Which Regular Mustang Compares?

[Jimrpa]

Apologies if this has already been asked/discussed elsewhere. I didn’t see it:

A person at the grocery store last night was admiring my Mustang Mach E (and correctly referred to it as a Mustang), and asked me how it compared to the non-electric Mustangs in terms of handling and performance. I honestly didn’t know the answer, but I told him that the handling was engineered by the same people who do handling for the non-electric Mustangs so it should be comparable, and that I have no complaints about performance, particularly quickness off the line ?

So, which non-electric Mustang is most similar to a Mustang Mach E ER AWD in terms of handling and per

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[markboris]

I would say none. It handles nothing like a car, especially an ICE Mustang. However, I think it handles very well for a heavy SUV type vehicle although my 2014 Escape handles better. Performance wise, it is much more similar to my Escape especially the steering feel. While the performance of the upcoming GTPE might be similar to an ICE Mustang, I cannot see how the handling will improve much because there is no way you can hide that extra 1000+ lbs of weight you are tossing around.

 

[JohnnyForensic]

Apologies if this has already been asked/discussed elsewhere. I didn’t see it:

A person at the grocery store last night was admiring my Mustang Mach E (and correctly referred to it as a Mustang), and asked me how it compared to the non-electric Mustangs in terms of handling and performance. I honestly didn’t know the answer, but I told him that the handling was engineered by the same people who do handling for the non-electric Mustangs so it should be comparable, and that I have no complaints about performance, particularly quickness off the line ?

So, which non-electric Mustang is most similar to a Mustang Mach E ER AWD in terms of handling and per

Quickly (and I do mean, "quickly") looking at the 0-60 speeds, the Premium 4X (middle of the road in the Mach-E speed line-up) is faster than all of the EcoBoost Mustangs but slower than the 5.0 GT lineup. The Mach-E GT and GT Performance will be faster than all of the production Mustangs.

 

[Jimrpa]

Ok, thanks. Interesting escape handling comparisons. I’m coming from a 2018 Escape Titanium and I’d say that the handling of the Mustang Mach E is much better than my Escape. It does much better on twisty roads (of which there are many around here). It feels more stable and planted on the road when going into and through curves than my Escape did. Of course, I am not an expert on assessing car performance and handling, hence my question ?

 

[markboris]

Quickly (and I do mean, "quickly") looking at the 0-60 speeds, the Premium 4X (middle of the road in the Mach-E speed line-up) is faster than all of the EcoBoost Mustangs but slower than the 5.0 GT lineup. The Mach-E GT and GT Performance will be faster than all of the production Mustangs.

With the exception of the 2020-2021 Mustang Shelby GT500 which Ford's claims as their most powerful production car to date, listing a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds and top speed of 180 mph (limited).

Ok, thanks. Interesting escape handling comparisons. I’m coming from a 2018 Escape Titanium and I’d say that the handling of the Mustang Mach E is much better than my Escape. It does much better on twisty roads (of which there are many around here). It feels more stable and planted on the road when going into and through curves than my Escape did. Of course, I am not an expert on assessing car performance and handling, hence my question ?

I probably should have clarified that I modified my 2014 Escape and added stiffer Eibach lowering springs, sway bars, Bilstein shocks and lighter 19" wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/40/19 tires. I too live in a very mountainous area and just drove the Escape on Sunday about 100 miles and was noticing again how much easier it is to toss around in the corners and I have larger, lighter wheels (7 lbs lighter than OEM) and larger tires (255/45/20 front, 295/40/20 rear) on the Mach-E. Don't get me wrong, the Mach-E handles very well for an SUV type vehicle, just noting like an ICE Mustang though.

 

[Jimrpa]

I probably should have clarified that I modified my 2014 Escape and added stiffer Eibach lowering springs, sway bars, Bilstein shocks and lighter 19" wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 255/40/19 tires. I too live in a very mountainous area and just drove the Escape on Sunday about 100 miles and was noticing again how much easier it is to toss around in the corners and I have larger, lighter wheels (7 lbs lighter than OEM) and larger tires (255/45/20 front, 295/40/20 rear) on the Mach-E. Don't get me wrong, the Mach-E handles very well for an SUV type vehicle, just noting like an ICE Mustang though.

LOL! You made your own Escape ST! Nice!

I wouldn’t say the Mustang Mach E handles the way my Miata did, but when I was in Palm Springs last year, Avis “upgraded” me to a Mustang Premium Convertible. I did not care for the handling of that car at all. I tried all the different modes, and finally found a setting where the steering felt “right”, but it just didn’t feel as stable on corners. I always felt like I had to slow down or I was going to lose control. I never felt that with my Miata and certainly don’t feel that with the Mustang Mach E. Again, I’m not a sports car driver, so I’m really not a good judge.

 

[DYohn]

My answer would have been the MME is a crossover SUV that also happens to be electric, while a standard Mustang is a 2-door sport coupe with a conventional gasoline drive train. They are in the same family of vehicles but they are completely different experiences to drive.

 

[Jimrpa]

My answer would have been the MME is a crossover SUV that also happens to be electric, while a standard Mustang is a 2-door sport coupe with a conventional gasoline drive train. They are in the same family of vehicles but they are completely different experiences to drive.

I think a person loading groceries in their car in a parking lot is looking for a quick comparison beyond the visible differences . The question is a fair one. Stating the obvious would be sort of condescending (at least I’d interpret it as such). Instead, I was trying to point out, as best I could the similarities and differences in handling and performance between the Mustang Mach E and other members of the Mustang family (which is what he was asking about - not body style and drive train).

 

[timbop]

I replaced my 2015 v6 mustang coupe with my Cali Route 1 Mach E, so not en exact comparison with your AWD but not too far off. My observations:

• My v6 had "D" (normal drive) and "S" (sports) drive modes, and my route 1 is probably comparable to the coupe in normal "D" mode. The "S" mode is probably closer to the AWD in terms of giddyup to 60.
• My coupe had a stiffer ride, whereas the MME has a softer and bouncier ride
• The RWD MME is definitely grippier on the road in curves or pulling out on to a road from a side street. The coupe would fishtail badly if I pushed her hard and the RWD MME just fishtails a little bit - still fun but definitely more "reserved" fun.
• Going through the twisties the MME is still fun, but I haven't pushed it too hard yet
• Overall, I enjoy the MME as much as my coupe, although I do wish I had gotten the AWD

 

[Mach-Lee]

I think the correct answer is "completely different".

The current ICE Mustangs are all faster than most Mach-E's except for the Mach GT.
They also all handle much better since they are lower and much lighter.

The Mach-E does great for a heavy SUV but is no comparison to the regular coupes. History will decide if Ford made a great or horrible decision slapping "Mustang" on this thing.

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