Noah Harbinger

I'll definitely sign on to most of that. The EPA test is definitely out of whack with how normal drivers drive and although the 2008 update was a huge step in that direction, and real-world fuel economy on non-hybrids is a lot closer to the EPA rating than it was before, but there's still a long way to go.

The company that ran a new toll road in San Diego initially did not charge a monthly minimum, so I picked up a transponder from them. But they changed their policy about a year later, at which point I promptly returned it. Based on the Wiki for the EZ-Pass, it sounds like it's pretty much the same setup: Each of the participating agencies can determine its fee structure, and some agencies in the Northeast Corridor do have monthly minimums and fees. So, be glad you happen to be in one that does not :)

If anyone is every curious what the AZ/X-plan prices are: When you are looking at a specific vehicle on the dealer inventory website (e.g. http://www.inventory.ford.com/dealer/Encinitas-Ford-05475/model/2013-C-MAX-HybridReveal/vin/1FADP5CU3DL542079/?zipcode=92024) , you can peruse the HTML Source - search for 'xplan'. They just use Javascript to switch which price gets displayed.

In California, it's called FasTrak - it's been set up as a state-wide system. You should see signs about it on every toll bridge around the bay. In Southern California, it's also used to allow non-carpool access to some carpool lanes (usually ones with restricted entrances, like the 15 in San Diego) and toll roads like the 73 in LA and 125 in San Diego. Each agency running a FasTrak road administers their own toll collections even though it's a unified pass, and most have some minimum amount of tolls - i.e. if you registered for FasTrak with SANDAG (San Diego), there's a monthly minimum of $4.50 that must be paid on tolls in San Diego.

Ah, well, I always leave the fan on at least on a low speed blowing in outside air, if only to make sure humidity doesn't build up.

I know what you're saying- I'm saying it's not hard to read it pretty accurately. But maybe I still have young eyes.

I would have bought the C-Max even if it were not a hybrid - the cost of gas is a pretty small percentage of the cost of a new car, and also the carbon footprint of the additional gasoline is a small percentage of the environmental footprint of a new car (if you're thinking in terms of environmental impact).

Um, where exactly do you think this carbon monoxide is coming from? Unless you've got a pre-cat exhaust leak with a path into the cabin… which really should be covered by your warranty.

67.5 is exactly half way between 65 and 70, so it's just "Slightly more than halfway between 65 and 70", vs "Slightly less than halfway between 65 and 70". It's amazing how good we humans can get at differentiating such details, when we take the time to do so.

It's just plain ignorant to say "Ford was stretching the truth". The only fuel economy they are allowed to advertise is the milage they get when following a very precisely defined pattern of speed/acceleration defined by the EPA. They can only report exactly what they get on that test. There is no other option. They have no choice. There is nothing to stretch. They have no stretch room. None, zip, zilch, zero. What I say is, the differences between the EPA driving tests and real-world driving give the most benefit to hybrids, and the C-Max in particular does especially well on that test (most likely because of the 62MPH EV-only capability).

Oh cool - I noticed the vents after a few days - I didn't notice the adjustment!

You should also be able to see the light on the dash, which indicates that all the doors are locked. Or at least, if you're someone who doesn't trust technology, it indicates that the vehicle believes the doors are locked (in which case it would set off the alarm if a door were to open).

From what I read in the manual, I think as long as a fob is present outside the car, it will allow you to lock the doors with a fob inside the car.

Wow, that is an extremely well camouflaged driveway!

Yeah, that's pretty much what I was planning to do. I am already in the habit of keeping the receipt and writing the tank milage on it. And once I pull into my driveway, I should be able to pick up wifi and enter the data. Sometimes the low-tech solution is the best - even in a high-tech car!

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't have text messages either :) My plan is grandfathered in from 2006 - and even then I was behind the times in not getting texting!

I was torn between getting the color I wanted (Ruby/Stone) with the package I didn't (301A), or my runner-up color (Candy Blue/Charcoal) in the package I did (302A). Or else do a dealer order or wait for the one I want to show up in the county. Obviously, I went with package + timeliness over color. And goodness I am SO glad I got the backup camera!

Yup, the non-hybrid drivers lack regenerative braking, engine shutoff at idle, EV in slow traffic, etc. Everything that prevents the hybrid from reaching its intended milage, affects regular cars even worse.

Mobile 911 is set up to automatically get the coordinates reported by your phone, which is based on the signal strength of nearby cellphone towers plus its GPS if so equipped. I would be surprised if the car's GPS comes into play at all on the 911 assist.

Adding hills can only increase the amount of energy needed to drive a given distance. That is law of conservation of energy. If you were driving EV-only, that would be a given. BUT… The ICE has different levels of efficiency at different speeds - the amount of energy you can extract from a given amount of gasoline varies depending on driving conditions. Whether there is a possible hill that allows a given car to operate more efficiently than flat ground - perhaps because a slight incline allows it to operate at a higher energy-per-gallon condition and then use regen + potential energy to glide downhill at extremely high MPG - is a very tricky thing to work out. The main efficiency of a hybrid as I understand it is to allow the engine to spend more time operating in its most efficient ranges, and use the electrical motor to stretch that efficiency range to a wider percentage of real-world conditions. (That plus regen braking doesn't hurt).

LOL, I'd hardly call it "a common ol' work mule" with that heart blanket underneath!

From my perspective, I opted for the 302 *in spite of* the power liftgate - I just wanted the backup camera (which is soooo helpful with the odd perspective out the rear window - I feel like I'm in someone's grill when I'm 6 feet away). If/when the power struts go, I'll replace 'em with manual struts.

Actually, it might be interesting to create a test, and make a little printable "C-Max Expert" certificate! :-D

I never noticed before that they use the same icon.

That's probably one of the best things about the Robert Lane/Blue Oval Forums family of sites in general: Great active moderation to keep the site from veering too far into the traditional flamewar topics.