CrystalSC

*waves to a South Carolinian* I'm in Greenville but I am from Columbia. I haven't seen any C-Maxs on the road in SC yet. You?

Great tip!

I saw a Ruby Red in person for the first time and it was GORGEOUS. It's a very rich red, looks very elegant. It would definitely be my #1 choice now.

I saw a C-max commercial, and the idea of an American made/assembled hybrid appealed to me. I started doing research on the web, and then went to a local dealer for a test drive. Loved the car. Kept looking on the web for more information. Finally decided to to make the leap! Got mine home last weekend.

Interesting! I haven't seen any commercials for the car.

The sterling gray has a nice calming effect, I think. Enjoy your new ride!

I didn't realize there is an SD card slot. Where is that located? Is that on the SE trim or just the SEL?

I see that you kept any dealer plate frames or stickers off it ... looks quite good in black!

Whenever I buy a car, I ask them to remove their logos off of the car (if they've affixed them). They don't like it when I asks but I'm not into free advertising. There's enough ads hitting you in the face every day. If someone asks, I'll gladly tell them where I got my car.

The black looks great. The first dealer I talked to has a black one. He was unwilling to negotiate (and it's still sitting on his lot.)

Has anyone found the USB and AUX ports inside the armrest to be an awkward location?

This is the one thing I thought seemed strangely placed when I looked at the C-Max. If you plug your phone into the aux port with a cable, can you close the lid of the armrest or will it bite into the cable? Do you want a long cable hanging out and stringing across the seat or console?

I know it sounds like a minor thing but I listen to my iPod 80% of my time in the car, not the stereo so it being conveniently placed and easily accessible is important.

Congrats on your new car. What trim & color did you get? Any hard negotiating?

RMS13 thanks. I will email our salesman tomorrow. I always feel like a pest asking him to check so I tend not to bother. I know the only person at the dealership with computer access for tracking is the manager so they all have to go through him.

You are paying good money for your car, don't feel bad asking them to check on it for you.

I gotta change my profile pic..but it doesn't like my C-Max pics..

I wondered if you were guilt tripping me with the photo. ;) honestly, I haven't been able to upload an avatar at all.

Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy your new ride!

Great update Rapier!

 

 

Yes, it is handy for storing my Pentel mechanical pencil I use with my "Log Book"...

My hubby uses a log book that he stores in the glove box. I use an iPhone app

What Laurel said. ^

With the big open face grill on the front we jokingly refer to my car as the screaming potato :-)

That made me lol. I wish I could steal that name.

I actually think the C-Max exterior is very boring looking but that doesn't bother me enough to stop me from wanting it.

Aw man. That's disappointing Rachel. Stick to your guns and you'll get the deal you want! :)

Nice to hear that you don't have buyer's remorse. That's the one thing that keeps holding me back from making the actual purchase. Pay off my car in 2 years or take on another 4 years of payments......Even though I love the C-Max, I'm still torn.

And it's frustrating to hear ill-informed reps and dealers.

I can understand the nervousness of downsizing. I've driven an SUV or SUV-like car for several years but I think the C-Max offers great storage room for the size of the car. Hope you don't have to wait too long!

Was the lifespan of a hybrid battery and/or the cost of replacing a hybrid battery a concern for you when looking at a C-Max?

As a hybrid newbie, the large replacement cost is worrisome. How much do you think the cost of batteries will drop on avg in the coming years?

Why would a car need a break-in period? I don't know how that works.

Great post Scooter!

Ah. Gotcha. ;)

A few more thoughts..... Don't ever buy a car based on the payment! The dealer can work it so that you can have (almost) any monthly payment...... You will just pay for it over more months. It is easy to get "upside down" in a car where you owe far more on it than it is worth (owning a 4 year car on a 6 year loan).

 

My rule is that I haven't bought a car until I've said "no" to the salesman at least 3 times. Haggle, haggle, haggle... Even if it isn't your nature, your lack of haggling is only hurting your own bankbook.

Thanks Scooter. I will try my best. I'm not a haggler so I've got to really buckle down. I'll try not to get too hung up on the monthly payment though that is my biggest concern. I have a monthly budget I can't exceed.

A couple of other things: check out http://truecar.com/ it might show some insights as for a good price.

 

Also, if you can go with Xplan it makes things a lot easier (no haggling and a good price). My company has it for their employees. You can check out http://www.blueovalf...-an-x-plan-pin/ if your's doesn't, you may get lucky there.

Thanks zhackwyatt. I will read up on those links.

RacheInLA, sorry to have hijacked your thread. ;)

Buy one online and have it shipped.

 

It's a Ford compact car. There is no reason for hype or mark-up or any lack of negotiation.

 

Ford is gunning for Prius with C-Max. Prius has sold 200,000 this year so far. You can find a dealer who will deal.

 

This isn't some rare collectors item or exotic.

 

I sent a message to all the dealers in our region, and bought from the one who gave us invoice price.

This might sound rather naive but I've never bought a new car before...what do you mean by "invoice price"? Is that MSRP? When negotiating a price online, do you secure your own financing?