Mach-E vs Model Y: Best Family SUV Shootout

[bcaceres]

Having owned neither yet (my MME arrives tomorrow), is that really an apples to apples comparison? Performance-wise, the Premium AWD ER is a tie for the MY LR 0-60; and does the auto-drive stuff in the Mach E compare favorably with the similar autopilot stuff in the MY LR?

Don't forget that the Model Y will cost $6000 extra for "Enhanced Autopilot" or $12,000 for their still-beta "Full Self Driving". You have to count that in the price, and I think the reviewers for this video failed to do that.

They even said that the MME came with more standard features but they did not make up the price difference -- however, the cost of those features on the Tesla are literally more than the price difference. They even opted for the cheap wheels on the Model Y to keep the cost down. The comparison should be:

- Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium Extended Range AWD ($66,275 USD, £66,555)
versus
- Tesla Model-Y Long Range with Enhanced Autopilot and the 20-inch "Induction Wheels" in a 5-seat configuration ($74,990 USD, £65,680)

As you can see, the Mach-E is substantially cheaper in the USA and virtually the same price in the UK. I am guessing Tesla builds them in the UK or somewhere where the UK does not charge as much import tax.

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[Vulnox]

Obviously there's a lot of anti-Tesla / pro-MME bias on the boards here. Subjective opinions aside (hate for Elon, appearance of the vehicles) I think the Y walks all over the MME at the same price. Better battery tech, integrated tow package, faster charging, better charging network (for now at least) more storage, similar build quality and interior finishes, better tech, similar lame tablets.

We test drove the MY before getting the MME. I agree that the charging speed is better on the MY and the integrated tow package is such a weird oversight by Ford.

BUT

People in this thread are skipping over so much it seems like about owning the vehicle day to day. I like having an instrument cluster in the MME. I hate everything being on the center screen only. I like having more buttons that are just what they are supposed to be in the steering wheel. I don’t have to go through three menus to see what the odometer is. Setting cruise is more intuitive in the MME, volume controls, lighting controls, nearly every control except a dedicated camera button exists on the MME.

The minimalism of the MY made it a non-starter. The battery tech may be better, not sure what that’s based on, but the real world difference seems to be nearly nothing.

I think its fine that both exist, and have said many times before I appreciate Tesla for all they did for the EV market. But almost any other automaker with a comparable SUV does the actual car part better than Tesla. The only aspect of Tesla that is truly far ahead is their software, and I don’t mean the human interface aspect, but the way it runs the car and ability for updates. Ford is improving there, but they are still so reliant on the individual modules method of software they have been using for decades.

 

[Olds442]

that's not how my numbers played out.

my mach-e premium er awd was thousands less than a comparable MY.

many thousands. plus things like build quality and paint are very important to me, much moreso than .5 seconds in a 0-60.

plus, i'd probably not road trip the Mach E, I have an expedition for that. it's an absolute beast on the highway.

 

[MachKet]

Don't forget that the Model Y will cost $6000 extra for "Enhanced Autopilot" or $12,000 for their still-beta "Full Self Driving". You have to count that in the price, and I think the reviewers for this video failed to do that.

They even said that the MME came with more standard features but they did not make up the price difference -- however, the cost of those features on the Tesla are literally more than the price difference. They even opted for the cheap wheels on the Model Y to keep the cost down. The comparison should be:

- Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium Extended Range AWD ($66,275 USD, £66,555)
versus
- Tesla Model-Y Long Range with Enhanced Autopilot and the 20-inch "Induction Wheels" in a 5-seat configuration ($74,990 USD, £65,680)

As you can see, the Mach-E is substantially cheaper in the USA and virtually the same price in the UK. I am guessing Tesla builds them in the UK or somewhere where the UK does not charge as much import tax.

This is a European review, blue cruise is not available in Europe

 

[MachGT]

I can't even watch these videos anymore.

 

[Ming]

The battery tech may be better, not sure what that’s based on, but the real world difference seems to be nearly nothing.

How you get this conclusion? I get about same range with my MYP and premium MME 4X (280-290 at highway speed), but MY battery almost 20% smaller. For model Y LR, range would be even better.

 

[RedStallion]

The biggest difference is that Mach-E owners who got problems are venting on the forums, while Tesla owners with problems go on hunger strike: https://www.teslahungerstrike.com/

 

[ElectrifyME]

Yeah but the model Y is way more expensive once you factor in swapping out all of the body panels so it looks decent, swapping the infotainment system to something that supports Android Auto / Carplay and doing something to add a gauge cluster.

Maybe just buy a Mach-e and swap in the Tesla drivetrain!

Exterior/interior: MME with a Tesla battery and tech! Pay Elon for the brains, and Ford for the beauty.

