super-efficient car* , arguably more than a great PHEV: 4.6 miles/KWh and 55MPH on gas. Its 25-30-mile EV range is sufficient for my daily commute given that I can charge at work (and I can). The RAV4 Prime looks really excellent for a PHEV, but it’s (necessarily) not as efficient as the Prius Prime. I’d prefer to go full-electric than to take a cut in efficiency.

name is irrelevant. people need to stop talking about the name. it looks mustang-ish in the front, it's fast, great looking, has actual dealer support, and works great! nuff said.

IMO they should have brought back the Thunderbird name and had that be their electric line.

Great review; very thorough. I am still a huge fan PHEVs. I have had three Volts (still have one), a Fusion energi and now a Cadillac CT6 plug in. Benefits: our gasoline consumption is nominal compared to anyone driving an ICE vehicle (well over 100 MPG) , we can go weeks without using gas, we get the terrific feel of electric driving, and we never have to think about a charging station. I think the pure EVs out there like the Mach-E are awesome vehicles and I am sure I will have one someday. But until charging stations are everywhere, I am still partial to PHEVs. When our Volt is ready to call it a day (90,000 miles right now and still going strong), a car like the RAV4 Prime, Escape Plug In or Niro Plug In are very enticing.

Love Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Mustang name too, living in 2021.

Mach E all the way!

This is one of these first cars, in my adult life, that I noticed and sought out info on what it was. I was all in to the Tesla model y but this is absolutely on my list now. Very cool car and great review. Thank you!

Canceled my ID.4 1st Edition and got a Toyota RAV4 Prime SE. Driven as an EV 90% of the time. I feel that it is a great value because I have both ICE and EV in one vehicle

I think the EA charging issue with the Mach-E can be tracked back to the Plug and Charge protocol. I'm not talking about the charging curve, which seems to be just wrong, but the random disconnects that plague the Mach-E. If you watch Out of Spec Motoring's Los Angeles to Fort Collins return trip, he used his EA account to charge rather than the Plug and Charge process and didn't have the random drop outs (just the typical EA fails). Also, as he noted, with Plug and Charge, you don't get any benefit of your EA account, so you always pay the higher prices. That's something they should also look into, somehow linking EA accounts and Plug and Charge so you get the benefits. But the problem with Plug and Charge is probably related to authorization pings back and forth between the Station and the Vehicle. Too much lag most likely. Learned than a long time ago when the company I worked for was developing authorization packets for TV electronic program guides.

I am model y owner and thank you for putting together this wonderful unbiased review. You covered everything and all pros and cons without sugar coating anything. Well done.

The 270 mile range for the Mach E AWD eats deeply into the low end reserve leaving only 7.3 miles of range at 0% indicated. That compares to 25.9 miles for the Model 3 AWD. The Mach E AWD efficiency is about equal to a Tesla Model X Performance. I think giving it an A- on economy is very generous of you.

I think the idea that the Mach E is disturbing to Mustang fans is only a small percentage of American car owners. Most people don't even know about the characteristics that have limited Mustang designs. I think Ford made a good decision to give this car a Mustang brand name. Furthermore I actually think the Mach E is elevating the brand and extending the name farther into the future than it would have without the Mach E being added. At this point, were I interested in a BEV, I would definitely consider a Mach E.

We're in the process of ordering the Escape PHEV now for similar reasons as you mention for the RAV4, replacing a 2.0 Escape AWD. I have my dino juice burning AWD SUV already (Edge ST), but I work remotely, so my spouse is getting the PHEV. The electric range will more than cover her commute, and for long road trips it's far more practical - plus, you can fit our large dogs in the back, while neither the Model Y nor the Mach E can do that. After having test driven the RAV4, Forester, CRV, and other options recently, the Escape drives like a much more premium vehicle, and having all of our vehicles from one manufacturer simplifies maintenance, phone apps, and they all have controls in the same place. So when my spouse drives my car, or I drive hers, there's almost no cognitive dissonance and switching time - something that when you have a multi-vehicle household ends up being kind of a big deal.

I think plug-in hybrids make the most sense, giving you flexibility on most any road trip.

