Survey Says

Autolist Survey: Most don't like the Mustang name on a Ford EV, split on Mach-E vs. Model Y

David Undercoffler
Nov 24, 2019, 3:54 pm

The Ford Mustang Mach-E's natural competitor is the Tesla Model Y.

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Ford made big news ahead of the 2019 L.A. Auto Show this month with the debut of its first-ever Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric crossover that will go on sale in late 2020 and early 2021.

Though there are a variety of high-end luxury EV crossovers either already on the market or joining it shortly (from the likes of Tesla, Audi, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz), there's only a single mainstream rival to the Mach-E: Tesla's Model Y.

Like the Ford, the Model Y will start under $50,000, arrive in 2020, offer up to 300 miles of range, and will come in rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations.

Tesla Model Y Tesla's Model Y has yet to begin deliveries but promises similar range and features to the Ford Mustang Mach-E.Photo courtesy of Tesla Motors

So which one will be more popular? It turns out it might be a draw. But people did agree that they didn't like the Mustang name slapped onto an all-electric crossover.

Autolist.com surveyed roughly 1,000 car shoppers shortly after the Mach-E was revealed and asked them which they would choose: the Ford or the Tesla Model Y.

Fifty-one percent of people choose the Ford; the remaining 49 percent choose the Tesla.

Those who chose the Ford Mach-E cited the following reasons for doing so:

  • Prefer/trust Ford more
  • The Mach-E's exterior styling
  • Ford's established dealer and service network
  • The Mach-E's expected reliability
  • Concerns about Tesla's future

Meanwhile, those who chose the Tesla Model Y did so citing the following reasons:

  • Prefer/trust Tesla more
  • Expected reliability
  • The Model Y's expected performance
  • Tesla's Supercharging network
  • Dislike of the Ford brand

Turning to Ford's decision to use the iconic Mustang name on this Mach-E crossover, that proved less divisive in Autolist's poll.

Forty-six percent of respondents said they didn't like the fact that Ford chose to use the Mustang name on the Mach-E, 20 percent did like the decision, and 34 percent were undecided.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford offers a richer dealership network than Tesla, which sells from boutiques or online.Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

While the Mach-E certainly is a departure from what the Mustang muscle car has been known for over the past 55 years, there's some logic behind Ford's choice to use it here. Because the Mustang name has so much brand awareness unto itself, Ford can leverage it to get more attention paid to this all-new electric crossover than it would have if it had used a new name for the EV.

Tesla's Model Y is currently expected to begin deliveries in the middle of 2020.

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Tesla Roadster pushed to 2023 - if all goes smoothly

The Roadster's specs are impressive, to say the least.

Tesla

Elon Musk took to a stage in late 2017 to announce a new product, the second-generation Tesla Roadster, and the numbers were impressive, even for a guy known to casually drop massive bombshells in 160 characters or less on Twitter. He pledged a 620-mile range and a 0-60 mph time in 1.9 seconds for the car – impressive specs, to be sure. When Musk unveiled the car, production was scheduled to commence some time in 2020, but as we all now know, last year wasn't a banner year for car manufacturing. In January, he pushed that date back to 2022, but the timeline has slipped again - into 2023 at this point - and that's only if everything goes smoothly between now and then.


Tesla Roadster Supply chain issues have caused delays in the Roadster's release.Tesla


Responding to a tweet on Wednesday, Musk stated that "assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023." That's a pretty big asterisk, given how things have been going over the last 18 months. It's not surprising, though, and Musk acknowledges what we've known for some time now: The global supply chain is a mess, thanks to microchip shortages and pandemic-related closures and delays. "2021 has been the year of super crazy supply chain shortages," he said, admitting that "it wouldn't matter if we had 17 new products, as none would ship." Again, it's not surprising, but it is most likely frustrating for reservation holders, who've plopped down anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 to hold an order for the Roadster.




Tesla is far from being the only automaker to experience delays, but even if we assume that the rest of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 go smoothly, there's still a lot that can happen. All of Tesla's suppliers would have to get their ducks in a row and there can be no COVID-related production delays. That would also peg 2022 as one of the automaker's flagship years for product releases, with both the Semi and Cybertruck on the schedule. It's possible, but far from guaranteed, that all of those pieces fall into place, making Tesla's 2022 a banner year. As for the Roadster, 2023 could be the year that we're all blown away by its range and acceleration, but recent history suggests that anything can happen at any time, so we won't be holding our breath.

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2022 Ford Bronco gets two new color options

The Bronco will get two new colors for 2022.

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The new Ford Bronco was in such high demand that buyers were in for a long wait, even before the pandemic and microchip shortages wreaked havoc on automotive supply chains and production. Even now, with little hope of a speedy vehicle delivery, buyers are still lining up to get the new SUV, and to reward those whose dreams will have to wait until 2022, Ford is debuting two new colors: Eruption Green and Hot Pepper Metallic.


2022 Ford Bronco Eruption Green and Hot Pepper Metallic will be available. Ford


Ford revealed the colors at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise. The first-generation Bronco, which ran from 1966 through 1977, was the featured vehicle at the cruise, which presented the opportunity to introduce new colors for the upcoming model year. The two new colors won't join the Bronco's existing color catalog until order banks open for the new model year later in 2021. Ford says that the current color catalog which includes Antimatter Blue, Lightning Blue Metallic, and Rapid Red Metallic will be available through the end of the 2021 model year.


2022 Ford Bronco Many Bronco buyers will have to wait until 2022 to get their new SUV.Ford


The new colors may end up being the shades of choice for many current hopeful Bronco buyers. Along with pandemic-related delays, Ford's rollout of the new Bronco has been plagued by hardtop-related cosmetic issues. The problem is big enough for the automaker to replace the top of every hardtop Bronco built so far. This includes vehicles already purchased, the rare few sitting on dealers' lots, and even recently produced vehicles still hanging around the factory. Buyers still waiting for their Broncos to be built will be waiting a while, to the point that Ford says many orders will be pushed into the new model year. Ford is offering Bronco-related merchandise and promises a price lock for all buyers whose orders have been pushed, and now it appears they'll have two new colors to choose from as well.

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