2 MMEs -> 1 MME & 1 Lightning?

[sean7512]

Warning, this is a long-ish post.

TLDR: Should we move from 2 MME (2023 GTs)s to 1 MME and 1 Lightning (2024 Lariat)?

My wife and I both have 2023 GTs (Grabber Blue and Cyber Orange) that were purchased last August and we absolutely love them. After a little more than a year with them, it is clear there are a few capabilities/features that would be nice to have:

1. Smoother ride/comfort for trips
2. Taking our bikes to the trail with the kid
3. Ventilated front seats & heated rear seats
4. House backup power
5. Truck bed (Christmas tree/random hauling throughout the year)
6. Not having to worry about the HVBJB going bad on a trip
7. Having a physical key to get into the car incase of lockout or dead 12v)
8. Longer range (the extra 50 miles and heat pump should help with my semi-regular drive from Pittsburgh->DC area)

After test driving a Lariat and confirming it actually fits in our garage (had a test drive at our house), I am now considering replacing my Cyber Orange with a Lariat. With XPlan and an "Exclusive Customer Cash" offer, the deal is insanely good. Sticker price is $80,440 and getting it out the door for $57,361.40. Price discounts breaks down like this:

$ 3,080.58 - Dealer discount
$ 7,500.00 - Tax Credit (truck us under 80k before destination)
$ 2,000.00 - Ford Charge Promise Rebate (we already have chargers, obviously)
$ 2,500.00 - Exclusive Bonus Cash Offer (received in email randomly)
$ 7,000.00 - XPlan Rebate
$ 3,400.00 - Trade-In Value After Loan Payoff

Seems like the deal likely is at rock bottom. It is a great price for a Lariat (with 9.6 kW Pro Power) and financially we can comfortably afford it. So easy decision, right? Not so fast.

Emotionally, I love my MME and the Cyber Orange. I also feel silly to move on from a car in 1 year (esp a car that I love). I do keep reminding myself that we will still have a MME to enjoy. Other negatives to the Lightning are minor: harder to park/maneuver, when we travel with our dog, can not take anyone else with us (in the MME, the dog is in the back cargo area, leaving the backseat open)., more expensive (with the 0% interest, its about $300 more.month), less efficient (electric bill going up), only has space for 1 wireless phone charger (we use the TWRAPS dual charger in the MME), and no HomeLink Garage opener in the 24 Lariats (wtf). I am also concerned that the Sync 4A system is at its end of life, as someone said that after the initial 10.x updates, there is really nothing else planned. Seems like Ford may be moving focus to their new Android Automative infotainment system instead. Is it possible we see that in the Lightning in 2025 and buying a 2024 is like buying a 3 year old Android phone that won't ever be supported or get updates?

Anyways, any thoughts on this? I know a lot on here have both, so looking at thoughts from them on life with both. Thanks!

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[ChasingCoral]

Mach E and Lightning is a great pair and solves your needs. You also can lift either the 60 or the 40 side of the back seat and have one or two people sit back there with the dog.

 

[johnnycombo]

You will definitely like the lighting lariat and not have any regrets, you will have to get used to it‘s size though. I would suggest replacing the stock running boards with Amp Research power step running boards.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

We have a Mustang and a Lightning (Lariat ER) and are quite happy with the pair.

The Mustang is a fantastic road trip vehicle.
The Lightning is better as a road trip vehicle, but it is a little bit slower because you get the same range but have to charge for longer.

The Lightning is more difficult to drive in the city, but not as much as I was expecting.

 

[MrLoganRoss]

Great pair!

 

[R1Tims]

We have a Rivian R1T LE, and Mach E GTPE. The combination works well. Truck if we need to haul anything. Mach E for sporting about. We've taken both on long trips. Both are good on the trip just a different feel on the drive. Rivian is great city, highway, and off road ride. Not to mention 835hp of head snapping speed.

 

[sean7512]

We have a Rivian R1T LE, and Mach E GTPE. The combination works well. Truck if we need to haul anything. Mach E for sporting about. We've taken both on long trips. Both are good on the trip just a different feel on the drive. Rivian is great city, highway, and off road ride. Not to mention 835hp of head snapping speed.

The R1S is my dream car but with no service center nearby (Cleveland is the closest to Pittsburgh) and no CarPlay, I just can't bring myself to do that. I know CarPlay is not a deal breaker for others, but it 100% is for my wife and I (but the Apple Music app in Rivian is a start...).

