2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

It's impossible to talk about the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E without first mentioning the elephant in the room, or rather, the horse in the grille. By naming its new electric crossover "Mustang," Ford invited the scorn of car fans everywhere who equate that name and badge with 56.5 years of iconic V8-powered coupes. "That isn't a Mustang!" Fair enough, but the name has nevertheless accomplished two things: it has attracted the attention of non-car fans everywhere in a way most new EVs haven't, and it has ensured that Ford's new electric crossover is far more interesting and just far better than some generic, Escape-looking electric vehicle would have been. So think of it simply as Mach-E if you must, and then move on to appreciate the fact that Ford has created a well-executed electric car that's enjoyable to drive, handsome to behold and functional on a daily basis. It has the interior design, quality and features to help justify its high-for-a-Ford price tag, but then it also grossly undercuts various luxury-branded EVs. We also appreciate its more conventional interior to Tesla's and are more confident in its build quality, though its EV specs certainly fall short of the Model Y's impressive capabilities. The important thing, though, is Ford has created something good enough and cool enough to give EV seekers a more affordable Tesla alternative that isn't a cheaply finished subcompact hatchback. What's new for 2021? The Mach-E is all-new for '21. What are the Mach-E interior and in-car technology like? There's nothing remotely Mustangy about the interior apart from the horse on the wheel, which is just fine. Material quality is far better than expected, compared to either the regular Mustang or Ford's recent disappointing efforts in the Escape and Explorer. Plastics are of a higher quality, and the dash and doors are mostly covered in a padded, leather-like surface that's similar to what you'd find in a Lincoln. The ActiveX fake leather sure looks and feels like the real stuff, and the upper trims step things up further with a classy gray cloth trim across the dash. Then there's the design. Slapping a 15.5-inch vertically oriented touchscreen and a 10.2-inch letterbox widescreen instrument panel into a retro cabin would've looked ridiculous, like putting an Apple Watch on Big Ben. Instead, it's clean and modern, but with just enough traditional controls and useful center console storage. That jumbo touchscreen is also one of the best examples of this growing trend. Rather than stuffing as much as possible on the screen, it makes good use of the extra real estate by making buttons and displays bigger and more easily read at a quick glance. Having a separate instrument cluster is also appreciated, which is absolutely a reference to Tesla. We go into the Mach-E's infotainment system more thoroughly in this Driveway Test Review. How big is the Mustang Mach-E? The Mach-E's dimensions are unusual. It's longer than compact crossovers like Ford's Escape, but not quite as long as midsize models like …
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