2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select review

Ford Mustang Mach-E Cons

The Ford Mustang Mach-E is off to a rocky start in Australia.

Its prices were slashed prior to launch in 2023, and hasn't set the sales charts alight so far in 2024 with just 181 delivered to date. That's compared to almost 7000 examples of the Tesla Model Y, or almost 600 examples of the Kia EV6.

On paper, it's hard to see why. Our experience with the Premium and GT has shown it's a punchy thing to drive, with a solid interior, and competitive electric range.

What we haven't done yet is experience the base Select.

With a smaller battery and less power than its more expensive siblings, it's not quite as Mustang… but it's also not quite as pricey, with a sticker that throws it directly into battle with the Tesla Model Y Long Range, along with mid-range versions of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Is the simplest Mustang Mach-E also the best?

Price rises are the order of the day in 2024, but the Mustang Mach-E is one of the few cars to be treated to a price cut.

The Select on test here was hit with the biggest cut prior to its launch, with Ford dropping the sticker from $79,990 to $72,990 before on-road costs.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E pricing:

Prices are excluding on-road costs

To see how the Mustang Mach-E compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool.

With a massive central screen, open central tunnel, and pared-back instrument cluster, this isn't like any Mustang we've seen before.

There are some nods to the legendary Pony car that lends its name to this mid-sized electric family crossover.

The dashboard has detailing that calls to mind the upright, twin-cowl dash that's traditionally characterised the cabin of the Mustang, and you'll struggle to find a Blue Oval anywhere in here. Although you buy this car at a Ford dealer, it's being marketed as a Mustang first and foremost.

Unfortunately, some of the fundamentals aren't really up to scratch. The seats are trimmed in nice enough leather, but they're way too flat and slippery for any SUV, let alone one wearing a Mustang badge.

I just couldn't get comfortable, instead perching awkwardly on top of them, and they not up to scratch if you want to explore what this car can do in the corners. At least the heaters fire up fast, and are so powerful you could use them to slow cook a lamb roast.

Like the Ranger, the Mach-E features a vertical touchscreen that's responsible for all your infotainment and climate controls. It looks slick, with an interface that won't put traditionalists off like the aggressively minimalist Tesla Model Y, and the layout is all very logical.

The large, click-clack wheel in the middle of the display shows potential. It's a volume knob, but also can be used to adjust the fan speed, your seat heaters, or the temperature depending on where you are in the infotainment system, and generally responds as you'd expect.

There are times where it just lags for a beat or two though, which really undermines the car's pitch as a high-tech electric flagship in Australia.

At least the wireless Apple CarPlay connects quickly and doesn't drop out, which hasn't always been our experience with the Everest and Ranger.

While we're griping, the little digital speedo will occasionally show 1km/h instead of 0km/h at a standstill, and the fact your speed is offset and there's a driver assistance display in the middle of your vision is hard to understand.

Storage is in abundance up front. Along with two slots for a phone at the base of the dashboard, there are usable cupholders on the central tunnel, a spacious (and secure) slot beneath the armrest, and a neat little pocket underneath the phone holders that's perfect for a small handbag.

USB-A and USB-C ports feature to keep devices juiced up, both front and rear.

Rear seat space is on a par for a mid-sized SUV. Once you're past the sloping roof (there are no door handles, which may fool some passengers) headroom is solid for kids or regular adults, and you'll be able to sit fully grown men and women back there without complaint.

Air vents are on hand to keep the kids cool in summer, and the fold-down central armrest is useful as a way to separate rear passengers on long journeys.

Boot capacity with the rear seats upright is 402 litres, which expands to 1420 litres with the second row folded.

The rear bench folds in a 60/40 split configuration. As is common in EVs, there's no spare tyre – you'll find only a mobility kit below the boot floor.

All models include a 134L space under the bonnet. The storage cavity is washable, drainable and waterproof, making the Mach-E ideal for tailgate (bonnet?) parties.

For US regulatory reasons, there's also an internal release so you can get out if you're small enough to fit and somehow get stuck.

