Considering purchasing a Mach-E…

[Malacandra]

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.

Build quality is definitely an issue. To say nothing of paint that’s so soft that you pretty much have to put a ceramic wrap over it.

The tax credit is sweet. It is a big part of what puts this in my price range. I hope Congress does the right thing and expands that program.

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[pt19713]

Build quality is definitely an issue. To say nothing of paint that’s so soft that you pretty much have to put a ceramic wrap over it.

The tax credit is sweet. It is a big part of what puts this in my price range. I hope Congress does the right thing and expands that program.

I have 2 Teslas in my garage, no complaints here. A lot of "issues" are posted on YouTube and things get exaggerated with click bait titles for views. Same thing is happening with the Mach-E.

Charging network is amazing. Software is top notch; people don't realize most of the things going on in the background with the battery management system and what it does to cool/ heat it during a wide range of situations.

We got the cars mostly for the performance /acceleration. Not many cars in the same class & price can match the acceleration. For many, though, they want a quieter, more comfortable car and the Tesla acceleration isn't necessary. The Mach-E was on the short list but we decided against it since it'd be several years before the software issues would be resolved and even longer for the charging infrastructure to get caught up.

 

[TheVirtualTim]

Early on in my ownership (I've had my car since February) I have had a total of three issues... but these were fixed by software updates and I have had no issues since.

Phone-as-a-Key is occasionally annoying (typically if I toggle the Bluetooth off and then back on on my phone it fixes it) and is often sluggish to respond (slower than the physical key-fob) but has never left me stranded. You can enter the car via the door-code and start the car using a password (technically no key of any kind is required to unlock and drive the car if you have your passwords). You could just use the key fob and ignore FordPass and the Phone-as-a-Key ... it's not required to use it with the car.

While battery fires are scary ... and the Bolt has more than it's fair share ... other cars have occasionally had issues. Even Tesla had a few problems with them. The Ford battery isn't quite the same as the battery used in the Bolt and built in a different plant. While we can never say "it can't happen" ... so far so good.

To get a Mach-E you have a couple of choices... order one now (and wait) and that would be a '22 model year (and many months of waiting). Occasionally there will be a dealer that gets a car, the person who ordered it could not wait (e.g. they had to turn in a lease and *needed* a replacement car, etc.) so they abandon the order. Those cars are up-for-grabs on dealer lots.

At the bottom of the Ford.com website, scroll almost to the very bottom of the main page and there's a gray box with several columns ... one column is labeled "Shopping Tools" and a few rows down you'll see "Search Inventory". This will let you key in your zip-code (or any zip-code) and a search radius and it'll show you all the cars it can find that match your criteria. SOME dealers list EVERY car they get. My dealer ONLY lists cars that are up-for-grabs (they don't list orders unless the person who ordered it abandons the order). So you may run into the issue where they list a car but it isn't really available.

And then there's the dealer mark-up problem. With cars being scarce, dealers are now doing that (with all kinds of cars ... the Mach-E isn't unique in that regard). If you can find a dealer willing to sell at *merely* window-sticker price and you like the car... I'd grab it. It's getting very hard to find dealers that are willing to honor Ford's discount plans (such as X-Plan) and the X-Plan discount isn't much on this car (dealer invoice and MSRP are actually the same price on this car.)

 

[Malacandra]

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).

This is great feedback. I didn't get into my assessment of the issues I have with the Model 3:

1. Lack of Apple CarPlay is pretty much the deal breaker for me that lack of Sirius XM is for you. Mostly when I drive I'm listening to audiobooks on Audible, or listening to the music collection on my phone. Both experiences would be significantly degraded by just streaming them as Bluetooth audio to the car. And, I really like what Apple has done with their navigation. Particularly their graphical presentation of traversing complex highway exchanges. CarPlay handles my appointment calendar and incoming messages and responses well. It's an interface I've grown accustomed to over the past four years, and I'd really miss it. It's telling that there are third-party hardware solutions to compensate for Tesla's refusal to support the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay ecosystems.
   
