fxcomet Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 After having gone Fordless since selling my 04 Ranger last year (I don't count my 56 Customline since it isn't a dayly driver), we bought a new C-Max Hybrid this week. Can't tell you how thrilled we are with this thing, "real world fuel economy" naysayers aside. It's amazingly solid and quiet and has features I didn't think could be had on a so called economy car. We're getting close to 40 mpg with mostly highway miles so far and I fully expect that will get better. But to be honest, even if it stays at this level, I'd still recommend the car. It is THAT nice and worth every dollar. The mrs loves the driving position and the ambient lighting. I love how incredibly quiet this thing goes about its business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Congrats! Certainly can't beat it's MPGs and utility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 MT just did a comparo with Prius, and C-Max won hands down overall. Much faster, and handles three times better. Also looks much better.The price is a steal as MT claims Ford is losing a boatload of money on each one it sells. I wouldn't doubt it as the technology is worth much more than base price it seems. With warmer weather, I would imagine C-Max should do at least 10% better fuel mileage. Let's face it, for much of the country, it has been a cold or more typical winter compared to last year. I can't believe how many C-Max's I see around here. Today alone in driving to A2, I saw at least 7-8 or so and in last few blocks, saw 4 alone on street or parked. Overall, the C-Max is a homerun. I drove by Varsity Ford in A2 today and at least 6 new C-Max's were parked out front. Most I've seen at dealership. A great vehicle. Kudos Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 The price is a steal as MT claims Ford is losing a boatload of money on each one it sells. They really said that? I'll call BS on them for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 They really said that? I'll call BS on them for that one. I don't know about that. C-Max sticker for base model is about $26,000, not much more than base Escape SE that is conventional ICE model with no CVT trans, electric motor, regenerative braking, expensive battery, and so on. Certainly the C-Max is a steal for consumer, and MT claims Ford chose to lose money in order to gain more traction as leading green company. I wouldn't be surprised by that. Getting up to 62mph on battery power only and getting 40mpg overall in tall wagon usually comes with hefty price tag. Not so with C-Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I like the C-Max, although I wish they'd offer a gas-only version stateside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donaldo Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 I don't know about that. C-Max sticker for base model is about $26,000, not much more than base Escape SE that is conventional ICE model with no CVT trans, electric motor, regenerative braking, expensive battery, and so on. Certainly the C-Max is a steal for consumer, and MT claims Ford chose to lose money in order to gain more traction as leading green company. I wouldn't be surprised by that. Getting up to 62mph on battery power only and getting 40mpg overall in tall wagon usually comes with hefty price tag. Not so with C-Max. Maybe the Escape is overpriced for what you get. The C-max pricing is in line with Toyota's hybrids, the main competition. Athough Toyota still dominates, it's not like Ford is brand new to hybrids and still needs to sell them as a loss leader. Ford has been selling hybrids since 2004. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 And its not like the development costs aren't split with the Fusion when it comes to the power pack on it...:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 And its not like the development costs aren't split with the Fusion when it comes to the power pack on it...:rolleyes: Yeah, and I'm sure the armchair quarterbacks who post on here have inside info the MT crew would never have talking with auto employees and execs all the time going about doing their jobs. All I know other than what MT said is that I was shocked by the low, base sticker price on the C-Max when it first came out. I've already seen a few used one's for sale online, and it's tempting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yeah, and I'm sure the armchair quarterbacks who post on here have inside info the MT crew would never have talking with auto employees and execs all the time going about doing their jobs. Most of the people here do a better job at reporting and interpreting information then the idiots that "work" at MT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Yeah, and I'm sure the armchair quarterbacks who post on here have inside info the MT crew would never have talking with auto employees and execs all the time going about doing their jobs. All I know other than what MT said is that I was shocked by the low, base sticker price on the C-Max when it first came out. I've already seen a few used one's for sale online, and it's tempting. For those of us who have a few decent sources in Dearborn... I don't buy that CMax is a money loser. Aside from the full-electric program (which is very new and very expensive), every other product is expected to pay their own way. If CMax was going to lose money, it likely wouldn't have gotten the go-ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxcomet Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 One word about Sync and their navigation system. After hearing all the cries of woe about how dreadful it is, I had more than a little apprehension. Turns out that it's just a matter of a little patience to learn the thing. Is it complicated? Well, yes. But in a real way, that's hafl the fun. I'm learning something new every day about it. I tried the voice command out for the first time yesterday and it performed