Jason Fenske, better known as Engineering Explained on YouTube, is no stranger to the car-loving community. Passionate about all things on four wheels, the vlogger likes the Ford Mustang Mach-E a lot, although the Blue Oval could have made the electric crossover a little better.
The first of the vlogger's “10 best features” comes in the form of exterior design. Ford has undoubtedly tried its best to make the Mach-E look like a Mustang, but then again, it’s not actually a ‘Stang, and the ground clearance leaves much to be desired. More to the point, the floor sits 5.7 inches (14.5 centimeters) above the road compared to 7.8 inches (19.8 centimeters) for the Escape.
Lower ground clearance translates to much better handling than the crossover on which it’s based, though. Jason also makes a case for the keypad entry on the driver’s side, which serves as an alternative to the key fob or a phone app. The door handles up front are superior in design and practicality to the Model Y, but the rear door buttons are “a bit sketchy.”
Yes, those are buttons instead of handles, and you have to pull the door by gripping the gloss-black plastic on the C-pillars. As far as cold-weather capability is concerned, the Mustang Mach-E can be charged even when the battery is at -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit). There are, however, two problems with that. In addition to accelerated battery degradation, charging EVs at sub-zero temperatures takes more time than usual.
One of the coolest things about (some) electric vehicles is the front trunk, and typical of Ford, the Mustang Mach-E has one-upped the Model Y with a cooling function. The generous sidewall of the tires also needs to be mentioned, which improves the ride quality over imperfect road surfaces. The downside is the small contact patch, which doesn’t help the e-SUV in the twisties because of its weight. For reference, this EV tips the scales at 4,838 pounds (2,195 kilograms) while a similarly sized Subaru Crosstrek weighs 3,109 pounds (1,410 kilograms).
Jason makes a point about the rear end being playful in the corners, but the overall grip isn’t up to snuff. Another highlight of the Mustang, which isn’t actually a Mustang is the all-inclusive phone app, available for both Android and iOS devices. This app is interconnected to an all-new electrical architecture, which offers SYNC 4 infotainment and over-the-air updates.
The infotainment system is a step forward in comparison to the outgoing SYNC 3, but when all is said and done, Ford could have integrated the ginormous tablet-style touchscreen much better into the cockpit. Typical of an electric vehicle, the Blue Oval has also developed driving mode-dependent “propulsion sound,” and rather surprisingly, you can switch it on or off.
Last but certainly not least, Mr. Fenske is disappointed by the lack of a spare tire. To whom it may concern, the cargo compartment has a flexible cover over it and a little blue Mustang motif flanked by the overhead trunk lights.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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