Selling up to a Premium ER AWD and First Impressions (Long) vs. Select Mach-E

Nklem said:

Just some first Impressions. First of all I loved my Select with Tech/Comfort. Even though I felt second class to all the GT and Premium Owners on this forum…LOL. 11,250 miles of bliss. Zero issues (except PAAK) and great efficiency 3.7-3.9 mi/kWh over that time. I cannot think of a better EV to Own and I cannot think of a better one. Ford did it right.

I am very disgruntled at the way Ford does updates and delays current customers from getting them. From 1.7.1 being rolled out to a whiney you-tuber first (that did not say great things about the car), to long delayed Bluecruise (first Quarter of 22) but all new buyers get it in cars built after June ‘21. It’s a feature I really wanted. So many have not received 1.7.1 yet either. I was fortunate to get that one.

Anyway, the current Market is crazy, the used Market is insane and you can get nearly equal to MSRP or more for your 2021 Mach E any model even with over 11,000 miles. Hint hint. Mine is currently awaiting transport and when it departs, I will share the fantastic numbers.

So I started shopping for in stock Mach E units with no ADM in New England. I would have done a Select again, premium or even a GT. It had to have Bluecruise, 360 Active and self parking. I really wanted Dark Matter Gray and there were zero in that color. Red and Star white were ok. Lots of black models available but I would go insane keeping it clean all Winter. I do love metallics. If I could go extended range, I certainly would. (See my post on my contemplated executive at work road trip). I even would have bought a GT or GT Performance but every one was at least $5K of ADM, no BlueCruise or a wait. I only found two dealers with in stock units meeting my loose specs and no ADM. There were a ton of Selects available without Tech at MSRP

I found one 2021 Premium AWD not ER for MSRP in red at a small dealer. The dealer did not list mileage or any facts, I went to look at it, it had 2200 miles , a hood full of stone chips, scored and rusted rotors and was made in 11/20! It did qualify for the tax credit as it was never registered. It also smelled like pipe smoke inside, so didn’t the showroom of the dealer. I decided to pass.

I found an undriven 2021 Premium AWD extended, 11 miles, Star White with all the Options for MSRP. The interior was still in the wrapper. No stickers scraped off. No ADM and the dealer was awesome. Arundel Ford. I left work early without even a confirmed sale of my Select to see it and arrived 15 minutes before closing. I expected a story that it was an order sold to someone else and I could order one from them, wasting my time. There were no other Premium ER’s in stock in New England except with hefty ADM. I drove it and they pulled it in the showroom so I could inspect for dings or damage. I left at closing and paid a deposit. Shopping was over. It was the first Mach E they sold and their computer had to be upgraded to process it with Options. So my pick up was delayed over a week. Build date was 7/3/21. They had it for 5 -6 weeks with no local interest. Maine is tough for EV Ownership, especially with Winter range.

Before pick up, I asked if I could set it up on my FordPass before I got it, Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving . To my surprise, it flashed “Bluecruise” is ready across my phone screen. I thought that was only on August or later builds? I was excited. When I picked it up I saw the “frunk” button on FordPass too. One press and Pop. I was giddy. I also tried the Remote profile setup with everything preset. It would have worked if I did not connect CarPlay so quickly. You must only have BT connected for it to download properly.

The dark drive part way home that night was awesome. I used Blue Cruise for 78 miles on the interstate. It was flawless. I also noticed the extended Car Play as well. My ez pass did not work through the infrared filtered glass. After the first no read, I remembered that it’s got to be on the perf at the top. After a stay with Mom and a full charge on Turkey Day, I finished the drive home on my non-highway route, 96 miles. I got the same 3.7 mi/kWh as my Select.

Now onto the Observations……

First and foremost is the ride. It is stiffer/bouncier than the Select AWD. I now see what some folks complain about. I don’t it mind it. The Select is just not as bouncy and seems to handle a little better. It’s either the 19” tires or the extra battery weight that makes the ER different. I am anxious to install my 18” snows and Select wheels (left from my Select) soon to see the difference. I would suggest anyone with a Premium ride complaint, find a set of 18” wheels they can “borrow” and see if it improves your ride. I have driven my Select a few times before pick up and it does feel more nimble than the Premium ER.

