Report 1 28/02/24 - Report 2 14/3/24 - Report 3 28/3/24 - Report 4 13/5/24 - Report 5 14/6/24 - Report 6 2/7/24
REPORT 6: THE END (2nd July 2024)
Mileage: 3144km
The time has come to say farewell to our long-term Mustang Mach-E GT. The bright blue electric rocket has gone back to Ford and we have moved on, as motoring journalists are known to do.
At the beginning of our time with the Mach-E we wanted to see if an EV that could bolt from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds could also serve as a sensible daily driver.
And while there was a whole saga behind verifying that 0 to 100 time, the Mustang quickly proved to be an ideal daily driver. For me, at least.
The Mach-E’s combination of big range and even bigger performance made it one of the most accessible and easy-to-live-with EVs I have spent a lot of time, and driving it never failed to put a smile on my face. And not just because it could do big skids, as all Mustangs should.
My routine of charging an EV whenever I have an opportunity to - mainly at my local supermarket where it would get a couple of 15-20 minute charges each week - rather than Editor Evans’ method of commuting a frankly silly distance and charging it at home on a 3-pin - meant that I really didn’t even have to think about the level of charge, even when faced with a longer drive.
While it was very capable of going Very Fast Indeed, the Mach-E’s sheer flexibility and comfort made it the perfect car for both those supermarket runs and long drives, and while some may complain that the sporty suspension tune of the GT is a bit too firm, it genuinely wasn’t something that ever bothered me.
One negative on the urban driving experience, however, was the over-eager one-pedal mode that would slow the Mach-E more aggressively than your usual one-pedal system and was something I could never quite come to terms with, so in turn, never used.
Another niggle is the tiny button used to manually lock the GT that sits just above the button that opens the door and, of course, you always hit the wrong one. Not that you need to use the lock button, however, as the Mustang will lock itself if you just walk away.
Otherwise, the Mach-E was wonderfully easy to live with as a daily commuter. But then, of course, it is capable of going Very Fast Indeed and is remarkably silly fun when it does.
The Mach-E GT and MG4 XPower share a number of traits; both are seriously quick AWD EVs that their respective makers say will hit 100km/h in less than 4 seconds, and both deliver that performance in a slightly wild way.
But the big difference is that, while the MG’s wild nature just feels like a car with more power than its underpinnings can reasonably handle, the Mustang’s is clearly deliberate.
Nail it off the line and the front rears up (like a V8 Mustang GT) as the front wheels scrabble for grip (like a Focus ST) and the rears dig in after a quick squeal of protest. Do it while going around a corner and the front will offer up a tiny bit of torque steer (again, just like a Focus ST) before the rear steps predictably and hilariously out (again just like a V8 Mustang GT!).
Do this all in a ham-fisted fashion and it is a hilariously hoonish blend of front torque steer and rear oversteer - do it with more finesse and you can balance the FWD and RWD tendencies in a very predictable way. Both are equally entertaining.
One drawback is the steering that feels slightly disconnected from the action. It is still nicely accurate, but lacks the sort of engagement that the chassis delivers.
The Mach-E GT does a remarkable job of offering pretty much what a petrol V8 Mustang GT coupe offers (engaging handling and feral performance, along with surprising comfort and ease of use) but with more practicality.
By the end of our time with the Mach-E it was my car of choice for the weekend; it doesn’t offer a V8 roar, which will be more than enough to put some people off, but for anyone wanting a practical SUV with a properly wild side to it, the Mach-E GT fits the bill nicely.
It was comfortable, practical and economical to run, while also being hugely enjoyable and just a bit wild. It also got cheaper while we had it (dropping from its initial $116,990 price tag to $97,800) and never stopped being entertaining.
- Damien O'Carroll
REPORT 5: ZERO TO FOILED (14th June 2024)
Mileage: 2811km
Can’t say I didn’t try. Ford claims some fairly impressive acceleration times for the Mustang Mach-E GT. Its all-wheel drive and electric motors are made for going fast, and while the chassis is just as fun and surprisingly agile, the straight-line performance was recently put to the test.
