Would a Lightning address my issues with the MachE? and other newbie questions

[tls]

We just bought a '24 Mach E (AWD premium). Our other vehicles are the '22 Lariat and a '21 Model Y.

So far, our consensus is that the Mach E is by far the most fun to drive and handles best, and that the Lightning edges it out just a little in ride quality over big bumps, especially from the back seat. But I have heard that the '24 Mach E rides much better than the earlier model years - it's not clear to me, if that's true, when exactly they made changes or whether your car would already have them.

Both Fords are much better than the Model Y. The Model Y had a super harsh ride from the factory; we replaced the shocks with expensive custom coilovers and set to the factory ride height, now it has annoying body roll instead. Either way, sick-making from the back seat. We're going to try setting the shocks to the "Performance" MY height and giving up a little ground clearance. So I know how frustrating it is to have an expensive car that draws continual complaints about ride quality and comfort from passengers. You won't have that with the Lightning - though you're going to learn new skills, and some patience, in the parallel parking area...

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[Nikos]

I currently have a 2023 Premium Mach E Extended Range that I bought in May (Ford Financing). It's fun to drive for the most part, but the suspension in the Northeast is a nightmare to the point that my kids won't ride in the backseat (I don't blame them) and my wife gets motion sick in the front. As a result, I'm considering trading in and taking the opportunity to upgrade in size and replace with a Lightning. I was hoping this group could offer their perspective on a few questions.

1) I've never traded in a vehicle this soon before and assume I'll take a bath (KBB is estimating $32K for the trade-in, purchased for 45K). Any suggestions to minimize this? I'm leaning towards getting a used 2023 to somewhat "wash out" the depreciation hit.

2) The only advantage I see with the 2024s is the heat pump - I assume that hasn't been consumer tested in a cold climate, but is that an argument to somehow convince myself to stretch for a 2024 (lease this time)? Is it expected to materially improve cold weather range?

3) After sitting in the Mach E sauna seats, I'm viewing ventilated seats as a must-have. Am I stuck with a Lariat or would a lower trim offer this?

4) Most importantly, my local roads are complete trash and my MachE can't handle it comfortably. Should I expect the Lightning to be noticeably better? Will the back seat be reasonably comfortable or merely tolerable? How does the suspension compare to an ICE F150?

Thanks - I plan on renting a Lightning on Turo to give it a real-world test drive.

Hello new member.
Just happens that I own a Mach E 2021 Premium EX and a Lightning 2022 Lariat EX. The suspension on the Lightning is far better than any ICE F-150 to date.
If you can look at one at your local dealer, look under the rear of the truck.
The ride is super comfortable. The Lightning is very comfortable and spacious. Remember though that this is a truck, a real truck, and it will do more than transport your family around. Which flavor you pick is up to you.
I thought that the roads in SC are in bad shape but apparently to my surprise, New England roads are in bad shape also. I don’t remember them, (roads), in that bad shape when I lived there.
I do enjoy my Mach E a lot. It is the primary vehicle for my wife and our long distance trips. The Lightning does the pulling when on vacation with our camper.
If you decide on a Lightning, you won’t be disappointed.
Good luck.

 

[Riverant]

Thank you everyone and the consensus inspires some confidence. For more information, the MachE was supposed to be used as my wife’s commuter vehicle so even if I took the risk of after market parts, it’s unlikely she’ll drive it anyways. Fortunately I can swing the loss on the MachE

Regarding size, I previously drove a Yukon and Acadia and have some f150 experience. My area is rural enough that it’s made for pickups(eg local bar has a dirt lot), but I will have to plan ahead if I drive into Boston.

The floating/bounce worries me but I/family can test that in my future rental.

 

[Ventorum94]

I currently have a 2023 Premium Mach E Extended Range that I bought in May (Ford Financing). It's fun to drive for the most part, but the suspension in the Northeast is a nightmare to the point that my kids won't ride in the backseat (I don't blame them) and my wife gets motion sick in the front. As a result, I'm considering trading in and taking the opportunity to upgrade in size and replace with a Lightning. I was hoping this group could offer their perspective on a few questions.

1) I've never traded in a vehicle this soon before and assume I'll take a bath (KBB is estimating $32K for the trade-in, purchased for 45K). Any suggestions to minimize this? I'm leaning towards getting a used 2023 to somewhat "wash out" the depreciation hit.

2) The only advantage I see with the 2024s is the heat pump - I assume that hasn't been consumer tested in a cold climate, but is that an argument to somehow convince myself to stretch for a 2024 (lease this time)? Is it expected to materially improve cold weather range?

3) After sitting in the Mach E sauna seats, I'm viewing ventilated seats as a must-have. Am I stuck with a Lariat or would a lower trim offer this?

