The Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of three EVs in Ford’s lineup, with the other options being the Ford E-Transit and Ford F-150 Lightning. Inspired by the Ford Mustang pony car, the all-electric SUV is a performance-focused vehicle that, for the most part, has received glowing reviews from the car market. However, it’s surprising that the 2022 model of the car, pitched as a performance option, received a worse road test score than the 2022 Kia Niro EV on Consumer reports.

For context, the Kia Niro is a fairly standard but reliable electric vehicle that’s unlikely to wow you with snazzy features. So how does the Mach-E get a worse road test score than the Niro? A keener look at the Consumer Reports for the two vehicles should provide some answers.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E vs. Kia Niro EV Consumer Reports comparison

On their own, the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s ratings are all outstanding, and it performs better than most others in its segment, with Consumer Reports giving it an overall rating of 82/100. Worth mentioning is that the overall rating combines the vehicle’s performance in three categories: the road test, predicted reliability, and predicted owner satisfaction.

As for the specifics, the Ford EV gets a 78/100 on the road test, a 5/5 predicted owner satisfaction score, and finally, a 4/5 reliability rating.

Conversely, the 2022 Kia Niro EV has an 88/100 overall rating, which it can achieve thanks to an 81/100 score on the road test. The car’s reliability is also relatively high, with a 5/5 score, while the predicted owner satisfaction is 4/5.

The road test scores for the two electric vehicles

The road test reports show that the Ford SUV scored slightly higher than the Kia in most areas. This is despite the 78/100 and 81/100 road test ratings for the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia Nero EV, respectively.

One example can be seen in the performance of the EVs, although the only differentiating factor is the acceleration. The acceleration of the Ford Mustang Mach-E from 0-60 mph is 1.5 seconds faster than the Kia’s.

The comfort/convenience scores also favor the Ford SUV model, especially regarding the cabin noise, rear-seat comfort, and interior fit and finish. The Mustang Mach-E gets a 4/5 rating for the interior fit and finish compared to the Niro’s 3/5 rating, thanks to higher quality materials.

Furthermore, according to Consumer Reports, the Kia Niro’s rear seat is fairly low and, when combined with the high floor of the vehicle, can be problematic, especially for tall passengers. The Ford’s rear seat is comfortable even for taller individuals, although the foot space under the front seat is less than optimal.

Consequently, it’s unsurprising that the rear seat comfort rating is lower for the Niro EV than for the Mustang Mach-E. Finally, the Ford gets a 5/5 cabin noise rating, beating the Kia’s 4/5. As for why the SUV’s road test scores were docked, resulting in a less than stellar overall score, it’s primarily due to Ford’s worse-than-average predicted reliability.

The worst road test scores in the EV category

The worst performing electric vehicles in the Consumer Reports road tests are the 2022 Tesla Model X and 2022 Polestar 2, both receiving a 72/100. As for the other ratings for the Tesla Model X, they include a 41/100, 1/5, and 4/5 regarding the overall score, predicted reliability, and predicted owner satisfaction, respectively.

The Polestar 2’s overall score is slightly higher at 57/100. Additionally, the predicted reliability and predicted owner satisfaction ratings are 2/5 and 4/5, respectively. Nevertheless, a 72/100 road test rating is quite good, if not incredible, further emphasizing how well most EVs have done in their road tests.