Compare the2024 Lexus RZVS 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RZ have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Ford Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Lexus RZ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the RZ and the Mustang Mach-E have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Lexus RZ is safer than the Mustang Mach-E:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RZ its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Mustang Mach-E was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

The RZ comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Mustang Mach-E’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Mustang Mach-E. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Mustang Mach-E ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RZ’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Mustang Mach-E’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in initial quality. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus first in overall reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

As tested in Motor Trend the RZ 450e electric motors is faster than the Ford Mustang Mach-E:

On the EPA test cycle the RZ gets better mileage than the Mustang Mach-E:

The RZ 300e w/18" Wheels FWD can travel longer on a full charge than the Mustang Mach-E RWD with its standard motor (266 miles vs. 247 miles).

The RZ has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The RZ’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Mustang Mach-E are solid, not vented.

The RZ stops shorter than the Mustang Mach-E:

For better traction, the RZ has larger tires than the Mustang Mach-E (F:235/60R18 & R:255/55R18 vs. 225/60R18).

The RZ’s standard 255/55R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang Mach-E’s standard 60 series tires.

The RZ 450e Premium handles at .83 G’s, while the Mustang Mach-E 4 pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RZ 450e Luxury executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 (25.9 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the RZ’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Mustang Mach-E’s (36.8 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RZ has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Mustang Mach-E (7.9 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the RZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RZ uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the RZ’s rear seats recline. The Mustang Mach-E’s rear seats don’t recline.

The RZ has a larger cargo volume than the Mustang Mach-E with its rear seat up (34.9 vs. 34.4 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Ford. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in service department satisfaction. With a 59% lower rating, Ford is ranked 22nd.

The RZ offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RZ offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the RZ is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Mustang Mach-E’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The RZ’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Mustang Mach-E has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The RZ has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Mustang Mach-E Premium/CA RT 1/GT. The RZ Luxury also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Mustang Mach-E.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the RZ keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The RZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Mustang Mach-E Premium/CA RT 1/GT.

The RZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus RZ and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, based on reliability, safety and performance.