Ford Mustang Mach-E Review 2023

Do you want a practical electric car that's going to stand out for years to come – even when your neighbourhood is full of practical electric cars? If so, the Ford Mustang Mach-E could be a great choice for you. It combines a long electric range with a spacious cabin and head-turning looks, even if it's not quite as good to drive as you might expect.

In electric car terms, we often find that the cheapest is also the best. And that's true for the Ford Mustang Mach-E – the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Standard Range model will be powerful enough for most, is well-equipped and can travel further between charges than many drivers will actually need. Sure, there's an appeal to the pricier models, but they start to stray into the territory of much more desirable electric cars, making them harder to justify.

With an ever-increasing amount of electric SUVs on the market, the Ford Mustang Mach-E squares up against some very impressive competition. You should definitely have the Korean electric family SUV trio on your electric car shortlist (that's the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60), while the Volkswagen ID.4 (and sportier Volkswagen ID.5) and Skoda Enyaq iV are two very versatile electric vehicles.

The Mustang Mach-E isn't a cheap option, either, which means it's also pitching against premium competitors like the Audi Q4 e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Polestar 2 and BMW iX3 (to name a few). We'd also suggest a look at the Tesla Model Y, Volvo XC40 Recharge and Mercedes EQA.

The interior quality is pretty good for a Ford – but as we've struck on a few times, the brand is trying to position the Mustang Mach-E a little more upmarket than models like the Focus and Fiesta. There are a few hard finishes here and there, and the faux-leather seats aren't as classy as you'd find in, say, a BMW iX3. Generally the cabin feels hard-wearing, though, and it's not going to disappoint if you're also visiting a Volkswagen or Tesla showroom.

All Ford Mustang Mach-E models come with the same 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and 15.5-inch touchscreen navigation display.

Let's not beat about the bush: the 15.5-inch display is mahoosive. It's bigger than it needs to be. Arguably, a screen this size has no place in a car. Presumably, Ford's interior designers have been spending too much time in Teslas and assume that's what electric car buyers want in an infotainment screen.

On the plus side, it's pretty easy to operate. The huge screen means you can display multiple functions at once, while it's easy to navigate and fast to respond. It'd be nice if it was angled towards the driver, but perhaps letting your passenger operate it while you drive isn't a bad thing.

You get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, as well as a wireless phone charger. Look for a Mustang Mach-E with the Tech Pack for the 10-speaker B&O sound system – a very worthwhile upgrade if you like to crank up the beatz (or whatever it is the kids say these days).

Electric cars that have been designed from day one as an electric car are, generally, extremely practical. That's true for the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It was never intended to have a big old engine or gearbox, while the relatively flat battery pack is housed underneath the floor. While its external dimensions are pretty big (it measures 1624mm in height, 1881mm in width and 4713mm in length), that translates to a considerable amount of interior space.

The front seats are mounted relatively low down which means that, while you don't get a commanding seating position, you do get loads of head and legroom. A wide centre console sits between the driver and front-seat passenger, while there are loads of handy storage cubbies dotted around the cabin.

As the Mustang Mach-E is quite a long car, there's loads of rear legroom. Headroom in the back is pretty good, too, although the coupe roofline does mean it doesn't feel quite as spacious as inside a Skoda Enyaq iV. The completely flat floor will be appreciated by passengers in the middle rear seat.

As for the boot, there's 402 litres of luggage space back there. That's far from the biggest in its class (the Skoda Enyaq iV manages 585 litres) but it's a useful shape and a false floor reduces the lip (and gives you somewhere to store things away out of sight). You do get an extra 81 litres of storage space under the bonnet, too – ideal for storing away your charging cables.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is available with two battery sizes: 75kWh (badged the Standard Range) or 91kWh (badged the Extended Range). Both are available in single-motor rear-wheel-drive flavour, or as a dual-motor all-wheel-drive model.

Even the standard RWD Ford Mustang Mach-E isn't exactly lacking in the pony power department. With 269PS and 430Nm of instant torque available, it'll scamper away from the line quite eagerly if you're heavy with the accelerator pedal. Officially, it'll cover the 0-62mph sprint in around 6.9 seconds, which makes it pretty sprightly by heavy SUV standards.

The Standard Range AWD model packs some extra torque (580Nm in total) while the extra traction provided by the four-wheel-drive system helps it get a speedy getaway – as such, it can cover 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds while matching the RWD's 111mph maximum speed.

