Help me decide: Mach-E or Model Y

[pepper]

4. You SHOULD pay extra for the AWD. The acceleration difference is noticeable. The drop is range is not. In fact I’m getting closer to 300 miles on a charge with my AWD Ext.

Dang, you're making me rethink my decision to forgo the AWD! How noticeable is the acceleration difference? Really? I might need to test side-by-side. Maybe I should switch to the Route-1 to keep the price about the same.

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[digdug52]

Adding my opinion. As an owner of both a Tesla and Mach-E, I do have first hand perspective on owning and driving both brands, although I have a LR RWD Model 3 and not a Model Y.

Where the Mach-E is better:

• It is quieter on the road. My Model 3 does not have double pane front windows that the Model Y has, but I think the MME had overall better sound insulation than Tesla. The road surface as well as type and brand of tire also contributes to this.
• For a coupe crossover, the MME styling is better than the Model Y. (I think the Model 3 looks better than the Y, that styling looks better on a sedan than a crossover).
• Ford definitely does manufacturing better, Tesla still seems to be hit or miss with manufacturing quality on their cars. (My Model 3 only had a slight misaligned frunk hood that was fixed on delivery).
• For many, easier to get to Ford dealer for service than a Tesla Service Center.
• For now, a lot less Mach-E's on the road, so it could seem a little more special.
• For those who use it, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is available.
• You can set multiple charging schedules per day and different days of the week.
• The color choices are better and a less expensive option (although Ford could offer more like what is available on the ICE Mustang coupes and convertible).

Where the Tesla is better:

• Tesla has better software for EV use. Yes I noticed Tesla screen use is more responsive, although it is not too bad in the MME.
• PAAK is much more consistent in the Tesla (3 failures in over 3 years of use). The Mach-E is successful for me about 80 to 85 percent of the time, as long as I have the phone out of my pocket.
• OTA software updates. You can look up the several threads about Ford's cautious approach to implementing this to see all the discussions, but I am a little disappointed that after 7 months of ownership it is not farther along in development. With Tesla, I can even start the update from the phone app after getting a notification that an update is available.
• Supercharging network. I have taken one road trip since I took delivery of the MME and I chose to take the Model 3 because of Supercharger availability compared to CCS chargers. Since you live in California, the difference between Superchargers and DCFC CCS chargers may not be so much of an issue.
• You can adjust the AC charging speed if you want less than the maximum available.
• On the center screen, you can see the charging speed both with AC and DCFC. This is a big deal if you are paying by the minute instead of by the kWh.
• You don't have to do research to find the right dealer to get the price you want to pay since you buy direct from Tesla.

I enjoy driving both vehicles, the Model 3 is more sports sedan, the MME a sporty handling crossover. I find both comfortable to drive. It did not take me long to get used to no display in front of the driver and takes no more effort to glace to the right for the speed instead of down.
I find the controls on the Model 3 easy to use other than the wipers, but they are on automatic most of the time but I do have to manually adjust from time to time. Using the stalk on the MME makes this easier. I am looking forward to comparing Ford's Blue Cruise with Tesla's FSD.

The one negative I have with Tesla is the small percentage of Teslastans, they are giving Tesla owners a bad name. Most Tesla owners are fans of EV first and understand not everyone wants the same thing.

As stated, the current $7500 tax credit is a big advantage for the Mach-E. While I do think Congress will eventually update the current one, there is no guarantee what it will be. Remember if it does change, Tesla could get additional amount due to final assembly being in USA (either Fremont or Austin).

One more thing, although the Austin Gigafactory might be producing Model Y's in first quarter 2022, any vehicles produced there will be going east of the Rockies. Why this is important is Austin will be doing the single casting front and rear units and using the battery container as part of the body structure, which will save some weight on the vehicle.

Both are good vehicles, and cargo capacity is close to the same. It comes down to personal choice considering price and how you plan to use the car.

The reason I got a Mach-E instead of a Model Y is I have bought 5 new Fords before and had good luck with them. I also wanted to support more car companies going electric and I feel Ford went all out to do a good vehicle instead of a CARB state compliance vehicle.

Welcome to EV ownership, I cannot tell you which to buy, but I think either are a good choice.

 

[pepper]

I hope you were expecting biased responses!

Yeah, and I'm getting my money's worth!

 

[HuntingPudel]

As many others have said, it’s your personal preference.

I really wanted to like the Model 3/Model Y. There are things I do like about them. The deal breaker for me was the lack of an instrument cluster. The ride in the Tesla is a bit harsher than the MME as well (not something I really care about - I have commuted in a car with metal on metal suspension bearings and it didn seem terrible to me).

If you are addicted to your smartphone, the MME supports Android Auto and CarPlay. The Tesla does not (also something I do not currently care about since I have never owned a car that has CarPla or AA).

