Help me decide: Mach-E or Model Y

[Mach-E VLOG]

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[DavidYonak]

I've had several Tesla's & always do a spread sheet on charge miles & actual mileage driven . The Tesla's consistently use 6% more battery than actual miles driven at 65 to 70 MPH. The Mach E at 65 to 70 MPH will rgen about 5% more battery than miles driven.

 

[Kingbudd]

I will jump into this conversation, although a little late. My wife suddenly decided she was sick of paying $4+ per gallon and recently said she wanted an electric SUV. My previous job, I had the privilege to have a Model 3 Performance corporate lease. So I automatically thought of Tesla Model X or Y. Scheduled an appointment with Tesla and we drove both, they were fast, but the driving experience was numb. It felt like driving a fast cardboard box. I’m 6’0 and my wife 5’3 both on the light side, neither felt comfortable during the 24hr test drive. The Teala rep mentioned the Ford Mustang Mach e as an alternative (he was a car guy). We went and test drove the owners GT/PE. Although not as up to date from a technology perspective, the Mach e had everything else we wanted. Comfortable seats, similar range, better styling, and the biggest win was it felt like a car/small suv. We both felt comfortable driving the Mach e; something that we didn’t feel with the Model Y. So two weeks ago, we place our order for a 22 GT/PE; I now have 26 weeks left to wait, but we are both excited for the purchase.

 

[Falcon73]

My Blue Model Y LR was delivered to me over a month early on 11/5. However, I hadn't driven it much (was working on upgrades more) until this past weekend when I took a trip to Palm Desert to visit my parents.

The fact that I have the MYLR right now doesn't make it the winner, but time will tell. My MME is due for production by January 12th. I also still have my Audi Q4 reservation, but who knows if it will hit our shores this year.

Here are my comments now that I have driven the MYLR for more than just a few miles.

1. I wouldn't order another one at the current pricing level. Even my order at $5k below the current sticker price seems too pricey.
2. The paint is very fragile on the car even after I did my own hand waxing with new micro fiber towels. I am looking at getting a professional job done, but that means more $$$. I have never needed to do anything special with the paint on prior vehicles I've owned. There are also some paint errors on the car that may not be fixable.
3. Screen: It's stupid that the middle (and only) screen doesn't face the driver. I purchased a swivel mount for $183 that I installed myself (pretty easy). It's so much better now, but:
4. The lack of an instrument cluster screen OR a HUD is inexcusable. I am currently trying to make an old phone or a tablet into a 2nd screen with an ODB2 device. It's not going well.
5. The seats, while initially comfortable, hurt my upper back after hours of driving. I've tried putting the seat back so far forward, but it's not working. I am looking into other options. Lumbar support is good, however.
6. Tesla Supercharger experience. Ok, this may be the real shocker here. I finally got to use some over the weekend. Locally, there are long lines that really frustrate a BEV owner. We've had to only wait ONCE for our Volvo P8 after several trips to charging stations, but the local Tesla SuC's are crazy busy with their long lines and jockeying for position on sites where the queues aren't orderly. I desperately want a CCS adapter so I don't have the deal with the s-show at Tesla SuC's. Also, my *first* attempt to charge this past weekend failed as the connector was busted., so they aren't immune to bad chargers. One more thing is that the cables are so darn short, that I had to learn how to back the car in to be close enough. I found that backing all the way to the rubber curb helps a lot.
7. I know this may sound silly, but charging was too fast at the SuC's. Granted I was maybe only down to 65%, but even charging to 90% had me rushing around in stores. I don't want to pre-heat the battery for faster charging, but maybe on a truly long road trip. Maybe this can be turned off?
8. The hood/frunk metal is quite frail and takes practice to close, which also requires more palm prints on the hood.
9. My MYLR has a louder hum when it's on than any other BEV I've driven and no, it's not the PDA system. It's a poor quality coolant pump they seem to be using now due to shortages.
10. Auto steer didn't work nearly as well as I had hoped and it even banned me from using it for the duration of the trip. An instrument cluster screen would make the warnings easier to see. ACC worked very well, however.
11. Acceleration and ride quality are good. It's a very smooth ride. With the 19" Gemini wheels the ride is smoother and quieter than the MME's I've test driven. The trouble is the 19" Gemini wheels have the longest lead times for Tesla now. They are way better than the "upgraded" wheels I drove on 2 of my 3 MYLR test drives.
12. I need to do more tests, but if I trust the numbers on screen, the MYLR is easily the most efficient BEV I've ever driven at least when it's not pre-conditioning the battery.

