My Mach E is sick.
No, that’s not me trying to show how hip and cool and relevant I am. While the vehicle is indeed ‘sick’ in the slang way, it’s also very sick as in the ‘not well’ way.
It’s currently at the dealership service department awaiting some sort of part or parts to resolve a coolant leak issue. It could be weeks or months before I see and drive it again. Yes, it sucks.
Initially, when I was told about the issue and that they wouldn’t let me drive it, I was told that I would get a Mach E ‘exactly the same as yours’ to drive as a loaner until my vehicle could be fixed. I was told the vehicle was currently with another customer, but they were due to return it the next morning and that I would have my loaner vehicle by noon, once they had a chance to clean it out. OK, one night without a car, no problem. While inconvenient, I accepted this as the best the dealership could do and ultimately wouldn’t really affect me too badly, if in fact it was the same.
Well, that optimism lasted only until the next morning’s call from the dealership.
Apparently, the person who currently had the loaner Mach E has now ‘decided not to return it’ until the next day – Saturday. What? You can just do that? This is a thing? I guess that’s a thing.
Anyway, of course, bringing the vehicle back on Saturday means there’s nobody in the service area available to ‘turn the car around’ and clean it up so that I would be able to have it – I would now have to wait until Monday to get my loaner. As my blood started to boil, I was quickly told however, that I would be getting a rental vehicle ‘on the house’ so that I wouldn’t have to be without a vehicle all weekend. I was told to expect a call later that morning from the rental car company who would ‘take care of me’.
As much as I wanted to tear a strip up and down the Service Tech, I calmly accepted this resolution, as I knew it was not his fault, and he was at least going to arrange for me to have a vehicle until I can get the loaner. Sure enough, an hour later someone from Enterprise called me and told me I could come get a vehicle at noon. I was offered a choice of a Ford Escape or a 5.0 L Mustang. ‘Umm, I’ll go with the Mustang,’ I replied. Duh.
Sure enough, upon arrival at the Enterprise location, I was given a brand new Mustang Convertible (just what I need in December!) in Grabber Blue. It’s sure was pretty looking – definitely not bad for a rental. I quickly took care of all the paperwork and was handed the keys to the beast.
And what a beast it is – loud rumbling engine, sleek, low stance, fierce angles and an extremely bold paint job. This thing screams power.
But also – what follows is probably going to fall under ‘unpopular opinion’ – I hate it.
Everything about this Mustang is obnoxious. Despite it being a classic ‘mid-life crisis’ car – and I am absolutely pushing mid-life – this vehicle is not for me. In any way. Not even close.
First of all (insert old man groan here) – it’s WAY too low. I feel like I am sitting on the pavement while driving. At 6’3″, I know I am tall, but I don’t think obscenely so – yet folding myself up small enough to tuck into the driver’s door takes me contorting muscles I’ve long ago forgotten about. And getting out requires unfolding those same muscles and leaves me all wrinkled for several steps once I exit.
Second, the noises! I know people love the sound of a rumbly engine, but I am not one of those people. My neighbour has a 5.0L Mustang, and I constantly hear it rumble throughout the neighbourhood. I had always assumed he was pushing it or doing something to ‘make’ the vehicle be so obnoxious, but no, that’s just how it is. After just three months of driving my Mach E, I learned to love and embrace how quiet it is when driving around. This Mustang is the complete opposite of that. I get that it’s powerful, but man, I would trade all that power away for a little silence. Or better yet, keep all the power and just have a nice, quiet electric drivetrain with instant torque. What an idea!
Third, it’s slow. OK, I know it’s not. Once it gets going – or if I had a racing mentality – I am sure I could beat any vehicle off the drop at a light or whatever. Maybe it’s in tandem with the sounds I just complained about, but when I do start from a light or whatever, it just feels like the car is lumbering along. Maybe it’s cause it’s a rental and has been beaten on, but I think there’s only 25k on the odometer, so it shouldn’t be that bad? Regardless, I have truly become an EV snob, and I find the acceleration in this Mustang to be terrible.
Fourth – the entertainment system. Sure, this Mustang has CarPlay, and seems like it can get Software Updates and there’s a decent 5-7inch touchscreen with the regular crap, but moving back to this world from the Mach E’s massive screen and endless customization options on the touch screen, I felt cramped by the Mustang’s infotainment options. One example – I noticed that the ambient lighting in the car is purple. Granted, I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to find it, but after poking around the setup screens for a few minutes, I couldn’t find anywhere to change this. I am sure the option exists, and I’m probably an idiot for not being able to see it, but at a minimum – to me – it wasn’t as intuitive of where to find this type of setting.
Fifth – and I guess this is tied to my first complaint – but I hate how low profile the vehicle is. I can’t see anything! I know I came from a Jeep where I was above most other vehicles, but I find the stance of the Mach E to be a nice compromise between the extreme height of an SUV or truck and the absurd low position of this Mustang. I feel like at any time I am going to be stomped on by every other vehicle.
All of the above is probably easy to chalk up as an old man shaking his fist at the clouds, but I think I finally understand all the angst and hoopla around people who say the Mach E shouldn’t have (or doesn’t deserve) Mustang badging. I used to think this was all just nonsense. But I realized something after driving the Mustang for a few days.
They are absolutely right – the Mach E is not a Mustang. It’s WAY better. In every possible way.