2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave was a testament to Buick's evolution from its traditionally conservative styling to a more modern and upscale design. Historically, Buick's designs were characterized by softer lines and functional interiors, catering to an older demographic focused on comfort and tradition. However, the Enclave marked a significant shift, reflecting Buick's strategic pivot towards SUVs, aligning with market trends. The 2022 model, particularly in the Avenir trim, showcased a refined exterior with a new grille, updated fascias, and distinctive wheel designs. Inside, the Enclave offered a luxurious experience with upgraded materials, a restyled centre console, and climate-controlled seating, providing a comfortable and visually appealing environment.

In contrast, the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E embraced a bold and innovative design, merging Mustang styling cues with a crossover SUV form. This electric vehicle (EV) featured a striking appearance with galloping horse emblems, scowling headlights, and tri-bar taillights, drawing a visual connection to the iconic pony car. The Mach-E GT, in particular, stood out with its aggressive styling, unique 20-inch wheels, and a dark front panel. Inside, the Mach-E GT exuded luxury with sport-bolstered seats wrapped in artificial leather and synthetic suede, complemented by copper stitching and piping. The cabin's high-tech ambiance was enhanced by metallic and gloss-black trim, along with two rectangular display screens, creating a sporty and upscale atmosphere.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. In Canada, all Enclave trims came standard with all-wheel drive (AWD), offering a maximum towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms. The Enclave was renowned for its quiet and smooth ride, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. The Avenir Technology package further enhanced the driving experience with a premium ride suspension and real-time chassis damping, ensuring a comfortable journey across various terrains. Despite its size, the Enclave's powertrain was surprisingly responsive, providing good acceleration and a pleasant engine sound.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E offered a range of powertrain options, with the GT Performance Edition featuring an extended-range battery and AWD. This configuration delivered an impressive 480 horsepower and 634 lb-ft of torque, allowing the Mach-E GT to accelerate to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. The driving range was estimated at 418 kilometres. The Mach-E GT provided a thrilling driving experience with its Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled driving modes, along with an exclusive Unbridled Extend mode for track use. While the steering in Engage mode lacked sharpness, the overall driving dynamics were impressive, with consistent braking performance. However, the ride quality was firm, and the absence of Performance Edition features in the test vehicle was noted.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered a spacious and comfortable interior, with easy ingress and egress and excellent visibility. Standard features included an eight-way power driver seat, six-way power front passenger seat, and tri-zone climate control. The Enclave's cabin accommodated passengers comfortably across all three rows, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room. The second-row captain's chairs facilitated access to the third row, which could comfortably seat six-footers. The Enclave provided generous cargo space, with 668 litres behind the third row, expandable to 2,758 litres with all seats folded. The restyled centre console featured push-button transmission gears, enhancing accessibility to USB ports and the wireless charging pad.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, with its crossover SUV configuration, offered seating for up to five people and 965 litres of cargo space, including a sizable front trunk. The Mach-E GT Performance Edition featured performance seats with unique upholstery, separated by a stylish tiered centre console with ample storage. The rear seats provided sufficient legroom for passengers, and the standard panoramic glass roof added to the airy feel. The Mach-E offered 841 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, expandable to 1,691 litres with the seats folded. The front trunk added an additional 133 litres of storage, designed for easy cleaning with a drain plug.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information centre, with Premium and Avenir trims offering an 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The infotainment system supported up to 10 devices, with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot for up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims boasted a 10-speaker Bose audio system, while the Enclave also offered a range of safety and convenience features, including adaptive cruise control and a head-up display.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured a 15.5-inch touchscreen running on Ford's Sync 4A infotainment platform, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FordPass Connect services, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The system provided access to a range of features, including navigation, climate control, and energy usage data. Sync 4A supported natural voice recognition and offered a user-friendly interface. The Mach-E's Bang & Olufsen premium sound system delivered excellent audio quality, while the 10.2-inch digital instrumentation display provided essential driving information. The Mach-E also featured Phone As A Key technology, allowing smartphone-based vehicle access and operation.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came standard with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package, which included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, and more. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera. The Enclave received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings from the IIHS, except for an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E featured Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 technology, including adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. The BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system was available, offering features like lane-change function and predictive speed assist. The Mach-E received top safety marks from the IIHS and was a Top Safety Pick for 2022 and 2023. However, NHTSA crash-test ratings for the 2023 model were incomplete at the time of review.