Another Mach-E vs Model Y vs ID.4 vs Polestar 2

[Mach-E VLOG]

If you recall back in November, my Mach-E was used in a competition against a Model Y, ID.4, and Polestar 2 with Out of Spec Studios. We finally got around to editing our version of that day with our take on the competition. No surprise, we like the Mach-E the best and of course we are biased. But I think we did a fair job pointing out some of the pros & cons of the competition.

Sponsored

 

[SnBGC]

I spent a few hours with a Polestar 2 today and thought it was a pretty neat car. Tempted to sell my FE and get the P2 but only tempted. I think I'll keep the FE for a while longer.

I would have to spec the P2 as long range dual motor with Pilot, Plus and Performance packs in order to have a reasonable comparison to my FE. The key fob in the P2 is even more bulky than the MME so that was disappointing. No start button either....but I got used to it soon enough. Cup holders in the P2 are very poorly designed and the passenger compartment is cramped compared to the MME.....especially the two front seats.

The P2 felt much quicker than my FE. 1PD was far superior as well. There is no L range but you can choose to add a creep mode to 1PD and that pretty much does the exact same thing. So, why is 1PD so good in the P2? After driving around for nearly 2 hours in 1PD on the P2, I liked it so much that I figured I would give it a try in the MME on the 26 mile drive home. No bueno. The resistance on the accelerator is too extreme on the Ford and it is tiresome on my foot. If you want to know what the P2 accelerator resistance feels like then drive your Mach-E on the freeway in 1PD and then hold your speed steady and then turn off 1PD and you will see how the P2 feels. If 1PD was that good in my Mach-E then I would use it all the time.

Google maps in the P2 was good, even better than what we get with Android Auto but still no comparison to the Ford native nav.

The suspension in the P2 was very good. A MUCH better ride than the Mach-E. The shocks are adjustable from 0-20 and the factory setting was 16 up front and 18 in rear and it felt great to me. If the roads are not great where you live then you can tune them down to a softer setting to suit your driving conditions. The summer tires on the P2 feel better than the all-seasons I have on my FE so that is a plus. The side view mirrors are beautiful thing to live with all day. The cargo containment system (baffles) is very useful.

In the end....the Mach-E has more range, more passenger room, more cargo room, better navigation, better console and about $5k less.
The P2 has a much better 1PD system, energy in/out meters with measurements, much better suspension, quicker and the driver's screen includes the nav map if you want it displayed. Nice car, but I do think the Mach-E is still a better choice.

I wouldn't know for sure but I would guess the P2 has more success with OTAs since it's basically a Google based system. Just a guess though....

 

[Mawby]

I spent a few hours with a Polestar 2 today and thought it was a pretty neat car. Tempted to sell my FE and get the P2 but only tempted. I think I'll keep the FE for a while longer.

I would have to spec the P2 as long range dual motor with Pilot, Plus and Performance packs in order to have a reasonable comparison to my FE. The key fob in the P2 is even more bulky than the MME so that was disappointing. No start button either....but I got used to it soon enough. Cup holders in the P2 are very poorly designed and the passenger compartment is cramped compared to the MME.....especially the two front seats.

The P2 felt much quicker than my FE. 1PD was far superior as well. There is no L range but you can choose to add a creep mode to 1PD and that pretty much does the exact same thing. So, why is 1PD so good in the P2? After driving around for nearly 2 hours in 1PD on the P2, I liked it so much that I figured I would give it a try in the MME on the 26 mile drive home. No bueno. The resistance on the accelerator is too extreme on the Ford and it is tiresome on my foot. If you want to know what the P2 accelerator resistance feels like then drive your Mach-E on the freeway in 1PD and then hold your speed steady and then turn off 1PD and you will see how the P2 feels. If 1PD was that good in my Mach-E then I would use it all the time.

Google maps in the P2 was good, even better than what we get with Android Auto but still no comparison to the Ford native nav.

