2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Driven: Using Electric Motors To Drift Is Pretty Fun!

As I drive more and more electric vehicles (EVs), I realize that what defines them as great cars has nothing to do with their ability to provide a lot of range or even charge faster than their rivals. Yes, range and charging remain important for the sake of convenience, but what truly distinguishes one EV over the next is how unique, different and entertaining its experience behind the wheel ends up being.

I think it’s fair to say that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has become the poster child for a fun EV toy. But there have been other notable EV examples in recent years that have made me seriously consider letting go of internal combustion for good, models like the BMW i4 M50 or the Lucid Air, two very different EVs that shine bright for their own unique reasons. To that list, I can now add the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally. It’s nothing but a flashy toy, and definitely not the trim level that will outsell the rest of the Mach-E lineup. But it proves that through the right approach, an EV can in fact become a very desirable machine, even for enthusiasts.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally First Impressions: It Looks Like A Life-Sized RC Car

The moment I laid eyes on the Mach-E Rally, I was instantly reminded of all the cool RC cars I grew up playing with. The Rally was designed to be just that, a rally-focused version of the Mach-E. While I’m not convinced Mach-E owners will actually take part in amateur rally stages with their electric crossover, the sheer idea of the thing kicks ass.

I’ll get back to what distinguishes a Rally mechanically from the rest of the Mach-E lineup in a bit, but in the looks department, there’s a set of pretty rad foglights integrated right inside the car’s plastic grille cover. There are also super-cool OZ-style white rally wheels, and a rear wing that seems to have been stolen right off a Ford Focus RS. Together, these styling tweaks help enhance the Mach-E’s styling and really give it more personality.

I’m not a fan of the bright, Grabber Yellow paint, but it did attract a lot of eyeballs while I had this thing in my possession. The racing stripes are totally appropriate being a Mustang and all, but the Mach-E Rally stickers on the doors are a bit too tacky for my taste. Generally speaking, though, this thing looks cool as hell.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Exterior Dimensions

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally: Differences Between The U.S. And Canadian Market

Since the Rally version is essentially a trim level within the Mach-E lineup, and, in a way, an extension of the GT model, it’s effectively sold the same way in both the U.S. and Canadian markets, with similar optional packages too. But there are a few distinctions. U.S. cars get two additional paint colors; Molten Magenta and Desert Sand. American-bound Mach-E Rallys also get a choice of black wheel option that you can’t get in Canada.

U.S. Versus Canada Lineup Breakdown And Starting MSRP (model tested in bold below)

Driving Impressions And Performance: It Can Throw Glorious Powerslides, But RallyCross Mode Disappoints

I had the Mach-E Rally in late March when the snow normally starts thawing here in Eastern Canada, but my country did what it does best and threw a solid early spring winter storm our way. So my rally playground ended up not being the muddy gravel roads I was expecting, but rather snow and ice.

My press loaner was not fitted with proper winter tires for the task, but rather a set of “winter-rated” Michelin CrossClimate2 all-seasons, a tire that’s better suited for mud, sand, and rocks, not snow. But I figured the Rally’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, taken straight out of the Mach-E GT, would suffice to provide me with the much-needed grip I’d be needing in these conditions. Speaking of the GT model, the Rally also gets its Performance Package as standard, with its 91-kWh battery, 480 combined horsepower, and tarmac-ripping 700 pound-feet of torque.

The ride height was lifted one inch, while tuning changes were applied to the bushings, anti-roll bars and adaptive, magnetorheological dampers. There are front and rear skid plates to protect the electric motors, and the front bumper’s unique design actually improves the Mach-E’s approach angle by 0.6 degrees compared to a Premium model. Ford also programmed a RallyCross drive mode to help this thing drift easier. But it ended up, in my case at least, being the Rally’s Achilles’ heel since it limits power and intrudes on the drive with electronic aids.

I personally preferred leaving the Rally in its Unbridled mode, or an equivalent to the Sport+ mode we find in other vehicles. Leaving traction control on felt like the better option in these conditions. It still allowed me to throw the Mach-E Rally into some rather glorious powerslides, but with the reassuring safety net that avoided me from ending up wrapped around a maple tree.