Love your reviews and thought the dictionary entry was pretty funny. I’m amazed at how well you continue to spit facts while driving and without a lot of obvious editing. If I understand correctly, though, the high capacity plugs for each line are proprietary. If we’re ever going to really get this going everyone is going to need to cooperate with the charging station thing.

My choice would be RAV4 or Prius Prime. I like the efficiency advantages you outlined so well in a previous video. You get EV advantages around town and commuting daily with no range anxiety. Keep up the great work!

Hands down this was the most informational video on the mach-e I've seen so far and I just placed an order for a fully loaded GT. Thanks for helping me make the decision between GT and Model Y

Very good review. I bought the Mustang Mach E and really like it, but I've only had it for about 2 weeks. Time will tell.

I give Alex a lot of credit for his highly energetic tone while reviewing a Ford! I haven’t seen that in a while.

Having to carry around a frunk full of cables... We need one standard plug across the board

This guy does thorough and great reviews.

I think the support my dealer will give is a big part of my decision. You don't want to get into an accident with the Tesla cars. The support is abysmal. Ford should be much better. See TFL car for more on the woes they faced on their Tesla. Also quality issues that should not be there on the Tesla but is. Also the dealer experience in the Ford Mach E will slay what you get at Tesla. Now on the infrastructure, Tesla holds all the aces. The Supercharger network is excellent. Tesla is the top seller for good reasons, but not the ones that make me buy a Tesla. The Mach E is a strong candidate if I was getting an EV. Motorweek award this car their top award too. So there is something about this car that is very special. Also I get an instrument display in front of me. Not that tablet I look down and to the right. I have never liked that kind of way of driving. As always, your mileage may vary.

Hi Alex, I'm really getting lots of valuable information from your auto reviews. I bought a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Blue on April 12th, and I'm loving it. This was greatly assisted by your analysis of several current HEVs on the market. Ultimately, I was able to purchase a 2020 Ioniq Blue, which was still new, for about $23,000. I felt this was the most MPGs for the least money. I also was avoiding the risk of going into used HEVs. I'm delighted to report that, after about 6 weeks of commuting with my Ioniq, I'm averaging over 61 mpg. Thanks again for your concise analysis and comparisons. Derek Nelson, Olympia WA

If you are kicking out 43 + US for a car, you can call it what ever the hell you want. I don't think Ford gives a damn as long as that bag reaches their account.

Tesla is quickly becoming MySpace

This is the best Mach E review so far. Thanks!

I really wish they had a legit HUD on this system. I get that the dash isn't too far out of our main FOV. But I absolutely adore the HUD on my Mazda where I never take my eyes off the road for basic stats.

So great to see the Trunk Comfort Index return! I've missed that data on many of your reviews over this past year.

This was such a great and thorough review. Thanks! We just moved to a place where we’ll need a second car... a family car with our toddler. I think a mach-e is going to be the way to go!

I bought Honda Clarity plug-in and completely illuminated my wife’s daily driving on gas. Driving on trips on gas. Don’t worry about charging. The car self charges to 60 % for daily driving in town. We love it. When Honda comes out with a EV CRV I be in

The supercharger network that TESLA has is one of the reasons why I'm buying s Tesla, i can hit the road from Day 1 of purchase, without feeling the lack of charger for non tesla cars.

The quality of information in your videos is so dang good, thanks for this video. I have a Rapid Red First Edition Mach-E so this was so great to watch. Keep up the great vids!

I’m seriously considering the gt version, I drove one and was quite impressed by the whole experience. I wanted to reserve judgment till I saw one in person and drove it and was very pleasantly surprised.

I still think that for most people if they had 80 to 100 miles of EV Range plug-in hybrid that would be perfect, they could drive almost 100% on EV except for road trips and not worry about range anxiety and that means more people would just go with EV’s for their next car

only reviewer that test cabin noise... well appreciated nvh.