The suspension in the P2 was very good. A MUCH better ride than the Mach-E. The shocks are adjustable from 0-20 and the factory setting was 16 up front and 18 in rear and it felt great to me. If the roads are not great where you live then you can tune them down to a softer setting to suit your driving conditions. The summer tires on the P2 feel better than the all-seasons I have on my FE so that is a plus. The side view mirrors are beautiful thing to live with all day. The cargo containment system (baffles) is very useful.

In the end....the Mach-E has more range, more passenger room, more cargo room, better navigation, better console and about $5k less.
The P2 has a much better 1PD system, energy in/out meters with measurements, much better suspension, quicker and the driver's screen includes the nav map if you want it displayed. Nice car, but I do think the Mach-E is still a better choice.

I wouldn't know for sure but I would guess the P2 has more success with OTAs since it's basically a Google based system. Just a guess though....

I would be curious with the FE pre-job1 issue if your 1-P is still not tuned like job2 cars are. I just enabled 1-P last week and am getting used to it. It is very smooth and I don't feel like my foot gets tired. Now today I drove my daughter's Focus and about freaked out as foot off of the gas it was zooming... had to brake brake to hold. Felt like it had a stuck accelerator but as I used it my foot again adjusted. P2 was booted from my state rebate... owing to price. Go figure. The looks of the MME still is stunning.

 

[SnBGC]

I would be curious with the FE pre-job1 issue if your 1-P is still not tuned like job2 cars are. I just enabled 1-P last week and am getting used to it. It is very smooth and I don't feel like my foot gets tired. Now today I drove my daughter's Focus and about freaked out as foot off of the gas it was zooming... had to brake brake to hold. Felt like it had a stuck accelerator but as I used it my foot again adjusted. P2 was booted from my state rebate... owing to price. Go figure. The looks of the MME still is stunning.

That is a possibility and if so, would be a very good reason for me to submit to the update debacle. The Lightning felt great in 1PD so your theory might have merit.

If only the update notes were more transparent then we can make an informed decision instead of rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

 

[Mawby]

That is a possibility and if so, would be a very good reason for me to submit to the update debacle. The Lightning felt great in 1PD so your theory might have merit.

If only the update notes were more transparent then we can make an informed decision instead of rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

Yeah. I would like a link to a jira blog that states all of the issues. Any SW getting this many updates in 1 year of time could provide detailed release notes and explanation. When I upgrade a bios on a motherboard for a client it is ONLY after a) having issues or b) the fix contains a security flaw or reference to what I have

 

[SnBGC]

I would be curious with the FE pre-job1 issue if your 1-P is still not tuned like job2 cars are. I just enabled 1-P last week and am getting used to it. It is very smooth and I don't feel like my foot gets tired. Now today I drove my daughter's Focus and about freaked out as foot off of the gas it was zooming... had to brake brake to hold. Felt like it had a stuck accelerator but as I used it my foot again adjusted. P2 was booted from my state rebate... owing to price. Go figure. The looks of the MME still is stunning.

Been thinking about this all evening so we investigated a bit further this morning after breakfast. My friend and I both agree that 1PD feels much better in his Polestar 2 compared to the Mach-E. Whisper with 1PD is the setting that closest matches the accelerator pedal feel of the P2.

We think we have identified 3 main differences between the two.
1. When using our hands to press down on the accelerator pedals... the Mach-E offers a lot more resistance. It also has a different fulcrum point in relation to where our foot would be resting so you have to extend the ball of your foot further to press down on the pedal in the Mach-E. So those things appear to require more effort for the MME while driving compared to the P2.

The 2nd noticeable difference is with the level of regen when lifting off the accelerator at speed. The P2 slows much more dramatically than the Mach-E. We tested them side by side at various speeds and the P2 decelerate faster.

The third and final difference is the lag time to engage regen when lifting off the accelerator pedal. The P2 is immediate where the Mach-E has a delay. It seems like the delay is greater in Whisper compared to Unbridled but still a noticeable delay compared to the P2.