Second is Wind Noise, the Select is quieter, even with the single thickness windows. It’s got to be the insulated roof. The primary issue is the windshield to roof gap/seam, I am sure. I have already ordered the adhesive rubber filler strip that is recommended, maybe it will also help with edge rock chips that seem to crack the glass roof panel.

Third is the audio. I have no complaints about my Select’s base system. With my high bit rate MP3 flash drive I can shake the mirrors, the bass is old style from the woofers in the doors. I like that old school sound. The premium B &O sounds terrific, especially the treble and detail. I actually turned treble down below midpoint. I cannot shake the mirrors.

The bass is driven to the weak rear Woofer. I have bass cranked all the way. I did find that surround mode is neat, but the music has to be from the 2000’s and up. 1990’s and earlier (80’s, 70’s and 60’s music especially) seems to all come from the center speaker in the dash. The fix is to not use surround mode for those tracks and it sounds good. Modern music is awesome in surround.

The perforated seats are the same comfort as the Select but it’s nice having passenger full power and perf’s for summer comfort.

The Select headlights project a kidney shaped center hi beam pattern. It’s fine but the premium has much much more Side to side spread. They are better overall.

I do love the animated front turn signals. That’s what I remember from my premium demo. I think they are super cool.

With BlueCruise the eye monitor is annoying. It works all the time you are using any cruise, even not hands free. You cannot look at the passenger seat or CarPlay without getting the “Eye” warning. I see there is a switch to turn it off, I wonder if that negates BC. I will played with that but it made no difference. Get ready for a sea of warnings on the screen. Especially if you wear glasses and the sun is shining back at you through the windshield. Fair warning.

There is also a ton of notices now on the Speedo screen. I cannot find a way to turn them off. When you reverse it says, reverse stop not active, when you turn on cruise a big blue flag tells you BC is active. You have to hit OK for each of these for them to go away quickly. There are others too. I hope I can find a way to disable them.l, but so far no luck.

You can feel the 80 HP difference for sure although I had no issue getting around with the Select and surprising “hot” cars off the stoplights.

And getting the free 48 amp Ford Connect charger in the deal was pretty awesome.

I ended up with a Premium Extended AWD for only the Sales Tax cost of the car above my Selects original MSRP. I got all of my payments back, all of my original down payment and a good chunk of my Ford rebates in cash. I do not have to pay the $600 for Bluecruise when or if it ever comes, either. I did not pay tax on my Select since I had a high value 2020 Ram as atrade. My State will be happy they got Tax money from me. I will transfer my Select plates and get an excise tax credit but have to pay 2.4% of the difference in sticker price (only a few hundred).

So I got to drive 11,200 plus miles for zero cost with my awesome, reliable Select and got all I paid against it and some extra back as well. I also get the gravy of two federal tax credits next year which makes the deal even better. Maybe I need a Kandi….lol. Not a bad deal. These certainly are Strange times and I have had the great opportunity to own, promote and drive two of Fords amazing EV’s.

Someone said I may be able to do the same with the premium ER AWD in 6 months. I do not know If I will do this again. I will add my selling story to this post after its completely gone. It was not a very pleasant experience and quite stressful but they did do exactly what they said and honored their incredible offer.

I very much enjoy being part of this forum. I considered waiting for a Kia or Hyundai, or at least a test drive, but I have to say the Mach E is one of the best cars I have Owned, driven and I really wanted another one.

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DrSteveBrule said:

Nice review. What are your thoughts on the ride quality, both overall and in moving to the 19" wheels on the premium?

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Nklem said:

Just some first Impressions. First of all I loved my Select with Tech/Comfort. Even though I felt second class to all the GT and Premium Owners on this forum…LOL. 11,250 miles of bliss. Zero issues (except PAAK) and great efficiency 3.7-3.9 mi/kWh over that time. I cannot think of a better EV to Own and I cannot think of a better one. Ford did it right.

I am very disgruntled at the way Ford does updates and delays current customers from getting them. From 1.7.1 being rolled out to a whiney you-tuber first (that did not say great things about the car), to long delayed Bluecruise (first Quarter of 22) but all new buyers get it in cars built after June ‘21. It’s a feature I really wanted. So many have not received 1.7.1 yet either. I was fortunate to get that one.

