Considering purchasing a Mach-E…

[Malacandra]

…but maybe less so after hanging out here a bit?

Here's my situation: I'm negotiating a buy-back of my 2019 Bolt, and given California's excellent Lemon Laws and my low mileage I'll probably recover most of what I paid for that car, including the interest paid on my loan (did I mention that California has excellent Lemon Laws?). So I'm in the market for a new EV, and given my budget, I've narrowed it down to the Mach-E Select with Comfort/Tech package - or possibly the Premium - I'm cheap, so not entirely sure… OR the Tesla Model 3.

My first new car as a young man was a Mustang GT 5.0L, which I loved, so I have an emotional connection to the brand. And I love the look of the Mach-E, the specs seem right for me.. I also love the ergonomics: I'm no fan of the lack of physical buttons and switches in the Teslas. I think the Mach-E hits the sweet spot between having tech on a big beautiful display but still driving like an actual CAR.

I like the idea of valet/keypad entry and not being stranded if I don't have my phone or fob. I like that BlueCruise would be significantly more affordable than Tesla's Full Speed Driving. Admittedly, BlueCruise isn't in the same league with FSD, but I don't know that I need it to be. I'm never going to spend $200/month or pay Tesla $10K for anything less than Level 5 autonomy… and I don't think Elon is going to deliver on that anytime soon - if ever. Finally, I like the fact that the Mach-E is a hatchback and has tons of room. It compares better with the Model Y, frankly, but that's beyond my price range.

Here are the things that I'm concerned about:

1. Having just been burned (not literally, thankfully) by a car with LG Chem batteries, and knowing that before Bolt's recall, the Kona EV also had a battery recall because of LG Chem cells - and pulled the car out of the South Korean market. And a VW ID.3 just burst into flames. So the LG Chem issue seems to span EV products. So I'm more than a little concerned that one day there will be a similar issue with the Mach-E once there are enough of them out there for this kind of problem to show itself. Replacing the battery pack isn't trivial, and in the interim period while waiting for service, the guidelines for use of your car can be downright onerous: that's why I'm getting out of my Bolt! The advantage here seems to go to the Tesla, which uses a different manufacturing and chemistry.
   
   
2. I see multiple complaints from folks here (and on YouTube) about the FordPass app, Phone as a Key, and CarPlay. I don't care overly much about Phone as a Key - it'll just be me driving, and I can live with a fob if I have to - but I think FordPass is an important component of Plug-and-Charge, isn't it? A lot of people are hating on that app, others are saying you don't really need it, so I guess that means that Ford Plug-and-Charge just isn't there yet?
   
   
3. Which brings me to the next point: the reliability of the charging network. 90% of the time I'll be charging at home, but unreliable third-party chargers can easily ruin a vacation. I've had somewhat mixed experiences with ChargePoint and EVGo chargers, but little experience with Electrify America. Tesla certainly seems to have a distinct advantage in their network. I keep hoping that's changing, so I'm wondering what kind of experiences you folks have had.
   
   
4. I'm deeply embedded in the Apple eco-system (computer, phone, watch, tablets… the whole nine yards) and I'm a big fan of CarPlay. Tesla's lack of support is a big black mark on them. OTOH, having it and it being unreliable would be pretty frustrating.

I know that on forums like this the loudest voices are typically the folks who are having the most problems, and that can exaggerate the perception of problems. And from the outside it can also be hard to tell what were early problems that got ironed out. So I want to listen to y'all: those who adore your cars, as well as those who may have some issues and can put them in perspective. I seem to have already read a lot from people who have soured on the car…

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[Mach-Tony]

Some people will never be happy with what they have and will find something to complain about, which is a lot of what you hear. I've had no issues but I also know how to use my phone without having to ask my grandkids. Find a car to test drive, plug in your phone and see how your apple play works and make a decision. Reading stuff on here won't help - I feel like I'm driving a completely different car than what people are describing here.

 

[TRP]

Phone as a Key has worked for my wife and I since day 1. iPhone users too.
Others have had not so good luck with it tho.

EA is the charge network I am most familiar with and have used it quite a bit with no issues. Never had to go else where for a charge.

Ford vs Tesla............my obversation........Ford builds a great car, Tesla does great at software. The MME feels like a car and even without the big screen with all the tech in it, you can get in and drive away without trying to find basic controls, lights, wipers, etc.....

 

[pt19713]

What about the Hyundai Ioniq5, or Kia EV6? A few options if you need the space.

 

[Malacandra]

What about the Hyundai Ioniq5, or Kia EV6? A few options if you need the space.

The Ioniq 5 isn't out yet (at least in the US) and I have no idea what the various trims cost: it's not on their website. In fact, I can't even compare the features of the various trims yet.

Same with the Kia EV6 - both cars are "coming soon".

 

[ZuleMME]

Replacing the battery pack isn't trivial!?!?

 

[Blanked]

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...-would-you-buy-it-again-poll.8900/post-249123

 

[Malacandra]

Some people will never be happy with what they have and will find something to complain about, which is a lot of what you hear. I've had no issues but I also know how to use my phone without having to ask my grandkids. Find a car to test drive, plug in your phone and see how your apple play works and make a decision. Reading stuff on here won't help - I feel like I'm driving a completely different car than what people are describing here.

I did test drive a Premium and CarPlay worked for me just fine. Of course, the problem with sporadic issues are that they are just that: intermittent.

And I certainly wasn't prepared to download FordPass for a car that I was test driving… and that's what a good deal of the complaints are around.

