Trading In A Ford F-150 For A Mustang Mach-E

Jace Craft of Brecksville, Ohio is a Ford guy. He previously owned a Focus ST and loved it. Then with a boat purchase and a move to the Cleveland area he sold the ST and got a 2019 Ford F-150. Now Jace is making a big choice, a difficult choice and one that will surely have some people questioning him.

This goes along the same line as the story I did on James Halderman who traded in his V8 Mustang, for the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT.

Jace is trading in his 2019 Ford F-150 in favor of a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. I asked Jace a series of questions about why he made this decision, what went into the thought process and what the sales process was like. Here’s what he had to say.

Q: Tell me why you chose to trade in your F-150 for a Mustang Mach-E?

I’ll start by saying that I absolutely love my F-150. For me the F-150 was more of a fun experiment. My Focus ST I had was out of warranty and I had moved back home to Cleveland so I wanted to get something different as I knew I’d be driving less. But I also purchased a 21’ boat that I would need to tow. Since I got my F-150 though, another 2 members of my immediate family have purchased F-150’s. The F-150 really is that good. People love it and people want one when they get in one. Ultimately, I wanted a more environmentally friendly vehicle and I feel like I took a step backward with the technology that was in my Focus ST that wasn’t in the F-150. In-car tech is very important to me and while I am sure there will be some bugs to work out in the Mach-E…I am the perfect guy for the job.

Q: What features of the Mach-E were most appealing and will you miss the towing/hauling that you will lose with the F-150?

I greatly appreciate Ford’s switch to a “Tesla” like model for the Mach-E. Before my F-150 I had a Focus ST that I adored. I missed the heated steering wheel and leather seats of my Focus ST that I had lost in my F-150, though. I particularly found that going back to a regular key and not having push-to-start was much harder than anticipated. I still to this day will try to switch gears without having put the key in the ignition if it’s remote started. Combining all these extraneous trim levels I’m sure helped Ford save costs but also is a win for the consumer in the end, in my opinion. It was nice to be able to know you’ll get a panoramic glass roof without having to sacrifice $5,000 dollars for a different trim level. Something I had quite a few issues with when I was trying to order a Bronco. As far as the towing…yes I will miss that but the new Bronco tows 3,500 lbs. and that is not enough for my boat so I was going to be out of luck no matter which way I went. Luckily my family members can now help me with that. With having no emissions and arguably Ford’s most impressive technological showcase yet, I knew for me the Mach-E was the perfect fit. Even better than the Bronco which took my brain a bit to come to grips with. I had looked into buying a Tesla multiple times but the build quality issues and lack of dealer service centers was a bit too risky for me. I am very particular how my vehicle looks and sounds and from the reviews of the Mach-E I have seen…Ford’s century long head start compared to Tesla helped them in this area.

Q: Have you placed your order and if so, how was that process and when will you get the delivery?

I have placed an order. I was much later to the game than others but my official order was placed 1/31/21 and accepted by the dealer the next morning. Overall the process was very simple and I did not experience any issues besides the Ford website not working super well on the Safari browser. Switching to Chrome fixed all these issues. Ford definitely needs to fix this, however, as Safari is the standard browser across all Apple devices.

Q: Did you trade in the F-150 at the same time as you ordered with the same dealer?

I have spoken with my dealer about different options but until I have a better time frame as far as when the Mach-E will be delivered I am just waiting it out.

Q: What is your take on the Mustang name being used on an electric crossover? Does it bother you at all?

I myself have not driven an electric vehicle yet…and I think that plays a role in this whole conversation. I grew up with two 90’s V8 Mustangs and I remember how quick they were. I think this Mach-E will be as quick if not quicker than those. I also expect Ford to send out OTA updates that might include ‘Launch’ modes and other settings to catch up with Tesla. So, with all that said…the speed is there, the looks are undeniably Mustang, albeit a bit taller, and it’s a good marketing decision from Ford. Just the fact that we are talking about it right now shows the name generates buzz whether it’s good or bad.

Q: Have you wired your home for at home charging with a 220 station? What about range anxiety?

I have not yet taken steps to wire the garage but have done quite a bit of research on what I will be doing. I have decided that with my current driving habits I really do not need anything more than the 14-50 NEMA 240V outlet that Ford is suggesting. I am going to charge with the provided mobile charger and see how it goes knowing I may opt to buy Ford’s charger or something else in the future.

Q: I too live in Ohio and with the colder weather and lack of regular charging stations have you done your research on all that and are you worried?

I am not too concerned about the colder weather. I have a few friends with EVs here in Northeast Ohio and it doesn’t really seem to be an issue for them. So, I expect nothing less from the Mach-E. 99% of the time I will charge this car at home but I have looked into the charging infrastructure here in NE Ohio and I have to say I walked away pretty impressed. There are quite a few options even relatively close by my home that I could use if needed. My family has a cottage in Northern Michigan that I go to about once a month and recently took a trip up and scoped out the charging options on the way. They were always empty and ready to go and I have about 3-4 different fast chargers (150Kw or more) that will work that are just off the highway. I am hoping the Ohio Turnpike will add chargers to the remaining rest stops as this is the route I will use the most especially on long trips.

Q: You had mentioned the pandemic played a role in your decision, please explain further.

I moved back to Cleveland about two years ago. Before that I was traveling a lot for work in my Focus ST. Then once the pandemic hit I started working from home and my driving dropped by some 90%. I expect to work from home for quite a long while and I think that sped up my timeline for how quickly I thought I would buy an electric car.

Q: You had mentioned that you also considered trading in for a Bronco but went with the Mach-E. That’s a big difference, tell me what factors weighed into that?

Originally I was 100% positive I was going to buy a Bronco. I loved it and I still do. But as I started building one I just became frustrated by adding certain options that made me have to drop options in other areas. It became more and more expensive to the point where I wasn’t really getting what I wanted and paying a lot of money. I also will be able to take advantage of Federal Tax Credit of $7,500 which brings the Mach-E down to an even more realistic price point. Taking into account the lack of maintenance and gas as well I am ready to commit to driving an electric vehicle as my daily driver! If and when Ford releases an all-electric Bronco I will be first in line.

So that’s Jace’s reason why. You can’t fault him for his decision as it seems the right one for him. What do you think about his decision? Leave me your comment below.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.