Yahoo Autos Editors' Picks March 2021 | Ford Mustang Mach-E, Polestar 2, Land Rover Defender and more
The month of March was unofficial minivan month here at Autoblog. We drove all of them but the Kia Carnival, but don’t worry, you won’t have to wait much longer to read that review. Among all the family-toting machines, we drove some more exciting vehicles including the Land Rover Defender and a pair of up-and-coming EVs. It was a month of excellent cars, meaning that this month’s litter of Editors’ Picks is stacked.
In case you missed February’s picks, here’s a quick refresher on what’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary or stand out in their respective segments get Editors’ Pick status. Those are the ones we’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody who’s curious and asks the question. The list that you’ll find below consists of every car we rated in March that earned the honor of being an Editors’ Pick.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport
Quick take: Ford's baby Bronco is an authentic foil to the big Bronco 2-Door and 4-Door. It brings rugged styling, better-than-average off-road capability and thoughtful utility features to a generic segment of cars.
Score: 8
What it competes with: Jeep Compass, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek, Kia Seltos, Chevrolet Trailblazer
Pros: Stellar design, excellent off-road, clever interior details throughout
Cons: Pricier than most, average transmission, underwhelming interior quality and ambiance in lowest trims
From the editors:
Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — “I genuinely enjoy driving this cute crossover. It feels like a mini truck on the road, and Ford admirably translated the design from its big Bronco over to this Escape-based crossover.
News Editor Joel Stocksdale — "The Bronco Sport isn't perfect, the transmission could use some work, and it's a little bumpy, but it's a characterful little thing with loads of style, great visibility and space, and impressive capabilities on and off road in the powerful Badlands form."
In-depth analysis: 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Review | Bronco for the masses
2021 Land Rover Defender
Quick take: The Land Rover Defender provides everything you'd hope for in a modern Land Rover: superlative off-road capability, surprisingly plush on-road demeanor, abundant interior space and abundant character. The base four-cylinder is likely all you'll need and lower trim levels provide more than enough equipment.
Score: 8.5
What it competes with: Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Discovery, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Bronco, Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen
Pros: Excellent off-road, attractive styling, tons of configurations
Cons: Expensive, suspect early reliability reports
From the editors:
Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — “Land Rover captures the historic notion of the Defender with an evolved design, clever interior and all of the rugged off-road capability expected of the nameplate. It's a cool execution in a field that's starting to fill up with competitive entries."
West Coast Editor James Riswick — "As a rugged off-roader or a characterful midsize luxury SUV, the Defender is exceptional. It's more appealing the cheaper it is, however. There's abundant standard equipment, and the pricey upper-crust trim levels don't seem to offer enough extra equipment or luxury to warrant the cost."
In-depth analysis: 2021 Land Rover Defender Review | A new legend
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Quick take: Ford puts its best foot forward with the Mach-E, combining the idea of a Mustang with significance of an electric car. It's capable, interesting and it is necessarily a crossover.
Score: 9
What it competes with: Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2
Pros: Fun to drive, sporty Mustang-inspired styling, top-notch tech
Cons:
From the editors:
Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore — “The Mach-E succeeds on all fronts. It's a solid crossover -- sporty yet functional. It's an interesting electric car with a variety of range and performance options. It's also a very good Mustang, which is perhaps the toughest challenge Ford faced when affixing the pony car badge to a crossover. I really enjoyed driving the Mach-E and I now have a good sense of Ford's vision for an electric future."
West Coast Editor James Riswick — "If the Cayenne is a Porsche, than the Mach-E can be a Mustang. Beyond the name, the Mach-E is an electric car that's cool and doesn't cost a fortune. We need more of those. The best car I drove in 2020."
In-depth analysis: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Review | Looking beyond the horse
2021 Polestar 2
Quick take: This is a dynamite car. Shocking speed, sublime handling, interesting design and plenty of comfort make this EV turn heads and raise pulses. Yes, we’d pick this over a Tesla Model 3.
Score: 8.5
What it competes with: Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Jaguar I-Pace, Audi E-Tron/E-Tron Sportback, Volvo XC40 Recharge
Pros: Sport sedan-like handling, great Swedish design, innovative tech
Cons: Difficult to adjust performance damper setup, average interior quality
From the editors:
Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder — “This was my favorite car I drove last year. It boasts unique styling, rapid acceleration and excellent handling. The Android Automotive operating system makes for a great infotainment interface, too."
West Coast Editor James Riswick — "The Polestar 2 provides the acceleration and handling of a sport sedan. It's just too bad it doesn't really look the part. Beyond that, it's a solid electric car from an established car company (Volvo) despite being from a brand most Americans have never heard of."
In-depth analysis: 2021 Polestar 2 Road Test Review | The mystery sport sedan
2021 Porsche Cayenne Coupe
Quick take: The Coupe version of the Cayenne doesn't give up as much in utility as it might look at first glance, and it retains the standard Cayenne's top-notch driving characteristics. We don't even mind how it looks.
Score: 7.5
