2023 Ford Mustang

With its various configurations and range of equipment packages, the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E has plenty to offer for those who want a crossover but are eager to get behind the wheel of an EV. Those customers will also be able to decide between the content-rich Premium model or the elevated performance of the GT. Sure, despite the name it’s no Mustang, but the Mach-E can still be described as agile and quick. Plus, it has fetching looks, a well-appointed interior with all the latest gizmos and gadgets, and sufficient range and capability. On that subject, Ford says the Mustang Mach-E can travel more than 300 miles before needing a charge, and the GT Performance model leaped to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds at our test track. It performed well enough to win our inaugural EV of the Year award in 2021 but has since lost its crown to the cheaper and similarly impressive Hyundai Ioniq 5.  For its third model year, the Premium trim sees a slight increase in its estimated range—up 13, to 290 miles—and more standard content, including the automaker’s Co-Pilot360 driver-assistance tech for the entire lineup. A new Mustang Nite Pony package is available for some Premium and GT Performance Edition models. On the Premium, it adds black exterior touches on the bumpers and door cladding and gloss-black 19-inch wheels. For GT Performance Edition models, the package includes 20-inch gloss-black wheels and black GT badging. Additionally, a panoramic glass roof is now standard on the GT and the GT Performance Edition. The Mach-E also gets two new exterior color options: Carbonized Gray Metallic and Vapor Blue Metallic.  We think the Premium model is the Mach-E to get. Ford says it’s good for 306 miles of driving range when paired with the extended-range battery and rear-wheel drive, but we’d still choose the all-wheel-drive version, which knocks its estimated range down to 290 miles. Compared with the base model, the Mach-E Premium has more powerful fast-charging capability, 19-inch wheels, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and a power liftgate.  The 2023 Mustang Mach-E is available with either a standard-range 70.0-kWh battery or an extended-range 91.0-kWh pack. These feed an electric motor mounted on the rear or both axles. That latter combination creates all-wheel drive, and on the sporty GT and GT Performance models, the motors combine to make 480 horsepower and up to 634 pound-feet of torque. Ford claims this will send the Mach-E GT Performance from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Less powerful models have 266 to 346 horsepower and 317 to 428 pound-feet of torque. The Mach-E rides on wheels that range in size from 18 to 20 inches, and it can be had with adaptive dampers for adjustable ride firmness. The earlier version we drove in 2021 was an extended-range all-wheel-drive model that was quick and better to drive than most ordinary crossovers. Drivers shouldn’t expect the Mach-E to be nearly as engaging as the traditional Mustang. However, the Mach-E’s quiet operation and super-smooth ride were most impressive.