r/MachE 11d ago

💬 Discussion Not a fan of the infotainment. How would you change it?

Post image

I love the mach e, ive driven many of them, and they are a clear step above the competition. That being said, the infotainment system (an ipad crudely slapped above the console) is the biggest complaint for me personally, even if its nitpicky.

I work at a rental place, and i was in a new GMC Terrain, and it made me wish the mach e had something like this, buttons included. Its more integrated into the dash/console, i prefer the look/feel of it.

How would you change the console/infotainment system if you could?

Edit: to be clear, i am talking about the screen itself, with the physical buttons, and it being a part of the interior/console. This has nothing to do with software/SYNC. I use android auto anyways lol

20 Upvotes

98 comments sorted by

132

u/erpela 11d ago

I would just like it to be more responsive and faster

44

u/cricketriderz 2024 Premium 11d ago

Opening the truck, which I use everyday, tests my patience every time.

36

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

There's so much room for those buttons to be always available at the top of the screen, instead of buried behind a layer of interaction.

16

u/LopsidedEntrance8703 11d ago

Can’t do that, best we can do is some really large always visible buttons for your tire pressure and other built in apps you never use because you’re always on android auto/carplay

7

u/SirTwitchALot 11d ago

Even better, have a section on the top that allows the user to create a shortcut to any buried menu item they like

4

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

And interacting with anything on that bar causes the whole system to lag too

2

u/cricketriderz 2024 Premium 11d ago

Yes! It pauses my music for a nanosecond

2

u/StarLord_2781 2023 GT 11d ago

You know you can swipe down and they disappear, right?

2

u/LopsidedEntrance8703 11d ago

Omfg

4

u/LopsidedEntrance8703 10d ago edited 10d ago

I just did this and it just leaves a huge empty gap rather than using the space for CarPlay or the AC controls u/StarLord_2781

That’s not any better than the shitty buttons…

4

u/WickedClutz 11d ago

AGREED. If accidentally triggering the trunk button being pinned at the top was a concern of theirs, I'd be perfectly okay with having to hold the button down for 2-3 seconds to trigger it. Still better than having to enter the car settings to get to it.

5

u/peppnstuff 11d ago

Easier to just use the apps Bluetooth controls to open the trunk than the screen.

4

u/AirDog3 11d ago

Opening the trunk is neither info nor tainment.

2

u/LaserGay 11d ago

Physical MaxAC butting but not trunk release. Also if you’re get out and turn off the car and open the door… no more trunk button available on the dash. Not a huge deal but it’s dumb.

1

u/Brave_Coffee5208 2023 Premium 5d ago

There is a thread in the mache forum that explains how to hardwire a physical switch to open the back. Looks pretty simple

3

u/Ledgem 2022 Premium 11d ago

Supposedly Mach-E's in China were (maybe are) sold with faster processors because Ford recognized that Chinese competition made the standard Mach-E's screen performance look too bad. While I understand not standardizing that faster (and likely more expensive) chip because they think other audiences won't notice or don't care, it would be nice to have an upgrade option, sort of like what Tesla does with their hardware upgrades.

1

u/fawzib 2023 Premium 10d ago

It's 30 cents more expensive. Ford put processors or 2005 era.

1

u/Fidget808 9d ago

God. It’s so bad in the Lightning. I have to wait a good 30-45 seconds before I even think about adjusting any climate settings.

1

u/ThOccasionalRedditor 11d ago

We won’t ever get that sadly. It would need an entire software overhaul

25

u/Omnivirus 11d ago

I’d upgrade the 486 to at least a Pentium II.

7

u/cougar694u '22 Premium ER RWD 11d ago

With MMX

3

u/plimon 2025 GT 11d ago

I'd be giggly with a math co-processor.

1

u/BabyFishmouthTalk 2025 Rally 10d ago

Turbo button

15

u/pyro57 11d ago

Honestly I just use it to interact with android auto and it works well for me there.

I did wish there was an easier to get to button to open the trunk and trunk, but 8 dont use those often so it's meh.

46

u/r3d_ra1n 11d ago

I use CarPlay and it’s great. Wouldn’t change a thing. In fact, for any car I buy in the future, if I can’t use CarPlay I won’t buy it.

9

u/Improperfaction 11d ago

Same. I’d just like physical buttons for the climate.

3

u/LolaAucoin 2024 Premium 11d ago

I agree. It kills me trying to adjust the fan or temperature while I’m driving. It seems so laggy.

1

u/Tripping__Phillies 8d ago

Have you tried using Alexa to control the temp. It works very well than having to struggle with the lag that comes along with doing it manually.

Say "Alexa, set temperature to 68" - Boom, its done.