4) Most importantly, my local roads are complete trash and my MachE can't handle it comfortably. Should I expect the Lightning to be noticeably better? Will the back seat be reasonably comfortable or merely tolerable? How does the suspension compare to an ICE F150?

Thanks - I plan on renting a Lightning on Turo to give it a real-world test drive.

Do you use One-Pedal Driving? While it’s wonderful for the driver (I’m a big fan of OPD), it can be miserable for passengers prone to motion sickness. The abrupt changes in velocity due to OPD seem to have that effect. Solution? Use adaptive cruise control wherever possible (eliminates the jerky speed changes), or turn off OPD when carrying passengers, especially in the back seat.

 

[Newton]

It sounds like you should be really happy with the Lightning, I’d go for it then. Although she will usually chose the Kia if she is driving my wife is content to drive the Lightning when we need to take both trucks (our other is a stick shift Toyota T-100).

If I’m driving she usually insists on taking the Lightning.

 

[Mach Turtle]

Another $0.02 worth from a Mach-E+Lightning couple... her car is a 2021 Mach-E Select short range rear engine which she loves (I like it too), and I just got a 2024 XLT SR.

Agree with nearly everything previous posters have said. Driving fun vs. passenger comfort is a difficult choice.

Efficiency might be a concern for you too; it seems the Lightning uses around 60% more energy to go the same distance (while carrying 2-3 times as much cargo of course). But there is no doubt a reason you're not driving a Kona or a Bolt right now.

 

[G-Zeus]

My wife gets some motion sickness in our Lightening. Turning off 1PD helps a lot. I also wish that the suspension was a bit tighter, as medium speed rolls can get a big mushy and a little bouncy.

 

[Jseis]

We’ve a ‘21 SR MME with 56,000 miles and a ‘23 Lariat ER with 29,000 miles. Both charge at home ($.0634/KWH) and we plan to keep both 10+ years or more.

Overall-Short coupled stiff sprung vehicles bounce. Our Edge Sport bounced. Mustang GT bounced. The F250 shucked & jived all over the road. Thus local (county) bad roads really impact ride. The #1 efficiency gain of an EV is commute + charge at home + low electric rates. As a family cruiser our LT Lariat wins hands down. But size is not really easy to use in urban environments. I met a Rivian owner who lives in Bellevue & loves the LT but tight parking in an urban environment makes it tough to use. It is as big as my ‘99 7.3 SD F250. Our MME is our preferred city visit rig. The LT Lariat is a X-Country luxo cruiser par excellence.

1) Vehicles are like boats. Hard to make $$ on ownership. The value is length of ownership + reduced maintenance & “fuel” costs. I drive 26,000 miles a year charge at home & save $5K net per year.

2) Driving style is where the biggest savings are. I doubt a heat pump will increase savings with a lead foot.

3) No comment

4) Lightning will be slightly better on bad roads. It’s sprung truck stiff but the IRS really helps and its weight helps. It’s not a cure-all for bad roads though.

 

[Roy2001]

Motion sickness is most probably caused by your driving style.

 

[Riverant]

Motion sickness is most probably caused by your driving style.

it’s possible, at least for my wife. I do use OPD, but keep it in whisper mode with passengers. I find the actual brake pedal is pretty sensitive so I think whisper is smoothest if I feather the “gas” while braking.

From what I can tell, the backseat is an unbearable ride regardless.

 

[InTheCloud]

Is there anything that could be done afternarket to the MachE's ride quality? Different tires and/or changing out some components of the suspension or something?

Personally, I'd investigate these options before losing out $13K on a trade-in (plus however much extra the lightning will run you).

You could try getting the GT springs, which help with the pogoing effect. I had a GT and didn't have any issues with the suspension pogoing. Now as far as travel, it was good, but not great for the MME GT. It fell short of a Macan or x40i at the same price point.

It took me a while to adjust from the Mach-E to the Lighting. As others said, the front is floaty (wallowy), especially over bumps. However the way it swallows up big bumps and expansion joints is sublime.

On smooth pavement, or road tripping, I would prefer the MME GT. For a commuter, the MME GT is preferred too. The rest of the family are happy with the truck.

 

[Riverant]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I found a deal I was happy with on a 2023 Lariat ER with about 8K miles, spray in liner, and tonneau. I was able to get 33K for the MachE so the net depreciation hit wasn't too painful.

Most importantly, the Lightning is awesome and definitely was the right decision.

 

[MotoGary]

I had nearly the same dilemma as you, and I ended up doing nearly the same thing. I traded my '22 MME (that was paid off) for a new 2023 Lightning XLT in June 2024. Sure, I took a big hit on the MME value, but also got a great deal on the Lightning plus 0% financing. So it's all relative. In the end, my payment is only $257/month after the trade and I'm driving a 2 year newer vehicle, with full warranty, that is much more useful, and way more comfortable. No regrets.

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