Ford claims 0-100km/h in less than 3.7 seconds. Awesome! And almost every time the accelerator goes down, it sure feels fast! But how fast? So we suction cupped our RaceBox to the windscreen, logged onto a dozen or so satellites and set it to drag mode.
But that’s not all! It also takes a few settings within the Ford’s touchscreen, and the Untame mode doesn’t actually releases all the mustangs, apparently. You need to enable Untame Plus, which is a touch-switch within the drive modes screen. OK, easy then.
So, driven to private testing location, RaceBox logged onto satellites and ready, Untame mode activated… wait, why is Untame Plus ‘greyed out’…? I can’t actually turn it on?! The temperature was fine, the battery had enough charge (72 per cent) and everything seemed sorted and ready. Dang. The "i" button simply says the right conditions aren't met...?
Must carry on, so the Mustang Mach-E GT (in Untame regular mode) blasts to 100km/h in a recorded 4.53 seconds, which is certainly fast for a 2273kg SUV.
Even more oddly, upon arriving home, the next morning, in the driveway, Untame Plus mode is ‘active’… ie: able to be activated, which sure was frustrating. So later that day, tried again, and on location it - again - reverted to being greyed out. Argh! So the final story was, we weren’t able to test the Mach-E GT’s claim… at least when and where we were ready to. It’s rather moot: it’s quick, regardless, whichever mode and screen it’s in, and managed a 12-second quarter-mile time, which is plenty quick.
Speaking of screens, doing afternoon school runs in the Mach-E was also a bit of fun, with the juniors loving the sketchpad. Able to keep three drawings, which was explained to kerb some anger and tears at precious artwork being over-saved, it’s a kid’s delight with lots of colours and creativity, and some bespoke artwork from 8yo Ella and 5yo Oscar.
Lastly, the Mustang’s popularity: it’s a polarising car, but we were interested in finding out by how much. So with friend of DRIVEN, Darren meeting us in his R2-D2-themed V8 Dodge Challenger we grabbed a quick pic for a quick Instagram poll.
Once the votes were in, unsurprisingly, it was a landslide victory to the V8, with a large 83 per cent of the voting. We’d suggest, however, that would certainly be offset a little more if some of those 83 per cent were able to experience how awesome the Mustang Mach-E GT truly is.
- Dean Evans
REPORT 4: THE DOLLAR DASH (13th May 2024)
Mileage: 2514km
A new-car review tends to be a moment in time. But one of the interesting aspects of a long-term test, where we evaluate a vehicle for months rather than days, is the need to reassess the performance and value of a model as the market changes around it.
Case in point: the pricing of our Mustang Mach-E GT. It had already been trimmed back from the launch $124,990 to $116,990 by the time we collected "our" Grabber Blue example back in February. But Ford New Zealand has just dropped another $19,190 from the sticker, meaning the flagship GT is now under $100k: $97,800.
That's only for existing 2023 stock (not that there have been any changes to the car for 2024), but you'll also get a free 100,000km/5-year service plan and $1000 RUCs paid up.
Big discounts on EVs: there's a lot of it going around, amid troubled times in the industry. But looking at it from the point of view of us consumers, there are also bargains to be had and this is surely one of them. While $98k is still a lot of money, it's incredibly good value for a super-SUV with phenomenal performance (0-100km/h in 3.7sec): the Mach-E is a true Ford Performance product.
- David Linklater
REPORT 3: THE THREE PIN PROBLEM (28th March 2024)
Mileage: 1544km
With our office in Auckland and my home in Hamilton, it's quite normal to see a fully charged EV down to 50 per cent by the time I rack up 130km and reverse into the garage. The Mustang Mach-E is similar, but better than many, with the standard drive resulting in at least 65 per cent remaining - plenty of power for Hamilton chores and school runs over the following days.
But I also need to plan for the 130km trip back to work's Wallbox charger, which is made a little harder by the fact the Mustang does not have an approved three-pin wall socket charger. It will still operate with an aftermarket charger, but one isn't officially approved.
