Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium Long-Term Review: Crossing the finish line

The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been on sale in Australia for almost a year now and despite a couple of major pricing cuts the Blue Oval’s electric figurehead has failed to find favour with local EV buyers.

So we commandeered the mid-spec Premium version for three months and lived with it day in and day out, targeting 5000 kilometres on the odometer, to see whether the lukewarm reception is warranted or whether Aussie buyers are sleeping on a good thing.

Chasing Cars production manager and custodian of the Mach-E, Tom Place, round the final curve and hands down Part One of our two-part wrap-up of Ford’s likable if ultimately polarising EV.

Time codes:
0:00 - Intro
0:38 - First EV long-termer
1:30 - Hit: Interior
5:08 - Interior space
5:29 - Hit: Build quality
6:55 - Miss: Practicality
8:39 - Glass roof
9:42 - Frunk
11:04 - Boot
12:24 - Miss: Driver independence
14:56 - Hit: Fun to drive
15:58 - Powertrain
16:38 - Rear-drive dynamics
17:50 - Commuting
19:14 - Miss: Ride quality
20:28 - Three variants
22:08 - Part One wrap-up

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[RodneyW]

This is an excellent review Tom. You've pointed out issues that no-one else has - including the lack of a reasonably fast way to open the doors if the 12 volt battery goes flat. Demonstrating the Lexus solution was a great way of making the point that it doesn't have to be this way. The fact that Tesla does it too is no excuse for Ford!

I'm not surprised that it's not selling well. It's at a price point where it is out of reach for many families, and for those who can afford it, there are a lot of very capable competitors.

[Mububban]

$97k for a family car? How many do they hope to sell realistically?

[robertmerkel]

With regards to the lack of a spare tyre, I’m just trying to think back to the last time I had a flat.

It’s at least 15 years and 200, 000 km.. Yeah, I live in the inner city, but a fair proportion of those kilometres have been country driving, including on minor roads and dirt.

Is it really worth carrying a spare tyre any more for most people, given the rarity of actual punctures?

[TassieEV]

Great review Tom, another Tom at Chasing Cars. :) I would agree with your hits and misses on the whole. I had no idea they didn't provide an emergency key and as you say if you have kids in the car and the 12v dies that process to get in is nuts. They may have a shade but interestingly they didn't block Infrared only UV and Infrared is what heats up the car. I own a Kona EV Premium and am glad to have a sun/moon roof but never sure about these panoramic sunroofs particularly in hot Australia. Hopefully Ford fixes some of those misses such as opening the Frunk and I know the Frunk has a drain hole as well so you could fill it with ice and use it as a 'beer fridge' for example at an event. It will never hit it's 600km range in WLTP, real world would be I am guessing around 530km.

[aaaaplay]

Why are you turning down the volume when you reverse? It should do that for you when you put the car into reverse.

Also, I’m not sure if we’re getting the folding steering wheel. I’m yet to see one in a transit custom.

[koddesa]

Thank you Tom for making me hate Ford + the Mach-e for their convoluted method to open a simple door.

[nickfelstead]

cool looking car and decent alternative to model Y, but my god that price is not worth i do a fair bit of driving and have yet to see one of these in the wild so im guessing not selling well?

[JimDee]

$97k for a car with technology from Ford that is going to sell your recorded conversations to advertisers and sell your driving data to insurers so that they can up the premium's if you actually use the cars kilowatts.

Ford making a loss on EVs is part of the business model.

Ford should be paying people to drive them.

[JohnnyChronic]

You could get a chevy Equinox EV for 20-30k less and get more lol.

[bnm]

Not worth it.
BYD cars are better & value for money.

[BigGG]

there is a reason the roads are full of teslas