   
2. Poor fit and finish on the M3 is huge for me. They've been making these cars for what, 4 years? And still can't get the panels to fit together right? I mentioned their inexcusably soft and fragile paint above… assuming that they've even successfully painted all your hidden panel parts. This isn't something I've just read about online, it's something I've seen myself.
   
   
3. It's crappy ergonomically. Within a month in any other car I'll have developed muscle memory that would allow me to twiddle a button or knob without taking my eye off the road: Tesla having everything in that center touchscreen makes that impossible. I think the Mach-E lands in the sweet spot of combining the power and flexibility of a touchscreen and the utility of actual physical buttons.
   
   
4. The SR+ trim that I'm looking at doesn't have a heated steering wheel, which I find an incredible omission for an EV where you want maximum efficiency: heated seats and a heated steering wheel are far more effective than blasting heated air through the vents.
   
   
5. I had noted their unrealistic range estimates as well.
   
   
6. Their automatic windshield wipers, by every account, just suck. And it's awkward using the center console to adjust them.
   
   
7. They charge $10/month for cellular connectivity to be able to have a satellite map view or to visualize traffic in their nav system. Both things which come free with CarPlay using my existing data plan.
   
   
8. This is the one that really highlights how bad Tesla really is at usability: the interior door latch. To open the door you really need to push the door open button, which is at the top of the handle assembly. It has an icon on it that is not universally understood by anybody who isn't already a Tesla stan. Using the button lowers the window a bit so that it clears the door trim before it opens the door. Wait… what? OK, that's weird, right? The punchline is that there's an emergency door latch that looks exactly like the right way to open a car door to anyone who has ever opened a car door. But if you use THAT latch, you risk damaging the window, the trim, or both. So every time you have a new passenger in your car, you'd better instruct them on how to get out without potentially damaging your car. Which I find as bizarre as the fact that your front seat passenger can't adjust the vent blowing air on them without using the center panel. Because physical controls are just so… every other century. You can't even open the glove box without two touchscreen clicks.
   
   
9. Finally, there's Elon himself. Yes, I distrust anyone who's been fleecing his customers for many thousands of dollars for YEARS on the promise of Fully Self Driving Magic Beans.

OK, end of rant. So why am I even considering the Model 3?

1. Their charging network is extensive and reliable. And Tesla is building new chargers at a rate that's an order of magnitude faster than its nearest competitor. I don't think that Tesla is going to lose their edge on charging station: I expect that at some point they'll open up their chargers to the rest of us, and being the only folks who are serious about charging infrastructure, they'll dominate that space. But in the here and now, only Teslas benefit from it. But I expect that they'll still provide the most seamless user experience for charging.
   
   
2. Their batteries: not only are they not LG Chem, but the newest SR+ M3s are getting LFP batteries . They don't have the energy density of the LiOn batteries we're used to, but you can consistently charge them up to 100% without hurting them: in fact you're encouraged to fully charge them. And they're much less prone to thermal runaway.
   
   
3. Autopilot is a misleading name, but it is still superior to everyone else's version of intelligent cruise control and lane-keeping. They're years ahead of the rest of the industry. It can get you killed if you're inattentive, for certain. So can all these systems. They have a lot more experience and incredible amounts of data and machine learning that their competitors are still assembling.
   
   
4. I'm surprised when any EV doesn't have a heat pump. Tesla does great thermal management in general, but particularly when it comes to protecting your precious battery.

When people say that the Mach-E is a great car and that Tesla makes great software, there's a lot of truth to that.

For me the Tesla's strength is its integrated ecosystem, where there's very tight integration of their hardware and software (to the point where it pisses me off because they don't open it up to Android Auto and CarPlay), as well as their deep understanding that charging is essential to the success of their EVs.

 

[Malacandra]

Early on in my ownership (I've had my car since February) I have had a total of three issues... but these were fixed by software updates and I have had no issues since.