I was able to find a seating position in my MME that places my foot, ankle, knee and leg in a position to use 1PD more comfortably but I have to compromise my visibility, control access and arm rest positions so there isn't really a good spot for me to get perfectly settled.

I did notice with practice I was getting a little more comfortable but then we switch cars and I get spoiled with 1PD in the P2 again.

I don't think there can be any possible OTA solution for the accelerator pedal resistance and position but perhaps Ford can reduce the regen delay and possibly even increase the regen level as long as the thermal gain concerns remain within boundaries. Maybe that has already happened with J2 cars? It would be interesting to test them side by side and see. Hmmm...???

 

[Deborah]

I spent a few hours with a Polestar 2 today and thought it was a pretty neat car. Tempted to sell my FE and get the P2 but only tempted. I think I'll keep the FE for a while longer.

I would have to spec the P2 as long range dual motor with Pilot, Plus and Performance packs in order to have a reasonable comparison to my FE. The key fob in the P2 is even more bulky than the MME so that was disappointing. No start button either....but I got used to it soon enough. Cup holders in the P2 are very poorly designed and the passenger compartment is cramped compared to the MME.....especially the two front seats.

The P2 felt much quicker than my FE. 1PD was far superior as well. There is no L range but you can choose to add a creep mode to 1PD and that pretty much does the exact same thing. So, why is 1PD so good in the P2? After driving around for nearly 2 hours in 1PD on the P2, I liked it so much that I figured I would give it a try in the MME on the 26 mile drive home. No bueno. The resistance on the accelerator is too extreme on the Ford and it is tiresome on my foot. If you want to know what the P2 accelerator resistance feels like then drive your Mach-E on the freeway in 1PD and then hold your speed steady and then turn off 1PD and you will see how the P2 feels. If 1PD was that good in my Mach-E then I would use it all the time.

Google maps in the P2 was good, even better than what we get with Android Auto but still no comparison to the Ford native nav.

The suspension in the P2 was very good. A MUCH better ride than the Mach-E. The shocks are adjustable from 0-20 and the factory setting was 16 up front and 18 in rear and it felt great to me. If the roads are not great where you live then you can tune them down to a softer setting to suit your driving conditions. The summer tires on the P2 feel better than the all-seasons I have on my FE so that is a plus. The side view mirrors are beautiful thing to live with all day. The cargo containment system (baffles) is very useful.

In the end....the Mach-E has more range, more passenger room, more cargo room, better navigation, better console and about $5k less.
The P2 has a much better 1PD system, energy in/out meters with measurements, much better suspension, quicker and the driver's screen includes the nav map if you want it displayed. Nice car, but I do think the Mach-E is still a better choice.

I wouldn't know for sure but I would guess the P2 has more success with OTAs since it's basically a Google based system. Just a guess though....

Great video! I watched the original some months ago… yours is better because in my opinion, you picked the best looking car! Duh! (Waiting so patiently for my red Premium AWD...)

 

[Mawby]

Been thinking about this all evening so we investigated a bit further this morning after breakfast. My friend and I both agree that 1PD feels much better in his Polestar 2 compared to the Mach-E. Whisper with 1PD is the setting that closest matches the accelerator pedal feel of the P2.

We think we have identified 3 main differences between the two.
1. When using our hands to press down on the accelerator pedals... the Mach-E offers a lot more resistance. It also has a different fulcrum point in relation to where our foot would be resting so you have to extend the ball of your foot further to press down on the pedal in the Mach-E. So those things appear to require more effort for the MME while driving compared to the P2.

The 2nd noticeable difference is with the level of regen when lifting off the accelerator at speed. The P2 slows much more dramatically than the Mach-E. We tested them side by side at various speeds and the P2 decelerate faster.

The third and final difference is the lag time to engage regen when lifting off the accelerator pedal. The P2 is immediate where the Mach-E has a delay. It seems like the delay is greater in Whisper compared to Unbridled but still a noticeable delay compared to the P2.

