How do I tell a '23 from a '22 on the street?

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

Cool, VIN it is.

The whole "model year" thing was always kinda a gimmick to sell cars, as Tesla has shown. I'd rather have them pump out the car that works.

Yeah, why have continuous improvements when you can shove the same crap at people? ?

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[generaltso]

Do the 23 premium cars have color coded wheel arches like the GTs now?

No.

Or Iced Blue.

Good point since that would tell you it’s a 2022. You could also use Infinite Blue or Iconic Silver to tell its a 2021. Carbonized Gray would tell you it’s not a 2022, but it could be a 2021 or a 2023.

 

[Nygman]

You sure, here is a random ad for a 23, seems to have matching fender flairs, 21/22 are gloss black.

https://www.google.com/local/dealership/14301002400103523090/cars/3FMTK3SU5PMA14066

 

[generaltso]

You sure, here is a random ad for a 23, seems to have matching fender flairs, 21/22 are gloss black.

https://www.google.com/local/dealership/14301002400103523090/cars/3FMTK3SU5PMA14066

That appears to be computer generated. It also shows the wrong version of Sync for a 2023.

 

[Nygman]

Fair enough

 

[bbulkow]

Yeah, why have continuous improvements when you can shove the same crap at people? ?

Not to be *overly* pedantic, but *continuous* improvement happens *continuously*, eg, when they think of it and have the parts, instead of waiting for the next model year. Tesla has continuous improvement, not stepwise or model year improvement, nor do they seem to have "model years" although they certainly have production dates. I'll take continuous improvement over stepwise improvement.

Model years worked much better before rampant computerization - where you had to buy a model year part to know if it fit your car. Now you could scan / type the VIN into a database and tell what parts were required. As I understand, since Telsa does all service, if they update a subsystem, they update the database entry for the car, so they know what's in it. Of course, woe betide anyone trying to do service that doesn't have access to that database! Not crazy about that lock-in.

Realistically it seems ford has kind of a blend, if '23 model year is indistinguishable from '22, and if they do things like the battery connector fix mid-year, which I think we all appreciate.

My dell computers are the same way, there's a "service tag id" which has the exact parts blend, then the model (eg, XPS 17), then something more like a model year (9710 vs 9720). When dell sent me a mis-manufactured XPS 17, they replaced it with another of the same model and "model year" but with a different service tag (a collection of parts that actually worked).

 

[Ride_the_lightning]

Not to be *overly* pedantic, but *continuous* improvement happens *continuously*, eg, when they think of it and have the parts, instead of waiting for the next model year. Tesla has continuous improvement, not stepwise or model year improvement, nor do they seem to have "model years" although they certainly have production dates. I'll take continuous improvement over stepwise improvement.

Model years worked much better before rampant computerization - where you had to buy a model year part to know if it fit your car. Now you could scan / type the VIN into a database and tell what parts were required. As I understand, since Telsa does all service, if they update a subsystem, they update the database entry for the car, so they know what's in it. Of course, woe betide anyone trying to do service that doesn't have access to that database! Not crazy about that lock-in.

Realistically it seems ford has kind of a blend, if '23 model year is indistinguishable from '22, and if they do things like the battery connector fix mid-year, which I think we all appreciate.

My dell computers are the same way, there's a "service tag id" which has the exact parts blend, then the model (eg, XPS 17), then something more like a model year (9710 vs 9720). When dell sent me a mis-manufactured XPS 17, they replaced it with another of the same model and "model year" but with a different service tag (a collection of parts that actually worked).

I’m not sure I would say Tesla has continuous improvement. Tesla has continuous manufacturing changes. Testing be damned. They also allocate orders differently, so by the time you got your car it was a toss up which “improvements” yours would come with.

 

[DR.J56]

If you hear an AM radio station, it’s not a ’23.

Oh no - just like the '23 Lightning they removed AM radio on the '23 MME!

