Bueller

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I have previously owned a Chevy Volt and then a Bolt. I enjoyed them both, but I wanted an upgrade after turning the Bolt back in at the end of the lease in late October. I test drive the Tesla 3 and Tesla Y. While the 3 was crazy fast, I liked the Y better. To me, it just felt more substantial. But I didn’t pull the trigger because I wanted to drive the Mach E.

And that became a problem as there were none anywhere in my neck if the woods. I have a good friend who works in the industry and he put out a few feelers for me. About a month ago, he called me bright and early on a Saturday morning with news that my local Ford dealer had received five. Off we went, and by the time I got there at 9:15 am, three had been sold. They had a GT and a California edition available and I dove both. They were both great, but I much preferred the GT. Not only was the performance superior, but I loved the rims and red calipers. But it was a dark pewter color and that just wasn’t what I wanted. I’m a white car guy. Always have been, always will be.

So, I left it for others. And, as I mentioned in another thread, there was literally a line of people waiting to take a test drive. I later heard all 5 were sold by noon, even with the $2,500 dealer mark up. We drove home fairly set on the GT, disliking the price but loving the car. The dealer recommended letting them order me the car I wanted, so I spent a few hours here and there over a week or so reading reviews and comparing and contrasting the Tesla Model Y, Mach E California and Mach E GT. And I kept coming back to the GT, even though the considerably less range bothered me but the federal rebate made me feel a little better about it. We had one final discussion and decided I would order a GT.

So, I did a little more research and carefully read the multi-page brochure the dealer had given me. As it turned out, there’s really not much to decide. Rims, interior, power train, etc is all set. No options. There was an option I think to order the autonomous driver feature, and that didn’t interest me—I love to drive, too much. And there was some overhead birds eye view parking feature that I could live with or without. I decided I would make the call on that based on cost. So, all that was left was color, what color did I want? And breaking a nearly 40 year habit, I decided to order Space White. Not white, Space White. With all the decisions made, I called my buddy and made an appointment to go in and order in on Monday, November 1.

Late on Friday night, October 29, my buddy called me to say that someone had ordered a GT months ago, and it had arrived on that Friday. And, for whatever reason, they decided they didn’t want it. Only problem he says is it’s not White, it’s Space White. Cutting to the chase, by 10 am on Saturday, the car was mine. Sure, I paid the $2,500 dealer mark up, but I did the Ford Options plan, which has a $2,500 rebate. So, it’s a push. I also got the CA $1,500 clean fuel rebate which dropped to $750 just two days after I bought it. So, all in all, I felt okay about the price.

After two weeks, here are my impressions:

-It’s a blast to drive. It’s really hard to not mash the peddle at every light and everywhere in between. It rides well, and feels solid. None of the bounciness that some are experiencing.

- It turns heads everywhere it goes. Especially Tesla owners. Several people have commented on it at the grocery store, Home Depot, etc., and the most common comment is along the lines of, “Is that the new Mustang?! Wow, beautiful!” So, it’s not the car to drive if you want to blend in.

-I really enjoy the built in phone charger and the heated seats and steering wheel are nice, nice. The seats are comfortable and appropriately firm. The electronics are fairly intuitive and the navigation is the best and easiest I’ve ever experienced.

While I love, love, love the car, it does have a few issues that I’ll need to get looked at:

-The brakes grind like the pads are shot. It’s really noticeable at slow speeds. I can’t imagine what I’m hearing is normal. It’s driving my wife crazy, and that’s not a winning path.

- It’s low. My driveway is a little steep and the road rises as well but I’ve never had a car that rubbed in or out. It took me several initial initial approaches to find a way that cleared. Still, it’s a bit unnerving as the rear warning sensors go off first when backing out followed by the front. It’s the opposite pulling in. There’s nothing that can be done, but it’s a bit of a bummer start and end of each trip.

- The car has a feature similar to Siri, or so it seems. Maybe 4-5 times, out of nowhere, it wakes up and says something like, “I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand that command.” I’m guessing it’s “hearing” something on the radio, but that’s a strange quirk. When it happens, a “cancel” button shows up on the screen and a quick touch and it’s gone.

- Three times I’ve gone to the garage and found the real hatch open. I’m guessing the key fob is somehow binding in my pocket and “pushing” the button, but it’s really concerning that it could happen outside sometime. I stopped carrying the key a few days ago to see if that’s what’s happening. Still…

-I’ve charged it several times, mostly at home on 110. The range it is showing now when full is 245 miles, up from 230 when I first got it. Still short of the advertised 260, so we’ll see if it continues to improve. I know I’m a lead foot, so there’s that, too…

And that’s all I got for the first few weeks. She’ll definitely be returning to the dealer for some of the above, but I think I’ll drive it a bit more to see if anything else shows up. That said, I’m so far pleased.
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phil

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I bought my GT the same night you got yours. $2,500 isn't bad, especially for the exact car you wanted. I think most go higher than that.

My impressions are similar to yours, except I have had none of the problems you describe. I do think the suspension could be better, though.

Enjoy, drive it in good health!
 
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MillieChliette

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Let me praface that I don't have my car yet and I'm certainly no expert. I have lurked a lot on this forum, though.