I was able to find a seating position in my MME that places my foot, ankle, knee and leg in a position to use 1PD more comfortably but I have to compromise my visibility, control access and arm rest positions so there isn't really a good spot for me to get perfectly settled.

I did notice with practice I was getting a little more comfortable but then we switch cars and I get spoiled with 1PD in the P2 again.

I don't think there can be any possible OTA solution for the accelerator pedal resistance and position but perhaps Ford can reduce the regen delay and possibly even increase the regen level as long as the thermal gain concerns remain within boundaries. Maybe that has already happened with J2 cars? It would be interesting to test them side by side and see. Hmmm...???

True. Tonight was thinking what a smooth 1PD again. I guess it's all relative to another "smoother" ride.

 

[Raja777m]

I spent a few hours with a Polestar 2 today and thought it was a pretty neat car. Tempted to sell my FE and get the P2 but only tempted. I think I'll keep the FE for a while longer.

I would have to spec the P2 as long range dual motor with Pilot, Plus and Performance packs in order to have a reasonable comparison to my FE. The key fob in the P2 is even more bulky than the MME so that was disappointing. No start button either....but I got used to it soon enough. Cup holders in the P2 are very poorly designed and the passenger compartment is cramped compared to the MME.....especially the two front seats.

The P2 felt much quicker than my FE. 1PD was far superior as well. There is no L range but you can choose to add a creep mode to 1PD and that pretty much does the exact same thing. So, why is 1PD so good in the P2? After driving around for nearly 2 hours in 1PD on the P2, I liked it so much that I figured I would give it a try in the MME on the 26 mile drive home. No bueno. The resistance on the accelerator is too extreme on the Ford and it is tiresome on my foot. If you want to know what the P2 accelerator resistance feels like then drive your Mach-E on the freeway in 1PD and then hold your speed steady and then turn off 1PD and you will see how the P2 feels. If 1PD was that good in my Mach-E then I would use it all the time.

Google maps in the P2 was good, even better than what we get with Android Auto but still no comparison to the Ford native nav.

The suspension in the P2 was very good. A MUCH better ride than the Mach-E. The shocks are adjustable from 0-20 and the factory setting was 16 up front and 18 in rear and it felt great to me. If the roads are not great where you live then you can tune them down to a softer setting to suit your driving conditions. The summer tires on the P2 feel better than the all-seasons I have on my FE so that is a plus. The side view mirrors are beautiful thing to live with all day. The cargo containment system (baffles) is very useful.

In the end....the Mach-E has more range, more passenger room, more cargo room, better navigation, better console and about $5k less.
The P2 has a much better 1PD system, energy in/out meters with measurements, much better suspension, quicker and the driver's screen includes the nav map if you want it displayed. Nice car, but I do think the Mach-E is still a better choice.

I wouldn't know for sure but I would guess the P2 has more success with OTAs since it's basically a Google based system. Just a guess though....

Stupid question, what is FE? First edition?

 

[SnBGC]

Stupid question, what is FE? First edition?

Yes. For a while we were calling Select=SE
Premium=PE
First Edition=FE
California Route 1=CR1
GT=GT
GT Performanc Edition=GTPE

 

[agoldman]

Someone should do an article about which EV's you can actually buy. Seems more and more are falling victim to the parts shortage and/or other transit issues. The pipeline seems more choked off than ever.

 

[Mach1E]

Saw an ID4 yesterday. Just seems like an appliance (toaster with wheels).


Plus every time I see the ID4 name, I always think of ID10T. Maybe that’ll be the name next year. ?

 

[silverelan]

Maybe it’s in my head, but I feel like the 1PD in the GT is superior to the Job 1 MME 4Xs I’ve test driven.

I also only drive my GT in Whisper mode but in the 4X I felt compelled to drive in Unbridled.

Agreed that the Polestar 2 feels cramped both in the front seats and second row. The transmission tunnel in the back is just silly. It’s a good looking car though and really quick. It’ll probably crush the GT/PE from 50 to 80+ mph, especially with the new optional performance boost software upgrade.

Sponsored