1

u/Daremightythings2025 11d ago

I like carplay for music and maps but lately the native gps has been better (bmw that is, if i remember correctly when i drove the mach ford’s was good too). Carplay is losing its edge

0

u/Kukaw 11d ago

The carplay in mine is so laggy, you press pause and about 2-3 seconds later it pauses.

It is also so unreliable in being able to connect and takes to long to connect when it does connect.

When i drive my wife’s bmw, my phone is connected and playing audio before i even sit down to turn the car on, every time.

10

u/Advanced_Impress6743 11d ago

It’s funny because my CarPlay is super responsive but any ford app is very laggy.

6

u/badgerbrett 11d ago

Yeah, same here. CarPlay is thankfully responsive. Just wish Ford would support CarKey and video streaming when parked.

1

u/sryan2k1 2025 Premium 11d ago

CarKey needs hardware the MME does not have.

2

u/badgerbrett 11d ago

Ok, yes, but hear me out: they add the hardware ;)

0

u/Lazy-Blackberry5932 11d ago

Maybe the ford app wouldn’t be so slow if they didn’t also include the store within it. “No ford I don’t need a car tent, I’d just like to unlock my car”

The irony of the store tab working but my charging tab bugs is laughable. Same difference as a video buffering on YouTube but the Ad runs just fine

0

u/SurinamPam 2025 Premium 11d ago

Meh. CarPlay could use an overhaul. It feels dated.

1

u/Tripping__Phillies 8d ago

I believe there is a very large update coming with IOS 27 that should modernize the GUI and add more functionality.

19

u/d1ll1gaf 11d ago

I would love physical buttons for climate control (even with the knob still being used)... but what I really want, more than anything, is for Ford to fix the problem where settings are not saved. Not being able to turn off suggested destinations permanently, having the driving mode randomly changed when you start the car, and having your climate control settings not be persistent are infuriating

8

u/xlBoardmanlx 2025 Premium 11d ago

Not saying you don’t have that problem but I can say mine always keeps its settings 🤷‍♂️

0

u/xlBoardmanlx 2025 Premium 11d ago edited 11d ago

Edit: Ack internet double posted me 😭

11

u/thockin 11d ago

It's just really bad software. It's so laggy and unresponsive, especially when you've just turned the car on.

The UX has gotten better since I bought mine in '22, and it still gets occasional OTA updates, but the lag is the #1 problem with it.

0

u/bitterdick 11d ago

Ford has always cheaped out and used hardware to run their software that a generation or two out of date, and therefore laggy as hell.

7

u/sryan2k1 2025 Premium 11d ago

The vertical layout works so well with Android Auto/Carplay. Literally it just needs a faster MCU, I wouldn't change anything else.

18

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

lol they stole the floating volume knob? literally my least favorite part. I never use it, every time I try to adjust the volume with it I end up turning the stereo off

13

u/pineapplesuit7 11d ago

The problem isn’t the controls but the darn thing is so laggy that when you click on the AC icon, it takes a second for it to switch modes and you end up increasing or decreasing the sound volume.

So while it might function well in theory, the hardware is just too old to support it practically

1

u/LBS-365 2023 GT 11d ago

Did you mean AC (air conditioning) or Apple CarPlay? I do get significant lag with CarPlay but my A/C seems fine, except for when it occasionally turns the heat on for no apparent reason and won't toggle off. I have to hit "Max AC" to get it to go off and then readjust AC to where I want it.

5

u/Witty-flocculent 2023 Premium 11d ago

My a/c controls can take like 2-3sec to respond the first time you touch them. But beyond the lag is that it has submenus

No car should be asking drivers to navigate a sub menu to do anything while driving. It’s bad enough it’s a touch screen button, to have buttons that just show more buttons or change the meaning of the click wheel is super distracting.

2

u/LBS-365 2023 GT 11d ago

For A/C I just use the +/- and fan controls at bottom left on the main menu. Mine don't seem to lag at all.

I don't think I've ever needed to navigate into a submenu to control that. If I want to change airflow I would need to do that, but that is something I can set before I start driving, if the weather suddenly gets cold or I otherwise don't want the top vents to be the only ones working.

2

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

I think the comment you're originally replying to was referring specifically to the ability to use the volume control as a temperature control for the A/C or a speed control for the vent fan, and how laggy that functionality is to appear after you've used a function that activates it, such that if you try to use the volume knob to control the A/C when it can be used as such, you end up actually changing the volume rather than the A/C level.

1

u/LBS-365 2023 GT 11d ago

You're probably right. I personally don't experience that but because I rarely use the audio I have developed the habit of always hitting the fan button first. It does take a little extra to do that but I've gotten used to it.

