If I told you to picture something that’s fire-engine red, all-wheel-drive, and does zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds, you’d probably imagine a Lamborghini launching from the Sant'Agata Bolognese factory like a fire-breathing dragon from its lair. I doubt you’d picture a crossover SUV that draws smiles and approving nods at your local organic grocery co-op, but that’s exactly what showed up in my driveway in the form of a 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition.

The Mustang Mach-E, especially one equipped with GT Performance Edition features, is a strange animal. Is it an SUV or a new kind of sports car? I was eager to make sense of Ford’s new take on the pony car over the course of one week, several hundred miles, and with the help of insight from the people who brought this vehicle to life. Above all else, I needed to figure out exactly who this $69,600 (as tested) vehicle is for.

Making The Numbers Add Up

Understanding the Mustang Mach-E’s facts and figures starts with the electric powertrain. Its 480 horsepower and 634 pound-feet of torque are certainly impressive, and the 4,989-pound curb weight isn’t unheard of among modern SUVs. Power delivery, on the other hand, is something special. Instant torque fires the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition off the line from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. A few years ago, that was exclusively supercar territory. Electric cars have been reshaping our concept of acceleration recently, but there’s no way around the fact that this car is extremely quick – by any automotive standard. It’s certainly enough to take on the current Mustang GT. Sticky Pirelli P Zero tires and MagnaRide adaptive suspension damping provide a more secure ride than you’d get from the base trim level. If the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition is good enough to get Jay Leno’s attention, it’s probably good enough for you, too.

In addition to all this performance, the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition offers everyday usability that rivals that of much more compromised SUVs. Rear seating is roomy and comfortable for adults thanks to the slim front seats and lack of a transmission tunnel down the center of the floor. The rear cargo area provides 29.7 cubic feet of storage. The frunk adds an extra 4.7 cubic feet of cargo room with hard plastic with a drain at the bottom, so you can store messy items there to keep the cabin clean. Some may lament the blurring of the lines that separate performance cars from family haulers, but there’s something appealing about a car that can handle both jobs this well.

Related: 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E: Costs, Facts, And Figures

Beauty In The Eye Of The Beholder

It’s no secret that the most controversial aspect of this car is the badge. During my time with the Mustang Mach-E GT, I noticed something interesting about how people spoke about it. Traditional car enthusiasts at a local cars and coffee meetup called it a Mach-E without fail. People who are indifferent to cars or fans of EVs, on the other hand, called it a Mustang. The one thing they did agree on was the sentiment that Ford’s designers made an attractive car. Clean lines, excellent fit and finish, and clever use of black body panels to shed visual weight create a car with wide appeal.

Inside the car, a minimalist interior keeps the cabin uncluttered. The seats are slim but supportive and comfortable for hours at a time. Ample bolstering hugs the driver and front-seat passenger during spirited driving. Ford gave the car physical controls for the lights, traction control, windshield wipers, turn signals, cruise control, audio, and voice commands. The 15.5-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash grants access to the car's other features. Fortunately, the designers learned from others’ mistakes and included a physical volume knob on the screen. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. Climate control is always available at the bottom of the screen. At the top, a Mustang Mach-E icon opens a menu of settings and features that includes three dive modes, one-pedal driving, parking assistance, and access to the suite of onboard cameras. Most of the time, screen real estate belongs to your choice of navigation, music, tire pressure, and trip information.

A second screen above the steering wheel provides a speedometer, odometer, gear position indicator, and icons for active features like one-pedal driving. When navigation is active, directions appear here as well as on the main screen’s map. This driver-focused screen is also where drivers can see if BlueCruise, Ford’s self-driving feature, is available and active.

Related: 10 Reasons We’d Buy A Ford Mustang Mach-E Over A Tesla Model Y

The (Shrinking) Elephant In The Room

Electric vehicles are fast and loaded with futuristic tech, but they aren’t perfect. Most of the flaws in the Mustang Mach-E GT are a function of battery technology rather than model-specific traits. Ford claims an EPA-estimated maximum range of 260 miles for the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition’s 91-kilowatt-hour battery. A Ford spokesperson told me that it’s possible for a 100-percent charge to yield a range of more than 300 miles under ideal conditions. As temperatures drop, though, range suffers. During my time with the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, I charged the battery to 90 percent one afternoon when the temperature was about 65 degrees, yielding a 220-mile estimated range. The next morning, when temperatures had dropped to about 40 degrees, the projected figure was only 180 miles. At the coldest point of the week, a 50-percent charge resulted in an estimated range of 87 miles. It’s worth noting that range estimation is more involved than a gas gauge. It analyzes driving habits, climate control use, and road loads over the past 12 hours to provide an educated guess of how long a driver can expect the battery to last.