The beauty of the Rally is how it actually feels like Ford’s engineers wanted it to be a rear-biased machine, where oversteer is the commanding force. The chassis is poised and balanced, with great feedback from all inputs. There’s fluidity in the way the Mach-E Rally exhibits its sliding behavior, which had me constantly coming back for more. I did attempt to fully remove the Rally’s traction control systems, but wheelspin from the pair of electric motors became too frantic to actually properly control this EV on ice and snow. Had my example worn a true set of winter or even studded tires, I could have explored the Mach-E Rally with all driving aids stripped off. But man, even in this mode, the Rally was huge fun.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Technical Specifications

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Energy Consumption Range And Charging

Obviously, adding performance to any EV will have a negative impact on its range and efficiency. And while this is essentially a modified GT model, the Rally actually gets less range than the latter. The EPA rates it at 265 miles on a full charge, which is 15 miles down from a GT. DC fast charging, on a compatible charger, is rated by Ford at 150 kW in ideal conditions. The onboard charger for level AC home charging is rated at 11 kW.

All of my charging cycles were done at home on my own 7.2-kW Flo G5 unit, which would get me a full charge overnight. And since I was driving the Rally in relatively cold weather, including a snow storm, my full week with the car resulted in a fairly high consumption average of 75 MPGe, which translates into 202 miles of real-world range.

EPA And As-Tested Energy Consumption And Range

Interior Design And Comfort: Cool Seats And Steering Wheel!

Inside, the Mach-E Rally essentially offers the same sort of dashboard arrangement, storage space and passenger space as the rest of the lineup. And that’s all fine. After all, the Mach-E is a sensible midsize crossover originally designed to carry a family and everything that goes along with it. In that respect, nothing changes.

But Ford did attempt to add some neat Rally-specific items, such as the seats, which are not only more aggressively bolstered, but were fitted with a large plastic rear section painted in white. It looks pretty cool, and almost like the racing seat inside a rally car. That white plastic is replicated on the steering wheel. There’s also a subtle white trim piece inside the door cards.

Generally speaking, the Mach-E’s cabin is functional, spacious and comfortable, both front and rear. These sport seats are both comfortable and supportive during performance driving. I am kind of already getting sick of cars with just a large tablet as a dashboard. The Mach-E at least gives you a second, smaller screen that acts as a digital gauge cluster, but there’s not much here in terms of design. I would have liked something more driver-centric, like the regular Mustang. This Rally also deserves a bit more noise. Build quality in a Mach-E remains good, but some cheap plastics in the lower sections of the cabin do reveal some cost-cutting.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use: Still A Great System That’s Easy To Use

Although I complain that the Mach-E is all screen and not enough actual dashboard and buttons, I must say, that large tablet infotainment system works rather well. For starters, I appreciate that Ford has left a physical volume knob. But I also like how well this system integrates Android Auto (in my case), while utilizing the screen’s full real estate to project it. The system responds quickly, and everything is easy to find. Ford also puts at your disposal a menu that allows you to see where your energy went, and how you can consume less of it. That’s neat.

Cargo And Storage Space: It’s Still Competitive

Although the Mach-E has been on the market for a few years now, it’s still up there among one of the most practical crossovers in its class. Thanks to the availability of both a standard trunk and front trunk (frunk), there’s enough room in here to carry some pretty large items, including even a mountain bike if you lower the rear seats flat. For reference, you’re still getting a bit less cargo space from a Mach-E than a Tesla Model Y or Volkswagen ID.4, but it’s still more spacious than a Hyundai Ioniq 5.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally Cargo Space

It’s An Expensive Toy, But Boy Is It Fun

As a toy, then, a plaything that exists solely to slap a big fan grin on your face, the Mach-E Rally is definitely a success. It also opens the door to more cool off-road-ready EVs, models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT. And when you think about it, this is actually a nice niche for the Mach-E, a model that, from the get-go, hasn’t been able to convince hardcore Mustang fans that it deserves that name. The Rally branches the Mustang nameplate into a whole new direction, opening the door to what could potentially become something more serious. Something, dare I say it, more Raptor-like.

For now, I’m sure Ford dealers will be happy to show this Rally off in their showrooms as a flagship for the entire Mach-E lineup, and that’ll probably help drive up Mach-E sales. Whoever decides to buy one, though, is definitely up for some good-old sliding fun.