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Time to post Ford's "Key Life Test" comparing NiMH and Li-ion battery life in miles. Based on this data, I see no reason to expect Li-ion to fail within the service life of the vehicle. Frank

Sometimes a fluid leak is just a fluid leak. Do you have any of the other symptoms? The tranny issue is well documented here, as you've found. If you don't have the other symptoms, your tranny may be fine. Frank

Yep... some early SE's had a 12v battery drain that would bring the battery below minimum booting voltage, so the car wouldn't "start," door wouldn't unlock, etc. I'm in the " ...by 2016 those are fixed" camp. I had a 2013 SEL with no 12v drain issues, so it had a fix. Frank

Seen Paul's videos yet? Search for ptjones, if he doesn't chime in. Frank

Other folks have hit the biggies. Regarding HVB life, this is the data that we saw in 2013. I've seen no sign it's wrong... in the Hybrid. Energi HVB issues are plug-in charging-related. Have no concerns regarding HVB life. Lots of folks beyond 200K have no issues. Frank

Kudos to your wife!

This is from 2014. Baseline was my first few months driving a hybrid. TP_UG was increased tire pressures and upgrades like grill blocks. Snow13 is self explanatory. I see a uniform data cloud with all three data sets overlapping as a function of temperature. This one from 2015 has the same baseline data for comparison. I've clearly learned to drive for better mileage, but there's still a good data overlap between the EOM and snow tires in the 20-40F range. I've got a few more.... The one contributing fact is that these Michelin X-Ice III 215/60-16 snows are "XL", extended load rating of 99, for a 1709 lb. limit. OEM tires are 93, 1433 lb. rating. That means the car's load running these snow tires uses a smaller fraction of the tire's designed deflection range. That may make up for carcass, tread, or rubber compound tradeoffs. I think excess load capacity reduces rolling resistance. It's one thing I'm noticing on the Escape; it rolls very well at 38 psi. The car's the weight of a C-Max, so it needs a load rating of 93, but they spec 99 and up depending on wheel diameter. It would make for an interesting test, to put your Escape wheels on the C-Max (if they fit) and see what mileage does. So... no, snow tires do not have to degrade fuel economy. That doesn't mean that you can't kill MPG with tire choices if you try.... Stay well, Frank, who's happy he has hills to drive.

I think the point was that, in this group, the tire with the best summer performance also works well as a snow tire, too. It's what attracted me.... Enjoy the Conti's! Frank

It is 3PMS rated. From the review... "To see how three new 3PMSF-branded tires perform and what, if any, tradeoffs come along with this enhanced snow traction, the Tire Rack team conducted a Real World Road Ride and Performance Track Drive comparing the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady, Michelin CrossClimate+ and Vredestein Quatrac 5 to one of the established favorites in the category, the non-3PMSF-branded Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus" Find out what tire brands and models they'd offer to install, then look for reviews like TR's tabular summaries. It may give you some ammunition for a high-end tire, or you may find a great tire deal at NTB! Shop a little; it's free until you decide to buy something! https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=GTAS That said, I'm now driving the new Escape Hybrid, on Ecopia tires. They're universally panned, less than 5 of 10 rating for "I would recommend." I love them. That said, it looks like Ford got a unique tire, as this specific tire is P-metric size, and only OEM on the 2020 Escape. Surprisingly good in the snow (Jan. 2020 delivery) but then, it's AWD, too. I need to get miles on them, because it's easy to trade off life. Stay well, Frank

That's a false statement; stop misleading people. I showed no difference in mileage between OEM and X-Ice III snows many times. You saw the data. Data should have changed your thinking. I'd add the PureContact LS as a much better tire from Continental, and Michelin's CrossClimate+. Both offer superior performance to the Quatrac Pro/Quatrac 5 over a range of tests. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=231 https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=244 In both of these comparisons, the Vredestein shows poorly. In your link, it's compared with lesser tires, and looks good. That's a big caveat emptor. I can attest to the CrossClimate+ performance, having bought three sets (wife and kids). Stay well, Frank

Did your brother own this 2016 C-Max? I would recommend against buying his car. If not, what year and trim level did he have? He may have had a lemon. Early model years did have some issues. By 2016, the worst had been addressed, right down to the human interface. I drove a 2013 to 66K miles, and the only reliability issue was brakes rusting from lack of use. Some folks down South are still on their original brake pads. Toyota makes a very well engineered and reliable car. They also make a car that no one, not even Consumer Reports, can get to use fuel, and CR knows how to make hybrid gas guzzlers. The C-Max is a sports car by comparison, nimble and fast. You have a choice the Prius doesn' t offer: go fast or get 60 mpg. Otherwise, I'll second @C-MaxA2 comments. This car is a mild mannered reporter who can turn into Superman at the drop of a throttle. If you have time, and a geeky side to feed, Weber State takes both Ford and Prius hybrid transaxles apart. You will quickly see the difference in design philosophy that drives their differing performance: Toyota uses small motors. Theirs is a "helper" EV system, not one capable of moving the car alone. Stay well, Frank

