Adrian_L

So the "jerky disegagement" is normal!?. I thought there was a twig caught in the gears when it happened last week!

Not true Wab. My car is an SEL and even hitting the "fan down" button when the system is off turns on the A/C (even though it was off when the system or car was turned off)

Keep a log of your consumption and you'll be amazed. We just hit 3,000 miles and we've gone from 39 mpg per tank to 47 on the last fill. I use the ECO cruise every day, even for city driving. 44 psi in the tires.

Does everyone know that there is an "ECO" option in the NAV settings? You can choose fastest route, shortest route or most ecological.

I think I figured it out after Tim inspired me to play around with the buttons: If you have ANY of the air direction buttons ON (in other words the green arrow down (feet vent), arrow forward (face vent) or windshield defrost (vent up) if you turn off the climate control with the on/off switch the same settings and fan speed will be there when you turn it on again. But more importantly the A/C will stay off. IF none of the air direction buttons are on, the a/c will automatically come on. Obviously this is a design flaw and hopefully it will be corrected with a software update.

Isn't the backup camera an OPTIONAL feature? So isn't it possible that the car didn't have it? My objection to the commercial is that we're supposed to believe that such a lovely woman would marry such a complete dork :)

Sure, but easier said than done. I'm sure Chevrolet would have loved to have a third seat in the back of the Volt. I can't remember how big that trunk was but after driving the C-Max, the Volt seemed as unappealing as the Prius to us. I have to admit the Energi was a blast to test-drive. I loved zipping around town on pure electric power. But in Canada the Energi is $10,000 more than the Hybrid SE and $7,600 more than the SEL.

Good question. I turn the climate control on and off with the on/off switch on the right hand side.

I'd like to get one of those scan gauges. Is there a good one out there that is a bit bigger and perhaps has full-sweep gauges?

Not a huge irritant (unlike that dumb flashing white circle in my map!)......but I rarely use the A/C and prefer to have it on economy vent/fan. But every time I am driving and turn on the climate control, the A/C is ON. Is this a normal function of the Climate Control? Every other car I have owned the A/C would stay off until I needed it.

Thanks for the update. Let us know how the 0W20 oil works out for you. I'm planning on trying Mobil 0W20 when it is time for my first change.

I'll never drive a regular gas car again. The hybrid display animation--showing you what parts of the engine are engaging--plus the "empower" screen. Priceless. I just wish the "efficiency leaves" area could be changed to show gauges, such as an oil pressure or tach. I have it on navigation now.

With two kids, we took one look at the Energi's trunk and shook our heads. Then the saleswoman starts to tell us we just need to pack more efficiently. So my wife says---"sure, everything for a family trip in two shoeboxes. Great" Went with the Hybrid SEL and couldn't be happier (62 mpg today on my drive to work) but I secretly lust after the Focus Electric. And yes-----you can't put a price on the new car smell.

Sorry it might have been a Canada only thing. Basically Ford gave a ($500 I think) Costco gift certificate to purchasers of "certain models". I believe it was a February promotion.

Thanks for the tips, guys. I have now learned that accelerating as slowly as possible, trying not to engage the ICE is actually not ideal--it seems better to accelerate moderately (engaging the ICU) and then back off the throttle after reaching cruising speed. I suspect this is because the (heavy) car needs plenty of energy to get it going, and what I was doing before was simply draining the battery sooner.

Six seconds? That would be about half a mile between cars at highway speed!!! All joking aside the safe rule is 2 seconds. "One steamboat.........two steamboat"

Did anybody get a Costco rebate when they bought their C-Max? A reputable Ford dealership (Brown Bros in Vancouver) told us straight up that "The mark-up on the C-Max is so slight there's no way you'll get a Costco rebate". It turned out they were correct but when I asked at other dealerships I usually got the "I'm sure we can work something out." BS. I got the strong impression that some dealerships like to play dumb in order to get customers onto the lot.

