Ford Updates on Mach-E Reservations, Order Bank, Cancellations, Test Drives, Deliveries

[Blitz118]

Ford plans contact less test drives.

https://electrek.co/2020/04/27/excl...tless-test-drives-of-electric-mustang-mach-e/

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[dbsb3233]

When I have car shopped in the past, I've had the ability to drive one or a few with different options. I could then go to a dealer with another car I may be comparing against and try that. I could go home, think about it, go back to test drive the one I preferred. This was the process when I bought my Tacoma and was comparing it against the Nissan Frontier.

Folks here talk about MME vs Model Y, vs Polestar, vs iPace, etc. A normal buying experience involves trying competing cars and deciding before dropping $40,000-$75,000.

If all you get is "here's your exact car, take it or leave it", it's a different car buying experience.

True, but that's only if you choose to be an early adopter. If you want the "normal" process of picking between vehicles on the lot from different manufacturers and dealers, then you simply wait until the early adopter/pre-reservation phase is over (which I may do anyway).

That's just the difference in choosing to be an early adopter or not.

(Plus a few of those competitors you should be able to test drive before the MME anyway.)

 

[dbsb3233]

Tim, I think for some aspects of the car's operation that feedback can be helpful. However for the really important things like ride comfort, seat comfort etc., only you can make that determination. There's far too much subjectivity in some of these evaluations to be of much use to me. That's why when you see reviews from different people for the same car, one will say, "Wow, that seat is so comfortable" and the next guy will say, "Were they kidding with that seat design?". Same with ride & handling. Sometimes you think they're looking at 2 different cars.

Absolutely. Which is why we get to do a test drive before making the final decision, just like most cars.

But that other stuff (like real world range and efficiency) we can't fully tell from a short test drive.

 

[hybrid2bev]

Absolutely. Which is why we get to do a test drive before making the final decision, just like most cars.

But that other stuff (like real world range and efficiency) we can't fully tell from a short test drive.

I agree. I bet the vehicle efficiency is going to be pretty terrible on test drives.

 

[dbsb3233]

I agree. I bet the vehicle efficiency is going to be pretty terrible on test drives.

Yep. Those will be fun. Everyone is gonna want to floor it at least once.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Yep. Those will be fun. Everyone is gonna want to floor it at least once.

Guaranteed!

I've already be plotting for the nearest 0-60 test spot for my test drive (limited access highway, of course). It would be easy today but I expect lots more cars back on the road once the MMEs start to arrive.

 

[symos]

Personally, I wouldn't be too bothered about the test drive.

If I was one of the lucky ones to get an early delivery, I would be able to sell the car the next day and get exactly what I paid for it (if not more) in case I really didn't like it. Which wouldn't be too probable anyway. Remember, you will be one of the very few people in the whole world to have this car, with no-one else being able to get one unless they had reserved it months ago like you.

If I wasn't one of the first ones, I'd have plenty of time for a test drive.

Simple as that.

 

[pbojanoski]

I think you're probably right. I suspect with my reservation # in the 46,000s, I'm looking at about a year's wait from today. If true, with my impatience, that's too long for me.

Ken, you may have mentioned this before, but it seems you are very anxious. Any issue you are having with the Model S? Any reason you have a short time horizon? Just curious if you have a strong need or desire. Of course either one can be a strong reason! ?

 

[dbsb3233]

Personally, I wouldn't be too bothered about the test drive.

From an actual purchase-decision standpoint, I'm more interested in just sitting in a real car more than driving it. I'm quite confident that the driving will be superb. But I'm less confident about things like seating height (a low seat could be a deal-breaker), seating comfort, how well it fits me, visibility, etc.

 

[methorian]

I guess I'm a bit confused about this. Anytime I've ordered a vehicle in the past I've been able to see and drive it before actually signing the purchase paperwork.

I have had to put down a deposit (refundable) to order, but if the vehicle showed up and I hated it, I could turn it down.

It was my understanding that the same would apply to our Mach-E purchases. When we convert from reservation to order this summer, we'll probably have to put down another downpayment with our dealership (hopefully refundable, as it should be). As it gets closer to delivery we'll probably have to/want to discuss payment options and all, but nothing would be signed/finalized until you take delivery. At which point you'd be able to test-drive, no?

 

[dbsb3233]

I guess I'm a bit confused about this. Anytime I've ordered a vehicle in the past I've been able to see and drive it before actually signing the purchase paperwork.

I have had to put down a deposit (refundable) to order, but if the vehicle showed up and I hated it, I could turn it down.

It was my understanding that the same would apply to our Mach-E purchases. When we convert from reservation to order this summer, we'll probably have to put down another downpayment with our dealership (hopefully refundable, as it should be). As it gets closer to delivery we'll probably have to/want to discuss payment options and all, but nothing would be signed/finalized until you take delivery. At which point you'd be able to test-drive, no?

That's still my understanding as well. I was a little puzzled by the above reactions too. I didn't find this as anything new in the process.

 

[jhalkias]

It will be interesting to see how this works out. While I would like to drive it first, I am not opposed to picking it up from an order. I am also wondering if the order can or will have the ability to switch from a Premium to a FE . . . (I know FE sold out, but I wonder if any have cancelled opening up slots) I ordered a premium, but my number is fairly low 4247 . . . so I don't know if that puts me at the end of a First Edition line, or in line with them. I really prefer to get it this year for the tax credit. January 1 or later would be disappointing.

 

[dbsb3233]

I am making an uneducated, unsubstantiated, random, SWAG that if you didn't order a First Edition, you'll have at least weeks to test drive before yours arrives. 50k cars / year means approx 1,000 / week. They are likely to have at least few thousand FE orders. This means a few weeks before non FE starts arriving. I have no sources or citations to back up these claims though, so use whatever numbers makes you happy in place of mine and speculate away!

I'm still not convinced that only FEs will be included in the initial deliveries. Wouldn't surprise me if Premiums and Selects (and whatever they're called in Europe) are mixed in with the FEs in the initial waves of deliveries.

I suspect "First Edition" just means early limited edition rather than exclusively the only ones that arrive first before any others.

 

[hybrid2bev]

I'm still not convinced that only FEs will be included in the initial deliveries. Wouldn't surprise me if Premiums and Selects (and whatever they're called in Europe) are mixed in with the FEs in the initial waves of deliveries.

I suspect "First Edition" just means early limited edition rather than exclusively the only ones that arrive first before any others.

I think there's some truth to that. I think the FE will be the first 3k customer units PRODUCED, but regular Premiums will also be DELIVERED about the same time. Followed shortly by CA Rt1 and Selects.

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