Anyway, the current Market is crazy, the used Market is insane and you can get nearly equal to MSRP or more for your 2021 Mach E any model even with over 11,000 miles. Hint hint. Mine is currently awaiting transport and when it departs, I will share the fantastic numbers.

So I started shopping for in stock Mach E units with no ADM in New England. I would have done a Select again, premium or even a GT. It had to have Bluecruise, 360 Active and self parking. I really wanted Dark Matter Gray and there were zero in that color. Red and Star white were ok. Lots of black models available but I would go insane keeping it clean all Winter. I do love metallics. If I could go extended range, I certainly would. (See my post on my contemplated executive at work road trip). I even would have bought a GT or GT Performance but every one was at least $5K of ADM, no BlueCruise or a wait. I only found two dealers with in stock units meeting my loose specs and no ADM. There were a ton of Selects available without Tech at MSRP

I found one 2021 Premium AWD not ER for MSRP in red at a small dealer. The dealer did not list mileage or any facts, I went to look at it, it had 2200 miles , a hood full of stone chips, scored and rusted rotors and was made in 11/20! It did qualify for the tax credit as it was never registered. It also smelled like pipe smoke inside, so didn’t the showroom of the dealer. I decided to pass.

I found an undriven 2021 Premium AWD extended, 11 miles, Star White with all the Options for MSRP. The interior was still in the wrapper. No stickers scraped off. No ADM and the dealer was awesome. Arundel Ford. I left work early without even a confirmed sale of my Select to see it and arrived 15 minutes before closing. I expected a story that it was an order sold to someone else and I could order one from them, wasting my time. There were no other Premium ER’s in stock in New England except with hefty ADM. I drove it and they pulled it in the showroom so I could inspect for dings or damage. I left at closing and paid a deposit. Shopping was over. It was the first Mach E they sold and their computer had to be upgraded to process it with Options. So my pick up was delayed over a week. Build date was 7/3/21. They had it for 5 -6 weeks with no local interest. Maine is tough for EV Ownership, especially with Winter range.

Before pick up, I asked if I could set it up on my FordPass before I got it, Wednesday the day before Thanksgiving . To my surprise, it flashed “Bluecruise” is ready across my phone screen. I thought that was only on August or later builds? I was excited. When I picked it up I saw the “frunk” button on FordPass too. One press and Pop. I was giddy. I also tried the Remote profile setup with everything preset. It would have worked if I did not connect CarPlay so quickly. You must only have BT connected for it to download properly.

The dark drive part way home that night was awesome. I used Blue Cruise for 78 miles on the interstate. It was flawless. I also noticed the extended Car Play as well. My ez pass did not work through the infrared filtered glass. After the first no read, I remembered that it’s got to be on the perf at the top. After a stay with Mom and a full charge on Turkey Day, I finished the drive home on my non-highway route, 96 miles. I got the same 3.7 mi/kWh as my Select.

Now onto the Observations……

First and foremost is the ride. It is stiffer/bouncier than the Select AWD. I now see what some folks complain about. I don’t it mind it. The Select is just not as bouncy and seems to handle a little better. It’s either the 19” tires or the extra battery weight that makes the ER different. I am anxious to install my 18” snows and Select wheels (left from my Select) soon to see the difference. I would suggest anyone with a Premium ride complaint, find a set of 18” wheels they can “borrow” and see if it improves your ride. I have driven my Select a few times before pick up and it does feel more nimble than the Premium ER.

Second is Wind Noise, the Select is quieter, even with the single thickness windows. It’s got to be the insulated roof. The primary issue is the windshield to roof gap/seam, I am sure. I have already ordered the adhesive rubber filler strip that is recommended, maybe it will also help with edge rock chips that seem to crack the glass roof panel.

Third is the audio. I have no complaints about my Select’s base system. With my high bit rate MP3 flash drive I can shake the mirrors, the bass is old style from the woofers in the doors. I like that old school sound. The premium B &O sounds terrific, especially the treble and detail. I actually turned treble down below midpoint. I cannot shake the mirrors.

