First Impressions of a Tesla M3 Owner buying Mach-E Select RWD

[BlueMach]

There are definitely pros and cons each way.

On the range display of miles *and* percent rather than miles *or* percent - I don't want to see miles, period, under any circumstances, so I'd say Ford's inability to turn them off is a disadvantage.

The app is also a huge disappointment - because of the setup and the dealers. Tesla pairs your app and car before you arrive for pickup, Ford hopes the dealer mentions there's an app.

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[BlueMach]

Thanks for the detailed write up, you also take great pictures!

Out of curiosity, which dealership did you get it from and how would you say your experience was with them?

Slightly off topic, but how do you feel about renting on Turo, ever had a bad experience? I’ve always been scared to do it, that my car would get trashed internally or some kind of issue would occur where I can’t prove it easily and hold the renter accountable.

They treat your car just like they would a rental from Hertz, and then Turo defends them if you accuse them of damaging your car. It's a complete scam for the owner. Definitely do not rent anything you are remotely attached to, financially or emotionally.

 

[jhalkias]

I actually have my Tesla rented out as well. I'm a very cheap/frugal guy and very conscious about my expenses. So I think I'm tricking my mind by saying - Its a rental investment lol.
So I plan to keep both of them on rental (Turo). I do have other vehicles that I do NOT rent out.

They treat your car just like they would a rental from Hertz, and then Turo defends them if you accuse them of damaging your car. It's a complete scam for the owner. Definitely do not rent anything you are remotely attached to, financially or emotionally.

I always wondered about this (not that I am interested - just curious).

 

[DaveRuns]

EV Experience:

• 2013 Ford Focus EV - Used as daily driver for 3 years
• 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD - Current daily driver (for now )

My Ford Mach-E

• Reserved on- 03/03/2020
• Order Finalized - 07/07/2020
• Delivered to Dealer - 02/03/2021
• Purchase Finalized and vehicle pickup - 02/07/2021
• Purchase/Lease: Ford Options 48 Month Lease @ 10500miles with $2000 down $664/month (Including $2500 Options Rebate and CA CRV Rebate $1500)
• Vehicle Trim/Spec:
  • Mustang Mach-E 2021 Select RWD
  • Ext-Iconic Silver Metallic | Int-BLK Onyx ActiveX Seats
  • +Comford/Technology Package ($2600)
  • Total Dealer Sticker Price $46, 595

My thoughts on EV, Range anxiety, Charging, Tesla vs Ford etc:

• I drove a 60-70mile range ford focus EV for 3 years as my daily driver and I've had my share of "0% battery - stop" moments. But I've never been stuck to a point I had to call roadside assistance. Charged at home using a 110v regular charger. But yes, I had a gas car that I drove when I needed to go on longer trips.
• I've been driving Tesla M3 for about an year and a big fan of all things Tesla (also have Tesla Solar). I love all the software upgrades/changes they routinely do and I think this one of the biggest reasons Tesla is leading the way. I believe Tesla is more of a Tech company, trying to make vehicles.
• Why I bought Mach-e: I didn't need to buy another vehicle. Also - Ford is not in my Top 5 vehicle manufacturers. But I think Ford has the experience and could make a better car than Tesla. I also usually don't buy brand new vehicles - as they loose value right after. But looking at the price tag, all the rebates being offered - It doesn't look like I'd be loosing a lot of money. Additionally, I plan to rent out this vehicle on a car sharing/rental platform > converting this more to a investment than an expense. If it wasn't for the rental idea - I would've NOT bought it.

First impressions comparing it to Tesla M3:

• Driving:
  • Drive seems more firm/controlled than M3. I think I enjoy it more than on my Tesla M3. This could also be due to the ride height.
  • Propulsion Noises - I LOVE this. In-fact, I've researched about after market upgrades that can be done on Tesla that could add this feature. I miss hearing the engine rev noises and the response you receive as you accelerate. So YES - I love it and hopefully Tesla considers this in the future.
  • One pedal driving - this seems very similar to Tesla and other vehicles, don't see a big difference.
  • EV acceleration/torque: For some reason, Torque seems much stronger on the M3 and not so much on Mach-e. Even on my Focus EV, the torque was more powerful, but it was a very light vehicle.
  • One thing I didn't like about my Focus EV is the fact that it was a lighter vehicle and felt like driving a toy car. Acceleration and handling felt a bit 'out of control'. But on the Mach-e : I think they did a very good job in fine tuning the driving experience and I'm sure the weight and center of gravity helps this a lot.
  • From a few hours of driving - I think I'm starting to prefer the Mach-e Driving experience over Model 3.
• Tech and Misc.
  • Compared to Tesla M3 - I definitely love having a instrument cluster in front of you. Not a big fan of having to look to the side for all the controls.
  • On Mach e - Most of the standard vehicle controls are traditional button, levers. I love this. From a design and the looks point of view, I do like the minimalist look on the Tesla - but it came in the cost of functionality/practicality. For ex: Vipers, Headlight controls, Home link buttons, Signal levers etc - I like the traditional controls.
  • Settings/Options - If Tesla has 30 Settings to setup, I believe Mach-e has 3000 setting options to choose in the center control/infotainment Sync 4 system. As a Tech enthusiast, I like being able to control everything and seeing this many options. However, it feels a bit overwhelming and I think it will take a bit to get used. I could see most drivers not liking it. May be they can introduce a "easy/minimalist" environment with default basic settings and then an Advanced mode for those who choose.
  • Setting up the Ford Pass app is pretty straight forward - but I think Tesla wins in this category. It does take some effort to link the vehicle, then link your phone and setting up the phone as key - process on Tesla was much smoother. However, it seems like the Ford Pass app shows more details than the Tesla.
  • *** On the Tesla you have to choose between showing Battery level as a percentage or remaining miles (but not both.) On FORD,

More than happy to answer any questions from forum members. And if you are around LA or planning to visit LA, feel free to reach out to me if you would like to rent it for a few days.

As a new Model Y owner, there is one thing I noticed you didn't mention. At least for my car, I didn't receive a tire repair kit. I like how Ford includes this in the MME. I wish Tesla included this. Instead, I have to spend another $80 at the Tesla store to order one.

 

[DaveRuns]

They treat your car just like they would a rental from Hertz, and then Turo defends them if you accuse them of damaging your car. It's a complete scam for the owner. Definitely do not rent anything you are remotely attached to, financially or emotionally.

I've heard horror stories from people renting on Turo. One example I always hear is that your car will come back smelling like weed more times than not. Nasty.

 

[JamieGeek]

They treat your car just like they would a rental from Hertz, and then Turo defends them if you accuse them of damaging your car. It's a complete scam for the owner. Definitely do not rent anything you are remotely attached to, financially or emotionally.

I've heard horror stories from people renting on Turo. One example I always hear is that your car will come back smelling like weed more times than not. Nasty.

Wow! I've used Turo before but as a customer, not as a vehicle provider and have to say that I've never trashed the car or left it smelling like weed!

(I even paid the parking ticket I got while renting LOL.)

 

[DaveRuns]

Wow! I've used Turo before but as a customer, not as a vehicle provider and have to say that I've never trashed the car or left it smelling like weed!

(I even paid the parking ticket I got while renting LOL.)

I would be like you if I rented one from Turo. My buddy has had some horrible experiences however. He uses it as a second business. He has 3 cars he rents out on there in the LA area. 2 have been stolen before, but he was able to recover them due to GPS tracking. There are tons of YouTube videos of people talking about their bad experiences. Just like anything though, it can't ALL be bad. The bad issues get highlighted of course.

 

[BlueMach]

Wow! I've used Turo before but as a customer, not as a vehicle provider and have to say that I've never trashed the car or left it smelling like weed!

(I even paid the parking ticket I got while renting LOL.)

Some folks just don't care about damaging things they don't own.

 

[Raymondjram]

I see that my older 2014 Fusion Hybrid still has one feature that the 2021 Mustang Mach-E dos not have (but should): a 120 VAC 15 A outlet. Other than this, your car is beautiful, and I wish you many years of fun with it.

To Ford engineers: bring back the AC outlet for the back seat riders that need to charge older iPhones and other portable devices that do not run on the USB 5 V. The 2009 Escape Hybrid was the first to offer it, and I have not seen any other vehicle brand offering it. Just add it to the 2022 Mach-E.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

To Ford engineers: bring back the AC outlet for the back seat riders that need to charge older iPhones and other portable devices that do not run on the USB 5 V. The 2009 Escape Hybrid was the first to offer it, and I have not seen any other vehicle brand offering it. Just add it to the 2022 Mach-E.