An anecdotal thought on PHEVs: My 2019 Chrysler PHEV is a great minivan. Plugged in nightly it allows most of a day's daily commuting to be electric. And on long trips, the first segment can be a little longer before just switching to gas to get to the destination. It was a great gateway to experience EV ownership. After almost two years, the sting of a PHEV is that all the annoyances of gas cars are still there. Besides fueling, there are still oil changes, filters, emissions testing. And there will be timing belts, sparkplugs, and distributor caps down the road. If you heavily use the motor over the gas engine, the Pacifica's computer will eventually force the gas engine to be the sole propulsion for about a day to make certain the engine gets a healthy cycle time. I do like the Pacifica, and don't regret getting it. But if I had an option for a pure EV minivan for the family, I would have preferred that.

Nice review Alex. I will say I understand your argument that PHEV solutions use a lot less batteries which are a constrained resource; however, I go electric for two main reasons. 1. Be environmentally friendly 2. Have a low maintenance solution And all that instant torque , maybe free workplace charging or cheeper electricity than gasoline. But it’s number 2 that is not simplified. I don’t want a combination engine to worry about in addition to an electric powertrain. That goes for the Toyota RAV4 Prime or the Porsche Cayenne S E Hybrid. 😃

where is it assembled?

Great review as usual Alex. I do wish that when doing the car comparisons that you would always include the actual ground clearance and what they do (or don't) do for the spare tire. To me, ground clearance and spare tire are major factors favoring the RAV4 prime.

I’m leaning toward the VW ID.4 because I think it’s got the best combination of battery capacity, efficiency and charging speed to optimize travel time on road trips at a better price than the Tesla Model Y and Mach E. However, if I can hold out long enough the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV 6 look very promising with their 10-80% charging in 18 minutes.

Alex: Dont drive it into the basement. Me: Hold my beer

Looking at the Electrify America stations in my 200-ish mile area there are a LOT of single charging stations. Just something to keep in mind. From what I've seen there's a decent chance the station won't work (or someone else might be using it). Just something to to look at if you are considering.

Another great review Alex. I agree with you on PHEV and what I have been choosing based on living in Northern NY where charge stations are sparse and winters are really cold. I just sold my 2018 Volt and bought a 2022 Santa Fe PHEV Limited and love it but would like to see a review from you to get your opinion.

Currently in Southern California you can lease a Kia Niro EV EX Premium for $350 a month on a 36 month lease. That is cheap beyond belief for a really good EV. Just thought you should know.

I suspect it’s the charging station. Ran into a similar issue with the Audi e tron.

HVAC controls through the center screen...YUCK.

FYI the mobile connector 240V adapter uses a nema 14-50 outlet, which is most often used for electric ranges and 50 amp RVs. Dryers typically use 30A outlets which aren't sufficient for the 32A the mobile EVSE can pull.

The car itself is fine, but the charging issues other reviewers experienced need to be addressed.

Can't wait for the GT this summer

You should do a video on everything you just pulled out of the frunk

4:47 Wait the 0-60 in 6.5 seconds 259 mile range sold in 50 states Bolt EV is considered a compliance vehicle? I'd agree on Spark EV, Fiat 500e, Focus EV but idk about the Bolt. I mean what are the sub 8 seconds to 60, Sub 200 mile EVs considered then?

Regarding plug-in hybrids: I've owned a Chevy Volt for four years and love it. But, my next car will be fully electric. I rarely go on long road trips, and I love the driving feel and ownership experience of electric so much more than ICE that I'm willing to put up with the minor charging inconveniences on those rare occasions that I do.

Love the take on efficiency versus the obsession with range. I couldn’t wait for the Mach-e so I leased an e-Tron. I get about 2.5 miles per kWh, and I really feel that every time I have to recharge it. It’s kinda of a guzzler for an EV. 😂😂

Out of the 6 cars I've owned in my life, 5 of them have been Mustangs. I've bought new Mustangs in the 90s, 00s, 10s, and a couple from the 60s which I restored. The only other non-Mustang car I've owned was a 1969 Dodge Charger. My first car was a beautiful 1967 Mustang 289 which I restored with my Dad in the 90s when I was a teenager, it was a beautiful burgundy metallic with white parchment interior. That still remains one of my all time favorite cars. So from someone who considers themselves a die hard Mustang fan... I have absolutely no issue with the Mach-E, in fact I love it. It really reminds me of a 1970 Mustang Mach-1 and I couldn't be happier with the end result.

