Ford Mustang Mach-E, bold automaker’s bet on converting more electric vehicles to sales, replaced Tesla Model 3 as the “top choice” for the electric car in 2022 by Consumer Reports.

This appointment is further confirmation of CEO Jim Farley’s belief that Ford can not only compete with Tesla, but also defeat Ilona Mask when it comes to EVs.

Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, says he was impressed with Mach-E once the nonprofit group bought it. “It’s not only a really interesting car, it’s sporty, but also extremely mature,” Fisher told CNBC. “When I say it rides well, it’s very quiet. I mean, it’s really well built.”

Consumer Reports says the reliability data it has collected shows that Mach-E has very few problems so far. These data, as well as owner reviews and tests conducted by Consumer Reports, prompted him to make Mach-E his “top choice” for the 2022 electric car, replacing the Tesla Model 3.

Consumer Reports still recommends the Model 3, but Fisher says the small electric car doesn’t fit Mach-E in some areas, especially when it comes to hands-free driving and warning drivers who don’t pay attention. The Ford BlueCruise system uses a camera to monitor and warn drivers when they are not paying attention. The Model 3 also has a camera that monitors the driver, but Consumer Reports says the camera could be more efficient.

“In our tests, we can cover the camera, we couldn’t look at the road, and it really doesn’t give any warnings to the driver to make sure he’s looking where he’s going,” Fisher says.

In total, Tesla dropped to seven places and ranked 23rd in the ranking of 32 major automotive brands Consumer Reports. This is the worst figure in seven years, when Tesla was included in the issue of “Top Choice”.

In addition to concerns about Tesla’s autopilot system, Consumer Reports is critical of the manufacturer’s steering wheel, changing the steering wheel in the Model S and Model X. Fisher says using the yoke is disappointing. “It’s not just about making it harder to turn the steering wheel, but they’ve also gotten rid of the turn signal lever,” he said.

Fisher added that the quality of “Top Picks” for 2022 is better than ever, with the brands again dominated by Japanese automakers. Subaru was ranked No. 1, followed by Mazda, BMW, Honda and Lexus. At the bottom of this year’s list are Mitsubishi and GMC, just above Jeep, which was the brand with the lowest rating.

CNBC Megan Reader contributed to this report.

Ford Mustang Mach-E, bold automaker’s bet on converting more electric vehicles to sales, replaced Tesla Model 3 as the “top choice” for the electric car in 2022 by Consumer Reports.

This appointment is further confirmation of CEO Jim Farley’s belief that Ford can not only compete with Tesla, but also defeat Ilona Mask when it comes to EVs.

Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, says he was impressed with Mach-E once the nonprofit group bought it. “It’s not only a really interesting car, it’s sporty, but also extremely mature,” Fisher told CNBC. “When I say it rides well, it’s very quiet. I mean, it’s really well built.”

Consumer Reports says the reliability data it has collected shows that Mach-E has very few problems so far. These data, as well as owner reviews and tests conducted by Consumer Reports, prompted him to make Mach-E his “top choice” for the 2022 electric car, replacing the Tesla Model 3.

Consumer Reports still recommends the Model 3, but Fisher says the small electric car doesn’t fit Mach-E in some areas, especially when it comes to hands-free driving and warning drivers who don’t pay attention. The Ford BlueCruise system uses a camera to monitor and warn drivers when they are not paying attention. The Model 3 also has a camera that monitors the driver, but Consumer Reports says the camera could be more efficient.

“In our tests, we can cover the camera, we couldn’t look at the road, and it really doesn’t give any warnings to the driver to make sure he’s looking where he’s going,” Fisher says.

In total, Tesla dropped to seven places and ranked 23rd in the ranking of 32 major automotive brands Consumer Reports. This is the worst figure in seven years, when Tesla was included in the issue of “Top Choice”.

In addition to concerns about Tesla’s autopilot system, Consumer Reports is critical of the manufacturer’s steering wheel, changing the steering wheel in the Model S and Model X. Fisher says using the yoke is disappointing. “It’s not just about making it harder to turn the steering wheel, but they’ve also gotten rid of the turn signal lever,” he said.

Fisher added that the quality of “Top Picks” for 2022 is better than ever, with the brands again dominated by Japanese automakers. Subaru was ranked No. 1, followed by Mazda, BMW, Honda and Lexus. At the bottom of this year’s list are Mitsubishi and GMC, just above Jeep, which was the brand with the lowest rating.

CNBC Megan Reader contributed to this report.