For new owners: is it worth it?

[Stang68]

Would I have waited? Maybe?

I am enjoying the car, but it's far from perfect. I didn't actually any Mach-E until I took mine home from the dealership, and by that point I had already sold my personal car privately, so I had to bum a ride down to the dealership to even get my Mach-E. That is partially my fault, but also the dealer's fault for not being able to get everything sorted out quickly.

Every time I look at it, I smile. The car is downright gorgeous. People wave and give me thumbs up wherever I go.

The build quality is phenomenal. The interior is silent, and supremely comfortable to sit in, with great materials everywhere. The software is good, not great. That can be OTAed so I'm not worried.

But... it's slow. It's way slower than I thought it would be. There's loud gear whine from the drive motor. The pedal response is sluggish. The ride is way too bouncy, the steering is way too light, and the tires are way too narrow and don't provide anywhere near enough grip.

It looks like a Mustang. It drives like an Escape. The ride and performance are massive disappointments, and no OTA is going to update the shocks and tires.

I'm disappointed I didn't get the opportunity to test drive it before I sold my prior vehicle in excitement.

Sorry to hear you're unimpressed by the driving. I'm definitely going for the AWD ER because I definitely want the most power available (without springing for the GT).

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[stlippert]

Absolutely love my Rapid Red AWD MME! Fun to drive, acceleration like I've never had before, gets tons of looks, and so far no issues. Don't have the LVB problem, the whining fan, or other nagging issues. Got the PAAK working well. (Hope this post doesn't ruin it). I'm having fun learning how to access all the preset car values and changing to my preferences. It can be a time suck. My biggest frustration is that I can't keep it clean. And everyone knows, a clean car drives better. . .

 

[Dirtman16]

I would have preferred more power too, but not AWD. Wish they'd have put a bigger rear motor on it, but it is what it is.

I have a strong suspicion that the pedal input lag is software only. Electric motors provide 100% torque from 0 mph, so much so that they'll spin out tires if not restrained by software tuning.

Maybe Ford will change the initial response based on feedback, but it's always wise to assume it will stay as is.

 

[dbsb3233]

This forum has been a great resource of information and I'm not sure I would have waited this long without it. I read it pretty much every day. Lots of very knowledgeable people here and the few insiders are awesome. I think it's fair to say that this is a high-end car in terms of cost and for most of us a luxury that we can afford. All that said, is it worth it given some of the problems new owners are having? I'm about two to three weeks from getting mine. While certainly not ideal and for a little while, I think I can live with the existing bugs and potential battery problems for a car that seems to be better than most, if not all, comparable EVs out there. But I don't own one. For those of you who have yours and particularly those with problems, is it worth it or knowing what you know now, would you have waited?

I got mine on Saturday. It's been a blast so far. Looks kinda like a sports car on the outside, but feels like a luxury car on the inside. Drives great, although the brakes are toucky and take some getting used to. The driver assist features take some getting used to, but they can easily be turned off and the car driven "normally" too.

But it's also kinda like getting a new cell phone. Lots of stuff to figure out, some stuff to customize, and configure how you want. It'll be a few weeks before I get this thing mostly figured out and set the way I want. But that's half the fun too.

There are some quirks and minor issues. And of course the 12V battery concern that some are having. I'm a little concerned around it, but certainly not enough to have cancelled my order and wait a year. But I also have a 2nd vehicle I can always use if the Mach-E needs to park for a while. I'm confident Ford will get any issues fixed, but early adoption is usually a bumpy ride early.

 

[dbsb3233]

1. I think there's a reason all the journalists are getting ER AWD units. Mine is ER RWD, and it feels downright slow because of the slow feed-in, no EV "toss you back in the seat" feeling for me.
2. Gear whine from a stop to roughly ~10 miles per hour. Definitely not the low speed noise, it's a high-pitched whine that sounds like a subway leaving the station. No other EV I've driven has had gear whine like this - not Bolt, not Model 3.
3. I have only driven in Unbridled. Steering is still way too light, pedal is still way too dead.
4. It's incredibly jiggly. I wouldn't call it nauseating, but it's not too far removed from nauseating. Underdamped. I have not driven a Model Y, but the Model 3 I did drive felt way more controlled than this.
5. At the first left turn signal on my way home from the dealer, I accelerated to make the left turn and the back end broke loose, tires squealing. The skinny eco Michelins are not up to the task they're asked to do.

I have a First Edition (ER AWD), so I can't say for sure how an RWD would compare. But, most of what you describe feels the opposite of mine. I don't hear any gear whine, and don't find it jiggly. Haven't squealed the tires yet either, but I haven't pushed it (although I have been taking turns 5-10 MPH faster than normal because it's so smooth and effortless).

But I also recognize everyone is coming in with different expectations, and baselines to compare against. Some are looking for it to be a great sports car, others looking for it to be a great crossover. I'm in the latter group (wanted an SUV/crossover, and the Mustang touches just make it more cool). I'm coming from an Escape, which I love, but this is WAY sportier in how it drives. But also much more luxurious.