Alex, great video! The last few minutes talking about the RAV4 are exactly where I find myself. Looking for a logical replacement for a 10 year old Prius V and trying to justify the extra cost of EV over PHEV. I think the MachE is the closest step to making the jump rational for myself. Looks like the RAV4 Limited built up to comparable specs (assuming I could order one) for systems is about $5000 less than the standard battery MachE Premium. The fact that Toyota dealers in my area are charging an adjusted price of $2000-5000, narrows the gap and savings in “fuel” could be the advantage as we go over $4/gal for gas. Not an easy decision as I approach an near $60,000 purchase. I appreciate what you shared.

I enjoy the little animations.

My dislike of hybrid systems is they seem like they are more complicated to deal with in the long run. I want to go all out EV. I just don’t have the ability to charge at home. Also, still need a sub 35 price point that isn’t a base model, heh.

Mustang . It’s the perfect vehicle for snow birds. We travel from Massachusetts to Boca Raton I would have no problem leaving a EV in my FL garage.

I just recently was provided a Mach e as a company car. The car is terrific.

Chevy Bolt EV isn't for compliance, you can get it in any state.

The Escape PHEV can now be ordered. Shorter range than the RAV4 Prime (37 vs 42+) but you can get a Platinum level Escape plugin for $2000 lest than the gasoline model after the tax rebate ($6850).

Your reason for leaning toward a Rav4 personally is exactly why I own a Chevy Volt. I drive all electric all the time. But for the one or two trips a year I travel worry/hassel free.

Polestar 2 has had the plug and charge set up with ChargePoint for about a month so it's difficult to say for sure who was first. Seems like they both happened in March. It's also interesting that you didn't have the P2 listed on any of the comparison stats when it is clearly in the same size class and is also offering various drivetrain configurations (currently in Europe but soon for the US).

I have to say, as a TESLA owner (M3 and MY), this is a great looking car! I’ve seen a few in the wild now and they do turn heads...Glad to hear you found the seats comfortable on long trips. They are fairly soft compared to some like BMW seats and I usually find soft seats to be terrible over long trips. I was bummed there is no tilt adjustment. Other than that complaint, I really thought the car was excellent and I would get it over the TESLA as long as they get the CCS charging errors fixed!!! Winner!

Extremely thorough video ❤️ Loving this car! I’m amazed at your ability to speak ‘on your feet’ 😳 I’m a content creator myself and I would have to edit out a lot of ums if I tried to just list off so much info 🤣🤣 Impressive 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Ahhh, yes, beyond the incredible performance, intoxicating torque, great handling, incredible reliability, virtually zero routine maintenance, and much lower cost-to-own, they are more convenient for commuting than an ICE. None of the anxieties associated with owning a petrol car. No accessory belts, no alternators, no power steering pumps or fluids, no mechanical water pumps or engine coolant systems to leak, no spark plugs, plug wires, coil packs, or ignition control modules, no fuel injectors, fuel filters, fuel pumps, or fuel injection control modules, no engine oil, oil pumps or oil filters, no PCV valves, no MAF or other Air/Fuel metering systems, sensors or control modules, no transmissions or transmission fluids, no engine air filters, no expensive brake jobs every 40k miles (EV’s largely use regenerative braking so the conventional hydraulic brakes last much, much longer), no need to waste hours sitting in customer lounges several times every year waiting for oil changes and other maintenance required for gas and diesel vehicles, no starter or starter battery to let you down on those sub-zero mornings (EVs do have a small 12V battery but it’s essentially for the cars accessories), no fear of cold morning starting (EVs don’t need to be started, they can be counted on to power up and go every time even when more than -30F down), no O2 sensors, no exhaust pipes, no mufflers or catalytic converters, essentially no emissions control systems of any kind and finally, NO EMISSIONS TESTING EVER! Nearly all EV owners have the option of refueling (charging) at home so as daily commuters they will likely never have to stop at a public charging station. EV owners don’t need to stop at filthy gasoline stations, especially nasty on those sub-zero winter mornings. They won't have to touch a filler nozzle that’s already been handled by dozens of hacking, mouth-breathing, snot-nosed ICE owners (you know, the guy that just took his morning constitutional in a WaWa bathroom that had no toilet tissue). For commuter purposes, you can’t beat being able to refuel (recharge) at home. Only 2 seconds of your day required to refuel. One second to plug it in before going to bed and one second to unplug it in the morning. Full tank every morning with far more range than the average commuter can possibly use in a day, warmed and defrosted before opening the garage door. IMHO, unless you're among the few US drivers that need more than 50 miles each day an EV is a far more convenient option.