While the Extended Range models are given a power boost over the standard Ford Mustang Mach-E derivatives, the extra weight of the batteries means they're not necessarily any quicker. Indeed, the Mach-E Extended Range RWD variant packs 294PS but takes 7.0 seconds flat to accelerate to 62mph – not exactly tepid, but still the slowest of the bunch.

With a very healthy 351PS on tap (and 580Nm of torque), the Mustang Mach-E Extended Range AWD can cover 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds. That's not quite as punchy as, say, a Tesla Model Y Performance – but it'll feel pretty urgent to most drivers, especially if you haven't sampled an electric car before.

If you're longing for the urgency of a V8 Mustang, the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT provides that. With 487PS and a stonking 860Nm of torque, the Mach-E GT will sprint to 62mph in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. There are faster electric cars out there, but that's still pretty rapid for an SUV of this size and weight.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Standard Range can officially travel up to 273 miles between charges in RWD form, while the AWD model covers up to 248 miles (according to WLTP tests). That's more than three hours of motorway driving before you'll need to stop for a break – so don't necessarily dismiss the smaller-battery model. Sure, its actual range figure will drop slightly in winter (particularly if you make the most of the Mach-E's performance), but it should still be able to travel 180 miles or so before it needs a top-up.

Regular long-distance drivers should look at the Mustang Mach-E Extended Range, though. With its 91kWh battery pack, the long-range model can travel up to 379 miles between charges in RWD form, while the AWD manages 335. That's almost competitive with a petrol or diesel SUV.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, meanwhile, uses the 91kWh battery pack and can cover up to 310 miles between top-ups.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E might be priced in line with premium electric SUVs like the Audi Q4 e-tron, but it lacks the refinement of upmarket competitors. A lot of it comes down to the suspension, which clatters about as it tries to deal with the Mach-E's enormous kerbweight. There's quite a lot of wind noise, too, as well as a surprising amount of roar from the tyres.

Fiddle around with the Whisper, Active and Untamed drive modes and you'll find that each has quite a distinctive 'engine' note. It's at its quietest in the Whisper mode, while the Untamed mode uses an odd sci-fi-like rumble. Fortunately, you can turn it off entirely.

With a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of the safest family cars you can buy. When it was tested in 2021, independent crash-testing experts Euro NCAP awarded it a score of 92% for adult occupants and 86% for children.

That impressive result is partly down to the plethora of crash-preventing tech fitted as standard across the Mach-E range. This includes Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Lane Centring, Pre-Collision Assist with Auto Emergency Braking, and Lane-Keeping System with Blind Spot Assist.

We've heard of very few issues affecting the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Generally, electric cars are surprisingly reliable – they have very few moving parts to go wrong, after all. Ford tends to perform well in reliability surveys while the Mach-E is covered by the brand's standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty. That's not as impressive as the Kia EV6's seven-year warranty, but the battery at least is covered for at least eight years/100,000 miles.

With its relatively high performance and complex components, you could cause quite a lot of damage in a short amount of time in the Ford Mustang Mach-E. That means it could be fairly expensive to insure – particularly if you've only recently gained your driving licence or have a less-than-optimal driving history.

The cheapest Ford Mustang Mach-e to insure is the Standard Range RWD model which sits in insurance group 33E, while the priciest is the powerful Mustang Mach-E GT. That's in insurance group 47E – one of the highest bands.

As a pure electric vehicle, the Ford Mustang Mach-E is free to tax each year. That's quite a significant saving compared to similar petrol or diesel model – particularly as those with a list price of more than £40,000 are hit by an extra £355 in premium car tax for five years.

Standard equipment on entry-level Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD Standard Range and Extended Range models include 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass and LED reflector headlights/taillights. Inside, the RWD Mustang Mach-E comes with black Sensico trim with grey stitching, a heated steering wheel and heated driver/passenger seats. You also get a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and 15.5-inch central touchscreen navigation display with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, along with a wireless phone charger. Intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop and go/lane centering is also standard, as well as front/rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, one-pedal drive and selectable drive modes.

All-wheel-drive variants feature 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, as well as black perforated Sensico trim with red stitching. You also get a 360-degree camera, hands-free tailgate, B&O premium sound system, advanced active park assist and a full panoramic sunroof.

The range-topping Ford Mustang Mach-E GT comes with 20-inch cast aluminium wheels, unique GT bumpers and wheel lip mouldings, 19-inch Brembo brakes with red calipers, GT performance seats, GT scuff plates and MagneRide suspension.