Well, I could go on and on, but my overall opinion is that the MYLR is fun and efficient to drive, but is lacking many comforts that should come standard. Tesla's idea that we don't need these as they will be self-driving soon is flat wrong. And don't get me started on the front license plate holder.

I'm spending a lot of $$$ trying to get the car to what it should be (roof shade, seat supports, swivel mount noted above, cargo cover, paint protection). I think it could be great, but time will tell how long I keep it.

As I mentioned a while ago, the fact that Tesla was going to get me the car first was their biggest advantage.

 

[voxel]

While my Mach-E is barely a week old, I have direct experience with both and can say neither are perfect.

TLDR:

Mach-E is a great city/urban car.
Model Y is more of a family long range car.

I say because the safety features of the Mach-E like 360 camera, blind spot monitor, cross traffic monitor are amazing. The Model Y basically shows you a visualization and a high-def rear camera view. The rear view visibility is terrible in that car so busy parking lots are always annoying.

The Mach-E simply isn’t that comfortable for long-hauls. The Premium seats are firm (after 20 minutes it becomes uncomfortable). The suspension is a tad bumpy. The road/tire noise from underneath the car is very noticeable. The ID.4 is pretty quiet (along with a very soft comfortable ride) and the Model Y’s noise is mostly wind noise over the gaps. Also the MME charging falls off a cliff at 80% which is terrible for those taking long road trip and I dislike EA + EVGo but will only use them because I still have “free EA” charging from my ID.4 ownership. Superchargers are incredibly simple to use, fast, and almost flawless.

Even though the Mach-E has poor 1PD/regen blending compared to the ID.4 and Model Y, it is fun to drive. It feels like a nimble Model 3. The auto-hold loudly engaging and disengaging when stopping (and rocking back and forth when parking) is something that I got used it but it certainly is not smooth like other EVs. It's a personality quirk

I'm keeping the Mach-E. I am returning to a downtown office with a tiny narrow multistory parking garage and the Model Y felt like a truck in it. The Mach-E is smaller and can handle tighter spaces. I know on paper it's only an inch or two here compared to the bulbous Model Y but the MME is basically the same size as a RAV4 (I parked next to one this weekend and took photos for measurement purposes - it's a maybe 1-2 inches taller).

 

[Falcon73]

I say because the safety features of the Mach-E like 360 camera, blind spot monitor, cross traffic monitor are amazing. The Model Y basically shows you a visualization and a high-def rear camera view. The rear view visibility is terrible in that car so busy parking lots are always annoying.

Indeed. The side visibility on the MY is good, but the rear window is awfully small and there's no 360° overhead camera. The rear cameras are good, however.

The side and rear-view mirrors in the MY are too small. I added a snap on mirror for the rear view which makes things much better, but I can't make the rear window bigger.

One other thing I forgot to mention is the need to order a Homelink on the MY separate from the car. You can't have it installed at delivery. It needs to be done after and cost me $325 more. The auto-close and open is awesome, however, so I don't (usually) need to press anything.

Is Homelink standard on the MME? I forgot to check that when I was driving.

And yeah, no rear Cross Traffic warnings on the MY that I've found. Not good for busy SuC parking. The tech who installed the Homelink laughed off Rear-Cross Traffic alerts as a "Toyota" thing. I didn't even bother to argue as that was so wrong.

And yeah, the MYLR is a long car with a turning radius to made. My wife wants to nickname it "Moosie" as it is rather imposing. It doesn't leave much room in our garage that's for sure.

 

[1969Camaro]

I would say Tesla-
Charging
Availability- Who knows when Ford will deliver
Software

 

[silverelan]

We had a college buddies reunion over the weekend (first since the pandemic). 5 dudes and our families but I'm the only non-Tesla owner. I showed up and everyone was clamoring to see the MME GT in the driveway. Let a couple of them drive it and the comments were extraordinarily positive on the smooth ride, great 1PD calibration, and terrific interior. These guys were genuinely surprised at just how nice the MME is.

 

[Neil4Real]

We had a college buddies reunion over the weekend (first since the pandemic). 5 dudes and our families but I'm the only non-Tesla owner. I showed up and everyone was clamoring to see the MME GT in the driveway. Let a couple of them drive it and the comments were extraordinarily positive on the smooth ride, great 1PD calibration, and terrific interior. These guys were genuinely surprised at just how nice the MME is.

I had the same experience! My friend loves his Model 3 and facepalmed when I told him I bought a Ford, let alone their first major electric car. He got in my car and without even driving it yet, just sitting in the driver seat, said sorry. He was blown away by the quality interior and the seats comfiness. We then took it for a spin and he loved the IPC haha and how quiet it was.

