Ford Mustang Mach-E Select vs Skoda Enyaq RS

Both are premium-priced electric SUVs, so neither is a bargain. On the sticker the Mustang Mach-E Select wins, at about $73,400 driveaway against roughly $80,000 for the Enyaq RS, a gap of around $6,600. Running costs are closer and split by category. The Enyaq is the more efficient car at 164.8Wh/km to the Ford's 186Wh/km, despite being heavier and all-wheel drive, and it carries a longer seven-year warranty with 30,000km service intervals. The Ford answers with seven years of roadside assistance to the Skoda's two. Buy the Select for the lower price. Buy the Enyaq if efficiency and the longer warranty outweigh the extra outlay.

In these two grades the Enyaq RS leads. Its 82kWh battery is rated at 546km WLTP against 470km from the Select's 73kWh pack, a 76km advantage, and it charges quicker too, peaking at 165kW DC for a 29-minute 10 to 80 per cent stop versus 150kW and 32 minutes for the Ford. Both take 11kW AC for home charging. One caveat on range: the Select is Ford's entry grade, and the pricier Mach-E Premium claims 615km, further than any Enyaq, so the Select's 470km is not the Mustang's ceiling. Between these specific cars, the Enyaq RS is the longer-legged, faster-charging choice.

The Enyaq RS, comfortably. It is Skoda's flagship, with two motors making 250kW and 545Nm through all-wheel drive and a claimed 5.4-second 0-100km/h. The Mustang Mach-E Select is the base grade, a single-motor rear-driver with 212kW and 525Nm, and Ford does not publish a 0-100 time for it. If performance is your priority, note that Ford's fast Mach-E is the 434kW dual-motor GT, which out-powers the RS, though it is a dearer flagship in its own right, not this Select. Read the Enyaq RS as the quick one in this matchup. The Select is the sensible base car, not the sprinter.

The Enyaq RS is the more practical car. Its boot holds 585 litres to the Mustang Mach-E Select's 402, a 183-litre gap, and folding the rear seats opens 1,710 litres against 1,420. That is the Skoda's core strength: reviewers praise it as a usable, wagon-shaped SUV. The Ford's reply is a 49-litre front boot under the bonnet, handy for charging cables. Cabin space is close on paper, both being five-seaters on similar footprints, but the Enyaq's squarer body uses it better for cargo. Pick the Enyaq if load space matters. The Ford's frunk is the neat party trick.

Both hold five-star ANCAP ratings, so neither is the safe-or-unsafe choice. The scores are close and split. The Enyaq RS edges the adult, child and vulnerable-road-user categories, at 94, 89 and 71 per cent to the Mach-E Select's 92, 88 and 69, and it fits nine airbags with a standard driver-attention monitor. The Mach-E answers with the stronger safety-assist score of the two, 82 per cent to 73. Both come with autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring as standard. Read the Enyaq as marginally ahead on crash-test scores. Read the Mach-E as ahead on the active-assist rating. Practically, they are evenly matched.

The two split the ownership fine print. Skoda covers the Enyaq RS for seven years with unlimited kilometres and asks for a service only every 30,000km or 24 months, which is long by class standards. Ford warrants the Mustang Mach-E Select for five years, also unlimited kilometres, with 15,000km or 12-month service intervals, so it visits the workshop more often. The Ford's trump card is roadside assistance, seven years to the Enyaq's two. Both batteries carry the usual eight-year, 160,000km cover. Read the Enyaq as the stronger long-term warranty and servicing package. Read the Ford as the better-covered car if you break down.

For a family, the Enyaq RS makes the stronger case. The 585-litre boot, three-zone climate, longer 546km range and seven-year warranty all point at everyday family use, and reviewers rate its cabin among the most practical in the class. The higher price is the trade-off. The Mustang Mach-E Select answers with a lower price, the bigger twin screens kids and front passengers will notice, and a 49-litre front boot for the small stuff, though its 402-litre main boot is tight for the class. Read the Enyaq RS as the family-first pick. Read the Mach-E Select as the choice if budget leads and the boot is enough.

For performance, the Enyaq RS is the clear answer in this pair. Dual-motor all-wheel drive, 250kW and a 5.4-second 0-100km/h give it traction and pace the single-motor, rear-drive Mach-E Select cannot match at 212kW. Reviewers praise the RS for composure rather than outright thrills, and it rides on standard adaptive dampers. If you specifically want a fast Mustang Mach-E, Ford sells the 434kW GT, which out-powers the RS, but that is a separate flagship well above both cars here. Read the Enyaq RS as the performance pick between these two. Read the Mach-E Select as the value-focused base car, tuned for ease rather than speed.