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Even more impressive!

So this might apply to Hybrid SE owners? That config has Sync, but not MFT... Frank

Went looking but didn't see the answer so I'll ask... Adair, do you have snow tires, or are you getting this kind of winter weather performance from the OEM tires? HAve fun, Frank

16.7 sec. @ 86 mph isn't bad for a hybrid... and it was faster than it's larger, heavier, "higher-mileage" sibling, per Car and Driver. Now quite Camray Hybrid territory... but there's something odd talking 1/4 mile times for hybrids. Have fun, Frank

It's a sudden grab, all right, but from 2 mph to 0. I might never have noticed if not for a practice of releasing the brake as the car comes to a full stop. And the key bit is moisture - not wet, not dry, moist. In this week's cold, it's not present. Once the brakes warm up, it's not present. I only see it when driving a cold car in a condensing environment. Have fun, Frank

Plus3, Given that the 4 C-Maxs have the same vehicle ID, there is no other conclusion to be made; I misinterpreted the data. The weight difference is due to the plug-in's battery as you say. But it's the axel gearing difference that's significant to fuel consumption... and negates any possibility of rating the FFH and CMax mileage equally without smaller tires on the FFH. ... and then I look at the FFH spec sheet... 2.57 and 2.91:1 for Hybrid and Energi respectively so I may be all wet here, too. No data from Ford on axel gearing, but the top speed (115 Hybrid vs 102 Energi) would imply higher numerical gearing in the the Cmax Energi, as it is in the Fusion. In my best Emily Littella... Nevermind. My apologies, Paul, if I led you down the same rabbit hole.

Noticed this over Thanksgiving. It was cold and snowy in Vermont, but nothing like the last few weeks. Touch sensors worked eventually, but the kids gave me grief for not using the fob first. Oddly, in the recent cold spells, no issues at all despite >0F lower temps. Given spyburn's report, there's more going on than just temperature. Have fun, Frank

+1 I noticed the same thing, but I'm surprised anyone else noticed! You must have really good road feel, something I've tried to teach at drivers' schools only to realize it's a gift, not a skill. What I'm sensing is a very subtle slide, nothing I'd characterize as "losing traction," but rather the rear end is "tracking" the front end around the turn. FWD tends to oversteer, but on dry roads, the C-Max is quite neutral at the limit with very little understeer if you've entered the turn properly. You'll recall I've activated the roll stability control on occassion, so I've been to the limits of adhesion and this car is very well behaved at the limits. That's the only sense of oversteer I sense, and it's a comforting one to me. That said, the seat of your pants may be the sensor but the brain still makes the decisions, and if your brain's not comfortable, listen to it, not me. HAve fun, Frank

I have a very consistent case of brakes grabbing just before I stop. I believe it's condensation-related as it only happens when the car is cold and it's either raining or misty. It seems as if the rotors are below ambient temperature, so they condense water vapor. When braking for a high regen score, you're not using the mechanical brakes. Eventually the car comes to a stop, and without motion, there is no regen, so how does the car remain stopped? Brakes. I think I'm sensing the moment when regen braking transitions to mechanical brakes at rest, as I can still get a 100% score, but it's darn hard to stop smoothly. Once the rotors warm up, the grabbing is gone. Anyone else seeing that? HAve fun, Frank

What I find curious is the belief that testing immediately before and after the PCM update is a "fair" test. It all depends on the contestants. In a dumb car, perhaps, but not in a learning vehicle. The "before" test was of a vehicle that had been driven, so it had learned something. "After" was tested at default settings, not optimized settings (assuming Ford's "learning" is beneficial). I'd be interested in a retest after some miles... As to CR, caveat emptor applies to them as well. They may tell you a lot about how they test, but it's the stuff they don't say that may be what matters to you. I loved my best-buy rated $50 vacuum cleaner... until I vacuumed around the refrigerator and the vertical exhaust blew kid-art all over the kitchen floor. Blows towels off the bar, too, but it does clean well! HAve fun, Frank

My question is what cars already have AppLink? There's a million of them... perhaps Lincolns, as that market's not as likely to balk at the cost of satellite subscriptions? As a new smartphone user, I'm curious! Have fun, Frank