better than I expected, something we never even tried on our 08 Edge and we had it four years. I'm sure others have experiences that differ from mine, but I just can't understand what all the hub-bub was/is about. I do know Ford has had a year or two to tweek the thing, so perhaps I'm just a beneficiary of lessons learned by the early adopters. The steering is quick. It feels quicker than my 300C, with road feel about the same. Handling really is excellent for a tall wagon. Had no trouble keeping up with interstate traffic on the way home in it yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 There have been discussions around the office that we may replace some of our news cars with these. We are currently all-CRV (save for our Escape Hybrid) thanks to a very good trade deal with a few local Honda dealers, but the family wants to push their "green" image a little harder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS1 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 i could see the C-Max not being a big money maker. It's got nicer interior than prius, better HP, and imo just a better car at a real good price. I might be biased though, being a soon to be C-Max owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 i could see the C-Max not being a big money maker. It's got nicer interior than prius, better HP, and imo just a better car at a real good price. I might be biased though, being a soon to be C-Max owner. It also has alot of items shared with the Escape too..which helps off set costs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv4beer Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Ford has a winner on it's hands. What's disturbing to me is in an article I read (not sure if it was the same as the one mentioned here) the magazine writer had a friend who was in the market for a larger hybrid like the Cmax and PriusV. The writer highly suggested he get the Cmax because it drives better, looks better, feels better, better interior, better pick-up and all around faster, etc.. The guy asked which one gets better MPG and unfortunately the Prius V achieved slightly better MPG during testing and he mentioned that. Well, the guy bought the Prius over all the Cmax. All he cared about was MPG. I hope Ford addresses getting better real world driving MPG. Otherwise too many people may begin bashing it based on their experiences, even though you are still getting top notch product and great MPG, just not advertised MPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Ford has a winner on it's hands. What's disturbing to me is in an article I read (not sure if it was the same as the one mentioned here) the magazine writer had a friend who was in the market for a larger hybrid like the Cmax and PriusV. The writer highly suggested he get the Cmax because it drives better, looks better, feels better, better interior, better pick-up and all around faster, etc.. The guy asked which one gets better MPG and unfortunately the Prius V achieved slightly better MPG during testing and he mentioned that. Well, the guy bought the Prius over all the Cmax. All he cared about was MPG. I hope Ford addresses getting better real world driving MPG. Otherwise too many people may begin bashing it based on their experiences, even though you are still getting top notch product and great MPG, just not advertised MPG. That was MT comparo test I mentioned earlier. IMO, C-Max is best bang for buck vehicle in Ford's lineup. If I were in market now, that is the vehicle I would buy. And getting 39-40mpg wouldn't bother me in least with that kind of power and a tall wagon/CUV to boot. If the weather ever warms up, I would imagine 40-45mpg if not higher would be doable. The C-Max is a 3600 lb. vehicle that does 0-60 in 8 seconds and handles like Fusion. It's not an econobox on skinny tires that couldn't pass a truck easily and looks like hell. It's stylish and keeps up most traffic no problem delivering close to 40mpg overall in the dead of winter that affects battery power. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Ford has a winner on it's hands. What's disturbing to me is in an article I read (not sure if it was the same as the one mentioned here) the magazine writer had a friend who was in the market for a larger hybrid like the Cmax and PriusV. The writer highly suggested he get the Cmax because it drives better, looks better, feels better, better interior, better pick-up and all around faster, etc.. The guy asked which one gets better MPG and unfortunately the Prius V achieved slightly better MPG during testing and he mentioned that. Well, the guy bought the Prius over all the Cmax. All he cared about was MPG. I hope Ford addresses getting better real world driving MPG. Otherwise too many people may begin bashing it based on their experiences, even though you are still getting top notch product and great MPG, just not advertised MPG. That won't happen unless the EPA changes their testing procedure and/or the formula for the window sticker label. As the other mfrs catch up to Ford on hybrid EV capabilities and use of small turbo engines they'll have the same issues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 for people getting their panties in a bunch over MPG claims, do keep in mind the difference between getting 40MPG and 47MPG avg is about $1000 bucks over 5 years, or 200 a year or $3.84 a week 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 (edited) ^ I hear you silvrsvt. I'd rather have a better equipped and better overall vehicle for $200 / year! These clowns also have to remember, the priusv only acieved around .8 more mpg. That will dilute out your figures even more and make driving a better vehicle that much more satisfying. So, that MT testers friend might save $50/year give or take, but has to deal with a less "fun" car to drive. Edited March 21, 2013 by Hydro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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