Going to be an adjustment as my '22 Lightning has AM and I use AM daily....

Did they seriously get rid of am? That's pretty much all I listen to in the car.

 

[kdonnel]

Did they seriously get rid of am? That's pretty much all I listen to in the car.

AM is problematic with all the electromagnetic interference present in EVs.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a42025199/will-electric-cars-kill-am-radio/

Many radio stations are available to stream.

 

[Scarpia]

Oh no - just like the '23 Lightning they removed AM radio on the '23 MME!

Going to be an adjustment as my '22 Lightning has AM and I use AM daily....

I listen to KNX quite a bit and the reception and sound are much better now that it's on 97.1 FM.
Don't know about your other AM stations, though...

 

[intensifi]

Did they seriously get rid of am? That's pretty much all I listen to in the car.

No AM.

it was disabled on the two BMW i3s we had. I had to use a coding tool to turn it back on.

guessing the same is possible on a Mach-E.

supposedly the electric motors affect the AM reception. Never was an issue on the i3s.

it would be nice to have a proper explanation

 

[Pushrods&Capacitors]

Not to be *overly* pedantic, but *continuous* improvement happens *continuously*, eg, when they think of it and have the parts, instead of waiting for the next model year. Tesla has continuous improvement, not stepwise or model year improvement, nor do they seem to have "model years" although they certainly have production dates. I'll take continuous improvement over stepwise improvement.

Model years worked much better before rampant computerization - where you had to buy a model year part to know if it fit your car. Now you could scan / type the VIN into a database and tell what parts were required. As I understand, since Telsa does all service, if they update a subsystem, they update the database entry for the car, so they know what's in it. Of course, woe betide anyone trying to do service that doesn't have access to that database! Not crazy about that lock-in.

Realistically it seems ford has kind of a blend, if '23 model year is indistinguishable from '22, and if they do things like the battery connector fix mid-year, which I think we all appreciate.

My dell computers are the same way, there's a "service tag id" which has the exact parts blend, then the model (eg, XPS 17), then something more like a model year (9710 vs 9720). When dell sent me a mis-manufactured XPS 17, they replaced it with another of the same model and "model year" but with a different service tag (a collection of parts that actually worked).

Continuous improvement happens in many ways, no matter your definition. Sometimes it’s a production line process adjustment, other times it’s sourcing from a higher quality vendor or a billion other ways that the end user never sees. And yes, often times the improvements are running changes within a model year, not just for the next year.

 

[bbulkow]

I’m not sure I would say Tesla has continuous improvement. Tesla has continuous manufacturing changes. Testing be damned. They also allocate orders differently, so by the time you got your car it was a toss up which “improvements” yours would come with.

As someone who drove a tesla in the three weeks they pushed the phantom braking update, I'll certainly agree not all changes are improvements. I'm hoping for better from Ford. Hoping being the operative word.

 

[bbulkow]

My July build 22 has ?

Clearly I need to sue Ford corporate about lack of cupholder fingers and AM bands to change their culture of lies, deception, and fraud. My dealer promised me fingers and AM radio, and dealers never lie.

Thanks for the help, my partner will be impressed enough when we peer at the VIN number and can tell a '22 from a '23. Since I'm getting the Cyber Orange, I can probably remember that "P" is a 23 (yes, I know they made yellow in other years, I just need a mnemoic). Or maybe that they rhyme.

Obviously we're old, because we're steeped in the culture of model years. She is also skeptical this vehicle will "actually" be a mustang. She did OK the color (I would have defaulted to red), although I am liking these fancy white / blue colors now that I see them.

Looking forward to fewer posts and more driving. No manufacture date yet.

 

[scottintucson]

My late 22 has no fingers in the cupholders. Early 21 has fingers. 22 seems to have less sound deadening by the rear motor as the hum is more noticable.

My late 22 build week 10/10/22 has the fingers in the cupholders. Is your's later than that?

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