I'm surprised no one's gone back to the EPA test summary as I see an obvious reason the FFH wins - gearing. Per the EPA, the sedans (FFH, MKZH) have 3.61 axel ratio, the C-Max (both Hybrid and Energy) have 4.09 ratios. FFH also has 250 lb. lower test weight, so it shoud be the winner... and it is! Here's the EPA data... (this is where the data would be if it survived posting. gibberish deleted) You'll have to look at the link yourself. Filter the 2013 file for manufacturer FOMOCO and tranny type CVT to find the 8 records of interest (2 ea. Hybrid, Energi, FFH, MKZH). HAve fun, Frnak

Having learned to drive a hybrid, we can be sure that you're trainable... given enough time, you can re-learn to drive like you used to, but would you want to? The question becomes more interesting when combined with a little personal evolution, the idea that once we learn things, they can't be unlearned. Once you become aware of your personal impact on the universe, there's a desire to optimize it, harmonize your life with the world around you. Find the path of least resistance and discover how easily you can live with where it takes you. At least I do. There are times when hybrid is bliss... Have fun, Frank

80% EV... I'm happy to make 70%. And when the engine's running, you're still using less gas!! What are your regen numbers? You are either killing regen or I swear you're making like Fred Flinstone! Aliens among us... HAve fun, Frnak

1) block heater should be standard... what was your temp this morning, Paul? 12F sounds warm... and how did you get a block heater? In Atlanta??? 2) the 1/2 bar EV was temporary. It returned to the normal 2-bar warm, 1 bar tepid, 0 bar cold (no EV) behavior. I, too, suspected a cold battery, but am I the only l one to see it? -2F this AM and no repeat, but I got right on the highway without EVing. I've got WT on MyView, and you can see the correlation between 0-, 1- and 2-bar EV and indicator location. Got to remember Test Mode... HAve fun, Frank

Can you show it in use? I'm not seeing the point, and I know you have one... Have fun, Frnak

Traction control uses the brakes to prevent wheel spin. There are two cases where current implementations are lacking. In deep snow, your tire has some traction because it can "bite" the packed snow underneath, but you're constantly driving uphill... up the little hill of snow in front of the tire. If the tire spins, it removes part of the hill rather than climbing it. That's probabaly what happened in Spitinuri's case. Deep snow is also one of the "ABS loses" scenarios. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. On slick surfaces, there is no snow in the way, but you need all the grip you can get. Tires transfer forces by slipping. Tires have the greatest slip, and so generate the most force, just before they let go (see Figure 6.7). The problem is that you lose traction very quickly after it peaks. Traction "control" limits maximum traction by not allowing you to get close to the peak, for fear of exceeding it. That's how traction control can leave you stuck on a flat-but-slippery situation. The snow plow contractors all pull the ABS fuse or disable a wheel sensor in order to plow snow; the brakes self-destruct otherwise. Check the F-150 forum... Have fun, Frank

Now that the holidays are over, I need to get back to interrogating the car... It'll take me some time to understand hybridbear's analysis, especially since I have access to the same data and can replicate the results. I've seen 1-bar EV limit ever since the PCM update, and agree that it's there just to bring ICE back on sooner, but Saturday I got a 1/2 bar EV limit despite very high SOC. Granted, the low temperature that morning had been -4F, and the back of the car had seen no sun, but it was in the 20's when it occurred, and I'd been driving, so the ICE wasn't cold. Thoughts? where might this fit? HAve fun, Frank

This is both very good advice, and completely false... depending on your goal. If your goal is the best snow traction and hydroplaning resistance, replacing tires at 50% tread depth (about 2/3 of usable tread) makes sense. But that's where it ends. Anyone remember the Bridgestone commercials where they compared new tires with half-worn tires to show they made a quality product? The premise was that the new tire's performance was superior to the worn tire, and if you bought into that premise, they had you hook, line and sinker. The premise is false in all but the few situations listed above. Passenger car tires must be shaved to 1/2 tread depth before you stress their traction limits or you will "chunk" your tire. Think in terms of a tread block being ripped out of the tire, down to the cord. Instant trash. All it takes is one hot lap around a race track and you'll need a new set of tires, despite full tread. When I was racing, I had a tire shaver, and used it on my competition tires until vendors like Tire Rack realized there was an untapped market for shaved competition tires. At SCCA Solo II Nationals, the Goodrich truck had shavers set up next to their mounting/balancing equipment as every tire sold needed all three. But competition isn't why we bought our C-Maxes, and in day-to-day driving, hydroplaning resistance trumps ultimate cornering force. However, that doesn't change the tire's performance profile vs. tread depth; worn tires have some advantages! Have fun, Frank