Since moving to an Escape, I've joined an Escape forum, where everything you said about SYNC rings true. I needed the modem ESN to update my maps. None of it applies to C-Max with SYNC2/MFT. C-Max uses the owner's cell phone to submit a report. There is no internal wireless modem or cell phone capability, as in the Escape. It didn't stop working, Ford ended support for that feature on MFT-based systems (SYNC 2). And in my case, it was several years ago that Vehicle Health Reports stopped working. Stay well, Frank

We put a dresser on one... twice. As long as the bike weight is within the platforms load rating and you can center the mass so there's no torque, you're good. Frank

Both moves I tried... missed the last of the new-build C-Max, but find the new Escape Hybrid is worth the wait. Interested in your perception, after a few months. Frank

Just saw this... C&D used an Escape SE with the 3-cyl. No hybrids tested. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a32161895/2020-compact-crossover-comparison/ "(Escape) Verdict: Feels as if it were built to a price, rather than to impress." What did they expect? I considered RAV4 and CR-V, but did not drive them. RAV4 styling left me cold, the price, a bit shocked. The CR-V sounded like a different set-up, but it turns out to be the same power-split device, biased to mostly EV drive at low speed and direct ICE drive at high speed if I understand correctly. I liked the C-Max operability, I like the Escape, too. As Paul notes, it's an easy transition. Stay well, Frank PS: 2019 RAV4 Hybrid comparison... SE Sport vs. Top-of the-Line Toyota again. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a29878756/2020-ford-escape-hybrid-vs-2019-toyota-rav4-hybrid/

The Energi tranny was not a problem. It has an electric oil pump to support EV-only operation. Energi loses range permanently to the extent its been stored in a hot environment with a full charge. Rarely needs replacement. Early Hybrid SE had 12v issues; not sure about Energi. I had a 2013 SEL (Titanium equivalent) that I traded in with the original 12v battery. C-Max is a great car, but your usage pattern hits its weakness - high-speed driving sucks gas. The $15K Japanese car might have similar highway economy, and no issues with resale of a little-known model. It will not be as fun to drive! Stay well, Frank

RAV4 fits more square boxes in the cargo area because its more-square profile allows. Escape has more people room. Frank

But I bet you're going a lot faster than 20 mph to see 4000 RPM on ICE. I found ICE RPM a function of both speed and grade. That is, the energy absorbed by the ICE depends on both kinetic energy, and the rate of transfer of potential energy into kinetic energy. Hill Assist in C-Max is designed to prevent runaway. It is true that Torquer RPM is tied to the road speed, so Charger RPM is the only way to change ICE RPM, and so control the descent. At the same time, this only occurs when HVB is full, and there's no shortage of regen power to drive the Charger's control of ICE RPM. But I don't see the Charger offering any braking force - that would create electricity - so it's torque is limited to speed control. Regardless the details, the absence of engine braking in the new Escape's Hill Assist is telling. Stay well, Frank

No. I see a problem in your second and third steps. I believe the starter/generator is not moving much, and I don't see why it would be active, save to change its own speed. Try it on the simulator. ICE speed changes nicely with vehicle speed. At 40 MPH, I get 2340 RPM on Tractor, 1696 RPM on ICE and 20 RPM on Charger. http://eahart.com/prius/psd/ #4 sounds right, save for their own speed control torques. Remember, speed is determined by AC frequency from the controller. Very few of us have motors like this in our daily experience. Torque (current) and speed (frequency) are independent. I'm thinking Hill Assist only; never really used 'L' so I can't comment on 5, but 6 kind of goes away of I've got 2 & 3 correct. Stay well, Frank

And if you'd like to see the insides before you get there.... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIn3FrDiB1lwAhpYXTHmgEJLHwEDPYv2d Scroll down for the several C-Max drivetrain and electrical system videos. He also has one on the HVB disconnect, perhaps not under Ford.... Stay well, Frank

I got into engine braking many times, but never used 'L.' No way you can miss it when it happens. On the same routes, Escape never uses engine braking, even with hill assist activated. Not sure where the energy goes once HVB is full, but regen braking drops to 25 kW max. when the C-Max would be using the engine. Frank

My understanding is that the new HF45 has the same MG ratings as the 3rd gen HF35, with a larger ICE and fully integrated DC/AC/DC converter. Fewer modules under the hood, and no thick orange (?) cables. Awaiting the Weber State video disassembly.... I expect drivetrain reliability to be similar to post-fix HF35. It seems as if Ford is being careful about this launch. Time will tell. Stay well, Frank

In my case, the clunk occurred when I shifted to reverse from park, having just started the car n level ground. Only once. Frank

Europe gets a mild hybrid, too. "Kuga EcoBlue Hybrid: The all-new Kuga EcoBlue Hybrid enhances Ford’s 150 PS 2.0‑ll EcoBlue diesel engine for even greater fuel efficiency. The mild-hybrid technology employs a belt-driven integrated starter/generator that replaces the standard alternator, enabling recovery and storage of energy during vehicle decelerations, and charging a 48-volt lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack. The BISG also acts as a motor, using the stored energy to provide electric torque assistance to the engine under normal driving and acceleration, as well as running the vehicle’s electrical ancillaries."