On the question of the front trunk. I use my Tesla for Uber driving but need to keep the rear trunk for passenger luggage so I keep my own personal stuff in the front trunk.

Mustang Mach E looks way better than Model Y. Saw bunch of Mach E's on the road and they look great! Two thumbs up to Ford!!

You did a good job of emphasizing 80% charge because Ford stops DC Fast Charging at 80% and that is significant. Significant as it is no faster than L2 at 80%+ (12 kWh) I would hope they lift that restriction to at least 90% because range contributes far to flexibility than charging stations. Seeing that it has a larger battery than the Model Y I am confused why they felt the need to clip the fast charge so early. Points in its favor. That keypad to enter/exit the car. Always loved that on Fords Glass roof nicely blended into the look Blended braking, something Telsa needs. CCS is the future It is a real designed as an EV It is not a Bolt No wasted time on adding video games and dumb fart stuff Points against. 80% limit on Fast Charging (this is inexcusable) Too many buttons UI felt sluggish at times Navigation needs work Lack of exciting colors other than First Edition and GTs

I've got nothing against Plug-In Hybrids, but I feel like they only make sense for people who live in their own residence. PHEV's make sense if you're using the gas tank mainly for long distance trips and recharge the battery every time you deplete it. If you don't, you may as well buy a regular hybrid or go full-electric (so that you don't have to recharge as frequently). Personally, I think it'd be cool if you did a direct comparison between RAV4 Prime & Mach-E, and compare things like - price (of a comparably equipped model of the RAV4 Prime) - cost of operation (tied to fuel economy) - ride quality - acceleration / ease of passing on the freeway - handling - cabin noise - ride quality My intuition is that operating costs, acceleration, and cabin noise would all go in favor of the Mach-E, and price would go in favor of the RAV4 prime, but not sure about the others.

Came for the detailed long-term review, stayed for the Spotify song hilariously referencing the vehicle name

Well done Alex, a good fair and comprehensive review.

About the name, if you really want to get into it.. was the Mustang II a mustang? It was underpowered, Was the foxbody a mustang? It does not look like a mustang. Is the GT trim a mustang? Do you really grand tour in a muscle car and what about the real mustangs in name alone the i4s and V6es? Point is the Mach-E is just as much a Mustang as them because it's not underpowered, it looks like a mustang and the only issue is four doors which my 2020 Ecoboost premium could use to make using the back seats easier. Which yes the third muscle car to exist had four doors and was called the Rambler Rebel.

1:33 I would argue that its not COMPLETELY defeating since while you are driving alone and not carpooling, you are not adding extra exhaust fumes to the air since it's an electric vehicle. Key word here is completely.

Yes please do the grippy tire fuel economy test !

Canadian version only includes 88kwh for the CA version 25:32 shows 98KwH did I miss something? Edit: Alex mentioned 88KW usable - pretty good.

Should of just called it the Fusion 2!!

FYI, Tesla’s do have music volume and playback control buttons, and cruise control/autopilot control buttons on the steering wheel

You are really the "go-to" resource for vehicle information and comparisons. On the Mach-E, has Ford given out any information on when a towing package will be available and what the Mach E towing capacity may be?

The charging infrastructure that Ford is using has a long ways to go.

I didn't think about the proportion of fast chargers to number of EVs when considering Tesla's Supercharger network vs Electrify America. Good point!

