Thanks to the wonderful team at Ford, I had the fortune of driving the super sleek Ford Mustang Mach-E for a week, and now I can’t stop telling people that this should be their next car!
The Mach-E is the fourth EV I’ve had the pleasure of testing, and, for me, it comes out tops.
I champion EVs for their environmental benefits, but I’ve actually never owned one, so my review is very much that of an EV novice. You won’t find me using techy lingo, or a breakdown of the vehicle spec, but what you will get is an ‘Early Mainstream’ adopter perspective. I hope my experience speaks to those who are curious about EVs, but perhaps overwhelmed by the change.
First things first – what is the Mustang Mach-E?
For context, I currently drive a 10-year-old Ford Fiesta, so I’m already bought into the world of Ford. They’re trusted, reliable and, for the most part, affordable. They’ve been making vehicles for over 100 years, and they know what they’re doing. Ford are best known for their range of petrol vehicles, including the original Mustang.
The Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first all-electric passenger car. Whilst the Mach-E stays true to the Mustang’s iconic cool and sleek design, and can certainly accelerate super-fast, the similarities probably stop there. Unlike the original Mustang, the Mach-E is an SUV, so arguably, a car to suit a wider market, and in my opinion, its infinitely more striking and elegant.
First impressions
In short – this is a very cool car. It feels spacious and luxurious, and it’s probably the comfiest car I’ve ever sat in. Perhaps I’m easily impressed (remember my 10-year-old Ford Fiesta?) but the Mach-E doesn’t have to work hard to impress even the most discerning of car owners. I got stopped a couple of times whilst charging, by passers-by who were interested in going electric. It’s clear the Mach-E is a head turner.
On the inside, it’s packed with lots of really cool features. The car has a large central screen which operates as the control system for most things you may need – heating, cooling, music, navigation etc. In my experience, this is akin to most new EVs, and at times, I’ve found the large screen difficult to navigate. However, this wasn’t the case in the Mach-E. It’s really intuitive, not overly complicated, and everything you need is in an obvious place.
As an aside, a particular favourite feature of mine, which I stumbled upon when walking back to the car after dark one evening, is the iconic Mustang pony which is beautifully projected from the bottom of the wing mirrors. Unnecessary, perhaps, but it won me over.
Functionality and Experience
During the week that I had the car, I put it to the test around cities, motorways and the countryside. Going from my little Fiesta, the size initially took a bit of getting used to, but before long, I actually enjoyed being at a higher vantage point, and the car just felt smooth and easy to navigate, both through through tighter, congested spaces, as well as longer open roads.
Usually, driving for me is quite a functional experience. I get in the car and drive to the destination I’m headed. Driving the Mach-E felt different, and whilst you could question that this is the novelty factor, I’ve found accounts of owners online who claim that Mach-E doesn’t lose its shine, even after a while of driving it.
And this has got me thinking, whilst I’m not a car person, there can be more to a vehicle than simple functionality. During my week with the Mach-E, I delighted in visiting my sister in the Peak District and spending some time driving around with her. We had some of the best conversations we’d had in a while, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. We were comfortable, relaxed and happy in the Mach-E, would this have been the same in my old little run around?
Who is the car for and how much does it cost?
Given the space, the Mach-E would make an ideal family car, or would suit those who wish to do a combination of both long and shorter journeys. More broadly speaking though, I believe the Mach-E is versatile to suit lots of different people and needs.
However, it would be remiss of me not to briefly mention the cost. Whilst it’s not the most expensive EV on the market, it’s also not the most affordable. At entry level, a brand-new Mach-E costs approximately £43,000. However, for what you get for that, comparative to other electric SUVs on the market, and factoring in the significant cost savings over time that come with owning an EV, it starts to seem reasonable.
A quick search on Auto Trader also shows me that there are a good number of Mach-Es available second hand, so owning one of these soon becomes a real possibility. As a ‘none-car’ person, and someone who would generally choose to spend my hard-earned cash on other things before a car, after my experience with the Mach-E, I genuinely believe the cost is worth it. As a long-standing Ford fan, I do look forward to seeing what new EVs they release over the coming years, to suit all range of budgets and people.
Range and charging the Mach-E
The model I drove had a super respectable overall combined range of 372 miles. With trips from my home in Cambridge, to both London and the Peak District during the week, it’s safe to say, I put that range to the test.
As I fall into the 40% of households in the UK without access to off street parking, my experience relied entirely on the public charging network.
My previous experiences of driving an EV have been in Norway (the global EV capital), and when I was able to plug my car in at a family members house, so this was perhaps my first true experience of using the public charging network in the UK.
There is so much positive to be said about developments in EV charging in the UK
Having worked with several businesses in the sector over the past few years, I’m acutely aware of how rapidly the roll out of infrastructure is progressing. However, my first experience wasn’t the most seamless.
It commenced with the bay of 7kW chargers in the car park at the end of my street. As I quickly found out, 7kW means a very slow charge. These chargers make perfect destination chargers, somewhere you might spend a full day wondering around – perhaps a National Trust property or a shopping centre. You can plug in, for a relatively low cost, and come back to a car that is charged.
But as it happens, the car park at the end of my road isn’t exactly a hub of activity, or an appealing tourist destination. In fact, after dark, it’s not somewhere I fancy hanging around, or popping back to retrieve my charged car. So, it’s safe to say, my first real charging experience was not the one.
During my time up north in the Peak District, I found the charging experience to be relatively straight forward. The car needed one charge after a full weekend of driving, and this was satisfied with a BP Pulse rapid charger, which was less than two minutes’ walk from our Airbnb in Chapel-en-le-Frith. This time, the car was fully charged in the time it took to have a little relax with a cup of tea back at the Airbnb. This charge was slightly dearer than I was expecting, but still cheaper than filling up my car with the equivalent amount of petrol. My instant observation here was, if you have a driveway, or access to home charging, this is where drivers truly reap the cost-saving benefits of owning an EV.
Summary
Driving the Ford Mustang Mach-E for a week was a truly enjoyable experience, one I genuinely hope to re-commence when I come to buy my next car (hopefully the Mach-E!). It’s admirable range, excellent comfort and value for money, make it a car to suit a vast range of people and needs. For anyone wishing to experience the Mach-E first hand, Ford offer test drives directly through the Ford website.