Phone-as-a-Key is occasionally annoying (typically if I toggle the Bluetooth off and then back on on my phone it fixes it) and is often sluggish to respond (slower than the physical key-fob) but has never left me stranded. You can enter the car via the door-code and start the car using a password (technically no key of any kind is required to unlock and drive the car if you have your passwords). You could just use the key fob and ignore FordPass and the Phone-as-a-Key ... it's not required to use it with the car.

While battery fires are scary ... and the Bolt has more than it's fair share ... other cars have occasionally had issues. Even Tesla had a few problems with them. The Ford battery isn't quite the same as the battery used in the Bolt and built in a different plant. While we can never say "it can't happen" ... so far so good.

To get a Mach-E you have a couple of choices... order one now (and wait) and that would be a '22 model year (and many months of waiting). Occasionally there will be a dealer that gets a car, the person who ordered it could not wait (e.g. they had to turn in a lease and *needed* a replacement car, etc.) so they abandon the order. Those cars are up-for-grabs on dealer lots.

At the bottom of the Ford.com website, scroll almost to the very bottom of the main page and there's a gray box with several columns ... one column is labeled "Shopping Tools" and a few rows down you'll see "Search Inventory". This will let you key in your zip-code (or any zip-code) and a search radius and it'll show you all the cars it can find that match your criteria. SOME dealers list EVERY car they get. My dealer ONLY lists cars that are up-for-grabs (they don't list orders unless the person who ordered it abandons the order). So you may run into the issue where they list a car but it isn't really available.

And then there's the dealer mark-up problem. With cars being scarce, dealers are now doing that (with all kinds of cars ... the Mach-E isn't unique in that regard). If you can find a dealer willing to sell at *merely* window-sticker price and you like the car... I'd grab it. It's getting very hard to find dealers that are willing to honor Ford's discount plans (such as X-Plan) and the X-Plan discount isn't much on this car (dealer invoice and MSRP are actually the same price on this car.)

I'm fortunate in that there's a dealer in the East Bay (which isn't exactly next door, but it's no further than the local Tesla pick-up spot) who sells at MSRP, honors X-Plan, and will refund the full deposit. And they understand Ford Options. They also have been consistently ordering Mach-E's to have a few around (they go quickly) and selling THOSE at MSRP. It's kind of killing me that they have one arriving imminently that is exactly the car I'm looking for (including the soon-to-be-gone Iconic Silver color)… but I haven't gotten Chevy to close the deal on my Bolt yet, so I can't jump on it.

 

[ToddH]

I'm fortunate in that there's a dealer in the East Bay (which isn't exactly next door, but it's no further than the local Tesla pick-up spot) who sells at MSRP, honors X-Plan, and will refund the full deposit. And they understand Ford Options. They also have been consistently ordering Mach-E's to have a few around (they go quickly) and selling THOSE at MSRP. It's kind of killing me that they have one arriving imminently that is exactly the car I'm looking for (including the soon-to-be-gone Iconic Silver color)… but I haven't gotten Chevy to close the deal on my Bolt yet, so I can't jump on it.

I didn't check where you were located until I saw this post. My dealer is The Ford Store in Morgan Hill. It's quite a ways from Santa Rosa but it's another possible place to find everything that you found from the East Bay dealer. I used Ford Options, X-Plan and there was no ADM and they'd refund the deposit. I've found the service adviser that I really like. Not much service needed on the Mach E (I had the Ford Fusion and have a motorhome with a Ford Transit base) or any other EV but when and if I need some, I know who to see. Finally, if you decide to order one, get to know Tim. I believe he's called something like the inventory manager.?? If you call them, and explain that you need to find out about the car you ordered from a sales person, he's the guy with the answers. If you ever move a bit closer, they offer some service at your home from a mobile van. And they'll deliver your new car to your door (not sure about delivery to Santa Rosa, but it might be worth asking about). There are a couple of Ford dealers closer to me than The Ford Store MH but they suck. At everything. I'm not saying you should get the Mach E. Nor where. I'd just say my experience has met or exceeded my expectations.