It is definitely way quieter than every Model 3 and S I've been in (never been in an X or Y). The S has a better suspension though, but the 3 is just rocky as all hell. We were going 50 to my house on city streets and it was just dead quiet. He's like, now I understand what you mean when you say my car is loud hahahaha. He just heard the whole "no engine, what else do you expect to hear" bs and thought they all would be loud as hell.

 

[Hollygangle]

I would be shocked if you didn't get overwhelming votes for Tesla on their forum and overwhelming votes for Mach-E here. I test drove both and just loved the Mach-E more. Better looking in my opinion and more comfortable to sit in. I would guess the build quality will better on the Mach-E and the software will be better on the Model Y. In any case I think you will enjoy whichever one you choose.

I agree with everything in your post and would add that software can be updated but build quality is what it is therefore, get the the Mach E.

 

[dbonsett]

Advantage Ford Mach-E

• Body Style. The Mach-E looks great. The body looks muscular. The LED projector headlights on the Premium look amazing, as do the taillights. I also like the futuristic look of the Model Y, but not as much.
• Paint and color. I ordered the Grabber Blue and love this color! I would almost buy the car just for the color. The Tesla looks good in white, but I don’t think is as much a head turner. Also, I’ve heard credible stories of lower paint quality control on the Tesla, including orange peeling, dust nibs, swirl marks, and more susceptibility to chipping. That last one is a particular concern, as a good paint job shouldn’t easily chip.
• Build quality. The Mach-E feels solid, and well built. Tesla is known for its inconsistent build quality, including panel gaps, loose parts, and water leaks.
• Novelty. There are Teslas everywhere. I don’t need to be the only one owning my car, but I’m not sure if it would feel as special if every parking lot I pull into has 10 other cars identical to mine.
• Dashboard screen behind steering wheel. I just want to see an instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. I don’t like that I have to look to the side to see my speed and range on the Model Y. Plus, the upper left of the Model Y screen just looks unpolished to me. The Mach-E does this much better.
• Physical controls. The Mach-E has physical controls for adjusting the side mirrors, direction of the climate control, a latch to open the glove box, turn on/off interior lights, and operate the windshield wipers. The Model Y does these through the touchscreen. Who wants to adjust their wipers through a touchscreen.
• Garage door opener. The Mach-E has a real garage door opener in the visor. I have to pay $350 to get this feature in the Model Y touchscreen, which I’m not about to do. I prefer a real button anyway.
• Apple CarPlay. Why doesn’t the Tesla have this? It’s just stupid.
• Long company track record. Ford has been here from the start. Tesla is a newcomer, run by a a guy who seems slightly crazy. Will they be around in 10 years?

We ordered both Mid-October. Wife Long Range Tesla Y…me Mach-E GTP grabber blue. Will drive both. Will post pros and cons when they get here someday.

 

[pepper]

Thanks all for keeping this thread alive, and the continued feedback. Just a quick update… I have not (yet) made a decision, nor is one likely until 2022. No reason to make a choice before either car gets here. The Tesla was originally supposed to show up in April, but once the delivery date pulled in to January, I put the delivery on hold to guarantee I’m not forced to take it in 2021. I want that tax credit (if it comes)! Truthfully, there is a good chance I’ll take the first car to arrive, be it Ford or Tesla. No word on when the Ford will come. It’s not in production yet. Anyway, I appreciate all the great insight I’ve received on this site. You’re all much friendlier than over at the T forum!

 

[voxel]

We had a college buddies reunion over the weekend (first since the pandemic). 5 dudes and our families but I'm the only non-Tesla owner. I showed up and everyone was clamoring to see the MME GT in the driveway. Let a couple of them drive it and the comments were extraordinarily positive on the smooth ride, great 1PD calibration, and terrific interior. These guys were genuinely surprised at just how nice the MME is.

I'm looking to trade up from Premium to GT or GTPE for suspension. I have time to change one of my orders.

I drove my Mach-E into a narrow downtown office garage yesterday and it handled it like a champ. The Model Y has a poor turning radius and not the great visibility.

 

[voxel]

I posted these on the Tesla forums. Here is the side by side comparison photos of the Mach-E and Model Y rear cargo areas.

The Mach-E has about 3 inch wider opening and is a tad shorter from rear to front. Both have sloped rear hatches that lose a bunch of usable space compared to the flat-top ID.4.

 

[DrSteveBrule]

I cut the line (you can too) if you find a car in Tesla inventory page like I did this week - which I recently picked up. I paid the current marked up price ($6K over what it was 8 months ago but right before the $2K markup) and traded in my ID.4

What did you get for the ID.4 and what trim level was it? Did you trade it directly to Tesla?

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