Bolt EV Owners Switching to Mustang Mach-e

[Jako607]

I’m going to miss the rear view mirror camera too while driving. I love not worrying about blind spots. Kind of suprised the Mach e doesn’t have The integrated camera (believe I’m right that it doesn’t but my car is still in speedway jail)

Yes! I forgot about that. It's definitely gonna feel like a step backwards there. I've gotten so used to the rear view camera...it's so great to have.

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[DBC]

Still leasing the Bolt but doesn't change the fact that the rearview camera is awesome. Gives you a very wide angle so it's fantastic when merging onto the freeway.

 

[MightyJawa]

Mine is replacing a 2017 Volt Premier (which is going to my daughter). I love the Volt. Over 97000 miles (80000 of that was all electric) and almost no problems. Great quality except for the interior. Manual seats and no Homelink! Understandable in 1990, but an incredible oversight in 2017 for a Premier line.

 

[mr_raider]

Yes! I forgot about that. It's definitely gonna feel like a step backwards there. I've gotten so used to the rear view camera...it's so great to have.

The mach-E doesn't have rear view can? I thought it has a 360 view cam?

 

[DBC]

The mach-E doesn't have rear view can? I thought it has a 360 view cam?

A wide angle rear view from a camera shows up in the rearview mirror. The backup camera which shows up on the console is something different.

 

[Jako607]

.

The mach-E doesn't have rear view can? I thought it has a 360 view cam?

The MME has both a backup cam and 360 top down view cam that come up on the 15" screen but it doesn't have the rearview mirror cam like the Bolt does. Having an always on rearview cam in the mirror is really handy and that's what will be missed in the MachE. Frankly I'm shocked Ford didn't put one in. I'm guessing they'll add one to the 2022 model.

 

[JamieGeek]

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The MME has both a backup cam and 360 top down view cam that come up on the 15" screen but it doesn't have the rearview mirror cam like the Bolt does. Having an always on rearview cam in the mirror is really handy and that's what will be missed in the MachE. Frankly I'm shocked Ford didn't put one in. I'm guessing they'll add one to the 2022 model.

My Bolt doesn't have the rear-view cam and I can't use one.

Prior to purchasing the Bolt we rented (Turo'd) one on vacation. That one was a premier and had the rear-view cam. The problem with that is....I'm old (ok not that old: 50s) and need reading glasses. Thus the perspective shift from infinite viewing out the front to near focus of the rear view cam is too jarring and I find I can't focus on it enough in time. I ended up turning off the rear view cam even though I liked the wide aspect of it; it just turned out to be too distracting while driving as it took me 3-4 extra seconds to focus on it than a simple glance in the mirror (where my eye focus didn't have to change).

Of course that could be adjusted with a lens on the monitor forcing you to keep your eyes at "infinite" than close up but....

Thus it doesn't make a difference to me that the Mach-E doesn't have it..

 

[NoMoShocks]

Likely passing the 2017 Bolt along to our daughter. Getting rid of leased 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV whose battery management system artificially removes capacity from the battery.

 

[MailGuy]

Personally, I am keeping my Bolt. I am exceedingly happy with our 2017 Bolt and never once regretted that purchase. It set the stage for the first truly mass produced EV for everyday consumption. Ellie, my Mach E, will become my daily car. But she will never replace Yolanda, our Bolt. The Bolt EV had the right mix of tech, efficiency and economics at the time. The only transgression was the seats. Out of my three EV's that I (currently) will soon own, the Bolt still gets the highest marks for efficiency. And for those nay sayers who say the Bolt is not attractive, I would say then don't buy one and keep your opinions to yourself, Some times function follows form. And to my taste, the Bolt has both.

 

[benk016]

Personally, I am keeping my Bolt. I am exceedingly happy with our 2017 Bolt and never once regretted that purchase. It set the stage for the first truly mass produced EV for everyday consumption. Ellie, my Mach E, will become my daily car. But she will never replace Yolanda, our Bolt. The Bolt EV had the right mix of tech, efficiency and economics at the time. The only transgression was the seats. Out of my three EV's that I (currently) will soon own, the Bolt still gets the highest marks for efficiency. And for those nay sayers who say the Bolt is not attractive, I would say then don't buy one and keep your opinions to yourself, Some times function follows form. And to my taste, the Bolt has both.

