vmmvmmm

A little heat applied before the floss will make it go a bit easier as well, you can use a blow dryer or a heat gun on a low setting. Same sort of principle when removing vinyl decals, the heat softens the adhesive and makes it a bit easier.

That sounds like something is wrong. I recently did a 5 hour drive at 85mpg in very cold weather with winds against me the entire time upwards of 40mph and ended up with 37mpg. If you really had mileage that low, I would have things checked out.

Did he check the rear strut assembly? That was the problem with mine. Once that was replaced, I had no further issues.

Seems like I remembered the situation just fine, I didn't mean to state the issues with the Explorer were due to overinflation, they were just due to improper inflation. Like I said, if you're not worried about possible degradation in tire wear or handling, or if your driving circumstances don't produce those issues, then you'll probably be fine. I was just stating that, in general, it's usually the safest bet to go with the manufacturers guidance for the car, not necessarily the tires themselves and be aware of what over or underinflating tires may cause. As far as traction in the rain goes, it's not about a smaller contact patch, it's about proper ability for your tires to quickly drain the standing water. A larger contact patch will always provide better traction, but a poorly draining tire will encourage hydroplaning - and in that case, a larger "contact patch" provides a greater chance of trapping water under the tire. The smaller the actual contact patch is - defined as how much of your tire actually makes contact with the ground - the worse your traction will be in the dry or wet. For most of my life, I've driven performance cars that are meant to hold the road in all situations, especially tight turns. This type of tire does not encourage great mileage, however, so this crowd is much different for me in how they drive and how they think about contact with the road. In other circles, the stickier the better. Here, most probably are looking for the opposite, but most are probably not looking to carve a canyon at the edge of adhesion either. What I like about the C-Max (getting back on topic, perhaps) is the fact that even though it uses low rolling resistance tires and is somewhat engineered for efficiency, it still has pretty good driving dynamics. It's based on a capable chassis, and still has a relatively low center of gravity. It rotates in an above average fashion for the class of car it is, so when it comes to turning, if I want to (and if I haven't overinflated my tires), I can fling it around a bit without upsetting the balance. Regardless - congratulations on the new car, and sorry for hijacking this thread a bit. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Careful with this. The tires are rated independently of the car, so your best handling (and safety) will be at the recommended PSI on the car door. Your best efficiency might be at a higher PSI, but you will suffer from degraded handling and likely shorter tire life and uneven tire wear if you exceed that. For those of you who remember the Ford Explorer tire issues from a few years back, this was due to people not following the manufacturers guidelines for the tires as listed on the car, not on the tire. Hypermilers typically overinflate their tires in order to reduce rolling resistance, which does increase MPG, but by definition, very low rolling resistance equals less sticky handling, so as long as you are going in a straight line in good weather, you don't notice much difference. If you need to turn, or if the road is wet, you might have some problems. As long as you are well informed of the risks and benefits, make your decision and enjoy.

I used to drive a MINI Cooper S, so my comparison is with one of the best driving experiences ever, and I have to say, I'm impressed with dynamics of the C-Max considering what it is. The low rolling resistance tires introduce very loud understeer when pushed hard, but if you can keep it balanced by braking just right, it actually rotates quite well, and has a pretty low center of gravity. I took mine up and down a long winding canyon road from the Salt Lake City area over the mountains into the Heber Valley area, and was impressed with it's handling. I assumed it would be a pig on the curves, but it really isn't. I'm sure the CX-5 is better, as Mazdas have great driving characteristics, but for the trade off in MPG, I'm thinking I got a much better deal than I anticipated. Although it would hurt the efficiency a bit, I'm thinking if I just replaced the tires with a stickier set, this would be a pretty fun little car. Unless you are considering a manual transmission (not sure if that's possible on a CX-5), a CVT combined with the low end torque of an electrically assisted engine makes for a fun drive up a canyon - no hunting at all, just the occasional "motorboating" of the engine from time to time. It's a lot more satisfying than I ever thought it would be.

One nice thing I see is it seems they have made it possible to lower the rear seats from behind. That was something I thought was frustrating when I figured out I had to walk around and lower the seats from the front.

Looks great! I agree with those that have said tint the windows, that would complete the look. Not a fan of smoked lenses, reduced safety for the sake of looks is silly, I think.

It is. I just had my rear strut assembly replaced for this exact issue.

I would think that if you cleaned them with Dawn dishwashing detergent that should be enough to clear anything that might make the dip peel or run. I've dipped stuff without cleaning it thoroughly and haven't had issues, the stuff is pretty resilient.

That's definitely a matter of opinion, as I always love a good dead pedal.

I have to be honest, the video made me chuckle. I always get a kick out of someone proclaiming their own thoughts as profound. It's kind of like going around telling everyone how humble you are - but there's a lot I don't get about how the youth that have grown up with social media see themselves and the importance of their own words and pictures. Ask my kids, I roll my eyes and laugh at them quite a bit. They all think that every moment of their life is critically important to share with everyone else. I'm assuming one day they will realize the true significance they are to others and stop pretending everyone on earth is hanging on their every word and start living more in the real world. Aside from that diatribe, I feel like there are probably some good points hidden in here somewhere that would be good to understand, but I feel like they aren't being explained clearly enough for me to know how to apply them. The app you talk about and how it interacts with the car to tell you "what is really happening," is something that is interesting to me, for example. I have an iPhone, so maybe there isn't a comparable app for me to use, but that would be something that I would be interested in fiddling with. I feel like I've got a pretty good gut feel for how things work in the car and how to eke out the best MPG in most situations, as my average MPG is rarely below 47, but knowing more is always fun for me.

...except that he's obviously driving a C-Max...

That's a good point, as this has always been an EU market first vehicle. Is there a big difference between the US hybrid models and the non-hybrid models in Europe? I know the C-Max has been in the EU for a very long time, and they have different models with gas only/diesel/7-seat versions, but I don't know if there is much different in the body styles and interiors other than the hybrid specific changes.

My Chevy Suburban has a smaller turning circle than my C-Max. (I'm not sure if that's actually the case, but I could swear it is)

I agree. There are some that feel passionate about this car. I am interested in knowing more about it, but there is nothing close to passion between me and my C-Max. I used to own a MINI Cooper S, and that was a whole different story. The passion within that community is legendary. I think that's the difference. Most people (including myself to be frank) view this car as an appliance only. It delivers exactly what I want it to - great gas mileage with above average utility - but really that's it. I like seeing more on the road because I think the Prius is such an ugly car, and I really like the recent Ford styling, but when I went to the dealership, I was going to buy a Fiesta ST, and somehow my practicality won over and I ended up with this. I'm satisfied, but I won't lie, when I'm driving up a canyon road, I question my decision.

I would say look at the changes between the 2013 and 2014 Fiesta, and that will give you an idea of what the change will look like. In any case, we'll all know in about 24 hours.

Ah, another peek today from Ford. the new model will be revealed completely in the next couple of days. http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/15/2015-ford-c-max-teaser/

The "more Aston Martin-like" grille is not going away, but it is what it is moving toward. If you look at the changes in the Fiesta and the Focus over the last year or so, you'll see what they mean. Additionally, the C-Max is one of Ford's global designs, so aside from some specific EU/UK items, the design will be exactly the same in all global regions.

Probably old news by now: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/09/05/ford-c-max-spy-shots/

Got it back from the dealership today. They replaced the rear strut assembly and it finally sounds nice and quiet. No more squeaks, clunks, or crashes. Very nice.