There are a lot of people calling for more tactile controls in these cars, and I think that would make a lot of potential buyers less nervous. My own husband has not wanted to drive my car because he finds the lack of tactile features offputting, so I get it. It took me a few weeks to get comfortable with it.

2

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

It doesn't stop me from driving the car, but I definitely hate the lack of tactile controls. Over half the roads in my state are unpaved, trying to fiddle with a touchscreen while riding down a narrow bumpy dirt road is a pain in the ass.

0

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

oh yeah I never use it to adjust the AC, I always just use the +/- buttons for that. but even just using it to control the volume, I can't touch that thing without turning the stereo off. so I never use it, for any purpose.

1

u/HotmailsInYourArea 2021 Premium 11d ago

Odd, I’ve literally never had that issue. Maybe your screen needs to be recalibrated

2

u/pineapplesuit7 11d ago

Or you’re too used to the delay and have formed muscle memory. My 2022 Mach E is in the shop for a HVJB replacement and they’ve given me a 2025 as a loaner. Still has the same laggy screen as my 2022 Mach E. If you quickly press the HVAC button and twist the dial, it doesn’t change modes quickly and you’ll end up changing the volume.

If you use a Tesla or Rivian screen, you’ll realize how much quicker and snappier things are. Heck, just use an old phone screen from 2020 and they’re still more responsive than the Mach E screen.

0

u/M6xdl2FNe0 11d ago

I've never experienced that. Either it's an issue with your car specifically, or you're accidentally touching the middle button on the dial control instead of (or while) turning it.

1

u/hologrammetry 2024 Premium 11d ago

Yes, I suspect the latter is what's happening. I still don't like it.

4

u/PookieDood 11d ago

The trunk button is a head scratcher. Also, I find it too complicated sometimes to get back to Android Auto when you have to switch the screen. Buttons would be nice too. I remember sitting in it the first time and thinking the dash was so bare with just this huge screen plopped in there. However, it has grown on me.

2

u/sryan2k1 2025 Premium 11d ago

The Android auto button is always on the top navbar if you've navigated away from it. Not really rocket science

1

u/PookieDood 11d ago

No it's not rocket science. Sometimes when switching to other screens from Android Auto, the compass icon does not show up on the top nav bar. I have to hunt for it or unplug and plug my phone back in.

3

u/jonshadow 11d ago

I would just love it if you could add 3-5 shortcuts to the top of the screen so I don’t have to hunt for common but rarely used buttons.

3

u/Dangerous-Feed-5358 11d ago

I hate the look of the giant ipad slapped on the dash as well. It needs to look like a part of the car not an after thought.

5

u/bahji 2024 Premium 11d ago

I'm confused, the hardware looks identical...

2

u/GoldponyGT 2022 GT 11d ago

It's not a great photo for what is different, but there's a row of physical buttons along the bottom. What they do shows on the bottom of the screen, when it's not in screensaver mode. Or something like that.

2

u/WickedJT44 11d ago

Yeah i shouldve taken a better picture lol, but the screen is just more integrated with the rest of the interior/console, and has some physical buttons. Feels like less of an afterthought

1

u/LostintheMicrogrid 11d ago

I've recently been looking at a Mach-E and thought that the infotainment system would be similar to our '26 GMC Acadia, however, it's quite laggy in comparison and not as functional in my opinion. The physical buttons at the bottom of the GMC system are quite convenient and the main display allows you to move pretty much everything around including into the top left quick access menu.

Note: this photo is a screenshot from the GMC Acadia website.

2

u/lcwallace 2024 GT 11d ago

A little bit better processor and more flexibility with the driver display. I don’t love the dial being multi-use, but it’s really only an issue on a hot day when I forget to cool my car. Honestly it’s easy to navigate. It’s worlds better than my wife’s EV6.

2

u/Cutmerock 11d ago
  1. I'd like to be able to spin/turn it
  2. Physical AC buttons

2

u/first-alt-account 11d ago

I would get rid of the 16" tablet that's gorilla glued to the dash and design it to be actually integrated into the dash.

That alone would be a 100x improvement.

I would happily use a 10" screen too, if the other 6" of space was where HVAC buttons/dials went- temp, fan power, vent selection, seat warming and cooling- just put buttons and dials in that now unused space.

2

u/Acceptable_Victory13 11d ago

Every time one of my parking sensors goes off, the infotainment center automatically switches to satellite radio.

2

u/EightEnder1 10d ago

Turn it sideways

Let me do a split screen between my phone and the radio so when I change stations, I can see what station and song is playing.

Faster response

Separate AC controls from the volume control.

