luv4beer
-
Posts
23 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Posts posted by luv4beer
-
-
http://www.carnewschina.com/2015/07/07/this-is-the-2016-ford-taurus-for-the-chinese-auto-market/
September 2015 launch date.
If it comes to the US, I hope they tweak the front fascia a bit...looks kinda bland.
Agree - bland front and profile. Looks like a larger and less sleek version of the current Fusion (which we know is 3 years old).
-
Do the categories have unequal weighting factors? For example, does the 'Comfort/luxury' category bear more importance than 'Fuel economy'? Or is the 'Overall' category just your overall impression and not an exact tally of the rankings? Not trying to poke holes but just curious.
-
Those Wrangler have a crazy resale value.
Test-drove a new one last week. That Pentastar didn't impressed me.
Had a '97 Wrangler for about 4 years...nothing but problems and just a very primitive POS. I fully understood what a Wrangler was and wasn't supposed to be, but that was the worst vehicle I've ever had. Sold it for FAR less than the residual shown above and promptly and happily ran for the hills.
-
Picked up a new F150 yesterday, and have a couple of questions for anyone with experience.
First, is there any way to get the Sync Media to default to Bluetooth Audio? As is, Aux defaults to Sync Line In regardless of where I left it. I can press the Sync input key and say "bluetooth audio", but it would seem simpler if it were already there when I press Aux.
Next, is there a good way to keep water droplets off the backup camera lens? It's been raining (for what seems) every 36 hours in Raleigh for the past few weeks/months. Not really a big deal, since I can use my mirrors, but maybe there's an easy way to keep it clear?
Same deal in our C-Max...aggravating as hell. High school daughter, who has always been tech savvy, gets in my HHR (2006) last week and sees the AUX cord dangling from the audio, "Ahhhh...good ole auxilary cord!!". We both absolutely despise the MySync menus...an absolute mess...completely counter-intuitive.
-
Your right about that. If I want gas mileage I will go and buy a 15K Fiesta and get 35mpg and call it a day instead of dropping 25K on a Cmax. My perception is those who chose to buy hybrids are zealots and fuel economy is almost a game to them. So for those who consider the Cmax I think its a serious issue to them.
We checked out the Fiesta and Focus - both were too small for what we needed. The C-Max was pushing it considering my wife was drop-kicking her Chevy minivan, but we figured we could make it work w/o every seeing one before ordering it a year ago.
So far, everything has worked out pretty well. The C-Max offers quite a bit more space & storage than a Fiesta and even the Focus. It is a fabulous car despite the bad press. I've driven all 3 several times, and it would be ignorant to make comparisons between them - so different.
Unless you've spent time in a C-Max, you probably should refrain from your "perception" responses. This is a quality-built spacious vehicle with many features that gets significantly better overall MPG than a Fiesta. There is no comparison - both cars do their thing quite well.
-
I wonder if Mullaly made these kinds of adjustments to the Dreamliner to improve fuel economy before he left?
I'm getting 45MPG on my third tank, I think I'll hold off on the upgrade until lots of other people have had a chance to test it out...
I've always thought San Diego is the perfect place to own a hybrid. Will be interesting to see what your MPGs look like in 6 mo.
By the way, our C-Max is Blue Candy as well...have yet to see another one on the road here in northeast IN.
-
Letters will go out by the end of July to about 77,000 owners of the 2013 Ford C-Max, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. They will be instructed to make an appointment with their dealers for a half-day of work adjusting the software at no charge. New 2014 models will have the upgrades done at the factory.
http://www.freep.com/article/20130716/BUSINESS0102/307160116/ford-hybrids-c-max-fusion-lincoln-mkz
Thanks for the info, Jason.
-
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-16/ford-says-it-s-boosting-fuel-economy-of-2013-hybrids.html?cmpid=yhoo
This is a very interesting tidbit. I wonder where the fuel economy is going to wind up. It would be ironic if the real world FE goes up, but the est. EPA FE goes down.
Edit: added a more comprehensive article here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-further-improving-road-hybrid-204500693.html
Can anyone confirm that this adjustment is for current owners (article makes it sound that way) and not just for new owners? If so, will Ford be contacting owners to set up appointments?
After a 400-mile trip in my C-Max Hybrid this past weekend, it was very apparent how huge the MPG delta was between cruising at 65 MPH vs. 78 MPH. The MPG delta is also huge between cold and warm ambient. We're overall pleased with the MPG, but I would welcome a tweak to minimize the above-mentioned deltas.
It also occurred to me that all cars, especially non-hybrids, should include the same driving habit/energy consumption feedback that the C-Max provides. If everyone had that feedback shoved in their face, most people would learn to drive for maximized MPG.
-
Are they even trying? Put a fusion front end on the car, add ST wheels and do a very mild change to the rest the car, voila 2015 Mustang :rolleyes:
http://mustangsdaily.com/blog/2013/05/17/2015-ford-mustang-rendered-by-car-and-driver/
From the Mike Brady School of Design.
