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Didn't know that they can set up custom packages. Good to know. Thanks for the tip!

Does anybody know if I can JUST get traffic/weather without the SiriusXM radio stations?

Another weather factor is wind. Just read on another thread on this forum that someone posted low mileage despite hypermiling techniques due to 35 mph headwind - I thought that was a great point. So as far as contributing factors to good/bad mileage, I have the following (incomplete) list - feel free to comment/contribute (or not), It's in no particular order - perhaps someone would like to rank order these based on significance: * wind * accessory usage (esp. heated seats, air conditioning/heater usage, charging cell phones in the car, etc.) * type of gas (winter blend, octane used) * outside temperature (affecting high voltage battery efficiency, etc.) * personal driving style (lead foot/hypermiling) * tire pressure (higher, more fuel efficient but poorer ride quality) * weight (more passengers/cargo, more inertia and poorer fuel economy) * road terrain (flat or hilly) * traffic conditions - stop and go or free flow * speed - highway/city mix * EV utilization / hypermiling techniques used

I agree. While I am pretty sure Ford monitors these forums as well as other social media sites, I'm not sure what they are doing with the info. This is a golden opportunity to increase customer satisfaction by closing the loop with people who have legit problems with their new vehicle. It would also score points with potential buyers who will see that Ford is going the extra mile to proactively solve owner problems.

nstlebay, please report back what mpg you are getting for the entire tank using these new techniques. Am happy that you are getting increased mileage!

I am a big fan of Prima Car Care products. Expensive, but worth it. Their Epic polish and wax is excellent. Pretty easy to apply and buff off the liquid wax. Excellent results. They sell an entire line of interior vinyl and leather protectants as well as pro-type detailer scratch removers. No, I am not affiliated with them - just a very satisfied customer. http://primacarcare.com/Prima_Products.html

I am happy that there are owners getting close to the EPA 47mpg. Trying to figure out what I'm doing 'wrong'. One factor may be weight. Anyone who is getting mid-40's or higher care to share what load you are carrying ie. how many people total in the car? I drop off my kids at school, carpool with my wife into the city, then do the reverse on the return trip, so I always have at least two people in the car at all times.

Catejust, thank you for sharing your fuel efficiency observations. The Cmax is my first hybrid and I am trying to figure out how to get the best fuel efficiency results without totally changing (compromising) my driving style ie. I do not want to be a right lane driver all the time while people wiz past me. Like nsteblay, I've been trying to stay in EV mode as long as possible whenever possible, thereby incurring repeated cycles of draining the battery to its lower threshold and having the engine constantly kick in to charge it back to an above threshold level. I suspected that somehow this was not the most fuel efficient way of utilizing EV. The initial 2 tanks using that strategy has resulted in about 37 mpg despite my best efforts. I thought about doing something different and have also decided to try fully charging the battery by engaging the ICE even when cruising at constant speeds below 62mph and not try to artificially engage EV every time by lifting off throttle completely, especially when the battery is at low charge. Catejust's observations above give me hope that this will enable higher mpgs. nsteblay, anxious to hear back from you to see how well this new strategy works for you.

Hmm. Something to consider if the clear bra kits were cheaper, but not worth the risk. Hopefully someone will come out with a kit soon.

I've been searching for clear bra kits ever since I got the CMax back home. Anyone on the lookout - if you find one available online please post. Hoping that I don't get chips in the front end in the meantime. I have a clear bra on my Mini - it's 4 years old and nary a chip in the front. I know that some people love it and others hate clear bras - there are definitely pros and cons, I acknowledge.

Read some reviewer refer to the C-Max as a jelly bean.

let's not yawn and call this ho-hum. Certainly it makes sense and we can envision doing the same thing if we were in the same shoes as those designing cars. However, we should give credit where credit is due - execution sometimes trips up manufacturers across all industry. The fact that this idea has been executed in a car that some of us are already driving is worth some accolades.

