mtberman

It does defy a quick, easy description. Tell them it's about the same size on the inside as a mid sized crossover, but on the outside it looks like (as another poster here said) a Screaming Potato.

Model: C-Max SEL, Sterling Gray, 302A pkg + pano roof thingy Date Ordered: Saturday, 11/24/12 Promised Delivery time: 8 to 10 Weeks VIN Available: not yet Window Sticker Available: nada Scheduled Build Week: nil Scheduled Build Date: null Actual Build Date: nuthin Released from Factory for Shipping: zero Estimated Delivery Date: zilch Actual Delivery Date: goose egg State: CO

The little green car with arrows pointing right and left means "Ready to Drive". It's there to tell you that it's OK to put it in gear and start driving now. When you own a car like this, sometimes you get in and turn the key (or push the button) and nothing happens. In a regular car that's bad. In this car, however, it's normal. It means that the engine is already warmed and the battery is OK, so they need something to tell you "go ahead" since they know you might sit there and wonder why the engine didn't start. That light is telling you that you've turned the car on properly, and now it's OK to go ahead and start driving. In Toyota hybrids, the word "Ready" appears for this same purpose. I personally prefer the little car-and-arrows thing in the Fords. However, it could be a little larger or more obvious. It's easy to miss.

L.L. Bean is selling Thule for 20% off until Sunday, December 2. We got an L.L. Bean catalog yesterday with an insert offering an additional 15% off your entire order. The promos can be used together. That works out to 32% off, which is pretty hard to beat for new Thule pieces. Unfortunately, although they stock 1600 series fit kits, they do not carry the #1683 one for the C Max. Regardless, this means the entire setup can be had for less than $300.

HA HA HA "The Screaming Potato". That's even better.

There were some at dealers in the Denver area last week, but they are mostly gone now. I agree about the cargo area. I probably would have bought one if they'd been able to make it so the floor would fold flat.

Interesting. They seem like totally different cars, but a side-by-side comparison revealed them to be strikingly similar in size and practicality. What struck me most (and the reason I took four, yes four, test drives before making this decision) was the ride. The C Max is actually smoother and quieter IMO, and turns in about the same. The Audi surpasses it on ultimate grip, but a lot of that may be the tires. All in all, an unlikely comparison. Unfortunately, I will be giving up a pretty fine interior and a great driving experience. And of course the C Max is not exactly a status symbol. We're calling it The Potato.

How is this for an answer: There's no reverse gear in your C Max. It's an electric car in reverse. Any car that uses the basic design that was initially created by Aisin (all Ford and Toyota hybrids) share this characteristic. Reverse may feel strange vs a regular car, esp if the battery is low. The throttle will feel very non linear and "springy". Golf cart-like. Like one of those old bumper cars at the fair. It can be a little disconcerting because, in some cases, you may need to almost floor it before the car will move. The engine will come on and rev up to generate enough juice to power the electric motor and move the car, but there will be no relationship to the pedal position, the engine noise, and your speed. The whole thing will feel pretty disconnected under these circumstances. I almost got stuck in my 2004 Prius doing this. I'd driven down a really steep loading ramp, nose first, at a friend's apartment building. I'd been driving in the parking garage on electric only, and the battery was pretty low. After we unloaded the car, it did not want to reverse back up the ramp. I had to floor it, at which point the engine raced and the car (slowly) backed up. I was a little panicked until someone explained that this was normal for the car. To get a feel for this, find a safe place that is a steep driveway or ramp in a clear and safe area. Or a steep piece of private road or driveway with no traffic. Drive your car up it and note how it feels. The engine and battery will work together to power you up. Now turn around and go down, and then stop so that you're facing downhill. Now and try to reverse up the incline. The difference in "feel" should be pretty evident.

No I'm trading it. The Q5 has great resale. We have another Audi. If I'm feeling like I need to show off, I can drive that. I owe money on the Q5, almost $12,000. This will be a tax free swap and I'll walk away owing way less than $5000. Surprisingly, I discovered that The C Max is actually about the same size as the Q5. Just a few inches shorter and a couple inches lower.

I was at a meeting between Denver and Boulder 2 weeks ago and spotted a black SEL. I'd sort of forgotten about the C Max since seeing it at the NAIAS in January, so seeing it "in the wild" sort of caught me off guard. I took a closer look and noticed it had rental car stickers on it. The paperwork was on the seat but I couldn't tell where they rented it. Probably Budget. I know they often build and sell early production cars for fleets, and there are already a few used rental return for sale out there. But still, it seemed a little strange to see one as a rental. Regardless of how/why the car got there, seeing it got me interested. Good marketing move on their part. I couldn't stop thinking about the car and went for several test drives over the last ten days or so. I was convinced it would be like the Priuses and Camry Hybrids that we have in our motor pool at work, but I was wrong. C Max is significantly more powerful, quieter, and better handling IMO. Ordered one last Saturday.

Photo of C Max with the Thule-licensed bike rack. Click to enlarge.

The base rack from Ford is $485 retail or at whatever deal you can get from your dealer. It's all off-the-shelf Thule stuff that your existing Thule bike mounts will work with. It's part No: VDM5Z-7855100-A Remember, Ford or your dealer may send you an accessories percent-off coupon shortly after you take delivery, so look for that in the mail. Also, I found a few online Ford parts sellers that listed the whole kit for $375. You can also buy the exact same stuff from a rack retailer. RackAttack's prices for the 3 parts are: Thule 480R Rapid Traverse footpads. Set of 4. $189.35 Thule Fit Kit #1683 to fit the 4 foot pads to the C Max. $84.95 Thule ARB53 AeroBlade load bars (53 inch width). Set of 2, $149.95 This totals $424.85. These parts may be available from REI, too. Their regular prices for rack stuff are usually the same as RackAttack. If you're an REI member, you can use one of your periodic 20% off deals to buy the bars, and then wait for the next 20% off deal to buy the foot pads, and so forth. This would cut your cost for the base rack to about $350. Again, this assumes you're already a biker and you already have compatible bike mounts. YMMV