Very good review. I own a Chevy Volt and plan on switching to a full EV in a year or two. You make a compelling argument for PHEVs for right now at the end. Although it was not necessary with the Volt which has a gas generator, I took it on a multi day trip and attempted to plug in to recover the limited EV range at night. Two of the three nights I stopped, I ran into broken chargers and could not charge my car. Not a big deal for a PHEV but it makes me very gun shy about buying a full EV that is not a Tesla until the charging infrastructure is more robust on the east coast. It will get there. I think you make a good point about Tesla being like Apple and other car makers being like Android. Android was somewhat of a fiasco back in the day but has now developed into a robust platform that is less expensive and fine for most people (this coming from an Apple user).

Looks so much better and more prestigious than a Model Y. Not a golf cart look at all.

What is Ford's position of software updates when reselling the car. I've read stories that Tesla software updates are not transferrable if you resell your car. If I am wrong about Tesla, I am happy to learn.

I’m very definitely interested in the long-range version of the Mach-E, so thanks for the review - super-thorough and -objective as usual! Other than not providing ventilated seats, really like the interior! Tesla has totally “gone bye-bye” in their interior design - solving oodles of “problems” that never existed in the first place, and causing new, real problems, with a minimalist vibe that nobody asked for in the first place! Tactile-feel switches and knobs go into the “+” column of your spreadsheet, not the “-“ column! Tesla, please stop making our lives harder by trying to make them easier! Providing optional automation is superb, and you do it amazingly well, but stop making basic driving, infotainment (etc.) features hard to get to!

15:37 - "Smartphone operation will operate either wired or wireless" Does the Mustang Mach E connect to the internet directly ***WITHOUT*** a smartphone at all? Tesla does have what it calls Premium Connectivity where the car connects to the internet independent of any smartphone.

Still waiting for the Kia and Hyundai alternatives coming out this year. The ID4 isn't all that bad though.

That lag and load times in UI is brutal

Great video! Sounds like Ford did a good job at making a serious EV. Sad to hear that CCS charging even on the newest EV can still be unreliable and points out how well thought out Tesla planned their whole EV approach. I'm very interested to see if VW has issues charging at EA chargers or other chargers that support CCS. Also curious about GM and EVgo partnership to see if there will be charging issues with them as well. With the size of the newer battery packs and not so reliable charging experiences if I were looking to replace my Subaru Outback I'd lean toward the RAV4 Prime. Since we're retired now and making mostly short trips of 16 miles or less a day, the 42 mile electric only range works very well while still giving a typical ICE vehicle road trip 'range and convince. BTW, I did purchase a full BEV in a 2016 Chevy Spark EV for all those short trip duties and really love it and while I average 5.5 miles per kWh I experience too many DCFC charging issues some I charge at home on level 1. The only other issue with my mini EV is that I enjoy driving it so much I'd like to take longer drives than the DCFC charging infrastructure in my area provides especially in light of potential charging issues. BTW, very cute to have the 'My Little Pony' tune on the infotainment screen, is that required listening whilst driving a 'Mustang, 😆

Saw one of these in the wild yesterday. It was pulling out of a parking lot driveway as I drove by, so I saw the side profile followed by the front end. From the side, I thought it was an import SUV, but the front made me think someone slapped a Mustang logo onto one of those things. I was thoroughly confused. Glad I found this video today.

I’m interested to see what other variants Ford does with this drivetrain. I’d like to see something super boxy and practical-like a Transit Connect EV. People who do outdoor hobbies (cycling, climbing, camping, surfing, etc.) would eat that up. I’m personally not a big fan of all the “weirdness” that seems to come with the new crop of EV’s...giant screen that includes HVAC controls, non opening sunroof, small hatch are.

Glad to see a Postmodern Jukebox reference at 14:42!

Well I think the look is decidedly attractive instead of undecidedly so, but you do you, Alex. :)

Quick question about the Tesla adapter; say you find yourself needing to charge at a tesla charger, how do you setup payment and authorize the charge? I thought it was all proprietary Tesla protocols.

I have lower back pain. I have learned that I need that knee tilt ability in order to sit comfortably .