The base Mach-E is sensible but not spectacular. As it gallops into its sixth year, Ford's Mustang Mach-E has mostly overcome the pressure of sharing a name with one of the most beloved models in automotive history. Mostly. During our time with the electric SUV, we still had to answer a few questions from passersby, ranging from "Is this the only new Mustang?" to "Did you put a Mustang badge on this?" No, we did not; it comes that way from the factory. And fear not, you can still get a sporty Mustang coupe from a Ford dealership. Those comments were outliers, though. By now, many folks are familiar with the Mustang Mach-E as a five-seat EV.
If that's acceptable to you, and the Mustang name alone isn't enough nostalgia, there's now a new California Special package. The original California Specials in the late '60s were cosmetic upgrades, and the 2026 Mach-E offers a similar treatment, starting with a GT and giving it 20-inch gray wheels, some splashy blue hood graphics, a light-up grille pony, lots of GT/CS logos inside and out, and a yacht-clubby navy-blue interior.
View Price on AmazonOther than the special edition, the most significant change for 2026 is the addition of grab handles on the rear doors. That's a small but welcome upgrade over the previous design, which depended solely on the button-activated e-latch to pop the door open enough to allow egress. In less happy news, Ford has moved some previously standard equipment to the options list (including the frunk). There are a range of trims for the Mach-E, starting with the 264-hp RWD Select with the 260-mile standard-range 73-kWh battery, like the Glacier Gray Metallic pony we tested here, all the way up to the dual-motor GT and Rally trims with 480 horses, all-wheel drive, and an extended-range battery. One can also add all-wheel drive and the bigger battery to Select and Premium vehicles.
Electric cars tend to feel ultraquick because of their immediate response, and the Mach-E Select delivers a jolt of power at the start. It's enough to chirp a rear tire, but after that first hit of acceleration, this base-model Mach-E trots to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and takes 14.4 seconds to cover a quarter-mile. Those numbers would greatly impress the buyer of an O.G. Mustang, which, even with the 289 V-8, took 8.2 seconds to reach 60 mph, but today's performance-minded drivers will prefer the 3.3-second sprint of the higher trims.
Of course, if you really want a fast and visceral Mustang experience, Ford still offers a traditional pony car. What the Mach-E offers that the Dark Horse herd doesn't (aside from a much more affordable $44,215 as-tested price) is the option for a spacious back seat, a cargo-friendly luggage hold under the rear liftgate, the possibility of frunk storage, BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving, and the ability to quietly zip past gas stations and fuel up by plugging in at home.
The trade-off for all that day-to-day utility is a less balletic driving experience than what you'd get from a V-8 Mustang. The Mach-E is heavy, and the Select doesn't have the horsepower or the driving wheels to mask its weight in lane changes and curves. On the skidpad, that shows as a 0.79-g result. On the road, it feels like a reluctance to turn in, like a big dog pulling on the lead when it's time to turn and head home. The braking distance is also a little disappointing, with the Mach-E Select taking 189 feet to stop from 70 mph, whereas Tesla's RWD Model Y needed only 179 feet.
None of these issues come into play during most Mach-E driving. In the city, it's smooth and efficient, with a one-pedal option that will bring you to a full stop. On the highway, Ford's excellent BlueCruise means the robot overlord can be the one to fret about steering feel while you listen to podcasts or sing Lana Del Rey's "White Mustang" using the built-in karaoke feature in the 15
Source: caranddriver.com
