Consumer Reports reviews for Mach-E & Polestar 2

[Bonehead]

The August issue of Consumer Reports has their reviews of the Mach-E & the Polestar 2. The main takeaways:

Mach-E: Fun to Drive but Reliability Concerns
Overall Score: 62
Road-Test Score: 78
Highs: Acceleration, handling, quietness, no tailpipe emissions
Lows: Fussy door handles, controls, modest range, long charging times
"Its combination of style, practicality, and a fun-to-drive nature makes it one of the most enjoyable EVs on the market. It's less-than-stellar Overall Score is largely due to worse-than-average predicted reliability from the Ford brand."

Polestar 2: An Unimpressive First EV Effort
Overall Score: 57
Road-Test Score: 72
Highs: Acceleration, braking, handling, no tailpipe emissions
Lows: Ride, controls, cramped interior, modest range, long charging times
"... failed to impress with its bone-jarring ride, tight interior, and confusing controls..."

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[krafty81]

The August issue of Consumer Reports has their reviews of the Mach-E & the Polestar 2. The main takeaways:

Mach-E: Fun to Drive but Reliability Concerns
Overall Score: 62
Road-Test Score: 78
Highs: Acceleration, handling, quietness, no tailpipe emissions
Lows: Fussy door handles, controls, modest range, long charging times
"Its combination of style, practicality, and a fun-to-drive nature makes it one of the most enjoyable EVs on the market. It's less-than-stellar Overall Score is largely due to worse-than-average predicted reliability from the Ford brand."

Polestar 2: An Unimpressive First EV Effort
Overall Score: 57
Road-Test Score: 72
Highs: Acceleration, braking, handling, no tailpipe emissions
Lows: Ride, controls, cramped interior, modest range, long charging times
"... failed to impress with its bone-jarring ride, tight interior, and confusing controls..."

It's funny. If you go to the website it still says the Mach E is "in test". These must be preliminary results. I don't know how 270 can be "modest range" and I did not even see a discussion on charging times. I agree with the seat - needs seat tilt for sure.

 

[agoldman]

"predicted reliability"? wtf?

 

[Bonehead]

"predicted reliability"? wtf?

I believe they are factoring in their extensive research in to brand reliability, based on annual surveys of many thousands of readers. In the current brand reliability rankings, Ford comes in at 22 out of 26.

For comparison, the Tesla Model Y was rated only 47, and the Tesla brand reliability rating is ranked 25th.

 

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

Consumer Reports used to do better. They say they purchased and tested a 4X but print Powertrain info (290HP instead of 346HP, no TQ number either ?) for RWD X. Then they quote useless EPA range estimates that most every EV maker exceeds EXCEPT for Tesla.

 

[Rabidsquirrel22]

Any media outlet that just compares EPA ranges without providing any real-world data immediately loses a lot of credibility in my eyes.

Like did you even drive the car? Anyone could have written those summaries after 30 minutes of googling specs and first impressions. It's been pretty thoroughly proven that the Model Y has no real-world range advantage over the Mach-E at this point, so it's pretty annoying to see yet another "respected" media outlet perpetuate that myth.

 

[Ciero]

"We don't like the two-step process to open the Mach-E's door handles"

Is push and pull with one hand in a fluid motion that inconvenient compared to what other cars have? I get that the rear doors require a little more effort due to no handle, but it seems hardly worth wasting their already precious character allotment to type that.

 

[deadduck]

Never mind, I scan things too fast and didn't notice that the OP had something in print.

Still, Ford reliability is pretty damn poor, CR put's them at 5th worst between Cadillac and the Mini. This is one of the big negatives about the car, it could break and you have to work with the dealers, who probably know almost nothing about the car, to get it fixed.

 

[Stang68]

"We don't like the two-step process to open the Mach-E's door handles"

Is push and pull with one hand in a fluid motion that inconvenient compared to what other cars have? I get that the rear doors require a little more effort due to no handle, but it seems hardly worth wasting their already precious character allotment to type that.

Yeah I don’t get the bitching over the door handles. I think they work fine and are a fun little feature. The trade off of not seeing door handles on the body is totally worth it for the “inconvenience”(?) of pushing a button lol

 

[Scarpia]

The door handles are great, it takes about 3 times until it is completely natural and works in one motion.

Reminds me of the criticism Honda took for the push-button shifting in their cars. All the reviewers hated it. When you drive a car for a day or two, of course it will be different than what you are used to, but when you own one, those little things become second nature very quickly. It's a freakin' button to push, how hard is it?

Same thing with the Mach-E doors. They're great.

 

[Jimrpa]

First, people have to remember that CR has always despised American car brands. A classic example: Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Plymouth Laser. The Eclipse was heralded as the pinnacle of superiority of Japanese engineering excellence and manufacturing process superiority, while the Talon and Laser were derided as just more examples of American engineering mediocrity produced by over-entitled UAW workers, more concerned with producing quality picket signs than quality products. Never mind the fact that all three were identical cars, designed by the same engineers, and manufactured on the same line by the same people.

So, first, you have to completely discount the CR “American manufacturers suck” bias. That’s where cracks about “fussy door handles” come from.

The rest of the review is pretty tepid and devoid of any substantive information or conclusions on which a informed consumer could make a purchase decision. You’d learn more from a Munro video.

 

[phil]

None of their "lows" bother me. I hope reliability is better than they predict.

 

[Scrannel]

God, when I was a kid (too young to drive) and the 911s Porsche came out, CR docked it for having too small a trunk. Of course, the trunk...

 

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

First, people have to remember that CR has always despised American car brands. A classic example: Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Plymouth Laser. The Eclipse was heralded as the pinnacle of superiority of Japanese engineering excellence and manufacturing process superiority, while the Talon and Laser were derided as just more examples of American engineering mediocrity produced by over-entitled UAW workers, more concerned with producing quality picket signs than quality products. Never mind the fact that all three were identical cars, designed by the same engineers, and manufactured on the same line by the same people.

So, first, you have to completely discount the CR “American manufacturers suck” bias. That’s where cracks about “fussy door handles” come from.

The rest of the review is pretty tepid and devoid of any substantive information or conclusions on which a informed consumer could make a purchase decision. You’d learn more from a Munro video.

I remember the Diamond Star Motors triumvirate you refer to above but I don’t recall reading the negativity you refer to in CR’s reviews of them back in ‘89-90. All 3 of the cars were built in Normal, IL so there was no real quality difference. I was only 14 and reading CD, R&T, MT et al., but my parents had a CR subscription. I’ve never been a huge CR fan but I don’t question their objectivity.

 

[deadduck]

CR is weird, but I am a subscriber, mostly just to see the cars.

What I really don't get is their love of Subaru's. They're slow, poorly noise dampened, not terribly reliable, I don't get any sense that the safety equipment is great, their infotainment and usability isn't great, yet, they roll them out with some of the highest scores on their site. Is being able to see out the windows worth 30 points or something?

Still, all car reviews should come with a heaping dose of salt. When was the last time any car reviewer, except maybe Savage Geese, really ripped a car? They can't because if they do they won't get cars. C & D, Motor Trend, both seem to start their 0-60 tests at 10mph or something because they're consistently way faster than anyone else, or, would they lose advertising if they were truly honest?

CR, really, is one of the few unbiased organizations doing car reviews, they just come with caveats of their own.

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