Like many of our readers, when we got our first glimpse of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, we were hardly impressed. The Mach-E looks nothing like a Mustang in the traditional sense. It has no muscle car design features, and its crossover stance really didn’t sit well with us. It doesn’t even remind us of a Mustang. Sure, Ford will tell us that it has elements inspired from America’s favorite muscle car, but the truth of the matter was that Ford took a gamble with the design when it took the crossover route. Well, it seems to have paid off big time, because not only has the Mustang Mach-E design been accepted by customers, the overall road presence of the car is actually quite admirable once you see it in the flesh. The Mustang Mach-E looks nice and sleek, and it actually does have some muscle on it, but more importantly it shows that Ford is willing to completely revamp its image to jump onboard the electric vehicle bandwagon.
However, if you put the design aspects to the side and dig a little deeper into the underpinnings of the Mustang Mach-E, you will see that it’s an engineering marvel that has truly taken Ford a considerable amount of effort to achieve. It’s got plenty of power, and it goes really fast. The interior space is wonderful, and it’s stacked with some of the best features available today. Just one ride in the new Mach-E and you will begin to understand just how capable this electric car is, making it one of our favorite cars of 2021. On top of all that, the Mach-E was received very well by customers, and it now accounts for a major chunk of all Mustang sales. In November alone, the Mach-E accounted for 3,088 out of the total 6,797 Mustangs shipped out: almost half.
These are all the reasons why the Ford Mustang Mach-E won the HotCars Best Electric Car of 2021.
The Mustang Mach-E Is Not A SUV And That’s A Good Thing
You can argue for days about whether the Mach-E is actually a Mustang, but one thing for certain is that it’s not a SUV. Even though Ford claims it to be one, the Mach-E is a crossover vehicle in terms of design. The SUV craze is taking the global auto industry by storm, and marketing crossovers as SUVs seems to be the new trend. But the fact that the Mach- E looks more like a crossover actually works in its favor. Yes, Ford did use the Mustang name because it represents a brand that is strong for the Blue Oval. Besides that, the Mach-E is its own personality, and it looks great on the road. It’s got an extended front hood and a coupe like rear to give it that sporty touch. What’s incredibly impressive is that it can seat five passengers comfortably. The interior layout is also unique and quite futuristic. The overall quality is top-notch, and the large center console and 10-inch instrument panel behind the steering wheel look great. One of the reasons why the Mustang was very well received is because of its unique design and practical interiors.
No V6 or V8, But The Mach-E Still Performs Like A Mustang
It’s unimaginable to think of a Mustang without a powerful engine, and Ford left no stone unturned to make sure that the Mach-E delivers the performance that Mustang owners demand. Because this is an electric vehicle, Ford needed to make sure that if they were to use the Mustang nameplate, the performance had to match their ICE counterparts. With four different versions of the Mach-E on offer, there is a car for everyone. The base model gets about 266hp and an incredible torque output of 428 lb-ft that allows the car to sprint from 0-60mph in just 5.2 seconds and offers 230 miles of range. The top variant, which is the GT, gets about 480hp and 250 miles of range, but it can race from 0-60mph in a mere 3.5 seconds. Remember, this is supposedly an SUV that can fit five people, and there is also plenty of room for storage.
There is also an extended range middle variant that offers 300 miles of driving range. No matter which variant you choose, though, there is always plenty of power for you to feel exhilarating acceleration.
Besides the power and quick acceleration, Ford also made sure that the center of gravity in the Mach-E is only 1.2 inches higher than in the regular Mustang. This allows the electric Mustang to handle incredibly well. The manner in which the Mach-E takes on corners is incredible. The steering is well-weighted and the turn-in is sharp and precise. This adds to the overall sporty touches of the Mustang that were needed in the Mach-E to be worthy of the name. The Mach-E competes directly with the Tesla Model Y, and while it may not be as quick in the base models, it certainly handles much better. You could even find yourself drifting the tail out occasionally. The Mach-E is really that fun to drive, and that’s how it stays true to the Mustang name.
The Mach-E Makes A Statement And Is Loaded with Tech
The Ford Mustang Mach-E makes some huge inroads on Tesla. The overall design is better than the Model Y. Even the interior space and quality is far superior. The Model Y may have better range, but nobody is really going to be driving more than 250 miles every day. Even when it comes to technology, the Mach-E impresses. It comes with plenty of driver assist systems, there are heated seats and other creature comforts, and it also has complete phone connectivity where you can control everything about that car. Tesla also might have a better charging network, but Ford is not far behind. Ford currently shares a network with two other providers, and you can easily locate a charging station. All things considered, the Mustang Mach-E has positively impacted the market and has been a major success for Ford. With wonderful driving dynamics and everyday driving practicality, Ford has shown us that affordable electric vehicles don’t have to be dull and boring. Yes, there might be more electrifying EVs to drive such as the Porsche Taycan, but the Mach-E is far more accessible to the masses and is a high-quality value-for-money package. That is why we believe it’s the best electric car of 2021.