-
2
-
-
You lucky bastard.
We had plenty of sub-20 mornings, so I was stating daytime highs. But, yes, it could have been much worse. I'm guessing this car would average well above 50 in San Diego-type climates.
-
To the OP, since this is a hybrid (versus Plug in), how would you assess your wife's adaptation to the vehicle? I would imagine it has been seamless, since essentially it behaves as a 'regular' gas car, and doesn't require any new behaviors (plugging it in, etc.).
Thank you for the report. The C-Max is on my radar screen for purchase, but I'm holding out to see if Ford adds some features for the 2014 model year (HID headlights, etc.).
My wife adapted very quickly and easily to this vehicle. My researching of it before we took delivery did help a bit, but the info center makes the learning curve very quick. My wife is technologically-challenged in many ways, so that should tell you something. The car does drive just like a regulary car when you want it to, and it has surprising quickness for what you'd expect with a hybrid. The CVT transmission just makes the whole experience that much smoother. Very easy car to drive in so many ways.
-
My wife and I bought ours in November, live in central NC, have an attached garage (keeps it warmer), drive mainly during day (lights use power) and we've averaged 44+ for all miles and now getting over 50 on all trips in warmer weather. We also love the quality drive, fit and finish but we bought C-Max for MPG over Escape. We also bought C-Max for the higher seating position, this was one reason for Escape along with extra storage of SUV. We would not consider the Focus or Fiesta or Prius because of said seating position.
Very glad you posted your comments but I have a couple of questions. Do you park outside @ night? Do you drive much @ night? What are the main speed limits you drive?
Our C-Max is garage-parked at night. It's looking more and more like outdoor temps have everything to do MPGs for this vehicle. We had a very long winter here (Ft. Wayne, IN) where temps were in the 20s/30s from late November through March. Most of my wife's driving is 4-mile trips to her workplace and many other short drives. With the cabin always struggling to get to 70 degrees, the gas engine was on most of the winter (heat comes from gas engine). Not to mention my wife cranking cabin setting to 85 to get the cabin warmer quicker...
Today, with temps in the 70s, I averaged well over 50 for 25-30 miles driving around town. Amazing difference now that ambient temps are much higher.
-
So how is it in the snow and climbing hills in slippery conditions if there are in fact hills in Indiana? Does it have a little more wheel clearance in snow than sedan? I would suppose it has traction control on the front wheels and all season tires. Yeah, I figured 47mpg for tall wagon highway was out there unless you are willing to get ticket for impeding traffic. I do like the vehicle though, and am considering looking at one in future. I would hope though that Ford does AWD version unless the FWD version is excellent in snow.
Funny you mention AWD. My biggest fascination with this vehicle thus far has been its performance in the snow and even on icy roads. Wow. It really does feel like a 4WD. Stock tires are Michelins, but there obviously are several other factors in play. It does have traction control, but I'm too inexperienced to know when/if it's kicked in. I've played with the traction control button, and this thing still has great traction when it's off. There aren't many hills in NE Indiana, but it has done well on the modest hills I've climbed.
-
Just thought I'd report in after enjoying the first 8 months of our C-Max Hybrid:
This was our first hybrid, and getting used to driving this hybrid was a breeze. There are various gauge/graph/calculation options to choose for viewing the entire hybrid experience...very interesting and informative. The info center greatly contributes to a quick understanding of how to drive this hybrid...slow acceleration when possible, gradual braking, and generally knowing when/how to kick it into 'EV' mode. A chimp could easily figure it out. A very nice system overall.
We acquired the C-Max in September, if I remember correctly, and the MPG noticably decreased as the temps sank through the winter months - no different than other vehicles. MPG is climbing fairly quickly now with warmer temps. Nonetheless, I think most people want to know if this vehicle will get anywhere close to 47/47 as stated by the EPA estimate. I don't believe it will, but 'time' still needs to tell. I bought this vehicle after I crunched numbers of my wife's old vehicle MPG, ave. miles driven per year, and comparing gas costs vs. what it would be with the EPA estimate of the C-Max. Payback...simple and nothing more than that. The 'premium' one pays for the C-Max over a similar gas-only vehicle is only a few thousand. My wife simply wanted a dependable vehicle that got her from 'point A' to 'point B' - new or used, she just didn't care.
Regardless of the well-below-EPA-estimate MPG to this point, we love this car (it's now getting around 40 MPG after dipping below 35 in the winter months...ave. of city/hwy). I no longer care about the MPG (it's now simply a bonus) because this car is superior in so many ways. This thing has had ZERO defects, and it is absolutely built like a tank for a vehicle of this size. Quality oozes from every nook & cranny. Ford did not skimp on anything here. My question is..."where is the Consumer Report survey?" For the first time in my life, I actually want to fill out a survey on something. My wife doesn't care about all of the aspects that I do, but she even commented that she feels like this thing will last forever. With such a complex machine, it's surprising to me that absolutely nothing has gone wrong with it. Exterior paint job is impressive, although some chode (in a large truck it appears) rammed his/her door into poor "Candy's" driver door. Bastard. Interior fit and finish is right at or even a notch above what you would expect for a $25K-$28K vehicle. I'd be really surprised to find out if Ford made a dime on the C-Max...just the feeling I have after owning it for 8 months.
