RedLdr1

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but it probably won't get any better... My 2012 SHO is Tri-White and so was my 2010 Flex. The Flex picked up a couple of stone chips on the front bumper that went all the way down to the black plastic. The Ford touch up paint only disguised the "black hole" and wasn't even close to a match. I talked to the pros at the body shop I use and they said that was the best I would get without a professional repaint. The only other option I can think of is somebody good with an airbrush might be able to do better than the bottled touch up paint....if they get the right paint and clear coat...

I have not had a spare tire in several cars in the last few years so it doesn't bother me. Plus I ride a motorcycle so I'm used to not having a spare tire on the road. But I did buy a smaller version of the Tire Repair kit I carry on my Harley for the C-Max to allow me to plug any holes too big for the Ford sealer kit to handle alone. Here is the kit I bought, you can find variations of it at most automotive and tire stores. Having a repair kit, to augment the Ford kit, isn't as good as a spare but it will handle anything I'd be willing to patch...and it is a lot cheaper and easier to haul around!

It is not uncommon for someone to skew their MPG numbers for "bragging rights". When I had my Camry Hybrid it was a running joke on the Toyota Nation forums how much some people would lie to be the "best hypermiler"... Give it a little while and someone with a C-Max will be doing it as well....

Another way to look at Fuelly data, without selecting who to use, is to just look for the "bell curve" in the data. Fuelly currently has 58 C-Maxs reporting, of those the majority, 32 cars or 55%, are reporting between 36MPG and 41MPG. The MPG Average of those 32 cars is 38.5MPG... Not too far off from the 39.67MPG selecting the users generated... That is still using self reported data, but it gets rid of the outliers....on both ends. Screen Shot of Fuelly 2013 C-Max Average MPG Reports as of 20:19 31 December 31, 2012

You are going on "blind faith" if you trust any of the self reported info on any website. I can have my C-Max meet, or easily beat, the 47/47/47 MPG ratings with just a few minutes of keyboard time on Fuelly, Fueleconomy.gov, Green Hybrid or any self reporting website. Self reported data is always suspicious at best as you don't know the sources motivations...or their reliability. FoutsNC, That was a good way to "thin the herd" using pictures as a selection parameter. Not perfect, but far better than just accepting all the data.

I've been signed up on the TrueDelta site for quite awhile while now. I updated my "garage" when I bought my C-Max... :) TrueDelta is a good resource and is based on owner input...

After a couple 500 miles days over the holidays, in slow heavy traffic, I found the seats to be very comfortable on a trip. Much better than seats in the Sonata hybrid, but not quite as good as in my SHO. The SHO seats are a bit wider and allow more "squirm" room....plus they are cloth / Miko® Suede which is my preference over leather. What I really like about the seating is I sit up in the C-Max like I did in my Flex. Getting out of the Sonata was an interesting experience, especially for the passenger who is basically sitting on the floor with a seat small cushion.

I agree, plus there is not enough body overhang behind the rear wheels for the mud flaps to make much difference. For that reason I only bought the front set.

I agree, having three forums is going to create a mess finding information eventually. This is one car with two drive train options, a sub forum for each drive train makes more sense to me as well since the rest of the car is basically the same. Plus it would be a lot simpler to manage from the Admin side as well...

Yesterday I saw my first C-Max "in the wild".... :) A Ruby Red SE being flat towed behind a Class A RV on I-75N in South Georgia... I honked as went by, was that anyone here?

It still has not been tested either by the IIHS or NHSTA's "SafeCar" Five Star Ratings....I looked this morning. The new Focus that the C-Max shares a lot of DNA with passed...

Forgetting warranty issues that is the next really big one... Leviton, the company that provides the Energi's home charging system, sells portable hybrid battery chargers and they start at around $900!

+1 I have also had both Ford Remote Start systems and the bi-directional is definitely the way to go.

The numbers first displayed when you shutdown are for the Trip Summary segment you just finished driving. The info used in that display begins when you start up and ends when you shutdown each time automatically. To check it if you reset Trip One on start up the segment display and Trip One display should be very close when you shut down... The reason I say close as they display different data fields and I do not know how the system accounts for Regen Miles....

Mike, I haven't looked at my fog lights on the C-Max yet but they need tweaked upward a bit as well. I have yet to own any car with factory adjustable fog lights, the only way I have been able to adjust the aim of the fog lights is to shim them.

Yep...I look at a locking gas cap as more to control what goes in rather than getting the gas out...

See DashMat. Their SuedeMat looks really good...

I used a plain Chrome Frame, without any sayings, logos, or symbols, to cover up the edges. One interesting tidbit I found is the rubber plugs, at the bottom of the rear plate area, are the same size holes as the top. I pulled the rubber plugs out and snapped in two more of the plastic nuts, readily available at any parts store, and screwed my plate down using all four positions. I did not like the way the rubber plugs made the bottom of the plate stick out instead of sitting flush. And with all four positions screwed down I won't get any rattles later....

I had the Tri-Coat White color matched with no problem on another Ford car. As new as your C-Max is there won't be any faded paint concerns....

I had a CoverCraft brand do that after just six months. They only have a 90 day Warranty so that $40+ screen was trashed. To say the least I wasn't happy so now I buy Intro-Tech. Anything you buy at Costco, WalMart, Target, or a auto supply store that comes in four or five sizes, won't fit...at least properly. Intro-Tech has over 2,600 patterns for their screens so part of their value proposition is you are getting a product that should fit correctly. And you are getting a "Lifetime" Warranty if it does fail. I have yet to test that Warranty as I haven't had any issues with any of mine. During the summer heat here in "Hotlanta" I hate walking out and opening the door to an "oven" that will take at least 10 minutes, in ugly commuter traffic, to cool down.... :nonono: I've found tinting the windows and using a well fitting sunscreen keeps the car considerably cooler so it is worth the cost for me. Note: I have no financial, or other, interests in Intro-Tech.

I might as well pile on as well, that is what caused my last double post I suspect. Earlier today when I posted the info on the Windshield Screen I left this site and came back several minutes later to a "Saving post"... As already mentioned a refresh solved the issue.... EDIT: After waiting for 60 seconds while "Saving post" I hit refresh to get this post to display...

Yes, I agree it is expensive. But, I used to go through several of the "inexpensive" universal fit tinfoil "rollers" during the timeframe I'd keep a car. Their combined cost plus the "aggravation factor" of the "rollers" almost fitting, curling, and tearing make it worth it for me... :) These are new enough they haven't hit eBay yet, you might watch there for a better price when more Sellers start listing C-Max "stuff"...

If anyone is looking for a nice Windshield Sun Shade for their C-Max I just purchased the Intro-Tech Automotive Ultimate Reflector Car Sun Shade (Part Number FD-55-R) from Auto Anything and it fits the C-Max perfect. The Intro-Tech shields are a lined shield that folds, rather than roll, up in several hinged sections making it much easier to put in place than the "rollers". The Ultimate is a "firm" shield that snaps in place from the top to bottom without the use of the sun visors to hold it. As they age the ends don't curl up like up like the "rollers" on the ends. Another nice feature is it is reversible which allows you to put the black side out to retain heat to help control frost and icing in theory...I don't get enough ice here, thankfully, to fairly test that claim. I have been using this brand for several years in various cars and SUV's and have never had any issues or problems.

The SEL version has heated seat backs as well as seat cushions. What's odd I feel the heat sooner, and much warmer, on my back than through the bottom seat cushion. The seat back heater must be a real scorcher as I'm wearing a jacket if its cold enough to turn on the heated seats.

Interesting, I was just at my dealer for the first oil change this morning and this didn't come up....