MME Not a long-term vehicle. How come?

[deadduck]

This has probably already been said but the reason people look at it as a short term vehicle isn't about the vehicle, it's about everything else. Other carmakers will hop on the EV train, battery tech is likely to improve, new features will come along, etc.

Think of it like a phone, lots of people change their phones every couple of years, these cars are going to be, somewhat, the same way.

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[Brofessional]

Did Dave Ramsey fail to explain investment returns to you?

I’ve come almost full circle on Dave. He gives out some really mathematically poor advice, but for a certain subset of the population his methods are simple enough that they can follow his rules and at least keep themselves out of bankruptcy. In my opinion, those people were never going to generate meaningful passive income anyway so it’s probably fine.

 

[GABAR]

The question is, what does one consider long term because not every persons view of this phrase is the same.

 

[praxiscat]

My initial concern, even before taking delivery, is based on battery life. Warranty is 70%, 8yr/100k and vehicle manufacturers know the limits from countless hours of durability testing. So if the GTPE is starting at 260, subtract 78 miles of range from that (best case conditions), I might be getting 145-150 during a New York winter.
Every vehicle I buy is well thought out, special ordered exactly the way I want it, and meticulously cared for so the intend is to keep them “long team”. But then reliability, rust, or mechanical failures start to make them no longer desirable (even though I do all if my own after warranty work).

Keep in mind there is far fewer mechanical things that can go wrong in an EV. Electric motors are far simpler in design to their ICE counterparts. Even as complicated as the Mach-E is, it is still far fewer moving parts at the end of the day. The big issue with electric vehicles will be electronics. Screens and CPUs needing to be replaced. Battery upkeep.

Now mind you most of the issues so far have been software bugs of one sort of the other.
From what I understand is batteries can keep 90% of their original charger for 200k miles. This is why we have Tesla Model S vehicles out there which are really pushing over that right now. For says over 5 years the car will at most lose 5%

Also keep in mind, the overall design is actually such that the battery packs can be swapped out and replaced if need be. The vehicle is more reliant on COTS parts. As much as Sandy Munroe was critical of that, one thing this will allow is for this vehicle to stick around longer.

In terms of the new phone thing, I am not so sure. I think there will always be people who go for short term in terms of holding onto cars, and I think there will be those who are more into longer term ownership.

One thing to keep in mind is that the car itself leans more on a driver focused design even with the technology that is there. It's less gadgety than a Tesla is in many respects, and that was kind of the appeal. This may push people to own it longer, because there is a weird comfort level to it. Now this may not be the case with everyone, but it is there. My husband the Tesla driver does look at newer model tesla and loves the new tech aspects to them, and that is a big part of the drive. I bought the MME for a different reason. Because it drives well. The tech aspects to the Tesla had less of an appeal. I wanted an EV that I enjoyed driving. That's the thing if people enjoy driving it, it may make them less likely to get rid of it.
Even for myself, when I do get rid of it, it will be because the warranties are running to a close. That's it.

 

[MachEnation]

I might/might not keep the car--that's why I have "options." Much will depend on what the car is "worth" in 3 years vs. a similarly-specced new one vs. a brand new one with maybe even deeper incentives and better features. My trim was such an outrageously good value with the state/federal incentives that I can't see replicating it easily in just 3 years.

Of course, really want a mid-sized electrified truck--if one exists that might tempt me in 3 years.

 

[Polar]

I’ve still got my 2012 Leaf, bought CPO, in 2014. I plan on having the MachE at least 10 years.

 

[Mr.Doug]

Yea, there is nothing about the MME making it not a "long term vehicle" except personal choice. As the old saying goes, to each his own.

Same goes for wives.

In 2 Years, this model of the MME I have now, will be a Dinosaur, just like my iPhone 12.. I like to keep up with the newest, that is why my Beautiful new car will be like a old iPhone in a year or so.. They have a long ways to go to catch up to Tesla, which I also Love and Own a Model Y, both cars are nice, but the bottom line is EXPERIANCE with EV Cars.. Ford needs to hire some Tesla past employees.. Especially with their Phone App.. Tesla blows Ford away.. Ford needs to step that phone app up.. SAD..

 

[Scarpia]

Long-term for me, planning on at least ten years.

 

[silverelan]

Agreed. I learned that if you don't have the money to buy something up front, you really have no business buying it with the bank's money. Only exception I made was on our home.

Sounds like I did it all wrong. I should have saved up more in middle school and HS before taking out loans for college. Nice pro tip.

 

[vinny2487]

I've seen quite a few threads with comments indicating that people don't see the MME as a car they anticipate owning, "long term".

Curious - if you feel that way, what brought you to that conclusion? I buy vehicles to last (Current vehicle is an 07 Camry). Is it a reliability issue? Comfort? Technology becoming outdated?

I'm *hoping* this will be a long term car for me (7+ years). The main reason I went with the Ford Options financing is because of the "options" part. It allows me to reassess in 4 years (or 3 for those who chose the 3 year option) whether the car is viable long term. Within that time there's going to be a boom of electric cars from the majority of manufacturers. You'll see battery tech gradually improve. Faster charging.

My other concern: battery longevity. Batteries will degrade over time, there no getting around that. It's the main reason why I chose the larger battery pack, so in the event I do keep the car for a while I still have 200+ miles in year 10.

So yeah, even though I love my MME, it's hard to ignore the coming avalanche of BEVs that will hit the market within the next year.

 

[mach_e_hopeful]

There are already a couple choices with 330 miles and AWD

I don't count the Teslas because I'm not confident I can actually get their stated range going 73 on the highway with a fully loaded car. I should have made that clear in the last post.

 

[cravacor]

yeah for sure... here's an ad proud of 8.8% financing:



People in 1981 were paying an average of 17% on a mortgage. 17%!

Historic Mortgage Rates: From 1981 to 2019 and Their Impact - TheStreet

but - rates are not that now. it can be tough for someone who lived through that to understand that money is basically free right now and has been for some time now if your credit rating is sufficient.

Not just 8.8% but on a LASER!

 

[MG101]

I'd say it's just this forum. The Mach-e just a toy to a lot of people around here.

I went with the Me against my better judgement. Daily driver until the powertrain warranty is up then make it someone else's problem.

 

[Sneezy]

I used to do the new every 2 or 3 lease for my company car. The issue is when you get over about 35K, the lease cost passed back to me isn't worth it except that the company pays for maintenance and insurance.

So I'm hoping to make this a long term car for me and I'm hoping my wife likes it enough to drive it more.

The only thing I have kept longer than my 2000 Trans Am Firehawk is my wife. That will be 25 years in a month and a day.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

Anybody want to guess what the main CPU or big screen or any of the smaller boxes of wonder and electrical wizardry will cost to replace after the warranty is expired?

Warranty minus 3 months.... time to go shopping.

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