 

[TRP]

I'm fortunate in that there's a dealer in the East Bay (which isn't exactly next door, but it's no further than the local Tesla pick-up spot) who sells at MSRP, honors X-Plan, and will refund the full deposit. And they understand Ford Options. They also have been consistently ordering Mach-E's to have a few around (they go quickly) and selling THOSE at MSRP. It's kind of killing me that they have one arriving imminently that is exactly the car I'm looking for (including the soon-to-be-gone Iconic Silver color)… but I haven't gotten Chevy to close the deal on my Bolt yet, so I can't jump on it.

Will they take a deposit to hold it until you get sorted out?

 

[Malacandra]

I didn't check where you were located until I saw this post. My dealer is The Ford Store in Morgan Hill. It's quite a ways from Santa Rosa but it's another possible place to find everything that you found from the East Bay dealer. I used Ford Options, X-Plan and there was no ADM and they'd refund the deposit. I've found the service adviser that I really like. Not much service needed on the Mach E (I had the Ford Fusion and have a motorhome with a Ford Transit base) or any other EV but when and if I need some, I know who to see. Finally, if you decide to order one, get to know Tim. I believe he's called something like the inventory manager.?? If you call them, and explain that you need to find out about the car you ordered from a sales person, he's the guy with the answers. If you ever move a bit closer, they offer some service at your home from a mobile van. And they'll deliver your new car to your door (not sure about delivery to Santa Rosa, but it might be worth asking about). There are a couple of Ford dealers closer to me than The Ford Store MH but they suck. At everything. I'm not saying you should get the Mach E. Nor where. I'd just say my experience has met or exceeded my expectations.

That's great to hear. The dealer in the East Bay is easily half the distance between me and Morgan Hill. I wish I had greater confidence in the Ford dealer up here… but I don't. But I regularly go down to the East Bay to visit family for the weekend (which is when I did my test drive) so it's no hardship to have a good relationship with a dealer down there, and getting scheduled maintenance there shouldn't be a problem. It might be a hassle if I need something more serious done over a number of days, though.

And that would be another point in the Tesla's favor: their nearest service center is in San Rafael, which is considerably closer still.

 

[Malacandra]

Will they take a deposit to hold it until you get sorted out?

I wouldn't even ask it of anyone I'd want to build a good relationship with. GM can drag their feet on this process… I expect that a lot of Bolt owners just give up on the buyback process out of frustration with how it can stretch out, which works to GM's advantage. I'm willing to go to the mat… but it could take a while.

 

[Nklem]

Zero issues with plug and charge for me. Works perfectly at 4 different EA stations. Also EVGo and Chargepont pay stations works fine. No issues at all.

you Do not need PAAK, carry a fob like your Bolt.

I have a select AWD with tech and it has enough of everything for me.

CarPlay has worked flawless for me for 5 months with perfect integration. iPhone XR.

unbridled and engine sound, on, reminds you of a real Mustang. I let a Model X owner drive mine and that mode impressed him.

if you need to talk message me and I will try to help you with any questions. I love my Mach E……


I have zero issue s with Paint and quality. 5 months , 9000 miles and no soft paint, no scratches and stone chips. I find it’s one of the nicest paint jobs I have seen on an american car. Better than Tesla, better than the Polestar I parked next to at the show this weekend.

I also got to test the new Ford Pass as a beta the other day.. It’s a lot better. But I am not allowed to say it.

 

[Kabish]

The FordPass software was pretty bad with ICE cars, now they are trying to adapt it to EVs. IMO they should had scrapped FordPass and developed software just for their EVs. The software is annoying, car still works fine without it, but if you want to know what your car is doing, how much power is used, or even how long the car has charged it doesn’t do it. I find that extraordinary annoying.

iOS user here as well. I get CarPlay issues now and then, however a reboot of my phone fixes it 99% of the time, the other 1% is fixed by rebooting the SYNCH system.

Far as PAAK, it had been working fine for me till this past week. For whatever reason it has become not nearly as reliable, maybe due to iOS 15. Prior to this week I’ve not had PAAK fail for months and I’m a 100% user.

It’s a good car, but the software is just super annoying which is huge with user experience and EVs.

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