 

[Malacandra]

I did a Pros and Cons list very similar to yours, and assigned weights between 1-10 for each item. And not just for the MY and Mach-E, but for other EVs in my price range.

But all the others lagged significantly behind the Mach-E and the MY. And for a while, as I added to my lists, those two cars played leapfrog with each other. I honestly think I could be happy with either car, but would ultimately be happiest with the Mach-E.

I can’t take it for granted that Congress will restore Tesla’s $7,500 incentive, so I had to assume that I could only count on it for the Mach-E.

I really dislike the Tesla philosophy of everything is controlled by the central display. I have done usability design for years and think there really needs a compelling reason to mess with conventions people are used to… like manually adjusting ventilation direction or having the speedometer right behind the wheel.

Flaky PaaK is a non-issue for me: I’ve always carried a key fob: it’s not a big deal. If they iron PaaK out, that’d be nice.

The paint on the Teslas is a big minus: it’s soft and vulnerable and if I got a Tesla I’d probably feel the need to spend $2–3,000 on a paint protection film.

Tesla has better Autopilot, but do I need more than AAC? Not really. Pilot360 is more than I need.

And CarPlay is a major plus in the Mach-E’s column. Between Audible audiobooks, having access to my music collection, and the way it handles my calendar and SMS messages, I’d really feel the loss of it on the Tesla.

And I prefer the experience of Driving the Mach-E overall.

 

[voxel]

When do you need this car? The Model Y will be delivered 4+ months before the Mach-E IMO.

If timeframe doesn't matter... then I prefer the Mach-E.

Like you, I have a deposit on a Model Y too (mid-August order) and EDD is early Feb. The Mach-E... I'm not expecting until July/August considering how long others here have waited and all 2021 orders need to be built first.

 

[mach_e_hopeful]

If you take a lot of trips, and don't care about road noise, get the model y. Otherwise get the mach e.

I am suffering right now when DC charging at EA I've had so may problems recently my success rate is less than half.

But a quiet ride is the most important thing for me. And I take less than 1 trip a month where I have to DC charge.

It really is stressful when you pull up to a charger and spend 20 minutes on the phone trying to get it to work.

Plug and charge doesn't always work, and if you don't have mobile network then you can't toggle it on or off.

I'm probably going to collect the tax credit and see if a Q4 etron works for me. I see all kinds of evs having no problem charging and its like c'mon why can't my car charge?

Please note though that this is my experience. Based on what I personally have experienced I am going to feel a certain way. Others may comment and say it doesn't happen to them. And I don't doubt that. Others may also downplay my experiences because they didn't have them. Something like world hunger doesn't exist because I ate today.

I'm hoping I have better experiences in the future though. Going on a road trip next month to test out 4 or 5 chargers. If all goes well, I will take my parents on the same trip. If it doesn't work well I'm renting a gas car.

Long story short we already know that Tesla's charging nextwork is vastly superior.

 

[pepper]

When do you need this car? The Model Y will be delivered 4+ months before the Mach-E IMO.

If timeframe doesn't matter... then I prefer the Mach-E.

Like you, I have a deposit on a Model Y too (mid-August order) and EDD is early Feb. The Mach-E... I'm not expecting until July/August considering how long others here have waited and all 2021 orders need to be built first.

Timeframe definitely matters. I’m considering changing to the Route 1 because it delivers 2 months earlier (at least according to the website order page). My daughter should have her license by January so I’ll need a new car (for me, not her) not too much longer after that.

 

[voxel]

I'm probably going to collect the tax credit and see if a Q4 etron works for me. I see all kinds of evs having no problem charging and its like c'mon why can't my car charge?

The Q4 is based on the new-ish MEB platformed shared by the ID.4 (I own one). You are taking a risk that you won't encounter the same first gen issues like the glitchy battery coolant pump (hardware or software). I'd wait for gen 2 to be honest.

And EA is just as randomly unreliable for other EVs. It mostly works for me with the NFC / iOs Wallet but some days it's trial and error and having to call customer support. At least I don't pay a dime for it (ID.4 owners get 3 free years).

 

[Kachook]

So, I was in a similar situation than you. We test drove each 5 times. Ultimately, I chose the MME. My two biggest reasons for leaning towards the MY v. the MME is that I could get 7 seats and a tow hitch. My biggest reasons for the MME were tax credits, styling, build quality and ride quality. Yes, Tesla is better at making EVs because they’ve been doing it for a decade. But, Ford has been building cars for over 100 years. MY is faster but am I really going to drag race someone? That extra .1 or .2 to 60 doesn’t matter too much. I will say that if I got the MY, I’d probably pony up for the $2k performance upgrade which is NOT an option on the MME. Annoying. But, I’m at 300 miles on a full charge. I know MY gets a claimed 326 but I’ve never seen anyone actually get that. The garage opener thing is annoying as I had actually purchased it. Then, had to return it. I’m very happy with the MME. If I had the MY, I’d probably be happy with it too. The ride is noticeably less jarring in the MME. Lastly, from my perspective only, I think if people can afford it, AWD is a no-brainer. Having the ability to direct power to all four wheels is safer and provides for a better driving experience. I have the Premium Extended Range AWD. I was supposed to get the MY 2 days before I purchased the MME. They then wanted me to drive three hours to pick up the MY. I said no. I miss the seven seats. BTW, I have people taking pictures of my car at least once a week. I’ve had it three and a half months and people still ask me about it. The mustang logo that welcomes you on the ground by the doors are really sweet.