I helped my brother buy his first car on his own a few weeks ago. He got a 2017 Bolt. I had never seen one in person and was blown away by that car. I had pretty low expectations for it. I've never liked small cars. But that thing does not feel like a compact inside. And it is still fun to drive. I mean, I don't think it compares at all to the Mach E, but the Bolt is a great car. Especially for the price. I am jealous of the efficiency of his Bolt compared to my Mach E though. haha

 

[MailGuy]

Now that I've had the chance to drive the Mach E, I thought it was worthwhile to come back to this thread. I drove a Standard Range AWD Select which turns out wasn't an unfair comparison against the Bolt Premium in my opinion given price and battery configuration. Up front I have to say I walked away with the Bolt having the edge. My wife even commented that maybe I should go for the new Bolt EUV instead. Disclaimer: I only got to put about 4 miles on the Mach E which was by no means exhaustive but it left an impression. I'll admit it's possible I picked up on several things that the typical first time EV buyer most likely wouldn't notice and as a 3 year veteran of EV driving likely had different expectations coming in.

Both cars have excellent construction and are solidly built. The Mach E feels (and looks) heavier. Having AWD available is a definite advantage for the Mach E and the vehicle just feels planted on the roadway.

That's the good. Now the not so good.

1. It just has to be said, the Bolt is more efficient.
2. The instrument cluster on the Bolt is more refined, usable and appealing. I found the Mach E driver display difficult to see and very basic in function. It felt very much like an after thought with random graphics thrown on an oddly shaped piece of plastic.
3. I prefer the flat entry/exit on the Bolt. I never realized how much I like that until driving other cars without it.
4. As much as I thought I would like the one pedal changes in the Mach E, I walked away preferring the Bolt's implementation. I didn't have time to fully experience the differences in how the driving modes alter the amount of regen, but I did walk away thinking what I did observe was not enough from Engaged and Unbridled. Hopefully that will change, but I definitely feel some customization and driver initiated variability is required here. I thought I wanted the automatic friction brake hold (mostly to keep the brake lights on so I don't have to move my foot), but I ended up hating this. Stopping was fine and the transition smooth. The problem was starting. The hydraulic brakes noticeably disengaged when I pressed down the accelerator to start moving. Definitely not what I'm used to from other EV's. Hoping that with more experience this will be a smoother transition. Ability to change the amount of regen whether via a paddle or software setting would be welcomed.
5. I realize this was a Standard Range Select, but I have to say acceleration disappointed. I'm used to EV's giving everything they've got with the pedal to the floor. Entering the highway with my foot on the floor was as I expected until I noticed a drop-off in acceleration after 40 MPH. 0-40 was quick, 40-60, not so much and left me wanting more. If my Extended Range, AWD FE exhibits this, it could be a deal breaker. I don't drive like this all the time (rarely actually) but I expect the car to be capable.
6. In terms of exterior styling, I like the Mach E profile and looks (as long as it isn't the Premium with the high gloss black wheel well lips). But I find the Bolt more appealing up close. In particular the way the rear panels come together around the rear wheels left me saying, eww. The Mach E has a lot of sheet metal to make appealing and there just isn't enough differentiation or styling to catch your eyes, especially on the Mach E's back end. Every time I see a Mach E, I walk away thinking, "OK that's <insert color name>" and not much else. The Bolt has always had a Premium exterior non-bland look except from the front, in my opinion.

There was one thing that clearly set the Mach E apart however. The standout feature on the Mach E was the driving assist. This is the ABSOLUTE BEST IMPLEMENTATION I've seen on a car yet. It doesn't engage until 40 MPH which removes the annoying beeps and warnings at lower speeds where you don't need it. The edge feedback gave the perfect amount of nudge and centered the car back in the lane seamlessly. Driver takeover was flawless and immediate. If the adaptive/intelligent cruise control works as well, both will make long highway trips more enjoyable. I'm generally not a fan of driver assist, but I walked away thinking the forth coming software update will be worth it.

My overall observation is that I believe Bolt is a better value for the money. The Bolt in its understated marketing and positioning doesn't attempt to set the bar too high and exceeds expectation in nearly every instance (2017 seats and too much plastic on the dash not withstanding). If anything GM (or should I say gm) hasn't done enough to convince people just how good of a car it really is. I'm not convinced that my FE is going to warrant its' hefty price tag.

