How long do you plan to keep your Mach E?

[Mach1E]

I most likely will get a notice of when it will be arriving and I will assess the used car market at that time. If the $7,500 Federal tax rebate holds (along with a $2,500) rebate from my electrical company, I stand to gain $10,000 before I drive it off the lot. If the tax credits still exist, I will advertise the MME for at least MSRP before I actually physically have it. Once again, it could possibly be the same day I take delivery and I have a buyer.

I stated that I may have it for one day. You are correct. I don't think that would be possible though.

The most likely scenario is that I keep it for at least a month. The Title would need to be sent to the DMV and that takes up to 3 weeks in some cases.

I will have it and drive it for a month (at least), and then if I don't like it, I am dropping it like a bad habit.

So in correction of my original post, I would say at least a month. After that, I will either have an MME in my Driving School or another Prius. The MME would have the "cool" factor but the Prius may be more practical for the range.

Like I said, I will wait and see.

Did you ever find the "forfeit" clause?

like most things with the IRS, it’s open to interpretation.

That said, if you get audited, you’re guilty until proven innocent.

And if you advertise it for sale before you even buy it? Shouldn’t take long to determine your intent.

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[Toreus]

It honestly depends on the EV advancements. For me, the biggest things to watch are ranges and the DC fast charge time. The Kia and Ionic charging 10-80% in 18 minutes (with the right charger) is pretty compelling, if we see another iteration forward that takes that time down to < 10 minutes, I'd have to seriously consider a move at that point. You're close to even with a gas car at that point. Or, if we saw a > 450 mile range at a sub 50K price point. Realistically I think those things are still 5+ years away, but who really knows.

 

[Jim_I]

I kept my Chevy Volt for 8.5 years. The Bolt was a 3 year lease which ended about two months before the Mach-E arrived. We found out that we did just fine with one car, so we traded the Volt in on the Mach-E.

We are very happy with the Mach-E, and will be good to keep it once they figure out the APIM and OTA updates problems. The looks, performance, and range work quite well for us.

So assuming there are no major problems and there is no significant battery degradation , it is our plan to be looking for our next vehicle as a 2029 or a 2030 model year.

Just as a point of reference, our 2012 Volt was getting 40 miles of electric range when we bought it and I would still get 38 miles when I traded it in after 8.5 years....

Jim

 

[blkadr08]

Do you plan to keep your Mach E forever? Or, is it something that you plan to have for 2-3 years until there are more proven electric options (eg Fisker, Rivian, Lucid actually deliver cars)?

My basic rule is to never keep a car that I have to depend on past its warranty expiration date. I think this is a particularly good rule with this new technology.

 

[Cabel]

I wonder if there will be (or even CAN be) an aftermarket fix to disable the 5 second full power limit. Like the auto stop feature on gas cars (at stop lights, etc.) can be turned off in various ways . . . you can't ask a dealer to do it but there are DIY solutions.

Vaughn Gittin made a 1400 hp Mach-e with seven motors. The question in hot rodding always has been, and always will be, how fast do you want to go, and how much money do you have?
If there is enough demand, someone will figure it out and offer a solution.

 

[DennisD]

My basic rule is to never keep a car that I have to depend on past its warranty expiration date. I think this is a particularly good rule with this new technology.

Financially speaking, one is way better off to "drive the wheels off" rather than trade every 3 years (or when warranty expires).

I usually don't practice my own advice (because I like getting different vehicles often), but if I were to give you advice that saves the most money, there is not even a question of being further ahead by keeping it.

Also, the extended warranty is not worthy in the long run. Once again, if you are playing the odds you are much better off buying a car that is coming off a 2 year lease and driving it until it dies. Then you go out and purchase another 2 year leased car.

I would venture to guess that the average consumer borrows way too much for a car and spends all the crap that is offered to them on the date of the sale. Some people (that are even "smart") do this all of the time.

 

[Regulus7]

Ford's 'options' program for the Mach-e makes this decision rather straight forward. You can essentially get lease-like payments while pocketing the $7500 tax credit which is likely to run out on Ford by year-end 2022 or early 2023. So the only real decision in my view is whether you do the 3 or 4 year options deal. As so many others have said already, its likely EV technology will be significantly improved by 2025 or 2026 so why take the risk of keeping a technologically inferior car much longer than that.

Of course, one big factor that nobody is discussing is the risk that costs continue to rise for not just battery materials (nickel, lithium...) but also for all materials (copper, steel, oil) in which case the cost of new cars could just continue to be much higher, in which case buying a car now at relatively lower prices and pocketing the $7500 means maybe you can keep the car longer that 3-4 years... well again, thanks to Ford's 'options' program you elect this possibility in 2025/26 so again it gives you a lot of flexibility.

Like many others I tend to keep my cars for a long time.... (My 993 convertible is 25 years old), but there is not that much tech that can go out of a date from a mid 1990s sports car. A 2022 hi-tech and new-tech car... well that is another matter.

 

[DennisD]

Ford's 'options' program for the Mach-e makes this decision rather straight forward. You can essentially get lease-like payments while pocketing the $7500 tax credit which is likely to run out on Ford by year-end 2022 or early 2023. So the only real decision in my view is whether you do the 3 or 4 year options deal. As so many others have said already, its likely EV technology will be significantly improved by 2025 or 2026 so why take the risk of keeping a technologically inferior car much longer than that.

