alexus

HendersonD, congradulations!!! I think this is definitely a right decision to go for 2014. Even it seems mpg is not much higher, the build quality should improve.

Thanks for useful tips! I'll probably wait for 2014, unless there is a really good deal for 2013 built after October. But I wouldn't agree that hybrid battery for a car built in January is still good, after sitting for the entire year on parking lot :secret: What do you think?

Well, in my local dealership I do see a couple of heavy discounted cars ($7K off MSRP) built in Jan 2013 :) It explains why they do have such a discount. So the assumption that issues has been resolved is incorrect. BTW you can use this link to determine a build date using VIN: http://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleSelection.do

HendersonD, thanks these are very good points. As regarding reliability, Comsumer Reports has a terrible rating for this car and there are CMax owners on this forum complained about multiple failures. But also I do see many owners which did not have any issues. I'd assume the failures are due to the first year if production, since the car has very advanced technology.

Indeed the discounts are running high for 2013 now. However please remember it is the first year of production. Typically, Ford is not very good in producing quality vehicles at their first model year. Yes you can get it cheap, but what do you do if something fails let's say once a week?

Congradulations! I believe this is a right decision. I have a couple of questions though: 1. Why CMax is better than Forester, on your opinion? 2. Are you comfortable with the brake pedal in CMax? I did test drive it a couple of times and feel it is too high. But I'm 6 ft tall. Didn't find a comfortable position to access both gas and brakes.

The problem with Camry Hybrid is that it did not pass the new small overlap crash test. Apparently CMax has not been tested yet. And Forester has a good rating with this test. I'm not sure about you guys, but for me it would be an important factor.

Currently, I don't have CMax. But I consider to buy one. And my shopping list is actually the same as yours (except CRV: I really don't like the design). These are my findings, based on extensive test drives of Forester, Rav4 and Prius: 1. Prius and Rav4 are nice and reliable but no fun to drive: steering is lousy, cabin is noisy especially during acceleration, acceleration itself is not adequate in many situations 2. Rav4 ride is too firm 3. Visibility in Prius especially rear side is poor 4. Forester is better than Toyota in many aspects. Forester XT does have lots of power, great visibility and driver position, quiet inside and fun to drive. CVT is really smooth. Also it has small turning circle which is good for city parking (smaller than CMax). But it has AWD system and premium fuel is recommended, also some reports show mpg can be in low 20s in the city So my final choice is between Forester XT and CMax. I think it all depends on driving conditions and where you live. If you drive in the city or heavy freeway traffic most of the time, then CMax is a better choice. Also if you don't have snow and ice on the road, then again CMax is superior. In all other situations, Forester would be the better choice.