 

[voxel]

Timeframe definitely matters. I’m considering changing to the Route 1 because it delivers 2 months earlier (at least according to the website order page). My daughter should have her license by January so I’ll need a new car (for me, not her) not too much longer after that.

I don't think those timelines work for the Mach-E. 12-16 week wait seems really optimistic... almost delusional to be honest. You will need to skip the line by paying $5K or $10K markup at a dealer.

If you want three months then the ID.4 Pro S AWD w/ Gradient is one of the fastest. They prioritize that build and you get it within two months.

 

[pt19713]

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Closet Tesla dealer/service is over an hour away. Ford dealership is 2 miles from my house. I prefer the physical buttons/switches of the MME for general functions, but also having a large center display and a display right in front of you on the dash. Things like having to go into the touchscreen to open the glovebox or turn on the heated seats in the back seats is just meh.

Tesla uses a lot of voice commands to bypass the screen.
"Open glovebox"
"It's too hot"
"It's too cold"
"My butt is cold" (turn on seat warmers)
"Open charge port"
"Turn on wipers"
Etc

 

[jlauro]

I considered several options in addition to the Mach E and Model Y (and lesser extent 3), but the Mach E and Tesla were at the top of the list. Others vehicles might of made the top of the list but were too far out of the price range to be considered. A couple of the closer contenders were the Volvo xc40 recharge p8 and the ID.4 AWD. AWD of the wasn't out yet, and the non AWD version was too slow. Even considered the Bolt because of it's lower price. I think the AWD ID.4 might be out now. I suggest putting a $$$ value on some of the pro/cons. For example, I considered the no dashboard on the Model Y to be $1000 (ie: add $1000 to the price of the Model Y to no longer count it as a con). You can purchase dashboards designed to work in a Tesla for a lot less, but installation looks to be a pain for something that should be a factory option if not standard. Timing certainly played a factor, and was able to find a Mach E on a lot after checking with dealers for a couple of months as I never converted my reservation to an order...

The longer you wait the more options you might want to consider. For example, the 2022 Kia EV6 will be available Q1 2022 (don't know how many...) By 2024 there will likely be a lot more options, possibly to the point where it's worth planning on getting something you don't expect to keep for long. Normally I plan to keep a vehicle 10+ years, and still do for the Mach E.

 

[voxel]

The longer you wait the more options you might want to consider. For example, the 2022 Kia EV6 will be available Q1 2022 (don't know how many...) By 2024 there will likely be a lot more options, possibly to the point where it's worth planning on getting something you don't expect to keep for long. Normally I plan to keep a vehicle 10+ years, and still do for the Mach E.

Only the special first edition (1500 only) will be available for the EV6 in Q1 2022. The rest will arrive much later in 2022. I was REALLY interested in the EV6 but timelines don't work for me. The trims will be

*EX
---RWD $41,000
*EX+
---RWD $47,000
---AWD $49,500
*GT-Line
---RWD $54,000
---AWD $56,500

 

[deadduck]

FWIW, I'm a research fiend, but haven't driven a MY though I've ridden in one, and had a fairly long test drive of a MME

Ride quality is different, as is the handling. Tesla's seem to be more stiff, planted and less bouncy. But then you feel every damn bump in the road. There are suspension kits specifically designed to soften them. Some say the MME is bouncy but I didn't notice that when I drove it.

I suspect the braking is more natural on the Tesla as I found the braking in the MME to be awkward.

The MME is definitely playful in that it will kick the back end out a bit, something I've never heard about the MY. I enjoyed that aspect of the car quite a lot.

Regarding noise, the MY has generally been considered a noisy car. The newer one's, however, may have a bit more noise reduction in them. I think Bjorn measured them within a couple of DB's of each other but the consensus seems to solidly favor the MME.

The buying experience is definitely better for Tesla, no ADM, no games, no rustproofing, etc. Service can probably be hit or miss on both. We've had a few horror stories on MME repairs but so has Tesla. Tesla does have a better warranty.

Good luck. There's going to be a lot EV's in the $50K plus range, Q4, EV6, Ioniq 5, MME, MY and they're probably all going to be pretty close.

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