【1985 Archives】

"I love your car!" a man shouted as I drove the new Ford Mustang Mach-E through an intersection in San Francisco.

985 Archivesday before, a passerby asked me if he could take a picture of the car while it was parked in my driveway. 

When I took it to my parents' house, one of their neighbors bounded over from across the street, explaining he had seen the car from his window. 

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Ford's Mustang is now an electric SUV. Credit: James Lipman/ ford

The Mustang Mach-E is Ford's classic muscle car reimagined as the company's first all-electric SUV. Not since Tesla released the Model 3 in 2016 and Model Y in 2019 has an EV generated this much excitement.

Maybe it's because the Mustang brand is so iconic, even without a gas-powered engine. My parents' neighbor was quick to reminisce about the first car he bought after immigrating to America: a Ford Mustang.

The electric SUV version features a sleek panoramic glass roof and a smooth exterior with no door handles. It even projects the Mustang logo onto the ground below.

Inside, it has a touchscreen with a user experience that Ford built just for the new Mustang. The car connects to the new FordPass app. And it boasts new driver assistance features like autonomous parallel parking.

Flashy. Credit: sasha lekach / mashable

The Mach-E is also priced reasonably. Tesla's second SUV, the Model Y, prides itself on its starting price: $41,990. The Mach-E starts at $43,895 for the most basic version. While other EVs, like the Porsche Taycan, have grabbed the attention of Tesla devotees, the price has always been a nonstarter: Its "cheapest" option coming out later this year is about $80,000.

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Now that the Mustang is an SUV, it's an option for everyday drivers, commuters, and families. But you can still rip down the freeway at 124 mph with nearly instant acceleration — but maybe keep the kids at home during your joyride.

Ford Mustang Mach-E vs. Tesla Model Y

"It's unlike any Ford I’ve ever driven before," said Matt Smith, deputy editor for online car shopping site CarGurus.com. He said it's able to keep up with cars from Tesla.

"Tesla has Ludicrous," he said, referring to the company's famous super-fast driving mode. "Ford has Mustang." Smith said the name Mustang "bestows an expectation of performance."

Both are priced similarly with similar performance, although Tesla wins in the range department. The most basic Mach-E configuration has a range of 211 miles. Meanwhile, the most basic Model Y's range, 303 miles, is higher than the 305 miles offered by the top-of-the-line Mach-E.

Electric future

Tesla has been both praised and dragged for turning the car into another tech gadget. When the Model 3 and Model Y came out, the front seat had a 15-inch touchscreen and a steering wheel, nothing else. Over-the-air updates improve the car much like a software update on an iPhone.

The control center of the new Mustang is where Ford really takes on Tesla. Everything from climate, navigation, drive modes (there's Engage, Whisper, and Unbridled), and music and media selection is housed in the 15.5-inch center screen.

Unlike the Model Y, there's a screen behind the wheel with basic drive information like speed and battery range.

The Mustang screen will be familiar to Tesla fans. Credit: James Lipman / ford

While Tesla might be more trusted to provide a smooth computer-assisted drive and long-lasting battery, it's still establishing itself as a car manufacturer despite nearly 10 years making cars. Ford — maker of the most popular truck in America — has a reputation for, well, manufacturing cars. That could entice consumers who are interested in becoming EV owners, but are wary of Tesla.

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CarGurus' Smith points out that Ford has another advantage: there are Ford dealerships and service centers around the country. Tesla, meanwhile, has them mostly in big cities and on the coasts. Still, in a survey of 500 visitors to CarGurus.com, around 7 percent more people said they’d buy a Model Y over a Mustang Mach-E.

SEE ALSO: 8 hottest electric vehicles hitting the road in 2021

Regardless, for Tesla, this showdown is a good thing. As the company's CEO, Elon Musk, said last year, Tesla's "goal all along has been to get the rest of the car industry to go all electric." Interest in the Mach-E is a strong sign that EVs are finally going mainstream.

UPDATE: Jan. 29, 2021, 11:20 a.m. PT This story previously included a chart that incorrectly listed the fastest acceleration for the Tesla Model Y and its starting price. It has been corrected. The top range for the Ford Mustang Mach-E was also updated along with the Mach-E's fastest acceleration targeted for the GT Performance version.

Topics Electric Vehicles Tesla