I spent a month researching prices online among the various Ford dealers in the greater Vancouver area. Ironically, the cheapest internet price for the SEL I wanted was about a mile from my house. Key West Ford. Long story short-----their website price turned out to be $500 MORE than their Craigslist ad price that I had printed out but left on my office desk. The craigslist ad even included the VIN number of the car I am driving today. So because I neglected to bring the Craigslist AD with me I paid $500 more. I brought this up a day or two later, this is what I was told: 1. Oh....that was a typo. We have removed the Craigslist ad--it was for a different car with less options. (they conceded when I faxed them my copy) 2. Sorry you bought your car on March 1. The Craigslist ad expired the day before. (Really? So why was the February website price still valid on March 1? Odd) 3. Our sales manager paid you too much for your trade in. It has an oil leak. (You have a garage. Check out the damn car before you pay) 4. C'mon. You got a great deal already. You can imagine how I felt when I got an email from Key West informing me that they "like to build 'relationships' on a foundation of trust". These guys are beyond sleazy.

No way. The panoramic roof dramatically increases the sense of space and headroom. I test drove both with and without. But........(I agree).when you are sitting in the driver's seat the front edge of the panoramic roof is actually just behind your ears, so the "experience" of a sunroof doesn't really exist for the driver and front passenger. It's cool---but not worth $1300. So I would say, given the massive windshield and how far back the usable sunroof area is......I wouldn't bother cutting a hole and installing an aftermarket sunroof. You can get air in by opening the windows.

They do make H11 LED replacements. H11 is the size of the 55 watt halogen bulb that the C-Max uses. The only problem is that I guarantee the lumens (that is the brightness or light output) will be much less in an LED replacement. Not so great for headlights. (you can see LED marker lights and brake lights on trucks and vans all over the place). I suspect Ford (and Toyota) have valid reasons for going with halogen.

I detest Garmin, but it was nice to download Daniel (well educated British) even though he managed to mispronounce almost every street in our city. Is Madame Ford really that bad???

Not true, mon ami. The 2014 has had changes made to the transmission to improve fuel economy. Also there were some light modifications to the aerodynamics. Also the 2014 models use 0w15 oil instead of 5w15 oil. I thought my 2013 (November build) had air dams in front of the wheels but I was wrong.

Listen, I know there are alot of passionate C-max owners, and I love mine after only 2 months. But let's face facts: this is not just "one opinion" --it is the opinion of a well respected organization who actually "tests" things rather than go by anecdotal info. The last three mechanics told me the same thing: you want reliability, go with Toyota. Only trouble is you might fall asleep while driving one. Toyotas are reliable cars. It's a fact. But the jury is still out on the C-Max. It may prove that Consumer Reports is full of BS--or they may be right. We need to wait. But c'mon guys. Just because you went on a long drive and had a great time doesn't prove anything.

I've had my C-max for 6 weeks and getting 52-58 mpg with only 1,300 miles on the clock. City driving. West coast of Canada. Mostly, but not completely flat. I tend to use the ECO cruise frequently. Last weekend, my wife and 2 kids (total passenger weight 400 pounds) drove extensively. I deliberatly didn't try any pulse/glide techniques. I just drove exactly as I did when I had a big Audi. 54 mpg. 55 mpg. This car is unbelievable. (I have heard Prius owners claim that Ford wants C-Max drivers to use a "feather touch" on the throttle. No way) I simply don't think you're going to get great results driving 70 mph every day and this is not where hybrids shine.

I just spray painted the plastic license plate frame. Looks great. You can get paint for vinyl and plastic at an auto parts store. Probably not a good idea to use Tremclad as it might flake off with a wash. The dealership sticker came off easily with the help from a hairdryer. My reasons were less aesthetic and more to do with my attitude towards the mendacious hounds that sell Fords down the street from me. But I agree with the other gent--why be a driving advertisement for a Ford dealer?