 

[Badger_Prof]

Now that I've had the chance to drive the Mach E, I thought it was worthwhile to come back to this thread. I drove a Standard Range AWD Select which turns out wasn't an unfair comparison against the Bolt Premium in my opinion given price and battery configuration. Up front I have to say I walked away with the Bolt having the edge. My wife even commented that maybe I should go for the new Bolt EUV instead. Disclaimer: I only got to put about 4 miles on the Mach E which was by no means exhaustive but it left an impression. I'll admit it's possible I picked up on several things that the typical first time EV buyer most likely wouldn't notice and as a 3 year veteran of EV driving likely had different expectations coming in.

Both cars have excellent construction and are solidly built. The Mach E feels (and looks) heavier. Having AWD available is a definite advantage for the Mach E and the vehicle just feels planted on the roadway.

That's the good. Now the not so good.

1. It just has to be said, the Bolt is more efficient.
2. The instrument cluster on the Bolt is more refined, usable and appealing. I found the Mach E driver display difficult to see and very basic in function. It felt very much like an after thought with random graphics thrown on an oddly shaped piece of plastic.
3. I prefer the flat entry/exit on the Bolt. I never realized how much I like that until driving other cars without it.
4. As much as I thought I would like the one pedal changes in the Mach E, I walked away preferring the Bolt's implementation. I didn't have time to fully experience the differences in how the driving modes alter the amount of regen, but I did walk away thinking what I did observe was not enough from Engaged and Unbridled. Hopefully that will change, but I definitely feel some customization and driver initiated variability is required here. I thought I wanted the automatic friction brake hold (mostly to keep the brake lights on so I don't have to move my foot), but I ended up hating this. Stopping was fine and the transition smooth. The problem was starting. The hydraulic brakes noticeably disengaged when I pressed down the accelerator to start moving. Definitely not what I'm used to from other EV's. Hoping that with more experience this will be a smoother transition. Ability to change the amount of regen whether via a paddle or software setting would be welcomed.
5. I realize this was a Standard Range Select, but I have to say acceleration disappointed. I'm used to EV's giving everything they've got with the pedal to the floor. Entering the highway with my foot on the floor was as I expected until I noticed a drop-off in acceleration after 40 MPH. 0-40 was quick, 40-60, not so much and left me wanting more. If my Extended Range, AWD FE exhibits this, it could be a deal breaker. I don't drive like this all the time (rarely actually) but I expect the car to be capable.
6. In terms of exterior styling, I like the Mach E profile and looks (as long as it isn't the Premium with the high gloss black wheel well lips). But I find the Bolt more appealing up close. In particular the way the rear panels come together around the rear wheels left me saying, eww. The Mach E has a lot of sheet metal to make appealing and there just isn't enough differentiation or styling to catch your eyes, especially on the Mach E's back end. Every time I see a Mach E, I walk away thinking, "OK that's <insert color name>" and not much else. The Bolt has always had a Premium exterior non-bland look except from the front, in my opinion.

There was one thing that clearly set the Mach E apart however. The standout feature on the Mach E was the driving assist. This is the ABSOLUTE BEST IMPLEMENTATION I've seen on a car yet. It doesn't engage until 40 MPH which removes the annoying beeps and warnings at lower speeds where you don't need it. The edge feedback gave the perfect amount of nudge and centered the car back in the lane seamlessly. Driver takeover was flawless and immediate. If the adaptive/intelligent cruise control works as well, both will make long highway trips more enjoyable. I'm generally not a fan of driver assist, but I walked away thinking the forth coming software update will be worth it.

My overall observation is that I believe Bolt is a better value for the money. The Bolt in its understated marketing and positioning doesn't attempt to set the bar too high and exceeds expectation in nearly every instance (2017 seats and too much plastic on the dash not withstanding). If anything GM (or should I say gm) hasn't done enough to convince people just how good of a car it really is. I'm not convinced that my FE is going to warrant its' hefty price tag.