The brakes grinding are probably because the friction brakes are very rarely used. Give it a few deliberately hard stops every now and then to clean off your rotors. Very common with electric cars and some are programmed to periodically clean the rotor for you. Mach-e isn't one of 'em.

I believe there is a way to turn off the voice activation of the voice controls for the car. I have read about other people having the same issue.

Comparing the rated range of the model y to the mach-e is a little bit finicky. Tesla uses a different testing means to get their estimate from the epa than ford uses, which leads to inflated numbers. There are plenty of professional real-world range tests where the mach-e handily beats the model y. It usually gets around what it's rated whereas the tesla will deliver far below it's rating.

As far as the range you see in the car, the mach-e uses the "guess-o-meter" style of range estimate, where it adjusts based on driving habits and things like temperature. It'll go up and down and is pretty conservative with it's calculations. If you're seeing 245 and it's getting cold where you are it sounds just about right even ignoring your apparent lead foot. Tesla doesn't use a system that adjusts based on conditions and driving habits. If you charge to 100%, the estimated range it shows you is the epa rating even though it will almost certainly not be capable of driving that distance. People like seeing big numbers though, and there have been dozens of threads of people being very concerned over the number they see on the dash in their new mach-e.

The rear hatch can be opened by kicking beneath the rear bumper. It's probably being accidentally activated by something. Rodent? I think you can turn this feature off.

Enjoy your ride. Maybe I'll have mine one of these days...
 

samev

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Awesome to see a fellow non-owner (as of yet) dispense detailed and probably very accurate advice by virtue of having hung out on these forums. Hope you receive your car soon and enjoy every minute driving it.
 
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67 Stang Convertible

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I have previously owned a Chevy Volt and then a Bolt. I enjoyed them both, but I wanted an upgrade after turning the Bolt back in at the end of the lease in late October. I test drive the Tesla 3 and Tesla Y. While the 3 was crazy fast, I liked the Y better. To me, it just felt more substantial. But I didn’t pull the trigger because I wanted to drive the Mach E.

And that became a problem as there were none anywhere in my neck if the woods. I have a good friend who works in the industry and he put out a few feelers for me. About a month ago, he called me bright and early on a Saturday morning with news that my local Ford dealer had received five. Off we went, and by the time I got there at 9:15 am, three had been sold. They had a GT and a California edition available and I dove both. They were both great, but I much preferred the GT. Not only was the performance superior, but I loved the rims and red calipers. But it was a dark pewter color and that just wasn’t what I wanted. I’m a white car guy. Always have been, always will be.

So, I left it for others. And, as I mentioned in another thread, there was literally a line of people waiting to take a test drive. I later heard all 5 were sold by noon, even with the $2,500 dealer mark up. We drove home fairly set on the GT, disliking the price but loving the car. The dealer recommended letting them order me the car I wanted, so I spent a few hours here and there over a week or so reading reviews and comparing and contrasting the Tesla Model Y, Mach E California and Mach E GT. And I kept coming back to the GT, even though the considerably less range bothered me but the federal rebate made me feel a little better about it. We had one final discussion and decided I would order a GT.

So, I did a little more research and carefully read the multi-page brochure the dealer had given me. As it turned out, there’s really not much to decide. Rims, interior, power train, etc is all set. No options. There was an option I think to order the autonomous driver feature, and that didn’t interest me—I love to drive, too much. And there was some overhead birds eye view parking feature that I could live with or without. I decided I would make the call on that based on cost. So, all that was left was color, what color did I want? And breaking a nearly 40 year habit, I decided to order Space White. Not white, Space White. With all the decisions made, I called my buddy and made an appointment to go in and order in on Monday, November 1.

Late on Friday night, October 29, my buddy called me to say that someone had ordered a GT months ago, and it had arrived on that Friday. And, for whatever reason, they decided they didn’t want it. Only problem he says is it’s not White, it’s Space White. Cutting to the chase, by 10 am on Saturday, the car was mine. Sure, I paid the $2,500 dealer mark up, but I did the Ford Options plan, which has a $2,500 rebate. So, it’s a push. I also got the CA $1,500 clean fuel rebate which dropped to $750 just two days after I bought it. So, all in all, I felt okay about the price.

After two weeks, here are my impressions:

-It’s a blast to drive. It’s really hard to not mash the peddle at every light and everywhere in between. It rides well, and feels solid. None of the bounciness that some are experiencing.

- It turns heads everywhere it goes. Especially Tesla owners. Several people have commented on it at the grocery store, Home Depot, etc., and the most common comment is along the lines of, “Is that the new Mustang?! Wow, beautiful!” So, it’s not the car to drive if you want to blend in.

-I really enjoy the built in phone charger and the heated seats and steering wheel are nice, nice. The seats are comfortable and appropriately firm. The electronics are fairly intuitive and the navigation is the best and easiest I’ve ever experienced.

While I love, love, love the car, it does have a few issues that I’ll need to get looked at:

-The brakes grind like the pads are shot. It’s really noticeable at slow speeds. I can’t imagine what I’m hearing is normal. It’s driving my wife crazy, and that’s not a winning path.

