My beloved CA RT 1 had a max range of 312 miles new, and it seems ever since they removed the CA RT 1, none of the new models (if you have to have AWD, which I strongly prefer!) come very close to this.
My real-world range was more like 275 miles at 100% SoC, but overall I charged to 80% and rarely fast charged. But as I do road trips to and from LA —> Vegas frequently, having every last bit of range helps when you roll onto the LV strip hours later than expected because traffic was bad, and you don’t want to charge a second or third time before you get to your destination… I know, totally a first world problem, but it’s a scenario that happens pretty regularly !
I looked into this Mach-E forum post regarding the CA RT 1 aero covers and it seems others believe the CA RT 1 aero covers are not the only reason that trim got ~20 miles of extra range compared to other trims… it also comes down to the specific wheel they used when shipped OEM + the tires. But since no one makes aero covers for the Mach-e, I find myself at a loss for how to get back to that range sweet spot with modern Mach-E trims.
My question:
Considering the CA RT 1 is not produced from 2024 onward, but there were genuine performance improvements from 2024 models… with respects to range…
in your opinion, would you try to find a 2023 CA RT 1 or older with high mileage and likely considerable range degradation, or would you bite the bullet on a newer (2024-2025) used model with less range but improved features ?
I’m aware that 2024 models had noteworthy hardware improvements and the 2025 models got rid of the dial-based drive mode shifter(idk about you all but the dial change alone is making me heavily consider getting a used 2025 if I can find one), but are those changes worth taking the considerable range hit?
Would you try to find another 2022-2023 CA RT 1 and take the risk that the previous owner(s) may have abused the battery, or would you just go for a Premium AWD with extended range battery in favor of the 2024-2025 hardware improvements ?
Want to fact check myself before pulling the trigger and hear conflicting points of view, and I figured reddit would be the right place to do just that. Lol.