I almost wonder if there's maybe something not quite right on yours. Especially the whine. If your dealer happens to have a demo you can do a test drive in for comparison, that might not be a bad idea. Just a thought.

 

[poweryogagirl]

I LOVE my car but I haven't had a new car in eight years so many of the features on the MME are pretty standard on most new cars these days. The bugs in the app are a hassle but it's kind of fun answering questions in parking lots and at stoplights and seeing other drivers taking pictures of my car! I'm the only one in our area, I believe, so I'm a bit of a celebrity! I also think it beats the looks of the Models X and Y hands down.

 

[Stang68]

Yeah I was definitely coming in expecting a Mustang experience, and I'm not sure it's there with how this suspension is tuned. An electric Mustang was higher on my list of priorities than a SUV/crossover. The fact that it's a SUV is secondary to the fact it's electric and says Mustang. In fact, the low ground clearance actually reassured me that I wasn't going to get a "SUV" experience.

The luxury is spot on. This interior and road noise isolation would embarrass some Lincolns.

I just wish it was tuned more aggressively and I didn't hear such loud whine from behind me at low speeds.

I've also started noticing the screen buzz thanks to reading threads on here... now I can't unhear it.

Would you consider the GT? At this point it seems to be only 6 months away.

 

[SteelMach]

Would you consider the GT? At this point it seems to be only 6 months away.

Not enough to trade in mine so soon I doubt they hold their value *that* well lol

I don't like that the GT is AWD, but I like the performance improvements they made. I hope I can test drive one when they come out.

 

[supertramp]

1. I think there's a reason all the journalists are getting ER AWD units. Mine is ER RWD, and it feels downright slow because of the slow feed-in, no EV "toss you back in the seat" feeling for me.
2. Gear whine from a stop to roughly ~10 miles per hour. Definitely not the low speed noise, it's a high-pitched whine that sounds like a subway leaving the station. No other EV I've driven has had gear whine like this - not Bolt, not Model 3.
3. I have only driven in Unbridled. Steering is still way too light, pedal is still way too dead.
4. It's incredibly jiggly. I wouldn't call it nauseating, but it's not too far removed from nauseating. Underdamped. I have not driven a Model Y, but the Model 3 I did drive felt way more controlled than this.
5. At the first left turn signal on my way home from the dealer, I accelerated to make the left turn and the back end broke loose, tires squealing. The skinny eco Michelins are not up to the task they're asked to do.

I hate to agree with some of this but I have to - it took me awhile to do that

Two things I was concerned about are some that you mentioned:

- light steering - definitely felt way light to me - but I also understand that it is very subjective, so, I am concerned, but to a lesser degree.

- jiggly - that part really concerned me - it really didn't feel stable when I was driving and especially when I was accelerating - I had that feeling the car was moving a little from side to side - felt like a floating boat a little...

I scheduled another test drive, this time I hope to drive AWD model (I tested Standard RWD) - maybe that will make a difference. But, honestly, thought I loved the whole experience during my test drive, the jiggly-ness I experienced really kind of shocked me - the more I think about it, the worse I feel about it.

I didn't hear any noise though, neither from the screen, nor from the glass roof at any speed. Gear whine... I am not sure - certainly I didn't hear anything at the driver's seat, but my wife was mentioning something like an "alien/cosmic sound" and she was sitting in the back - the Propulsion sound was turned off... Cannot say anything about tires as I might be not turning fast enough

 

[SteelMach]

I hate to agree with some of this but I have to - it took me awhile to do that

Two things I was concerned about are some that you mentioned:

- light steering - definitely felt way light to me - but I also understand that it is very subjective, so, I am concerned, but to a lesser degree.

- jiggly - that part really concerned me - it really didn't feel stable when I was driving and especially when I was accelerating - I had that feeling the car was moving a little from side to side.

I scheduled another test drive, this time I hope to drive AWD model (I tested Standard RWD) - maybe that will make a difference. But, honestly, thought I loved the whole experience during my test drive, the jiggly-ness I experienced really kind of shocked me - the more I think about it, the worse I feel about it.

I didn't hear any noise though, neither from the screen, nor from the roof window at any speed. Gear whine... I am not sure - certainly I didn't hear anything at the driver's seat, but my wife was mentioning something like an "alien/cosmic sound" and she was sitting in the back - the Propulsion sound was turned off... Cannot say anything about tires as I might be not turning fast enough

I drove it down a stretch of just paved freeway earlier... silent as a bank vault at 70 MPH and smooth as butter.

But we don't have a lot of just-paved roads in Michigan Most roads are much more...

And on that style of surface, it's jiggly. Very jiggly. In ways I don't remember the gas Mustang feeling. Almost like there's more side-to-side play not just up and down on the bumps.

The motor whine is only noticeable from a stop to ~10 mph and from ~5 mph to 0 with 1-Pedal drive on, and not noticeable at all on deceleration with 1-Pedal drive off.

 

[dbsb3233]

Yeah I was definitely coming in expecting a Mustang experience, and I'm not sure it's there with how this suspension is tuned. An electric Mustang was higher on my list of priorities than a SUV/crossover. The fact that it's a SUV is secondary to the fact it's electric and says Mustang. In fact, the low ground clearance actually reassured me that I wasn't going to get a "SUV" experience.