 

[MONDO]

that's not how my numbers played out.

my mach-e premium er awd was thousands less than a comparable MY.

many thousands. plus things like build quality and paint are very important to me, much moreso than .5 seconds in a 0-60.

plus, i'd probably not road trip the Mach E, I have an expedition for that. it's an absolute beast on the highway.

Yup, at the time when I placed the order, after all the discounts and incentives I was getting our 21’ Premium Mach-E came to ~$40K. Model Y would have been over $50K.

 

[Mach1E]

that's not how my numbers played out.

my mach-e premium er awd was thousands less than a comparable MY.

many thousands. plus things like build quality and paint are very important to me, much moreso than .5 seconds in a 0-60.

plus, i'd probably not road trip the Mach E, I have an expedition for that. it's an absolute beast on the highway.

Why would 0-60 matter for “best family” SUV?

That said, apparently the Model Y is the “best,” because every school pick up lane has 50 soccer moms picking their kids up in one.

This has to back fire at some point. The Tesla “cool factor,” will wear off when there’s 3 on every street and they all look the same.

 

[Olds442]

1 Why would 0-60 matter for “best family” SUV?

2 That said, apparently the Model Y is the “best,” because every school pick up lane has 50 soccer moms picking their kids up in one.

3 This has to back fire at some point. The Tesla “cool factor,” will wear off when there’s 3 on every street and they all look the same.

1 it shouldn't. but with every EV it does to some buyers. just cuz.

2 based on my experience lately not really. i pass a school zone at least once a week. there's more X owners than Y. Plus a few Audi and Volvo EVs. More than you'd think.

3 this already happens. i'm one convert of many.

but everyone's different, we all like different things and that's okay. peace.

 

[BigMach-E]

Why would 0-60 matter for “best family” SUV?

That said, apparently the Model Y is the “best,” because every school pick up lane has 50 soccer moms picking their kids up in one.

This has to back fire at some point. The Tesla “cool factor,” will wear off when there’s 3 on every street and they all look the same.

This already is the case in my neck of the woods. Tesla's are probably the most common car after the Prius here. I never wanted one.

 

[Vulnox]

How you get this conclusion? I get about same range with my MYP and premium MME 4X (280-290 at highway speed), but MY battery almost 20% smaller. For model Y LR, range would be even better.

How do you arrive at the conclusion that range has anything to do with battery technology alone? Range is a function of efficiency and overall battery capacity. That would be down to motor efficiency, aerodynamic efficiency, and parasitic losses. While a heat pump, for example, isn't a huge efficiency gain, it is still a gain. Tesla motors are very efficient. Their Wh/mile is about .5 Wh/Mile better than an MME. Not huge on its own, but over 280 miles it makes a difference.

Battery technology isn't what helps with range when you say one battery is larger than another but the vehicle goes the same distance, at least not to any great extent. The differences in aerodynamic design are going to play a bigger part in what you are experiencing. It's like saying the gas tank is better in an Escape than an F-150 because it goes the same overall distance on a tank of gas than the much larger F-150 gas tank. The difference is aerodynamics and engine, not fuel capacity. All a battery is is fuel capacity.

NOW, if Tesla had a 1000lb battery pack that held 90kWh and Ford's battery pack for 90kWh was 1500lbs, that would most likely be down to technology in one form or another. But there would still be some factors to consider like discharge rate and thermal management before determining that 1000lb battery is truly better. It's a complex conclusion no matter what. Tesla and Ford both get their batteries from suppliers. I think I read Ford uses (or did use) LG Chem, which Tesla also uses along with I believe Panasonic, depending where the car is built anyway. As long as this is the case, the battery technology for any manufacturer is going to largely be down to the level of their suppliers.

 

[Ming]

How do you arrive at the conclusion that range has anything to do with battery technology alone?

TL;DR

as a customer, how the engineers give me something better, I don't care. As long as I know model Y has more space (I can take more) and better energy efficiency efficiency (it costs me less), I'm happy.
But it's up to you whether what's happening inside battery matters.

 

[jeffvick2005]

Eh. Auto Mavens. Let’s have the worlds ugliest vehicle Shootout. Formerly won by Walter White’s Pontiac Aztec, and before that held by the AMC pacer and gremlin the model Y now has submitted itself as the first $70,000 plus ugly piece of crap.

With its Rubenesque muffin top butt , and its absolute lack of any style or inherent soul it was the saddest vehicle I ever had to drive around in, and I sold in a month. Purely on its heinous looks. It was really great driving and handling It was a pretty decent car but I just could not stand to look at it. Plus I Made a few grand …
Jes sayin. A bricked electric pony is still better looking. Even if you can’t open the Frunk to get to the shrimp.

This is the biggest difference for me. While features, range and price will go back and forth as pros and cons between the MME and MY, I just don't get excited when I see a the Model Y white egg several times a day. As for now, the rare MME siting still gets me excited, with its styling and color. Maybe that will change in 5 years, but I can't wait to get my grabber blue GT next month.

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