The bass is driven to the weak rear Woofer. I have bass cranked all the way. I did find that surround mode is neat, but the music has to be from the 2000’s and up. 1990’s and earlier (80’s, 70’s and 60’s music especially) seems to all come from the center speaker in the dash. The fix is to not use surround mode for those tracks and it sounds good. Modern music is awesome in surround.

The perforated seats are the same comfort as the Select but it’s nice having passenger full power and perf’s for summer comfort.

The Select headlights project a kidney shaped center hi beam pattern. It’s fine but the premium has much much more Side to side spread. They are better overall.

I do love the animated front turn signals. That’s what I remember from my premium demo. I think they are super cool.

With BlueCruise the eye monitor is annoying. It works all the time you are using any cruise, even not hands free. You cannot look at the passenger seat or CarPlay without getting the “Eye” warning. I see there is a switch to turn it off, I wonder if that negates BC. I will played with that but it made no difference. Get ready for a sea of warnings on the screen. Especially if you wear glasses and the sun is shining back at you through the windshield. Fair warning.

There is also a ton of notices now on the Speedo screen. I cannot find a way to turn them off. When you reverse it says, reverse stop not active, when you turn on cruise a big blue flag tells you BC is active. You have to hit OK for each of these for them to go away quickly. There are others too. I hope I can find a way to disable them.l, but so far no luck.

You can feel the 80 HP difference for sure although I had no issue getting around with the Select and surprising “hot” cars off the stoplights.

And getting the free 48 amp Ford Connect charger in the deal was pretty awesome.

I ended up with a Premium Extended AWD for only the Sales Tax cost of the car above my Selects original MSRP. I got all of my payments back, all of my original down payment and a good chunk of my Ford rebates in cash. I do not have to pay the $600 for Bluecruise when or if it ever comes, either. I did not pay tax on my Select since I had a high value 2020 Ram as atrade. My State will be happy they got Tax money from me. I will transfer my Select plates and get an excise tax credit but have to pay 2.4% of the difference in sticker price (only a few hundred).

So I got to drive 11,200 plus miles for zero cost with my awesome, reliable Select and got all I paid against it and some extra back as well. I also get the gravy of two federal tax credits next year which makes the deal even better. Maybe I need a Kandi….lol. Not a bad deal. These certainly are Strange times and I have had the great opportunity to own, promote and drive two of Fords amazing EV’s.

Someone said I may be able to do the same with the premium ER AWD in 6 months. I do not know If I will do this again. I will add my selling story to this post after its completely gone. It was not a very pleasant experience and quite stressful but they did do exactly what they said and honored their incredible offer.

I very much enjoy being part of this forum. I considered waiting for a Kia or Hyundai, or at least a test drive, but I have to say the Mach E is one of the best cars I have Owned, driven and I really wanted another one.

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Nklem said:

The premium is firmer and somewhat “bouncy“ as others have complained. I will judge it again with my 18” wheels and snows, hopefully installed this weekend. I would love to find, with 18’s, it’s the same as my Select. I may try reducing tire pressure a little as well Before I remove the 19’s. They are currently at 41 PSI cold, which is a little high, I think.

I do not mind the ride at all. I test drove a premium for 2 days (300 miles) before buying the Select and my family and I all loved it. It’s firm but controlled, like a European car, Audi or BMW like. I have had a few Audi’s with no ride complaints.

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miata said:

I'd be surprised if the stock springs are different between a Select and Premium trim level. However between standard range and (heavier) extended range battery packs, that seems quite likely. Norm, can you comment on the batteries of the S and P you compared? Same or different?

Tires are huge in handling but play a part in ride quality too. Basic compliance varies pretty much inversely with treadwear rating, at least for the same size. But 18 vs 19 vs 20 (or more precisely 225/60R18, vs 225/55R19 vs 245/45R20) will have huge compliance differences.

Anyone with particularly annoying bouncing try playing with tire pressures?

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Nklem said:

The batteries are different, the SR 68 kW is in the Select and the 88kW in the ER. My premium ER weighs 4834 pounds. My Select weighs about 4587 pounds.

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Socalsp3 said:

...Also didn't want the 19" for the rougher ride...

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