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Long term review of the Bolt vs. the Mustang Mach-E

9551 Views 40 Replies 23 Participants Last post by 2020 Bolter, Mar 30, 2022

Nemy

Discussion Starter · Nov 3, 2021 (Edited)

Finally getting around to my review and comparison with the Mach-E. For background, I had over 100k miles between a 2017 and a 2019 Bolt Premier. Chevy bought back my 2019 earlier this year and I ended up getting a Mach-E Select standard range with the comfort/tech package in July. So as of today, I've had the MME for 4 months and over 11k miles on the exact same commute (130 miles/day - mostly interstate at 75ish mph).

Ultimately, I loved the Bolt. Other than the recall and the fact that I wanted more room for a stroller, I had no problems after 100k miles. I probably would've run it to the ground if the buyback wasn't too good to pass up ($22,500 for a $24,000 car with over 50k miles and needed new tires). I have no regrets with either car and the Bolt was/is the best value EV but the MME is bigger, faster, and can be parked indoors

. Anyways here's what I loved about the Bolt and what I wish it had compared to the MME.

Where the Bolt is better than the MME:

Regen paddle. What I miss the most.
Software. Probably the biggest complaint of the MME - it's slow and lags even though it's 4 years newer than the Bolt.
Charge settings - priority charging and departure charging. On the MME, there's no option for priority and the car charges fully randomly about an hour before the departure time. If I plug in early, it'll charge to full even when I get home instead of waiting to charge overnight.
The Bolt's lock horn is a nice chirp. On the MME it's full blast.
HUD has better info: instant energy use, trending energy use.
Size. The Bolt is compact and easier to park.
Huge windshield.
Visors. The MME visors don't fold all the way to the windshield and get blocked by the roof way before it should.
Noise isolation. The first thing I noticed in the MME was the huge amount of wind noise compared to the Bolt. People new to the car ask me if the windows are open...
Adjusting volume on the steering wheel shows up on the HUD.

Where the MME is better than the Bolt:

Brake light stays on at stops with one pedal driving.
Cupholders have four tabs that adjust to different sizes.
GOM is a lot more accurate and a lot less confusing for people new to EVs (i.e. one number vs. high/low/expected range)
0-100 mph. The Bolt is great 0-60 but the MME feels great 0-100.
Sunglass holder.
Overall a more premium feel/fit/finish. Except for the turn signal and wiper stalks that feel like they're from the dollar store.
Auto sensing wipers.
BlueCruise option. Though lane centering alone is already pretty amazing and exponentially better than the Bolt's LKA.
Size. Sooo much more cargo space.
Aesthetics. I love staring at the hood lines inside and outside of the car. I had an early Bolt and drove it for 3.5 years - nobody looked twice. People stop and comment all the time with the MME.
EDIT: drainable frunk and handsfree liftgate.
And my favorite: the puddle lamp.

Tire Automotive parking light Wheel Car Vehicle

Now that I don't have the Bolt, I also have a bunch of stuff to get rid of: winter tires/rims, heatshield sunshade, and rubber mats. I'll post it in the classifieds for anyone interested.

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AZBILL

· #4 · Nov 3, 2021

I got my Mach E in June and still have a 2017 Bolt with 100K miles. Mine is a California Route 1, range is king for me.

Mach E has much nicer interior, looks and comfort
One pedal works in reverse
360 camera view is great, especially on the big screen
Still waiting for Blue Cruise OTA, but the ACC/LKA work pretty well
Oh yea, I have actually had 3 OTAs already, never saw that in the Bolt
Great highway range, I got 270 miles of range going up a 6000 ft elevation change at 75mph.
Good fast charging curve, peak at 160kW, maintains 80kW out to 80%, and Ford is planning an OTA to push that to 90% and indicated adding a few more mile to range
On my first trip was able to add 160 miles of range in 25 minutes on a 350kW charger
Plug and charge has worked perfectly for me, so far.
Glass roof is cool, even works fine in Phoenix heat with a shade screen (aftermarket)
Has a frunk

Only negative is the software is a bit glitchy

, but overall this car has way more features than the Bolt, so not unexpected. Plus those can be fixed via OTA.

I miss the max/min range and the trend vector of the Bolt, that is useful on long trips. But then with the 305 EPA range on my Mach E, the range anxiety is way down.

Headed out from Phoenix to Las Vegas in about a week for my second road trip. Plan a 10 minute charge in Kingman, but could likely make it without a stop. The Bolt would add about an hour to the trip time.

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AZBILL

· #8 · Nov 3, 2021

greendave said:
Seems to be a very well sorted EV. Charging speed sounds great.

Any chance Ford is going to release either a sedan version, or one with a proper hatch? The squished SUV thing kills any interest I might have though.

For me, the hatch on the Mach E has way more room than the Bolt, and the specs prove it. Bolt has 16.9 cu ft cargo space behind the rear seat, whereas Mach E has 29.7 cu ft. For example, my golf clubs will not fit in the Bolt, unless I fold the rear seat. They fit in the Mach E diagonally just fine.

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AZBILL

· #20 · Nov 3, 2021

twriter said:
How's your m/kWh? In my Bolt, in around-town driving that's been a combination of city/highway, I have typically managed around 4 m/kWh, which makes the Bolt essentially equal the EPA range estimate. My math says the MME would average about 3.4 m/kWh, a 15% hit on mileage, which makes sense as the MME is significantly heavier.

For me, with the CA Route 1 with RWD, I have a lifetime of 3.9 mile/kWh after 7500 miles. My Bolt varies from 3.8 up to 5 depending on the hot Phoenix temperatures. One thing I notice about the Mach E, since it has 50% more battery, running the AC has less effect on efficiency, since it uses about the same kW to cool the car. The reduction in efficiency is not proportional to the weight increase at all.

But what is most impressive to me is the efficiency at 75mph. The Bolt runs 3.4-3.6 at that speed, I can get 3.1 on the Mach E at that speed. Early on I did trip in the Bolt at 75mph and would have gotten 190 miles of range. My first trip in the Mach E at that speed was 270 miles of range. At 70mph I can get 300 miles in the Mach E. Around town I see anywhere from 340 to 370 miles, way above the EPA city rating.

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AZBILL

· #27 · Nov 4, 2021

Packard V8 said:
And the out-the-door prices of the Mustang Mach-E and the Polestar 2 were?

jack vines

I paid $54K for my Mach E, plus tax and title fees. Yes, much more than the $37.5K I paid for my Bolt back in 2017, but also a much more capable car.

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AZBILL

· #34 · Nov 5, 2021

Manku said:
Nice writeup...BUT...comparing a 22 with a 19 Bolt makes little sense especially since the interior has been revamped...many of the differences don't exist in the updated Bolt...and EUV in particular.

I'm also surprised at how many people buy these instead of lease them. I leased my 2022 EUV just three months ago...and am paying $332 a month with zero drive off. That includes 9.5 tax and $500+ registration. And they delivered it to my door! Terms are for 36 months/10000 miles per year.

There was no federal tax credit...just a $1500 California one.

Personally, I lease all my cars. Especially new technology, or a car filled with new tech. The video processor malfunctioned last month...covered by warranty, but would have been a $1200 repair.

My wife and I put way too many miles on a car for leasing to be cheaper than owning. Took 4 years to put 96K miles on our Bolt. I tend to keep cars until they drop. We currently have two 2008 vehicles at home, one of those is my GMC pickup with 180K miles, which will be replaced with a Hummer EV, hopefully late next year. It has been very reliable, few repairs and has been paid for since 2012. And I pull a couple of big (>5K lbs) trailers with it.

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