Nice post with good subjective reactions. It does point out how subjective our reactions can be to cars. To your points (from the perspective of current Mach-E ER AWD compared to my prior Bolt EV Premium):
1. Bolt is absolutely more efficient.
2. I find the displays in the Bolt to be good but those in the Mach-E to be much better than that in the Bolt
3. I do not notice much the entry height but prefer the seating and viewing height of the Mach-E.
4. I always drove my Bolt with one pedal driving except in snow where it would cause slipping if I backed off too quickly. I prefer the one pedal driving in the Mach-E and can use it in the snow.
5. I always felt the Bolt had nice acceleration especially at lower speeds. The acceleration of the Mach-E ER AWD blows the Bolt away.
6. Exterior appearance is totally subjective. It is great that you prefer the look of the Bolt. After four years driving my Bolt, I was ready for what I consider a more sophisticated external look.

To be clear, the Bolt is a really nice car and definitely nicely priced. I switched to the Mach-E in part to get AWD but also to get more space, a nicer ride, and a number of features that were not available in the Bolt in 2017. The newly announced Bolt EV and EUV look like great price propositions and I would highly encourage new EVers to consider them.

 

[MailGuy]

Nice post with good subjective reactions. It does point out how subjective our reactions can be to cars. To your points (from the perspective of current Mach-E ER AWD compared to my prior Bolt EV Premium):
1. Bolt is absolutely more efficient.
2. I find the displays in the Bolt to be good but those in the Mach-E to be much better than that in the Bolt
3. I do not notice much the entry height but prefer the seating and viewing height of the Mach-E.
4. I always drove my Bolt with one pedal driving except in snow where it would cause slipping if I backed off too quickly. I prefer the one pedal driving in the Mach-E and can use it in the snow.
5. I always felt the Bolt had nice acceleration especially at lower speeds. The acceleration of the Mach-E ER AWD blows the Bolt away.
6. Exterior appearance is totally subjective. It is great that you prefer the look of the Bolt. After four years driving my Bolt, I was ready for what I consider a more sophisticated external look.

To be clear, the Bolt is a really nice car and definitely nicely priced. I switched to the Mach-E in part to get AWD but also to get more space, a nicer ride, and a number of features that were not available in the Bolt in 2017. The newly announced Bolt EV and EUV look like great price propositions and I would highly encourage new EVers to consider them.

Absolutely. I don’t envy car designers trying to hit the marks and please a broad customer base. I debated whether i should even post this. I didn’t want to come off negative on a Mach E forum. I am looking forward to the ER AWD experience, that is if it ever arrives.

 

[Gino_A]

Now that I've had the chance to drive the Mach E, I thought it was worthwhile to come back to this thread. I drove a Standard Range AWD Select which turns out wasn't an unfair comparison against the Bolt Premium in my opinion given price and battery configuration. Up front I have to say I walked away with the Bolt having the edge. My wife even commented that maybe I should go for the new Bolt EUV instead. Disclaimer: I only got to put about 4 miles on the Mach E which was by no means exhaustive but it left an impression. I'll admit it's possible I picked up on several things that the typical first time EV buyer most likely wouldn't notice and as a 3 year veteran of EV driving likely had different expectations coming in.

Both cars have excellent construction and are solidly built. The Mach E feels (and looks) heavier. Having AWD available is a definite advantage for the Mach E and the vehicle just feels planted on the roadway.

That's the good. Now the not so good.