 

[Ohiochad24]

Similar situation here. Partner and I both leased 2023 MME’s. GTPE and a Premium. Less than year since lease execution but really regretting not going for the lightening instead of the premium. Haven’t looked into it but pretty confident with a lease we are stuck

 

[RickMachE]

What a ridiculous thing to consider... ? ?

1. Yes.
2. Yup.
3. Big failing on the Mach-E not having ventilated seats. BIG!
4. The HIS is cost prohibitive, and not reliable. Yes, you can plug cords in.
5. Yes.
6. So far... But the BATTERY ITSELF did. Happened in May, they repaired in a few weeks, but software wasn't updated until last week...
7. Yes.
8. Not compared to my Premium Mach-E. Same range. Heat pump impact has yet to be shown. I don't think you will see 50 more miles.

Parking is easy with cameras. Yes, harder than Mach-E.
You can add Homelink.

A 2024 will only have a single charger onboard, meaning you will not be able to charge higher than 48amps (was 80amps prior). Does NOT affect HIS.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Great pair!

We couldn't agree more!

 

[Ford Motor Company]

We have a Mustang and a Lightning (Lariat ER) and are quite happy with the pair.

The Mustang is a fantastic road trip vehicle.
The Lightning is better as a road trip vehicle, but it is a little bit slower because you get the same range but have to charge for longer.

The Lightning is more difficult to drive in the city, but not as much as I was expecting.

Sounds like the perfect pair!

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Mach E and Lightning is a great pair and solves your needs. You also can lift either the 60 or the 40 side of the back seat and have one or two people sit back there with the dog.

Couldn't have said it better ourselves! Thank you for sharing.

 

[sean7512]

What a ridiculous thing to consider... ? ?

1. Yes.
2. Yup.
3. Big failing on the Mach-E not having ventilated seats. BIG!
4. The HIS is cost prohibitive, and not reliable. Yes, you can plug cords in.
5. Yes.
6. So far... But the BATTERY ITSELF did. Happened in May, they repaired in a few weeks, but software wasn't updated until last week...
7. Yes.
8. Not compared to my Premium Mach-E. Same range. Heat pump impact has yet to be shown. I don't think you will see 50 more miles.

Parking is easy with cameras. Yes, harder than Mach-E.
You can add Homelink.

A 2024 will only have a single charger onboard, meaning you will not be able to charge higher than 48amps (was 80amps prior). Does NOT affect HIS.

Thanks for that, great thoughts, a little concerning the entire battery died, but that can't be as widespread as our HVBJB issues, right? Range wise, our GT is 270, so I would hope we get some extra range -- any improvement is welcome. I did NOT know that the 2024 lost the 80amp AC charging, but I was not going to utilize more than 48 anyways, so whatever. For backup power, I was going to go with a neutral bonded transfer switch and use the 9.6 pro power onboard to power up 8 circuits in the house. When you say that you can add Homelink, you mean just a visor external unit, right? Would be nice to have an integrated unit that doesn't' have batteries or if MyQ made a CarPlay app (or if MyQ just supported Matter/HomeKit)....


So the wife and I drove out today to sign papers for the Lightning and when we get there we were informed the center screen is black and not working. They tried to get us to sign paperwork anyways.. The tech is now trying to do an APIM update to see if that fixes it and we went home. I told him to call me and let me know. There is another dealer giving the same deal so if this isn't sorted out soon, we will just go to the other dealer. What a day!

 

[RickMachE]

You won't get much more than 275 or so. It has the same range as our Premium AWD.

You can add it IN the visor. assuming the cutout is there. Power from lighted mirror on visor.

 

[Bruboy]

1. Smoother ride/comfort for trips
2. Taking our bikes to the trail with the kid
3. Ventilated front seats & heated rear seats
4. House backup power
5. Truck bed (Christmas tree/random hauling throughout the year)
6. Not having to worry about the HVBJB going bad on a trip
7. Having a physical key to get into the car incase of lockout or dead 12v)
8. Longer range (the extra 50 miles and heat pump should help with my semi-regular drive from Pittsburgh->DC area)

This sounds to me, like you already made up your mind.
I think it makes sense, providing that you are happy with the Lightning. Have you thought about seeing if a dealer will let you rent/load a F150 for a few days for a real word trial?

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