The luxury is spot on. This interior and road noise isolation would embarrass some Lincolns.

I just wish it was tuned more aggressively and I didn't hear such loud whine from behind me at low speeds.

I've also started noticing the screen buzz thanks to reading threads on here... now I can't unhear it.

My driver display has the buzz too. But it's not as bad as I was afraid it would be when I first read about it. It's not the high frequency ear-shriek that I was afraid it was (the one some people hear but most don't). I used to hear that one walking though department store TV aisles back in the day.

This is more like the plasma TV buzz. Which can still be annoying but it's not the fingernails-on-a-charkboard shrill to me that the first one is. And at least in mine, it's not loud enough to notice unless the car is sitting in the quiet garage and I lean forward to put my ear close. I don't hear it otherwise. Some are probably worse than others though. And I'm not sure, but I think I've heard cold can exacerbate a screen noise like that.

Overall, I suspect more people wanting/expecting a true sports car are likely to be a little disappointed. I'd call the Mach-E 80% crossover and 20% sports car. Which is perfect for me, and for selling way more to a mainstream market than if it were the other way around. As a crossover, it's a "wow!". But I can see how sports car fans might be disappointed, because it's mostly a super-cool crossover.

 

[dbsb3233]

- jiggly - that part really concerned me - it really didn't feel stable when I was driving and especially when I was accelerating - I had that feeling the car was moving a little from side to side - felt like a floating boat a little...

It was windy here today, and we did a 25 mile drive on the interstate. The crosswind definitely did push it around some, like it's going to with any vehicle of crossover or taller height. But without the wind, I don't notice a lack of stability at all.

Unless of course lane-centering is turned on. That can be unnerving. It almost feels like when there's groves in the road pulling the car slightly one way or the other. That kinda sounds like the "moving side-to-side" effect you described. It's not severe, but just enough to feel like the car is wobbling... if you don't realize it's turned on. When you know it's on and know to give most of the steering control to the car, it's expected.

I don't think I'll be using it much, except maybe on road trips of open interstate between cities. I don't care for that lack-of-control feel in the steering when it's on.

 

[supertramp]

I drove it down a stretch of just paved freeway earlier... silent as a bank vault at 70 MPH and smooth as butter.

But we don't have a lot of just-paved roads in Michigan Most roads are much more...

And on that style of surface, it's jiggly. Very jiggly. In ways I don't remember the gas Mustang feeling. Almost like there's more side-to-side play not just up and down on the bumps.

The motor whine is only noticeable from a stop to ~10 mph and from ~5 mph to 0 with 1-Pedal drive on, and not noticeable at all on deceleration with 1-Pedal drive off.

Wow!!! - I didn't see roads in such terrible conditions since I left Russia many years ago Even in Chicago I saw some bad surfaces but not as consistently bad and for for such a long stretch as in your photo...

 

[supertramp]

It was windy here today, and we did a 25 mile drive on the interstate. The crosswind definitely did push it around some, like it's going to with any vehicle of crossover or taller height. But without the wind, I don't notice a lack of stability at all.

Unless of course lane-centering is turned on. That can be unnerving. It almost feels like when there's groves in the road pulling the car slightly one way or the other. That kinda sounds like the "moving side-to-side" effect you described. It's not severe, but just enough to feel like the car is wobbling... if you don't realize it's turned on. When you know it's on and know to give most of the steering control to the car, it's expected.

I don't think I'll be using it much, except maybe on road trips of open interstate between cities. I don't care for that lack-of-control feel in the steering when it's on.

Interesting... I think something was turned on when I was testing the car - there was an image of a vehicle near the speed number on the display behind the wheel - I wonder if it had something to do with the "jiggly" behavior - I think I felt that when I was crossing lanes - not 100% sure, but I think that was it...

 

[Njia]

This forum has been a great resource of information and I'm not sure I would have waited this long without it. I read it pretty much every day. Lots of very knowledgeable people here and the few insiders are awesome. I think it's fair to say that this is a high-end car in terms of cost and for most of us a luxury that we can afford. All that said, is it worth it given some of the problems new owners are having? I'm about two to three weeks from getting mine. While certainly not ideal and for a little while, I think I can live with the existing bugs and potential battery problems for a car that seems to be better than most, if not all, comparable EVs out there. But I don't own one. For those of you who have yours and particularly those with problems, is it worth it or knowing what you know now, would you have waited?

I've had my MME for about a week - I canceled an order for a Bronco Sport Badlands when my dealer had this one become available. It was my first choice for a car and I was thrilled to get it.

I have had no issues at all apart from some minor complaints about the app and PAAK. I am actually shocked at how good it is in almost every conceivable way. The only thing I would have changed is the battery - the car I got was ordered with a SR battery and I wish I had the ER to give me more available range during Michigan winters. That's not the car's fault, obviously.

I know that I am far happier with the MME than I would have been with the Bronco Sport, and it isn't close.

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