2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E aimed to bridge the gap between traditional Mustang styling and modern electric vehicle design. Despite its four doors and rear hatch, the Mach-E retained Mustang-like features such as thin headlights, a long hood, and a large, nonfunctional oval grille. The taillights mimicked the original Mustang's look with sequential turn signals, and the vibrant exterior color palette, including Grabber Blue, reinforced the Mustang connection. Inside, the Mach-E featured a massive infotainment touchscreen suspended in the middle of the dashboard, a thin rectangular display for the instrument cluster, and a rotary gear selector on the center console, giving it a minimalist feel akin to Tesla's electric cars. Interior materials were of decent quality, but the lack of a leather-upholstery option might have disappointed some buyers. The First Edition models included unique trim elements like red brake calipers and brushed aluminum pedals.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe announced its presence through both its appearance and sound. Aside from a "4xe" badge and sky blue accents, it looked like a regular Wrangler, with the power port at the left base of the windshield being the only notable difference. When the battery pack had enough charge, the Wrangler 4xe moved silently except for the pedestrian notification system's whine, which turned heads as it navigated Yosemite National Park. Our Firecracker Red test vehicle, equipped with Rubicon trim and over $13,000 in options, had a price tag of $66,690. Inside, the Wrangler 4xe was similar to other four-door Wranglers, with blue seat stitching, charging indicator lights, and special PHEV gauges. The interior retained its rugged simplicity but was better outfitted than previous models, with more soft-touch materials and practical controls.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E needed to live up to the Mustang name, so Ford made it rear-wheel drive (RWD) by default and ensured it was decently powerful. The base RWD Select model produced 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The most potent configuration was the all-wheel drive (AWD) GT Performance Edition, which boasted 480 hp and 634 lb-ft of torque, achieving zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Our test car had the lower-level AWD powertrain, delivering 346 hp, 428 lb-ft of torque, and zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. The Mach-E handled corners well, with responsive steering and a planted feel due to the low-mounted battery pack. However, the taut suspension and 19-inch wheels made for poor ride quality. Ford provided three drive modes—Engage, Whisper, and Unbridled—with minimal differences between them. The Mach-E also offered one-pedal driving and well-tuned friction brakes.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe's powertrain was based on a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. It included two electric motors and a 17-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack under the back seat. The battery provided an estimated 21 miles of pure electric driving with a 49 MPGe combined efficiency rating. As a hybrid, the EPA rated it at 20 mpg combined, with a total driving range of 370 miles. The Wrangler 4xe had three powertrain modes: Hybrid, Electric, and e-Save. In Hybrid mode, it offered 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, accelerating to 60 mph in six seconds. Electric mode allowed for pure electric driving, while e-Save preserved battery power for specific situations. During a weekend road trip to Yosemite, the Wrangler 4xe averaged 19.1 mpg over 757 miles, with 120.9 of those miles on electricity. The Jeep's regenerative braking helped recharge the battery during downhill driving, improving overall efficiency.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E was marketed as an SUV, but its packaging resembled a station wagon or hatchback. The driving position was low to the ground, and the low roofline didn't create a spacious feeling, even with a panoramic glass roof. Compared to the Tesla Model Y, the Mach-E fell short on interior space, offering less headroom and legroom in both rows. The Model Y also provided more cargo space with the second row folded, at 68.0 cubic feet compared to the Mach-E's 59.7 cubic feet. With the second row in place, the Mach-E offered 29.7 cubic feet of cargo space and a 4.7-cubic-foot front trunk (frunk). The narrow space between the front seats included a decent-sized storage bin under a flip-up armrest and a large, flat area beneath the touchscreen for smartphones, with a grippy surface and a wireless charging pad. USB ports were available for both the first and second rows.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe required some effort to climb into and out of, especially for shorter individuals. The high door sills and lack of side steps on the Rubicon model preserved off-roading capability but made entry and exit challenging. Once inside, the Wrangler 4xe offered a comfortable driving position with a clear view over the hood and front fenders. Manual front seat height adjusters helped find the best position, but the seats tended to lower themselves over time. The center console had limited practical storage due to the hand-brake and transfer case lever. Rear-seat space was adequate if passengers didn't mind sitting up straight, with air conditioning vents, USB charging ports, a 115-volt power outlet, and MOLLE-style storage straps. Cargo volume measured 27.7 cubic feet behind the back seat, with a storage bin under the load floor for the charging cord. Folding the back seat down increased the maximum volume to 72.4 cubic feet.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E was one of the first Ford vehicles to feature the new Sync 4 infotainment system, which included wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The main infotainment touchscreen measured 15.5 inches, while the instrument cluster was 10.2 inches. Standard features included SiriusXM 360L with satellite radio and a six-speaker audio system, while Premium, GT, and First Edition models got a nine-speaker B&O by Bang & Olufsen sound system. The 15.5-inch touchscreen was a signature feature, but its size was the only noteworthy aspect. The screen displayed almost everything at once, making for a text-heavy and unattractive design. The bottom of the screen replaced analog controls with touchscreen icons and sliders for climate controls, which were less convenient than traditional buttons.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon's technological advancements were primarily related to its plug-in hybrid powertrain and 4WD system. It featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen display with Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a navigation system, and SiriusXM Guardian connected services with a free one-year subscription. A WiFi connection was available and useful during our road trip. The Alpine sound system could overcome wind noise on the freeway, but turning it up made conversation difficult. The Uconnect system was intuitive but showed its age in load time, responsiveness, voice recognition accuracy, and graphics. The Trip Summary data panel provided charging time estimates, and the five blue charging indicator lights on the dashboard showed charging status at a glance.

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E had not yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Standard driver-assist features included automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, post-collision braking, a reverse sensing system, reverse automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with automated lane centering, traffic-sign recognition, and evasive steering assist. Higher trim levels included a 360-degree camera system. The Mach-E was also slated to get Active Drive Assist, which would enable automated acceleration, braking, and steering on designated highways. This feature would be available via OTA update for $600 and was standard on the California Route 1, Premium, and First Edition trim levels.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe offered several advanced driving assistance systems bundled in the Safety Group (blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, rear parking sensors) and the Advanced Safety Group (adaptive cruise control with full-stop capability, full-speed forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights). The blind-spot warning system was particularly useful due to the Wrangler's narrow side mirrors. The LED headlights with automatic high beams were effective but rated Marginal by the IIHS, better than the Poor rating for the standard headlights. The Wrangler received a Marginal rating for small-overlap, frontal-impact protection for the driver, with the vehicle tipping over in two tests. The NHTSA gave the Wrangler Unlimited a four-star frontal-impact crash-test rating and a three-star rollover resistance rating.