AWD vs RWD & ER vs regular

[Griff]

Hi,

I'm placing an order for a Mach-E and deciding last minute whether or not the AWD and ER is worth it. I've decided AWD ER would be nice but I'm mostly curious to see if you recoup the additional cost when re-selling. I.e., how popular is the bigger battery and the ER. I live in the northeast so snowy driving conditions is another consideration. I'd probably say that the bigger battery seems more worth it to me than the AWD, but I'm worried that AWD might hold it's value a bit better. Thoughts?

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[phil]

Hi,

I'm placing an order for a Mach-E and deciding last minute whether or not the AWD and ER is worth it. I've decided AWD ER would be nice but I'm mostly curious to see if you recoup the additional cost when re-selling. I.e., how popular is the bigger battery and the ER. I live in the northeast so snowy driving conditions is another consideration. I'd probably say that the bigger battery seems more worth it to me than the AWD, but I'm worried that AWD might hold it's value a bit better. Thoughts?

I assume none of that stuff will retain much value over my years of ownership, so I just buy what I expect to use and like.

 

[OlyPen]

When it's get cold and snowy... You get less range on your battery, so a bigger battery will ensure you retain more range in extreme cold. And personally I won't own a non-AWD vehicle any more. I think Mach E handles better with AWD, especially in unbridled, and the extra acceleration from the additional motor is very handy passing on the highway. Just my take on it. There should be some dealers around with mannequin test drive vehicles so you can get a feel for the difference.

 

[AZBill]

The Mach E is my second EV. For me range is king, and I would not have even considered buying a standard range battery. I also live in Phoenix and do not need AWD, so I got the Route 1 which has the best range of all the Mach E models. ERs will hold their resale value better, because most people want the best range when buying an EV.

Some people seem to think that they will not take their EV on a trip and do not care about range. I am not going to spend >$50K on a car that I cannot take on long trips. Range is king. I spent just under $40K on my Bolt and have taken it on several long trips.

 

[noname]

Rear wheel drive is not great in north west, when it rains. I personally would prefer AWD. You do not even need to push the car to get the rear bounce around

 

[timbop]

No one can possibly know yet what the resale will actually be, but anecdotally SR cars are much more available on dealer lots right now than ER. Whether that is because dealers didn't order ER or not isn't known, so it may not be a useful statistic.

Buy what you want; 5 years from now range and charging speed will have improved dramatically or it won't. If it does, then whatever you buy will be worth less than 20% of what you paid. If not then yes ER AWD will probably hold its value best.

 

[deadduck]

Rear wheel drive is not great in north west, when it rains. I personally would prefer AWD. You do not even need to push the car to get the rear bounce around

I’d love to see some road tests of that. The AWD plays but catches itself really fast. I’d assume the RWD nannies are just as quick.

 

[ARK]

Rear wheel drive is not great in north west, when it rains. I personally would prefer AWD. You do not even need to push the car to get the rear bounce around

This doesn’t apply as strongly to EVs because EVs are generally really heavy for their size and don’t have all the weight up front - so your rear tires don’t break out as easily as say on an ICE Mustang with a front weight bias and relatively little weight over the rear wheels.

 

[noname]

This doesn’t apply as strongly to EVs because EVs are generally really heavy for their size and don’t have all the weight up front - so your rear tires don’t break out as easily as say on an ICE Mustang with a front weight bias and relatively little weight over the rear wheels.

I was just taken by surprise coming from front wheel hatchback. If it is a straight line, you are fine, if there is a turn and road is wet, you better watch out, even slightest acceleration makes it unstable.

 

[Marcel]

I was just taken by surprise coming from front wheel hatchback. If it is a straight line, you are fine, if there is a turn and road is wet, you better watch out, even slightest acceleration makes it unstable.

It is designed this way, you want to be able to slide it around, predictally that is....

 

[Garbone]

RWD will get stuck on the beach. However, it does feel "right" when you give it the onions, one of the things I do not like about the wife's Explorer is the FWD pull on the steering.

 

[BalsaDust]

AWD with the extended battery is the way to go, I have one on order and could have bought a new Mach-E off the showroom floor if I wanted a RWD standard but am holding out for my ordered Mach _E.
Searching around the different dealers and the online sales like Carvana and Zoom, there are over 40 Mach-E's within 200 miles of me but they are all Standard RWD and small battery.
That alone should be an indicator as to value in the long run, the AWD X will always be the better value going forward.

Tony

 

[dw0095]

I can tell you that my AWD standard battery will be worth $22,965 in 2024 with 36,000 miles according to my Ford Options invoice. Seems like that would be a great peice for this car at that time.

 

[OH2AZ2OH]

Since you are in the NE, I think both AWD and ER are the way to go in your case. The cold weather will take a toll on range, so range anxiety will be more of a factor in the winter with the SR. With the weight, narrow tires, and traction control, RWD will probably be ok, but AWD would give you more peace of mind. I currently drive a RWD car in central OH, and with snow tires it is totally fine. But swapping rims/tires is an added hassle, and I'm not sure it would be ok in NE Ohio. Modern snow tires coupled with traction control makes for some pretty amazing capability, but you won't match AWD with snow tires in the snow.

Don't forget the performance benefit that you get with AWD and ER. You may not be interested in 0-60 times, but, it certainly can be fun.

Right now, the only EVs that hold their value at all are Teslas. Other EVs (Leaf and Bolt specifically) have gotten hammered on resale. The Mach E seems special enough that maybe that will change, but it will come down to future supply and demand. Ford Options financing guarantees the resale value at the end of the term, and I would definitely recommend looking into that if you are not familiar with it.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I assume none of that stuff will retain much value over my years of ownership, so I just buy what I expect to use and like.

I disagree. Short range (~100mi) on our Nissan Leaf totally kills the value in the marketplace these days. I think the extra range will be important come resale time.

As for AWD, that really depends on where you live. If folks think AWD is important for year-round driving that will pay off as well.

Remember, much of this is a matter of buyer perception rather than reality.

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