Of course, one big factor that nobody is discussing is the risk that costs continue to rise for not just battery materials (nickel, lithium...) but also for all materials (copper, steel, oil) in which case the cost of new cars could just continue to be much higher, in which case buying a car now at relatively lower prices and pocketing the $7500 means maybe you can keep the car longer that 3-4 years... well again, thanks to Ford's 'options' program you elect this possibility in 2025/26 so again it gives you a lot of flexibility.

Like many others I tend to keep my cars for a long time.... (My 993 convertible is 25 years old), but there is not that much tech that can go out of a date from a mid 1990s sports car. A 2022 hi-tech and new-tech car... well that is another matter.

That really is a non-factor. You are essentially paying for that newer technology on the newer car every time you trade.

In "normal" times, the car usually depreciates $3,000 as soon as you drive off the lot. If you purchase a $30,000 car, the car would most likely be half of what you paid for in 3 years.

For those that are math challenged, that would be $15,000 every 3 years.

If you kept a car for more than 3 years, you could (or at least should) be able to afford a $15,000 repair and live the same way that you do now. Granted, you would have a much older car, but the chances that you would actually pay $15,000 for a said repair in 3 years would be unlikely.

As technology improves, cost to repair it goes up but unfortunately the cost of the "newer" tech. goes up exponentially. You are literally paying for it without knowing it.

So in short, one is still better off to keep the car until it blows up.

 

[Gunrunner]

Do you plan to keep your Mach E forever? Or, is it something that you plan to have for 2-3 years until there are more proven electric options (eg Fisker, Rivian, Lucid actually deliver cars)?

I too am a bad person to ask. I am finally at a point where I would like to trade every 3-4 years max. If I love it so much I will keep it longer but guessing there will be a LOT of improvements and new models in 3 years.

My Mach E is on order but when it comes I will seriously consider the Ford Options plan unless it is more cost advantageous to fund it myself and sell it myself after 3 years.

 

[blkadr08]

Financially speaking, one is way better off to "drive the wheels off" rather than trade every 3 years (or when warranty expires).

I usually don't practice my own advice (because I like getting different vehicles often), but if I were to give you advice that saves the most money, there is not even a question of being further ahead by keeping it.

Also, the extended warranty is not worthy in the long run. Once again, if you are playing the odds you are much better off buying a car that is coming off a 2 year lease and driving it until it dies. Then you go out and purchase another 2 year leased car.

I would venture to guess that the average consumer borrows way too much for a car and spends all the crap that is offered to them on the date of the sale. Some people (that are even "smart") do this all of the time.

Too many variables to be able to say for sure whether it’s always better to “drive the wheels off”.

What kind of car? I have a friend who bought a Mercedes E class in 2006 and “drove the wheels off it“. His maintenance and repair bills on that car have been a horror story. In his case, he would have clearly come out ahead if he had leased during the same period.

I have not so much as put a set of tires on a car in 30 Years. Maybe one or two oil changes per car. Period. A neighbor has been driving his old Tercel since God was a corporal, and while it’s true, that the car just keeps running, it is a rattle trap. Eventually this becomes a quality of life issue. I can’t imagine taking it on a road trip, or taking friends to dinner in it.

You’re probably right, that over the course of ten years, the cost of ownership versus, say, leasing during that time might be a little lower, when you factor depreciation recapture and practically 0 maintenance and repair cost. There have been many studies which have shown that the difference is much less than you might imagine.

Finally, (a) I (like many car people here) have had some really nice cars in my life, but after three years driving each, I have always been ready to move on and
(b). (with the exception of collector cars) I have never put much value in owning a car. I only want to own appreciating assets, not depreciating ones.

Just saying’.

 

[rzanzerkia]

I normally keep my cars for 10+ years.
All Toyota/Acura, except Chrysler minivan 1996-2009 (no major problems).

Mach-E at least 5-6 years.
Too many longer range cars coming in the market, so I may replace around 5 year mark.

Looking back at the history of my own car maintenance records, most repairs were breaks/suspension, some radiators and AC compressor/power steering pump.
So I wonder how much maintenance cost do EV save? We still have to deal with breaks/suspensions and HVAC systems.

 

[SuzzyQ]

Do you plan to keep your Mach E forever? Or, is it something that you plan to have for 2-3 years until there are more proven electric options (eg Fisker, Rivian, Lucid actually deliver cars)?

3 years.

 

[ponydsp]

Yes, just like the Finnish guy that blew up his Tesla!

So in short, one is still better off to keep the car until it blows up.

 

[Jimrpa]

I drove my first car, a 1983 Honda Accord hatchback, until, frankly, it was embarrassing to be seen in—early 2000s. Then I bought my wife a new Tahoe (yuk) and drove her hand-me-down 1990 Montero until 2015. I kind of develop an emotional attachment to my automobiles. So, I’ll likely drive my MachE until my kids tell me I really shouldn’t be driving anymore which will probably be 20 years or so in the future. I suspect the original batteries will be good for around 10 years and by then I firmly believe there will be third-party companies that will be able to install updated battery tech and jigger the software to make it work—probably even better from a range and performance standpoint than original. I appreciate the safety and driver assist features that the MachE has but I love to drive so I don’t desire anything more than what it has. When they take my license away because I’m totally incompetent to drive, I hope they have REAL full self-driving by then because it’s so sad to see seniors loose the freedom that comes with door-to-door transportation. Then when I’m in my late 90’s and I’ve programmed in a road trip to South America without telling anyone and without having any plan when I get there, they’ll take my FSD car away and put me out to pasture. Maybe I’ll tell the family to bury me in the MachE!

Um, you might want to take the Darien Gap into consideration ?

 

[skiingj]

"How long do you plan to keep your Mach E?" Until the battery runs out in the one fob.

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