A 2023 Mustang Mach-E GT Owner Says He Traded His 2022 Tesla Model 3 Performance and “Doesn't Miss It at All,” Losing “Peak 250kW vs 150kW” Charging but Gaining Android Auto, Better Ride Quality, and No Autopilot “Nagging”

There is a particular kind of automotive heresy that only makes sense once you have lived with the car in question, and trading a Tesla Model 3 Performance for a Mustang Mach-E GT sits squarely in that category. On paper, it looks like a downgrade. Less peak charging speed. More weight. Less raw straight-line drama. And yet, for one 2023 Mach-E GT owner, the swap has been so satisfying that he says he does not miss the Tesla at all.

The Tesla Model 3 Performance is a numbers car. Peak 250 kW charging, ferocious acceleration, and a spec sheet that reads like a Silicon Valley flex. But living with it day to day can feel like being in a perpetual beta test. The Mach-E GT owner points out that while he gave up that headline charging speed and now tops out closer to 150 kW, the tradeoff has been a calmer, more predictable ownership experience that feels finished rather than constantly evolving.

“I traded my 2022 Model 3 Performance for a 2023 MMGT on March 1st, 2024, and let me tell you, the Mach E is a hidden gem. Don’t get me wrong, I like my Model 3 a lot, but I don’t miss it at all. I keep hearing people say Tesla is still light-years ahead of everyone, but I beg to differ. My Mach E has almost everything Tesla had, with just a few exceptions.

Software updates. Tesla’s updates were frequent and very noticeable. No Camp or Dog Mode, Faster public charging - peak 250kW vs 150kW

A more intuitive energy info app. It’s on as soon as you get in. On the MMGT, you have to start it by pushing the start button.

Home geofencing. It knew I was at home, so it would not lock my doors. It was much faster than my MMGT, but who cares..lol.

That’s about it. I rarely use public chargers, so that’s not an issue for me. I think Ford will eventually do Camp & Dog mode with a simple software update (I hope). Things I don’t miss about my M3P: Tire wear. I had 16K on my M3P, and they were on their last leg.

Have you ever seen a Tesla without curb rash…lol. On the M3P, it was the worst I’ve ever seen due to the tire size, leaving the wheel rim more exposed.

No Android Auto.  Their infotainment system is pretty good, but I love Android Auto much more.

You think the MMGT rides rough, it’s a limousine compared to my M3P.

The dreaded auto wipers..ugh!! They come on in sunny weather and didn’t when it rained.

Autopilot was horrible. This is not the $8K option but the basic cruise control with lane keeping that came with the car. It was horrible. Even though you kept your hands on the wheel, it would not detect it and constantly nag you to keep your hands on the wheel and disengage.

I’m not a Tesla Fanboy or a hater. I think they make very good cars and were ahead of their time for many years, but the industry is catching up to them. Anyway, I don’t think you could go wrong with either car, but I wanted to give my perspective since I’ve owned both.”

Ride quality is one of the first things he noticed. The Model 3 Performance, especially on its aggressive wheel and tire package, delivers plenty of road information but not much forgiveness. The Mach-E GT, by comparison, rides with more composure. It absorbs broken pavement better and feels less frantic over long stretches of highway. For a car that still delivers serious acceleration, the Ford feels more like something you can live with every day rather than tolerate for the sake of performance.

Ford Mustang Mach-E: Vertical Touchscreen & Interior 

• The Mach-E’s crossover form factor prioritizes rear-seat comfort and cargo practicality, positioning it closer to a family vehicle than a traditional performance coupe.
• Steering and suspension tuning emphasize predictability and stability, delivering confident highway manners while limiting road feedback in more spirited driving.
• Most functions are managed through a large vertical touchscreen, simplifying the cabin but placing more importance on software responsiveness for routine controls.
• Battery placement under the floor improves balance and reduces body lean, though the setup contributes to a firmer ride over sharp pavement edges.

Then there is the interior experience. Tesla’s minimalist cabin is divisive, and for this owner, it eventually wore thin. The Mach-E’s more traditional layout, combined with Android Auto support, felt like a return to sanity. 

Having native access to familiar apps without workarounds mattered more than he expected. The Ford’s cabin may not chase futurism as aggressively, but it feels more intuitive and less demanding of constant attention.

Driver assistance systems also played a role. Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving suite are technologically impressive, but they come with persistent monitoring and frequent reminders that you are being watched. The owner describes the Tesla’s steering wheel nags as a constant irritation. Ford’s system, while less ambitious in scope, proved easier to live with. It assists without feeling like it is scolding you every few seconds.

Charging, often cited as Tesla’s unassailable advantage, turned out to be less decisive in real life. Yes, the Mach-E GT charges more slowly at peak, but the owner found the difference less meaningful outside of edge cases. For typical road trips, the extra minutes at a charger were offset by the overall comfort of the journey. In his view, charging speed matters, but it is not the only metric that defines a good electric car.

What stands out most is not that the Mach-E GT is objectively better than the Model 3 Performance, but that it is better aligned with how many people actually drive. It trades a bit of maximum capability for consistency, comfort, and familiarity. That balance, once experienced, can be hard to give up.

This is not an indictment of Tesla so much as a reminder that progress is not linear. Faster is not always better. More advanced is not always more enjoyable. For this owner, the Mustang Mach-E GT delivered something increasingly rare in the electric age: a car that feels complete. And that, more than a charging curve or a spec-sheet victory, is why he does not miss the Tesla at all.

Image Sources: Ford Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.