But I acknowledged that just reading these forums creates an impression that's likely to exaggerate the problems. Which is why I posted this.

 

[Malacandra]

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...-would-you-buy-it-again-poll.8900/post-249123

Thanks - this certainly gives a different perspective than reading people's complaints.

 

[Valkyrja]

Coming from a Bolt I imagine the battery is a huge concern. From what I read, and please anyone correct me if I am wrong, it was a geographically limited manufacturing issue, not something pervasive through their entire manufacturing process. Since the Ford batteries were not made in the affected manufacturing plants, it would be very unlikely to be impacted with the same issue as the Bolt even though it is coming from the same company.

Having had the problem, I think LG will be on the lookout even more for issues and may even be doing additional auditing around it which may make them the best bet for the short-term.

 

[Malacandra]

From what I read, and please anyone correct me if I am wrong, it was a geographically limited manufacturing issue, not something pervasive through their entire manufacturing process. Since the Ford batteries were not made in the affected manufacturing plants, it would be very unlikely to be impacted with the same issue as the Bolt even though it is coming from the same company.

At one point it was believed that the affected batteries were manufactured in South Korea and those built in the US were safe (mine were built in the US). And then it was decided otherwise.

And some of the Kona batteries were made in China.

https://www.reuters.com/business/au...ry-fires-linked-several-lg-plants-2021-08-27/

 

[fayt349]

I'll sell you mine.

 

[Canchino77]

As someone that does customer experience at scale for a living, I will provide my two cents... Yes the majority of what you will see on this forum and many like it will be skewed to the negative side. Having said that, another popular stance on forums is "my (fill in the blank) is fine, so everyone else is exaggerating". This forum is no different. Another thing that makes this forum unique is that we know that Ford is looking at some of these comments in some form or fashion (which from a customer experience perspective is amazing). So at the end of the day, I would use this forum to help inform your decision but not be the deciding factor.

I too was considering a Tesla (Model Y) and the primary deciding factor for me was build quality. Software will improve over time, even the charging infrastructure will build over time... And the tax credit doesn't hurt either.

 

[Malacandra]

I'll sell you mine.

Thanks, but I‘ll want that federal tax credit and the state rebate.

 

[ToddH]

I got my Mach E on March 3. It's a RWD ER Premium edition. I'm at 14,747 miles as of today. This month I did a trip of over 5000 miles from the Bay Area to San Diego to Tennessee and back in 13 days. The car worked beautifully on the long drive. I found three problems with charging. I chose my route through Oklahoma on Interstate 40. No EA chargers and the best I could do was something called "Francis" chargers. They worked but I had to work to get them to work. The second problem was the Ford Pass App. I don't like how they pass on charges to me. I can't tell from the history on the app and my credit card bill how in the hell I was billed for the electrons I bought. Also, with EA chargers, I can't get my preferred rates. So I have to use the EA app. The third problem was an EA station that was closed. It was late at night and I had decided to run the battery down low to reach a destination with a decent place to stay. There was an EA station close to our hotel/motel. When I got there, the EA station was closed. The next DC fast charging station was beyond the range I had left in the battery but there were plenty of level 2 chargers in town. The closest one was in a mall that was closed for the night. It was about a half mile from our accommodations. I dropped my wife off at the hotel and went to the mall parking lot where I spent the next 4 hours putting enough miles into the battery so we could make it easily to the next DC fast charger, another EA station. Some of that was my problem. It did give me notice, but it wasn't obvious, that the station was closed. Some of it was great inconvenience but not really terrible.

I find the problems to be minor. I've found Ford to be very helpful and my current dealer to be great. I've dealt with other Ford dealers that were not helpful and other car manufacturers that were terrible.

I looked at the Tesla MY and considered it a good alternative. But...
1. I believe the advantage Tesla has in charging is good as long as they are the dominant EV
manufacturer. With all other manufacturers going with CCS, I doubt Tesla will retain that title in
the long run.
2. My nephew has a M3. Nice car. I drove it. I had a hard time with the center screen. The fonts
are too little (or too far away) for me. The seats are not as comfortable and I'm concerned by build
quality and cost/time to get service.
3. I can't trust a manufacturer who knowingly calls his level 2 driver assistance "full self driving" or
"autopilot" no matter how good it is. It's misleading and I believe has led to several deaths.
4. I rely on Sirius radio for a lot my long distance travel related listening. It's not available on the
Teslas. For me, this was as close to a deal breaker as you can get.
5. I can't trust the range that Tesla has for their cars. It's far from real world. In order to get the
range they advertise, you have to drive the car well after the battery reads "0" and that means
driving it until you could be doing harm to the long term detriment of the battery.

As for the MME, I knew it would have several disadvantages including most of the ones listed in this forum. But...
1. Charging infrastructure is rapidly improving even though it has a long ways to go.
2. It's a comfortable car for me. I'm 6'1 and old. I need something that fits my size and allows me
easy ingress and egress.
3. I've dealt with my dealer since 2013 when I bought a Ford Fusion Energi. I've been impressed
by their continuous improvement in customer focus. I've never found them to mislead me and
when things weren't right, they fixed it.
4. I have an android phone. Android Auto was not working for me. I had to make a few calls to
Ford but it's working now. Overall, I'm pleased but use the Sync navigation rather than Android
Auto. Something's still not working right with it but it's not a deal breaker.
5. My RWD LR was rated at 300 miles. I've achieved up to 330.

I will keep the car until they have better batteries. It's the best car I've ever owned. (I'd probably say the same thing if I'd bought the MY).

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