Surprisingly, not much was done.
In fact, Ford’s engineers and designers have done a great job of managing the Mustang’s muscle-and-acceleration acceleration and packaging it into a vehicle with gasoline power, rear-wheel drive, and a two-door pony car. It was a big stretch, and they carried it.
Although the version I was driving was the first version and the high-performance Mac-E GT would not be available later, it was a lot of fun, and it keeps reminding me to take it a little easier – police, you know – as I do when I drive the V8-powered Mustang GT coupe.
Ford says the Mac-E can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in five seconds, which seems right. There are fast SUVs out there, but it’s fast enough. Driving through a winding country road, the Mac-E has beautiful angles. It is balanced and does not lean too much to the side. The gasoline Mustang coupe handles well, but not exactly a sports car with precise steering, the Mac-E shares that personality. This is a little beef, sometimes, but can dance amazingly well. Maybe taking it off a race track will reveal some handling shortcomings, but especially for an SUV it felt terrible on public roads.
The steering gets tougher and more responsive when going through different driving modes – whisper, engaged, and unbridled – which may have felt a bit frozen, but again no different from the Mustang coupe. I set up the Mac-E but the brakes felt good “One pedal driving” so I don’t have to use them much. On a pedal drive, lifting my foot off the accelerator slows the car down as I press firmly on the brakes. When I lifted, the electric motors rotated, pushing the wheels instead of the other way, and they transferred the energy generated that way back to the batteries.
This is a common feature in electric cars. On the Mac-I it’s a little brighter at low speeds, often giving the accelerator pedal a little “thump”, but it’s smooth and fun at high speeds. (A Ford spokesman said that slower speeds were slowed down with subsequent software updates.)
The first version of the 346-horsepower Mac-E I was priced at $ 50,000, including a $ 7,500 federal tax credit. The first version models are already sold out, but the all-wheel drive premium models offer similar performance at a slightly lower price. Prices for the lower power versions start in the low $ 40,000 range. The 480-horsepower Mac-E GT will be available later with a starting price of $ 60,500.
For the $ 36,000 Mustang shopper with a V8 engine in a 460-horsepower car, those prices may seem out of bounds. It is an optional all-wheel drive, four-door, five-seater electric crossover SUV.
Although the Mac-I has some issues. For one, the exterior door handles – or exterior door buttons – seem meaninglessly high-tech, dim. I understand that having nice and smooth buttons protects a smidge of aerodynamic drag, but I still want to grab a handle and get in my car.
Even with the help of the FordPass app, it was partially strategic to find the chargers because I was not sure what I was looking for. Connecting can confuse them. Chargers from different companies work differently with the app. In some cases, you do not need to use the app to start charging the SUV. In other cases, it was.
Most people who buy a Mustang Mac-E, like most people who own a Tesla, will have a charger installed at home, and it will easily handle their charging needs. Commonly available chargers are the facility to enable long distance travel. But for those who want to buy an EV, they offer peace of mind, and based on my experience with Tesla’s chargers and (so far) Ford, Tesla has the advantage.
As for the SUV, Ford scored big in that area. Mustang family should Be proud of its newest member.
Prone to fits of apathy. Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Internet advocate. Avid travel enthusiast. Entrepreneur. Music expert.