The base Select has a 71kWh battery pack, compared to the 91kWh battery on the Premium and GT.

To see how the Mustang Mach-E compares with its rivals, use our comparison tool.

Prod the start button and the Mustang Mach-E comes to life with an artificial signature, presumably to fill the void left by the characterful V8 that's characterised the coupe for the last six decades.

We're not holding the fact this car isn't petrol-powered against it, but there's something odd about looking at that Pony on the steering wheel in a car without any engine noise after years of conditioning.

There is a certain Mustang-ness about some of the controls though. There's more weight to the steering than in rivals at low speeds, and the accelerator requires a more deliberate prod than might otherwise be necessary. Performance is decent given this is only the base model.

Traction is never an issue off the line, which means you can bury the accelerator and let all 430Nm loose essentially from standstill. It's a sleeper in the traffic light grand prix, and you won't draw the attention of the police (or judging passers by) with an obnoxious exhaust.

Then again, it's also on a par with what you'll get in most electric rivals in 2024; this isn't a stallion by those standards.

This isn't a perfect city car, though. The heft in the steering means you need to work harder than in some rivals when parking, and the Mach-E always feels big and heavy over bumps. Although the body is quite tightly controlled, you're aware of its two-tonne mass on every speed bump – or pothole, which can send a noticeable thud through the cabin.

Ford isn't the only brand struggling to make its electric car ride with the polish of its petrol or diesel models, but even by those standards the Mach-E needs some work.

It is impressively quiet though. The outside world fades away when you're sitting in traffic, with no hum from the motors and minimal noise from the outside world sneaking into the cabin.

At higher speeds, even the base Mustang Mach-E has a grown-up feeling. It's nicely planted, and still has enough poke to feel quick when you're keen to overtake at the legal limit. It doesn't bounce around over the sort of crests and dips common on Australian country B-roads, although the trade-off is a busy feeling on pimply tarmac.

Ford's driver assists are excellent. The adaptive cruise control is smooth, and the active lane-centring is able to keep you between the white lines without trying to rip the wheels out of your hands.

It's also clearly communicated in the dash when you need to hold the wheel in a different way, or when the system is turned off.

That hefty steering pays dividends if you're in a hurry, combining with that tight suspension tune to imbue what's a big, heavy car with an impressive front end. It darts into corners determinedly, and there's less body roll than you might expect.

There's ultimately no escaping its weight though, which puts the Mach-E into the category of "surprisingly good in the bends" instead of "genuinely fun to drive".

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E is currently available in three trim levels. On test here is the entry-level Select.

Mustang Mach-E Select highlights:

The Ford Mustang Mach-E was awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on Euro NCAP testing – this applies only to the Select and Premium, though.

It received an adult occupant protection rating of 92 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 86 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection of 69 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 86 per cent.

Standard safety equipment includes:

The Mustang Mach-E is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty.

The Mustang Mach-E requires servicing every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres.

Ford provides capped-price servicing for the first 10 years or 150,000km of ownership, with service prices alternating between $135 and $180.

Although it shows promise, the Mustang Mach-E Select isn't the electric SUV we'd have at the top of our consideration list in 2024.

It's significantly more expensive than the base Tesla Model Y, but can't compete when it comes to efficiency or driving polish.

That legendary Mustang badge carries some appeal but the Mach-E looks blobby and under-wheeled in base Select guise, while its cabin shows promise but ultimately presents like an Escape EV doing its absolute best to mimic its cooler older brother.

Yes, there's a sporty undertone to its steering and suspension setup when you're pushing hard, but it's not carried through the whole experience; the Select feels heavy in normal driving, and the weighty steering undermines its credentials as a city car.

None of these flaws are fatal, but layering them atop each other makes for an electric SUV that's more middling than it is Mustang.

At one point, middling might have been enough to find favour in Australia's nascent electric car market, but the game has moved on.

Hopefully the refreshed Mach-E revealed overseas can be more competitive when it hits Australia.

MORE: Buy a Ford Mustang Mach-E MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Mach-E

Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au