Charging can present another challenge. The Mustang Mach-E can charge from a standard 120- or 240-volt outlet, a Ford Connected Charge Station, or a public charging station. Charge rates vary widely, so the best option is to trickle-charge overnight at home, top off when the opportunity presents itself, and use faster options as a backup. Whichever option you use, you can monitor and control progress remotely with the FordPass app. Ford’s navigation system does locate charging stations and allows drivers to filter results using parameters like price and speed, but public options are hit-or-miss. The navigation system directed me to several chargers located in private parking structures and a few broken chargers, so it’s best to charge early and often. For road trips, plan ahead to find charging stations in your area or along a route.

These drawbacks shouldn’t cause you to avoid the Mustang Mach-E or EVs in general, but they are considerations that new buyers should be aware of. Keeping your EV going isn’t as simple as pulling into any gas station or counting on the estimated maximum range. The good news is that the support network for EVs is constantly improving and Ford’s over-the-air updates will keep your EV updated with the latest software.

Living With The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition

One of the first things I do when I get a press car is sit in the driver’s seat and read the Monroney. I want to know which features are standard and which are optional, but it’s also a very informative way to read the vehicle’s price tag. If I were sitting in that seat after paying that amount and driving off the lot, how would I feel?

In the case of the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, the initial impression was good. The seats were comfortable and supportive. The cabin was quiet and the sound system delivered high-quality audio. Design elements seemed well-executed. So far, so good.

On the road, the Mustang Mach-E GT continued to feel like a $70,000 car. Remember, the average price of a new car in the U.S. is nearly $50,000 (at the time of writing). To push the car’s range, I took a 180-mile round trip on the highway. The route I chose fell within Ford’s network of roads that allow BlueCruise hands-free driving. Road conditions occasionally required me to intervene, but at times I must have gone about 30 minutes without touching the steering wheel. The system would occasionally weave back and forth to find the center of the lane, particularly when two lanes merged, but it generally inspired confidence.

Highway driving favors Whisper mode, which allows the car to coast like an automatic. Everywhere else, I preferred to use one-pedal driving in Engage mode. With one-pedal driving enabled, the electric motors handle braking. This is very convenient in stop-and-go traffic, but it also allows the regenerative braking system to recharge the battery along the way. It took some getting used to, but it’s a feature I recommend for daily driving.

My contacts at Ford warned me to be careful with such performance-oriented tires in cool autumn weather, but one does not simply drive a car that can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds and not bury the accelerator as deeply into the carpet as it will go. All the vehicle’s power is instantly available to the driver. If (and when) the computer detects excessive wheel spin, the traction control system steps in to reduce power via closed-loop control until the tires regain traction. The acceleration was truly remarkable. It made me wonder about the witchcraft that powers the Mustang Mach-E 1400 prototype. Any car that can shove me into the seat and make me cackle out loud is off to a good start. The vehicle’s electronic safety features were intrusive at times, like whenever a U-turn prompted clicking and thudding from the traction control, but most real-world driving shouldn’t present any issues.

In the beginning, part of me struggled to see the connection between the Mach-E and the Mustang brand. After all, the vehicle in front of me was a four-door kid hauler with a cylinder count that was eight short. It wasn’t until I contrasted it with other EVs on the market that I realized what’s different about the Mustang Mach-E. In a sea of EVs trying desperately to feel like transportation pods out of a science fiction movie, Ford’s EV feels more like a car. I consider that a good thing. Whether that car is a Mustang is up to you.

Related: This Is Why Gearheads Should Consider Buying The Ford Mustang Mach-E

Who Is The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition For?

After driving the Mustang Mach-E GT and speaking with many strangers who approached me in parking lots to see the car in person, I got some answers to my original question about what this car is. It’s not a sports car – not in the traditional sense, anyway. I doubt that anyone is going to trade in their V8 Mustang for the Mustang Mach-E, but Ford’s EV business is still booming. Newcomers to the Mustang brand will likely be parents who need to transport kids to and from school, handle the work commute, and have enough room to comfortably run errands. They’ll also have a taste for speed and want something that feels more premium than, say, a Nissan Leaf or Volkswagen ID.4. Those people will feel like they hit the jackpot when they drive the Mustang Mach-E GT, especially if they treat themselves to the Performance Edition.

Potential buyers are probably also considering the Tesla Model Y, which seems to be the bar to clear for electric SUVs at the moment. When equipped with Tesla’s Performance Upgrade, the Model Y’s price of $69,990 is right in line with the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance edition. Federal, state, and local incentives lower the price of each. On paper, the two look evenly matched. The driving and ownership experiences differ by design, support networks, and brand reputation, though, so those of you in the market will need to do more than flip a coin. Given Ford’s commitment to the Mustang heritage, the Mach-E still feels more like a car than a transportation pod – and car enthusiasts can appreciate that.