Great vehicle, the C-Max. I hope others have had a similar experience that we have had. After regularly driving rental cars for years and sampling the latest offerings from other manufacturers, I do have a decent 'gauge' of what to expect. For an efficient 5-person hauler, this vehicle is a home run.
-
2
-
-
The C-Max is a very premium looking vehicle to my eyes anyway, and MT remarked how premium the interior looked, especially compared to the Prius. I know I'm impressed with exterior looks and interior. I'm partial to wagons anyway, and CUV's are usually premium looking and premium priced compared to sedans. So surprised and shocked base CUV C-Max would undercut base Fusion hybrid sedan in price. Basically, the C-Max is a tall wagon just like the Escape off of same platform, only much more complicated hybrid system with much, much better fuel mileage. Only drawback to C-Max is no AWD option.
No AWD, but this thing drives like one in the snow...unbelievable traction and stability in the winter weather. This thing is built like a tank and has the all-around feel of a $30k+ vehicle. Wife and I couldn't be more pleased with ours. Only complaint is far less-than-advertised MPG, but we haven't driven it in warm weather yet. Even with the much lower MPGs we're getting, I would highly recommend this vehicle. Rear passengers usually comment on the ample legroom and great panoramic sunroof.
-
So the C-Max is taking off quickly. Even my neighbor just bought one! I'm surprised it's finding such quick success.
We've had our Blue Candy C-Max Hybrid SE for about 3 weeks. Wife likes it a lot, but she's not a big car person...tough to get much feedback from her. Even though it's her daily 'driver', I think it's quite a machine. We're getting about 42 MPG on average with the weather being cool here (40s-60s lately), car not being broken in, and both of us not being as efficient drivers as we could be. Forgetting the whole hybrid thing, this vehicle is so friggin' smooth, quiet, and easy to drive. It really is built like a tank...everything is solid. She feels really safe in this thing. She's commented several times how surprised she is about how much technology is in this vehicle. The only disappointment she has is that the panoramic roof doesn't reach very far forward as you don't notice it much from the front seats. I'm sure that's due to structural integrity and possibly ergonomics. Nonetheless, this is a high quality vehicle that I believe will sell better than Ford expects. I'm a black & white engineering/finance geek, and the value/ROI of this vehicle sold me. This and the Fusion Hybrid will exceed expectations.
-
I saw my first C-Max (Blue Candy) on the road today. It's unmistakably bigger than the Focus, but considerably smaller than the new Escape. I'll really have to drive one to see how I feel about the size.
What did you think about the 'Blue Candy' and the overall looks?
-
Production started the week of July 23, so the first ones should start showing up by the end of September. If you do a dealer inventory search on ford.com you can see the stock orders that have already been produced and are waiting on the go ahead to ship.
Thanks for the info...just spotted my wife's 'blue candy' C-Max SE w/ panam sunroof. She's ready for it, but she's also skeptical of spending money on a new vehicle. I just explain that it's "the gift that keeps on giving" with respect to 47/47/47. -
First time on this forum and first time ordering a new car (after decades of frugality). Ordered today: blue candy C-Max SE w/ panoramic sunroof.
Dumb question for you veterans: should I expect to pay sticker for this thing...because it's a brand-spanken-new model? I believe it's pricing out to $27,600 incl. freight.
Was able to knock $1000 off plus whatever factory rebate is offered (if any?). I'll take anything I can get. Thanks for all of the responses...gave me confidence to negotiate a little!
-
3
-
-
Congratulations on the C-Max. Regular or Plug-in?
Regular. The MPG numbers reeled me in.
-
You should pay what you negotiate with the salesman. Every purchase has wiggle room. Do your research, come up with a number and tell the salesman that's what you want to pay. If they don't accept your number, walk away, they'll get back to you. Another option is to obtain an X-Plan PIN from a Ford employee, check with your employer to see if they are in the Partners Program or join an organization that's in the program. Also, you can purchase a car through Costco at a discounted price, maybe even less than X-Plan.
Thanks for the tips. From the other replies, it sounds like the X-Plan is the way to go. Now that I know you can still haggle on newly-released models, guess I should go into "take it or leave it" mode. :>)
-
First time on this forum and first time ordering a new car (after decades of frugality). Ordered today: blue candy C-Max SE w/ panoramic sunroof.
Dumb question for you veterans: should I expect to pay sticker for this thing...because it's a brand-spanken-new model? I believe it's pricing out to $27,600 incl. freight.
-
1
-
Ford garage restaurant
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted
We frequent the Ford's Garage in Estero, FL and have really enjoyed it for the past few years. The decor is excellent throughout (even the restrooms) and fun even if you're not a car buff. Food is good and beer selection is outstanding.