:)

I think the obstacle detection feature is actual physical contact. Several times I've had to physically stop the liftgate from opening all the way up due to an overhead obstruction. What I do in those instances is to let the power liftgate go up until about a foot from the overhead obstruction, then use my hand to stop the motion. The liftgate detects an obstruction (my hand in this case), stops, then actually 'backs off' ie. lowers itself several inches, then stops altogether. In case you are wondering, everything happens business as usual afterwards, ie. when I press the button to close, it closes normally. MSmith1915, thanks for sharing your experiences. You are a lot more patient than I am about this. As I said before, I can't stand the power liftgate not working the first time. With all due respect, if I have to kick 2 or 3 times for it to open, it might as well not have opened for me - I would consider this a failure of engineering on Ford's part. It should not be this difficult to have a reliably operating power liftgate.

After I had to mash the gas pedal yesterday needing to get to somewhere fast and having my lead footed relatives take turns test driving the cmax, I have decided to drive 'normal' on this tank ie. Pretend that I'm in my Mini, and see what the low water mark might be on fuel economy for this car. Re: Ford, yeah its all about setting expectations. If you say 47 and most drivers actually get lower, People do lose sight of the fact that this is still a very fuel efficient car for its size. Some bad taste in mouth lingers.

I think it is a fair, if not brief review. Mildly surprised they did not comment on the cmax's handling/drivability nor low interior noise levels - two things that factored in my decision to purchase.

My idea of a hedge was to lease the cmax for three years, see if it is reliable, then decide whether I want to buy the car outright at the end of the lease. Does anyone know if you can still buy the extended warranty at the end of three years?

Ok, I have an SEL with the upgraded Sony audio and NAV (package 302a). Just tried both a regular DVD and a BluRay. No luck. System does not only not recognize the disc, it spits it back out. Also tried to access a ripped movie loaded into my iPod Touch. Only audio plays out of the speakers, no video.

ok, OP here. So I don't have great news to report. I took it back to the dealership today to get the latch checked out.. Left the CMax there all day and the service manager could not resolve the problem despite all efforts and had to special order the latch mechanism. I asked him if he was just going to replace the motor but he said he needed to replace the entire latch due to the fact that the sensor is embedded in the latch. The special order will take a couple of weeks. Let me see - yep, that will be right around Thanksgiving week. Not a great first Ford experience for me but I still like the car a lot. Hope nothing else fails. Not suggesting that others run to their dealership to get it checked out - but for me, I could not stand the thing working only part of the time.

I don't have problems closing either. Hmmm interesting hypothesis about the proximit sensors. I'm bringing the CMax in tomorrow to Ford so hopefully I'll have something useful to report back soon. Wish me luck. BTW I talked to the sales guy who sold me my car today about the appointment and he mentioned that he's experienced the same thing with other CMax's when demo'ing for potential buyers. Sheesh.

Ugh. Don't know how you can live with that. Really bothers me that it doesn't work me 100% of the time. Ok, I'll def report back once I get it checked out.

I am happy with the 40/41 I'm getting on the CMax, esp. with the extra creature comforts and driving fun over the Prius. What I'm more interested in more so than the supposed 60 mpg of the next gen Prius are the hinted significant body styling changes - it might turn out looking more sporty and - dare I say - normal, than the existing car. Again, we'll see..

How often has this happened for you? It happens quite frequently for me. I will report back once I get it checked out by Ford.

Have had my CMax for a couple weeks now. On my second tank. 40+ mpg on my first tank (calculated) dash shows 41.5 mpg half way through my second tank. 700+ lifetime miles so far. Practicing mild hyper-miling (still doing 65-70 mph on the freeway, trying to stay in EV mode as long as possible on city streets). Best trip was 51 mpg one way on my 28 mile daily commute (50/50 fwy/city, some stop and go). Regarding space - I'm transitioning from a Lexus RX-300 (first year model) and I can tell you passenger space wise the CMax is a tad bit roomier while the cargo space is a little smaller. No complaints tho as I was getting 18mpg on the RX and now 40-41 into my 3rd week of ownership.

Have had this problem from day one. Am about to schedule an apptmt to get this fixed. When I open the hatch, one of out five times I hear the mechanical lock 'pop' sound, the hatch releases, but the motor does not engage to swing the hatch up. A bit embarrassing when you are trying to show off your brand new car and the cool gizmo thingy doesn't work, not to mention the obvious functional problem. Doesn't matter if I use my foot, the double press on the key fob, or engage the center console inside button. I went back to the dealer but their 'electrical guy' doesn't work on Saturdays so will have to lug my laptop to the dealer and work from there while they look at it on a weekday. Anyone else encounter this problem?