- It’s low. My driveway is a little steep and the road rises as well but I’ve never had a car that rubbed in or out. It took me several initial initial approaches to find a way that cleared. Still, it’s a bit unnerving as the rear warning sensors go off first when backing out followed by the front. It’s the opposite pulling in. There’s nothing that can be done, but it’s a bit of a bummer start and end of each trip.

- The car has a feature similar to Siri, or so it seems. Maybe 4-5 times, out of nowhere, it wakes up and says something like, “I’m sorry, but I didn’t understand that command.” I’m guessing it’s “hearing” something on the radio, but that’s a strange quirk. When it happens, a “cancel” button shows up on the screen and a quick touch and it’s gone.

- Three times I’ve gone to the garage and found the real hatch open. I’m guessing the key fob is somehow binding in my pocket and “pushing” the button, but it’s really concerning that it could happen outside sometime. I stopped carrying the key a few days ago to see if that’s what’s happening. Still…

-I’ve charged it several times, mostly at home on 110. The range it is showing now when full is 245 miles, up from 230 when I first got it. Still short of the advertised 260, so we’ll see if it continues to improve. I know I’m a lead foot, so there’s that, too…

And that’s all I got for the first few weeks. She’ll definitely be returning to the dealer for some of the above, but I think I’ll drive it a bit more to see if anything else shows up. That said, I’m so far pleased.
Glad your loving the car. It is truly a fun car to drive and I don't have the GT. I can only imagine yours is more fun than mine.

I believe you can turn off the voice activation. But still that's a bit concerning. I have never had mine ask me anything. I know she is turned on as she reminded me Car Play was active and to ask Siri and not her yesterday.

The GOM (Guess of Meter) I find fluctuates MOSTLY with the weather. When I first got the car (July) it would say 285 miles of range on a 90% charge. Now that fall is here weather in the 50's - 70's during the day and 30's - 50's at night She reads 240 miles of range on a 90% charge. I'm assuming dead of winter will worsen the numbers. But my daily commute is no more than 40 miles a day. Yes I know driving habits play a role; but from my experience it is a much smaller role than the weather.

As for your trunk opening; that needs to be addressed. The "Rodent" idea above is incorrect as the phone or key fob is required to trigger the sensor. I generally wash her most weekends and have the phone in pocket while listening to tunes; and inevitably when I'm washing the trunk area I trigger the opening process. However this is the only time it happens. So I would ask the dealer to see if there is a module or something that needs to be updated. Or just confirm the wife and or kids are not messing with you. LOL

Enjoy her!!!! ps. Did you name her?
 


tman

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Just got my GT a week ago also and I am loving it. I may have an explanation for the 'brake grinding' noise.

See, EVs are so quiet, they can 'sneak up' on pedestrians and such, so all EVs are required to generate noise at low speeds for people to notice and hear. It's literally coming out of a speaker in the back underside of the car. And Ford's noise is kinda mechanical. To me it sounds like an old mechanical mechanism of some kind.

(My Accord Hybrid had a kinda high tech George Jetson sounds that was kinda fun.)
 

MillieChliette

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Awesome to see a fellow non-owner (as of yet) dispense detailed and probably very accurate advice by virtue of having hung out on these forums. Hope you receive your car soon and enjoy every minute driving it.
Somewhat inaccurate, it turns out. ?
 

IMDIDOC

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I can relate to some of the issues expressed here. My voice wakeup responds to California. I thought it was my voice harmonics, but I was listening to NPR and someone said California and it muted the radio and said "Please try again". The Ford field engineers reported they are aware of the problem. Didn't say if or when they can fix it.

The engineers also tried to replicate the rear liftgate spontaneously opening but could not replicate the problem. While talking to the service tech, it opened by itself. I did have the key fob in my pocket. I'm now using the phone as a key and it has not opened by itself since.
 
OP
OP

Bueller

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Thanks to all who have replied with helpful tips. I’ll definitely turn off the voice assist—I can’t imagine I’ll ever use it.

As for the brake noise being computer generated and done on purpose for safety, I need to check that out.

Someone asked: I named her Beauty.

I’m glad the engineers are aware of the trunk lid opening but having them say they are unable to “replicate the issue” sounds like the answer dealers have given me for every warranty repair problem I’ve ever had. Guess some things never change.
 

highland58

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My car sometimes responds to "ok", I just press the cancel button. It does not happen often, so just a minor annoyance that hopefully will be fixed by some OTA.
 

s7davis

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To reply to the LSN (Low speed noise) that is a safety feature for pedestrians to hear the vehicle coming. As their is no engine only a whinning motor when you push the pedal in. So at low speed their are some low sounding noises so people can hear the vehicle coming. Remember a blind person will not be able to see the car coming so they rely on animals and noises. I think you can turn that down but not sure it can be disabled but maybe it can be. but it is their to meet federal safety regulations i do believe.
 

jdunc87

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only time our gtpe has a "brake noise" is in the driveway slowing down to a stop with 1 pedal on. It sounds like the old surround sound sounds from the movie theatre. If that makes sense.

we've yet to encounter the voice command issue.
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