 | Positives: Smooth and composed ride, powerful AWD electric motors, practical and roomy interior, great Mustang styling cues, solid range. |
 | Negatives: Weird door handles, too much reliance on the touchscreen for controls, pricey for a non-premium brand. |
 | Bottom Line: The Mach-E is one of the best EVs available today. Ford has done it right in terms of power, efficiency, styling, tech, and comfort. We just wish it wasn't so pricey at this trim level. |
Driving Experience
The Mach-E Premium AWD will please just about anyone when it comes to the driving experience. It's plenty quick but won't snap your neck. It's also remarkably composed and comfortable. We think the Premium model is the Mach-E to get. There's a lot to love about the way it gets around.
Ride Quality: We were blown away by how smooth and solid the car felt. It's firm enough not to feel totally disconnected, but it's also very compliant over surfaces.
Acceleration: The Premium AWD version gets to 60 in 5.1 seconds. Torque is almost immediate, and the car pulls hard, even at highway speeds.
Braking: Regen braking is actually pretty good. Progression is decent, and stopping power is great.
Steering: The steering is mostly numb, but it's on center at highway speeds and provides good precision in the turns.
Handling: The Mach-E corners well, and the balance is very good. There's some very minor body roll, but the battery helps provide a low center of gravity.
Technology
The Mustang Mach-E follows many other EVs in the in-car tech area with a huge screen and a heavy dependence on touchscreen controls instead of physical switchgear controls, a trend we lament. That said, the screen and instrument cluster are very easy to read.
Infotainment System: 14 inches of portrait-oriented electronic real estate is a lot. But then again, the Mach-E puts most of its controls there. The SYNC 4A system is very responsive to inputs, and selections are quick. It's very visible in bright sunlight, which is a huge help.
Controls: We like the easy-to-operate rotary shift knob, and the steering wheel controls work well. It's just the preponderance of touch screen controls that make things tough while driving. The door handles are quite unconventional and take some getting used to. The lack of exterior door handles for the rear doors is also strange, replaced by round buttons that require two actions... depressing the button and then pulling the door open by the edge. Unique, yes. Annoying, also yes.
Styling
We give the Mustang Mach-E high marks for derivative styling done in a fresh way. It's done up even better than the first Porsche Cayenne SUV back in 2003 that borrowed a lot from the Porsche 911. The Mach-E is just evocative enough to carry the Mustang name, namely in the taillights, but it also adds nice muscularity for a taller vehicle. The interior nails it with the right amount of sportiness and modern touches for a fresh EV flavor.
Front: Most EVs don't look very good from the front end largely due to the faux grille. The Mach-E, however, manages to pull off an excellent look. The Mustang logo looks great on the convex surface, and the angled headlights look menacing when matched with the creased and curvaceous hood. we also love the simplicity of the lower front fascia.
Rear: Those iconic triple beam taillights look even better when bisected by a horizontal element. The top half of the rear fascia just below the glass is spot-on 'Stang goodness.
Profile: The pulled taffy look of the body sports deep sculpting that makes it look sinewy and fast even when standing still. The steep taper of the greenhouse adds to the look nicely. We also love the short front and rear overhangs.
Cabin: Despite the fact that there's not much physical switchgear in the cabin, the interior looks great. Ford's usual overuse of plastics is offset by the nice soft-touch materials on the dash and touchpoints. The two-tone interior (white/black) and the contrast stitching look very nice and create a more premium look inside.
Comfort
The interior is well thought-out and is exemplified via excellent front and rear space, good materials selection, and great seats. This is one way the Mach-E trumps the Mustang coupe from which it derives its look.
Front Seats: The front seats are well-padded and accommodating. We found no difficulty getting into a comfortable position via the 8-way power-adjustable front seats.
Rear Seats: This is one of the best aspects of the Mach-E. 38 inches of rear legroom and great rear seats that provide tremendous comfort even for the middle passenger. The flat floor is due to the placement of the battery and the absence of a transmission tunnel, and that equates to ample space for all three rear occupants. We also love that the middle position has no bulges in the seats, meaning long drives are no problem.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): The Mach-E is quiet and virtually free of wind and road noise. Sound insulation and build quality are excellent.
Visibility: Front and side views are very good, but the D-pillar angle makes it tough to see out the rear sides.
Climate: The climate system works very well, and we were able to get temps without a problem. Seat heat and ventilation are also quick to respond.
Safety
The Mach-E did quite well in crash tests. Its safety tech set isn't as robust as some competitors, though.
IIHS Rating: The Mach-E received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. It got dinged in the headlight category for some trim levels and also gets an "acceptable" for LATCH ease of use. Otherwise, it's a very safe EV.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: The Mach-E comes standard with Ford's advanced driver-assistance system, Co-Pilot360 2.0, which includes Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, and Dynamic Brake Support.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
The Mach-E is quite practical with a solid level of cargo space and some very thoughtful interior storage spaces. The benefit of a drainable frunk is also high on the list of great features.
Storage Space: The cabin has a great large binnacle below the center console, as well as a large open charging deck and storage area. The armrest is decently sized, as well as the door pockets.
Cargo Room: The cargo area has 29.7 cubic feet of room behind the rear seats and a total of 59.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The frunk provides 4.7 cubic feet of drainable space, making it superb for keeping drinks cold on outings. It's also great for keeping medium-sized valuables totally out of sight.
Fuel Economy
The Mach-E has an estimated range between 226 and 312 miles, depending on the battery pack and the configuration. While it's not class-leading, it is more than respectable in the EV field. It also has fast-charging capability. We love the mobile charging device that can add up to 30 miles of range per night with a 120-volt outlet and up to 80 percent of battery life overnight on 240 volts.
Observed: We didn't deplete the battery and got about 238 miles of range without having to charge. That's pretty good, considering we don't have a charger at our house.
Distance Driven: 238 miles.
Audio
The Mach-E Premium comes standard with a superb B&O 10-speaker sound system. It's full and has plenty of bass without any distortion at high volumes. We enjoyed listening to it, and it has no need to overcome noise from a gas engine.