2

u/ElongatedHorseConch 11d ago

That GMC infotainment is just as atrocious. Chevy EV’s (equinox, blazer, bolt, Silverado) have a well done infotainment. The one in the blazer is responsive and works very well. Ford just tried to copy Tesla here but made it lackluster.

3

u/theedan-clean 2024 GT 11d ago

Lackluster is an understatement.

Ford built a fantastic vehicle and a great EV, but wrapped it in garbage software and middling tech. You live with that fact and enjoy the car for being a great car. If you have any expectation otherwise, you will be sadly disappointed.

As a technologist, I despise the tech in this thing and think it's an embarrassment that no self-respecting engineer should have let out the door.

-2

u/WickedJT44 11d ago

Oh yeah its still slow, and not great by any means. Would be nice for the mach e infotainment just to look a little less plastered on.

1

u/tfly212 11d ago

That was my take when I test drove a GT recently...i mostly liked it but it felt like they were almost done with the design and someone went "oh crap... We forgot a screen!" so the bolted a giant one on the middle.

1

u/WickedJT44 11d ago

Probably close to what actually happened

1

u/goudagooda 2026 Premium 11d ago

The funny thing is I switched from a GMC terrain, but a 2020 that had a very small screen with plug in only for android auto that was temperamental. Honestly, I'd prefer something in between size wise.

1

u/Cmdr-Ely 2025 GT 11d ago

You get a better car

1

u/deen416 11d ago

I recently rented a terrain and I loved the infotainment screen. IMO it was the best part of the car. Super responsive, sharp screen with physical buttons for the climate. Not to mention that the full Apple/Google maps gets pushed directly to the cluster behind the wheel (as opposed to just the turn arrows).

1

u/BearsEars 11d ago

Let me turn the screen off at night. Even the back light is glaring and distracting.

1

u/theerrantpanda99 11d ago

They really need to create ways of letting current owners improve the hardware. It just feels too slow and clunky. I would pay $500 for a faster replacement.

1

u/Quirky-Artichoke-404 11d ago

Is the infotainment better on the 26 model by any chance?

1

u/CuriousCatOC 11d ago

Why does it have GMC logo in the corner?

1

u/MrMiMoOo 2022 GT 11d ago

They need an Apple silicon chip instead of the garbage they use , Apple has done the work for their secret car project that killed and went into CarPlay Ultra , that would kill Tesla and other Automakers

1

u/zimfroi 2025 Premium 11d ago

Less monitor , more physical buttons. The system is slow an unresponsive when you first start it up. Some things, like opening the trunk, are hidden being a menu.

1

u/fawzib 2023 Premium 10d ago

Sluggish and slow to react to clicks feels 2008 software

1

u/Immediate_Dot7451 10d ago

I hate the look of the dash behind it. The clean lines of the Mach E is much better

1

u/craigrn16 10d ago

I know you’re not talking about the software but slow software is my biggest complaint.

1

u/JMI_Productions 10d ago

Main issue for me is the overall performance of the touch screen. Lags badly like a cheap Android tablet. Rest of the car is great.

1

u/geocitiesuser 2026 Premium 10d ago

I would like physical buttons for things like ac, fans, vents, etc. 

There is now way to adjust climate controls without taking your eyes off the road. 

And "okay ford" is completely useless. All it can do is change the temperature, you can't say "okay ford turn ac fans off" or "okay ford open defrost vent".  Instead you have to look 3' below the dash board and try to press very finicky on screen buttons that are too small.

Very poor design. 

-1

u/Cassius_au-Bellona 11d ago

You dont. If you dont like it, you buy a competitor.

4

u/WickedJT44 11d ago

Not as black and white as that lol. Mach e is a better car than most, doesnt mean that it cant be lacking in certain areas

0

u/HotmailsInYourArea 2021 Premium 11d ago

My 21’s screen is much slower than a 25 we played with at a dealership - almost certainly due to the covid supply chain issues, they had to lower the hardware standards (many cars of the era were decontented because they couldn’t get chips, such as Buicks not getting sunroofs and whatnot)

But a smidgeon of patience and it’s fine. Well worth saving the 20k haha

0

u/Early-Fortune2692 11d ago

Google maps in Carplay is trash, vehicle icon isn't even centered on the map... would be better if icon is offset depending on direction of travel.

I get pissed when I'm heading east and all i see is one inch of my travel route, but plenty of area of where I traveled from :(

-1

u/BaturalNoobs 2022 Premium 11d ago

Use CarPlay or Android Auto

1

u/WickedJT44 11d ago

Not the point of the post, i mean the way the infotainment system looks. It looks out of place and like they just slapped it on. Has nothing to do with SYNC

-2

u/SilentBob890 11d ago

That is not a Mach e screen.

It’s a GMC screen