I'm very confused by this example. What's on the other end of the brick that is plugged into the AC outlet? what's an example device released in like, the last 5+ years that can't have a cable connected to the USB-A or USB-C on the car? Apple even sells a first-party C-to-Lightning cable because Macs been all USB-C for a long time now: USB-C to Lightning Cable (1 m) - Apple and everybody but Apple is USB-C (newer) or micro-USB (older) on the device side and has been for a very, very long time now...

 

[jhalkias]

I see that my older 2014 Fusion Hybrid still has one feature that the 2021 Mustang Mach-E dos not have (but should): a 120 VAC 15 A outlet. Other than this, your car is beautiful, and I wish you many years of fun with it.

To Ford engineers: bring back the AC outlet for the back seat riders that need to charge older iPhones and other portable devices that do not run on the USB 5 V. The 2009 Escape Hybrid was the first to offer it, and I have not seen any other vehicle brand offering it. Just add it to the 2022 Mach-E.

I'm very confused by this example. What's on the other end of the brick that is plugged into the AC outlet? what's an example device released in like, the last 5+ years that can't have a cable connected to the USB-A or USB-C on the car? Apple even sells a first-party C-to-Lightning cable because Macs been all USB-C for a long time now: USB-C to Lightning Cable (1 m) - Apple and everybody but Apple is USB-C (newer) or micro-USB (older) on the device side and has been for a very, very long time now...

I too would like to see a standard AC outlet like my Escape has, but I agree with @GoGoGadgetMachE , if you have the proper cable for connection, as far as just a phone is concerned, there really is no need for it. I actually wish there were an AC outlet in the back hatch instead of the old "cigarette lighter" port. What use is that? (Maybe someone needs to tell me) Other than plugging in that inflation kit.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

I too would like to see a standard AC outlet like my Escape has, but I agree with @GoGoGadgetMachE , if you have the proper cable for connection, as far as just a phone is concerned, there really is no need for it. I actually wish there were an AC outlet in the back hatch instead of the old "cigarette lighter" port. What use is that? (Maybe someone needs to tell me) Other than plugging in that inflation kit.

I never clicked on it but you're right that the inflation kit is I bet the main use case.

I'd also think things like car vacuums and such. Don't know how much tailgating-type stuff would be okay on the old-school lighter socket.

since neither back seat passengers nor tailgating are in my use case list very often, I'm not too worried about it.

I actually suspect I'll have a Lightning cable (ugh) connected to the back port and fed around the left side of the right seat for the gf's iPad without taking space from the front USB.

 

[stroszek]

I was kind of tempted to put my Mach E on Turo when I get it because I won’t need it all the time but yeah it does not seem like a good deal in most circumstances. If you follow their very detailed terms exactly and deal with a lot of BS it seems like Turo will usually pay out for damage, but I was reading one guy who rented his Tesla to some guy who didn’t know how to charge and ran the battery down to zero, destroying the battery and the handles in an effort to get his stuff back.

Also Turo pretends that some personal insurance will cover your car on Turo but that apparently isn’t the case. Only commercial insurance will cover you if your driver crashes into someone and the victims sue you as the owner.

 

[Mirak]

Good write up. I appreciate the comparison to the Tesla.

One thing I will note is that photos posted here and everywhere else I've seen seem to make the front and rear cargo areas look bigger than they actually are. That was really only my very small disappointment when I took my test drive. Don't get me wrong, the frunk would hold plenty of ice and shrimp, but it's probably not gonna super useful for most applications. The rear cargo area will be adequate - I wasn't shopping for a Suburban after all - but it just isn't as big as the pics make out.

 

[jhalkias]

I never clicked on it but you're right that the inflation kit is I bet the main use case.

I'd also think things like car vacuums and such. Don't know how much tailgating-type stuff would be okay on the old-school lighter socket.

since neither back seat passengers nor tailgating are in my use case list very often, I'm not too worried about it.

I actually suspect I'll have a Lightning cable (ugh) connected to the back port and fed around the left side of the right seat for the gf's iPad without taking space from the front USB.

Why not use one of the front USB ports? They have lightening to USBA or USBC cables.

This is probably a very minority use case, but for people who use a medical device like a Cpap machine and who might want to sleep in the back seat on a trip, that AC outlet would be very helpful (no, I have not researched if that machine can run from the 12V lighter outlet or USB).

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