+1 The analogy is quite apt, especially considering the relative thrust available. ICE is analogous to a chemical rocket engine, what most folks consider a "rocket" because they have enough thrust for lift-off. That means thrust levels must be greater than vehicle weight, and with all that thrust, timing is critical to getting the right trajectory. Timing is also critical for fuel conservation, as you're burning it at a tremendous rate, and once you're out, you're out. Think of any Apollo movies; it's all chemical rockets and reaction jets (release of gas under pressure). Kind of the ultimate "pulse and glide." EV is analogous to an ion drive engine, a more recent development that works the opposite way, very low thrust, but with very, very long burn duration. The craft carries a gas "fuel" and solar panels. The solar panels generate electricity, which is used to ionize the gas and accelerate the ions to very high speeds, so high that the ions' tiny mass still transfers momentum to the craft. It uses grams of fuel/hour, not millions of pounds/minute. So next ime you take off from a stop sign, think in terms of ICE as a high thrust engine that needs to run a limited amount of time, and EV as a low thrust engine that won't get you up to speed anytime soon, but will maintain speed against parasitic losses. I've gotten to timing my burns... sometimes only 5 sec. of ICE is enough to top the next hill or reach the next light. I almost feel like a rocket jockey! Have fun, Frank

+1 to Jus' hints and tips. And the reason that your fun is only starting is break-in. We've all see our MPGs rise as the engine gets some miles on it. It takes 5-10,000 miles, depending on EV use, so you can expect a very slow imporvement over the next 2,500 miles, with a bit more in the next 2,500. I expect you won't notice anything until Spring. ICE warm-up requirements in cold weather are a big driver, as you've already seen. Once things warm up and the car breaks in, you'll find trips in the 50-80 MPG range aren't hard to come by, especially going down hill. For reference, my mileage is mired in the mid-30's these days because I'm taking the expressway so I get heat (3F at the moment; heat is not optional). If I take the back roads that had me north of 50MPG last Summer, the ICE rarely, if ever, gets hot. Have fun, Frank

Congratulations! You know where to post the details...

I did a little research and find this AAA white paper to be a good source. It includes a fire truck reference consistent with Bill's post. https://www.aaafoundation.org/sites/default/files/CarColorAndSafety.pdf Its recommendation, however, is not helpful. "...there is presently no scientific evidence supporting the selection of one particular vehicle color as the unambiguous best choice for safety." There is a recommendation for fire trucks, because some volunteer fire fighters decided to take data when Dallas switched from red to lime yellow. Red lost. http://www.usroads.com/journals/aruj/9702/ru970203.htm and http://psychthecore.wordpress.com/why-oh-why-are-fire-engines-painted-red/ I'd been told by DMV personnel that red was a bad choice, and there's one time of day when that's exactly right - dawn/dusk. When the sun is low in the sky, the sky turns red. Under red light, all objects appear red, so the red vehicle disappears into the background.... That said, get the sunroof; it's neat. Have fun, Frank

Welcome to the Forum, and congrats on choosing the C-Max. I expect you'll be very happy! (And if you hold out for a 2014 Hybrid, I'd love to compare model years.) I'm in Bushnell's Basin, so I use Van Bortel Ford; they seem competent. The car's been in for service twice, once for oil change (prior owner), once for mandatory recalls (SW updates). About the worst that's happened is fuel consumption has skyrocketted now that Winter's here. I liked your response to Laurel, as I've yet to see AWD provide a necessary benefit to Rochester winter driving. After 30 years in RWD Volvos, the last thing I'd want on a snow-coverd road is the ability to accelerate past safe maneuvering and braking speed. It seems odd not to be fishtailing... One pleasant surprise is excellent driver visibility during night snowfall. Most cars blind the driver by illuminating the falling snow at eye level. At speed, all you see is white specks flying at you. I'll have plenty of traction, but I can't see the road. In C-Max, you sit higher, and Ford got their headlight design right, because you don't get the "star wars" effect without high beams. Have fun, Frank

What he said! I left on year-end vacation, the day Maxine returned, so I missed the news. Reading new threads, I knew there'd be a "Maxine's Back" thread somewhere. Glad to hear the machine's been well repaired and back to normal. Now it's the driver's turn. I've had the tinglies come and go, and Peyton Manning's recovery is a well documented case of how slowly nerve damage heals, but it does heal. At the same time, getting a new driver and visualizing long, straight drives on your favorite holes is a great way to stay on your game when you can't play, as long as you use the other clubs, too! And congrats on Adam Scott's POY award!! Have fun, Frank