Big deal, some will argue (some in the office, even), but for me, by the time I drive to the nearest fast charger, wait for the better part of an hour, and then return to home while losing another 5 per cent, it can get less convenient. But owners will have a home Wallbox, the chant goes - yes, but as Monty Python said, we're all individuals, and for me and my situation, the lack of a three-pin charger is worthy of a note, if nothing more.
Ford does however provide a Type 2 charging cable, which allows easier/cheaper home installation than a full on Wallbox-style charger (that we thankfully have at work) - and also public AC charging, which will also be either good or not depending on your own specific situation.
With the Mustang sitting at the airport for a few days last weekend, I arrived at the Auckland office with range back down to 50km, and the range indicator on the dash changing from green to orange, and its overall performance noticeably hobbled; plugging into our Wallbox at 7:30am resulted in a 100% charged estimate time of 7:30pm. So unless you're doing Hamilton to Auckland return on a daily basis, charging probably all works out fine in the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
- Dean Evans
REPORT 2: MEET THE FAMILY (14th March 2024)
Mileage: 905km
Our long-term Mustang Mach-E GT has been piling on the kays, thanks mainly to the super-commuting efforts of editor Dean Evans. But we've also had a contemplative moment with the car, when it met the Mustang GT RTR we reviewed recently. Coincidentally, in the same Grabber Blue colour.
It was reminder that even though the pure-electric Mach-E has been around a while, we still get plenty of comment from those who reckon it's not a "real" Mustang like the V8 fastback.
We're big fans of the Mach-E GT. It's a hugely entertaining car and we won't even taunt the haters by pointing out that it's the fastest factory Mustang you can buy. But more to the point, there's no need to feel threatened because this is Mustang reimagined as an electric SUV, not a replacement for the classic V8.
Which continues, of course, with an all-new seventh-generation model on the way this year. So don't be afraid: nobody's taking away the ICE Pony car just just yet. Meanwhile, the astonishing performance and wickedly entertaining handling of our Mach-E GT is providing plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, which is exactly what a Mustang is supposed to do.
- David Linklater
REPORT 1: INTRO AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS (28th February 2024)
Mileage: 25km
A new member has joined the DRIVEN stable, and it has some pedigree breeding as we saddle up. With those awful horsey puns dispensed with, we can officially welcome one of the stars of the 2023 motoring year to our DRIVEN garage, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, in iconic and advertising-featured Grabber Blue Metallic.
Sitting at the top of the three-model range above the $74,990 RWD and the $104,990 AWD model, we’ve rounded up the headlining $116,990 GT; it’s significantly quicker than the AWD and packs more gear for the $12k premium, including 20in wheels, sports seats, MagneRide suspension and a bespoke GT bodykit.
While its headline-grabber as the fastest-accelerating production Mustang on sale may have an asterisk, “on sale” is the disclaimer, as the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 still holds the title, managing 0-60mph (96km/h) in 3.4 seconds; regardless it’s splitting horse hairs.
Recognising but putting aside the two strikes of it being both an EV and named a Mustang, two separate hate-crimes in some peoples’ eyes, this GT jumps from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds: that’s faster than a Ferrari F40 (4.3 seconds), and line-ball with the Porsche 959 (3.7s), which is also all-wheel drive. While those 1980s icons are a world apart from the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, there is some relevance to them being the ultimate supercars of their time, and reverence for never beating your heroes... or something like that.
It is very quick, and for $117k it would want to be, though that is including a recent $8k price drop making it a little more price-friendly. We sung its virtues with our test drive, including its fun and lively chassis that really makes it a driver’s car.
We loved the Mach-E so much, we also elected it as a top-three qualifier in both the AA DRIVEN EV class, and the outright top ten best in the Motoring Writers Guild NZ Car of the Years awards, citing its fit-for-purpose functionality as a practical, sporting SUV.
We’ll offer regular updates here over the next three months, and take betting on how many times it is admonished by observers for its EV status and badge. And try and avoid anyone named Sally.
- Dean Evans
What is the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT?
The pinnacle of Ford's electric Mustang Mach-E range, the $116,990 GT blends SUV practicality and brutal performance into one easy-to-live-with package.
Why are we running it?
To see if an EV that can bolt from 0 to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds can serve as a sensible daily driver.
