Mustang Mach-E Rally Edition: This Pony Was Born To Play In the Dirt

Ford took the top of the line Mach-E GT, which has an all electric range of 265 miles and puts out 480 HP, and outfitted it for rally racing. Rally driving is sort of a blend of off-roading and performance track driving; it’s more focused on dirt trails and light obstacles, driven at higher speeds. 

Ford was so confident that the Mustang Mach-E could do this that the very first Rally edition was entered it in the Rebelle Rally where the team placed 5th in their class. Very impressive.

Ford added some key features to the Rally edition of the Mustang Mach-E GT to create the Rally edition:

• Performance seats designed to keep you in place while trail riding
• A higher ground clearance to allow the car to pass over rocks, roots and other annoyances
• Under carriage protection front and back to ensure your pony is safe
• Enhanced steering and magnaride suspension designed for sure footing on slippery surfaces
• A rear spoiler that adds aerodynamics and a sporty look
• RallySport mode for added fun on the off-road trail

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In addition to the Rally features, there are a few more key changes for the 2024 model. They include: 

• A new rear motor, which all Mustang Mach-E models will get for the 2024 model year
• A faster charging infrastructure, with up to 20% faster charging at a DC fast charger
• Updated Blue Cruise 1.3 hands-free driving
• A more powerful front motor
• Intelligent Range, which will calculate range with charging stops and precondition the battery for faster charging
• The frunk has been redesigned but it’s still large and roomy
• There’s a customer feedback button on the multimedia screen that allows you to push a button and leave a message for the engineering team

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We started our day by taking the Mustang Mach-E Rally out for a lovely drive through the winding valleys near Seattle. Local roads and highways are realistically where owners will spend most of their time. And the drive was lovely. The new performance seats are comfortable and one-pedal driving allows you to both maximize your battery charge and to better regulate your speed. You can come to a complete stop at low speeds without touching the brake, though you need to use the brake if you’re going fast.

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This is where it got fun. Ford wanted us to test out the Mustang Mach-E Rally but also wanted us to be safe, so they booked a day at Dirt Fish, a rally racing school outside Seattle. There, instructors took us through a short course where we learned to handle the Mach-E Rally, then a longer course where we got to challenge ourselves and the road, and then we got seat time with a pro driver to really see what it’s like sliding around in the dirt.

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This is the thing that’s so counterintuitive: When you turn on RallySport mode, the car has less traction and more handling. This is what enables the car to drift. The idea is to keep the car on course but let it kick up dust and slide through the curves. I will confess, I was happy to just kick up a little dust. It would take a great amount of training to learn to really drift, and I became completely convinced of this as I sat in the passenger’s seat with Michelle Miller, our pro driver for the day. I had to hold on to avoid sliding across the car and into her—even though my seats and seatbelt were holding on to me pretty well.

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Once we got into the car for the first dirt lap I really appreciated the phone holders. The upper tray of the center console is designed to hold two phones and has a rubber mat and a small partition between them so they don’t slide around. This little detail made me very happy.

So did the cubby under the console where I could put my purse, which I did when we were driving on local roads. This is ideally sized for a crossbody bag or small purse, but not anything much larger. My tote bag needed to be secured in the rear seat. 

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In the driver’s seat of the Mustang Mach-E everything is comfortable and familiar—if you’ve driven it before. There is a small driver display screen that feeds you key information such as your speed and if all your passengers are buckled or not. But most information is found on the center screen, a large vertical tablet that is easy to read and use.

Operated by Ford’s proprietary Sync 4 system, this is where you’ll find music, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a fixed toolbar for climate controls. There is also voice-activated assistance; once you turn it on under vehicle settings, you can just say “Hey Ford” and the system is at your service.

For drive modes, tap the car icon at the top of the screen. This is where you’ll find Whisper, Engage and Unbridled, as well as RallySport and one-pedal driving. Overall the cabin design is all really simple, which I appreciated. It’s nice to be able to just get in and drive.

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With almost 30 cubic feet of cargo space, the Mach-E’s hatch is roomy enough for lots of gear. There are a couple of small bins on either side of the cargo floor, which lifts up to reveal a secondary small space for storage or a spare tire, which if you’re driving off-road, is a good idea. There is also a good sized frunk that holds almost 5 cubic feet of cargo. 

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The rear seat is wide, with 38” of legroom, and the bench seats are deep. This is a benefit of electric cars, which tend to have wide, flat rear floors for ample legroom and room for kids car seats. Certainly, a rear facing seat will fit behind the passenger’s seat, and if the driver isn’t too tall, behind the driver’s seat. And it’s likely you can fit 3 across if they are slim seats. I had plenty of room to maneuver and get comfortable in the rear seat.

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Yes, it’s the most expensive Mach-E that Ford makes, but if the freedom of the trail, the fun of a dirt track and the boundless spirit of an energetic pony is what you dream of, dream of this one. While I loved the Grabber Yellow, I was really drawn to Star White Metallic for the crisp contrast of the white paint and black accents. I thought the spoiler looked better against the white and overall the feeling was a bit more elegant. 

The general sportiness of the Mach-E comes through for daily driving, with a look that says “I can when I want to.” And, the white paint really shows the mud from the trail. So you can wear that badge even more proudly.

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Disclosure: I was a guest of Ford for this drive experience. Travel and accommodations were provided but all opinions are my own.