1. It just has to be said, the Bolt is more efficient.
2. The instrument cluster on the Bolt is more refined, usable and appealing. I found the Mach E driver display difficult to see and very basic in function. It felt very much like an after thought with random graphics thrown on an oddly shaped piece of plastic.
3. I prefer the flat entry/exit on the Bolt. I never realized how much I like that until driving other cars without it.
4. As much as I thought I would like the one pedal changes in the Mach E, I walked away preferring the Bolt's implementation. I didn't have time to fully experience the differences in how the driving modes alter the amount of regen, but I did walk away thinking what I did observe was not enough from Engaged and Unbridled. Hopefully that will change, but I definitely feel some customization and driver initiated variability is required here. I thought I wanted the automatic friction brake hold (mostly to keep the brake lights on so I don't have to move my foot), but I ended up hating this. Stopping was fine and the transition smooth. The problem was starting. The hydraulic brakes noticeably disengaged when I pressed down the accelerator to start moving. Definitely not what I'm used to from other EV's. Hoping that with more experience this will be a smoother transition. Ability to change the amount of regen whether via a paddle or software setting would be welcomed.
5. I realize this was a Standard Range Select, but I have to say acceleration disappointed. I'm used to EV's giving everything they've got with the pedal to the floor. Entering the highway with my foot on the floor was as I expected until I noticed a drop-off in acceleration after 40 MPH. 0-40 was quick, 40-60, not so much and left me wanting more. If my Extended Range, AWD FE exhibits this, it could be a deal breaker. I don't drive like this all the time (rarely actually) but I expect the car to be capable.
6. In terms of exterior styling, I like the Mach E profile and looks (as long as it isn't the Premium with the high gloss black wheel well lips). But I find the Bolt more appealing up close. In particular the way the rear panels come together around the rear wheels left me saying, eww. The Mach E has a lot of sheet metal to make appealing and there just isn't enough differentiation or styling to catch your eyes, especially on the Mach E's back end. Every time I see a Mach E, I walk away thinking, "OK that's <insert color name>" and not much else. The Bolt has always had a Premium exterior non-bland look except from the front, in my opinion.

There was one thing that clearly set the Mach E apart however. The standout feature on the Mach E was the driving assist. This is the ABSOLUTE BEST IMPLEMENTATION I've seen on a car yet. It doesn't engage until 40 MPH which removes the annoying beeps and warnings at lower speeds where you don't need it. The edge feedback gave the perfect amount of nudge and centered the car back in the lane seamlessly. Driver takeover was flawless and immediate. If the adaptive/intelligent cruise control works as well, both will make long highway trips more enjoyable. I'm generally not a fan of driver assist, but I walked away thinking the forth coming software update will be worth it.

My overall observation is that I believe Bolt is a better value for the money. The Bolt in its understated marketing and positioning doesn't attempt to set the bar too high and exceeds expectation in nearly every instance (2017 seats and too much plastic on the dash not withstanding). If anything GM (or should I say gm) hasn't done enough to convince people just how good of a car it really is. I'm not convinced that my FE is going to warrant its' hefty price tag.

I own a 2019 Chevy Bolt Premier and took delivery of a Premium ER RWD MME last week. I agree with many of your observations. However, I felt that the acceleration on my MME was slightly better than my Bolt. Of course, the MME Premium has many cool features (adaptive CC, memory seating, lane keep assist, wireless Apple Carplay, frunk, self-park, etc.) that are not available on the Bolt. I will keep my Bolt and am selling my 2018 Volt. I love the flexibility of the Volt (option to use gas) but can't justify having 3 cars.

 

[Ma9573]

It's good to hear such positive feedback about the Bolt on here, since I don't really hear much about it in my day to day (all the people we know with BEVs have Teslas). I have a California Route 1 on order to replace my 2016 Energi, which I've really liked. In fact I've liked all 3 Fusions I've had (2010 and 2013 regular hybrids). I'm extremely excited about taking delivery of Skippy the Magnificent (name subject to change lol), so that decision is easy.

Where I'm struggling is replacing my wife's horrible 2017 BMW X1 when the lease is up in September. (I honestly wish I could get rid of it now, as we've had to replace tires at 20k miles, front brakes at 25k and rear brakes at 29k. The $375 monthly payment balloons up over $500 when you amortize in all the additional costs. Plus the car doesn't drive that well and the tech features suck. Sorry, didn't mean to bitch but it's the worst purchase I've ever made lol).

Anyway, I told my wife we are never going ICE or regular hybrids again (environmental reasons), so placed an order for an ID4 first edition since we can't afford another expensive car. My concern is whether you are able to claim the Federal tax credit twice in the same tax year. If not, the be Bolt EUV will likely be the route I go. Or, if you can claim two tax credits in one year and the new administration gives Tesla and Chevy more access to the credits, I'll probably go with the Bolt as well (she may want the Tesla MY if she finds out, but I doubt she will and I don't want to go the Tesla route since they don't need the help selling EVs).

I'm a little nervous about going full BEV on my wife's car since we Street Park, so the Mach E will be a good litmus test. If I think it'll be too difficult we'll go with a PHEV. Long winded way of saying I'm happy to hear such positive feedback on the Bolt lolol

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