kostby

:clapping: :thumbsup: :salute: You gotta be careful posting documented proof of gas mileage like that! You've made an absolute mockery of the 47/47/47, 45/43/40, and 42/40/37 EPA mpg numbers.Ford is gonna call you and ask you to return the latest 'Customer Satisfaction' check!OPEC is worried, because with numbers like that, you could singlehandedly lower the demand for foreign oil.Toyota is wondering how you found out about their top-secret next-generation 65mpg Prius that looks exactly like a current generation Ford C-MAX. And those Toaster Reviewers are gonna call you, wondering if you can show them how to toast 4 slices of bread at the same time in a 2-slice toaster.

The Ford floor mat and trunk mat set for $175 was an attempt to compare the $170 cost of the HELM manual set on CD-ROM to the cost of something most people 'automatically' purchase for a new car.

Before you purchase something of dubious origin and questionable quality, why is $170 for the authorized CD-ROM too much to spend for a car that cost over $20k? Ford's Interior Protection Package with all weather interior floor mats and matching trunk mat has an MSRP of $175. I've already spent more than that to refuel our C-MAX 4 times. You really don't need to spend $170 now. You can get a short-term online subscription to either manuals or TSB's for $11 each for 72 hours or $20 each for a month. http://www.helm.com http://www.helminc.com/helm/ford_osi.asp?Style=helm&class%5F2=FRD http://www.helminc.com/helm/product2.asp?Make=FRD&Model=CMAX&Year=2013&Category=&class%5F2=FRD&mk=Ford&yr=2013&md=C%2DMAX&dt=&module=&from=result&Style=helm&Sku=FCS2122913&itemtype=N

FYI: The FordService liaison in these forums is now Crystal. Rebecca continues as FordIVTteam liaison for technology issues such as SYNC, MyFordTouch, and navigation. Ford is not the only company with challenges involving batteries in early production models: http://online.wsj.com/articles/boeing-787-battery-troubles-still-unidentified-1411643750?mod=rss_whats_news_us

A Wired writer drove a disguised FCV test mule for 15 minutes in San Francisco, and gives it a big 'meh'. "All in all, it drives like an underpowered electric car." http://www.wired.com/2014/09/toyotas-new-hydrogen-powered-car-asks-high-price-mediocrity/

You are correct. I knew the conventional powered Fusions were assembled in Mexico, but I was thinking the hybrid Fusions were assembled in Michigan.

So, as long as you owe more than $4007 Federal income tax during the tax year that you buy the car, you should be fine. You've paid taxes through payroll deduction or estimated tax payments through the year, so when you apply this credit you would owe less and/or get a larger refund. The problem comes if you only owed a total of say, $2500 in Federal tax. The IRS would not send you a refund check for the other $1507 difference, nor would they allow you to apply $1507 to next year's federal tax liability. You would just lose it. I mentioned the restrictions because we had large tax credits for permitted education expenses while my son was in college the prior four years, so we would not have received the full benefit of the EV Federal tax credit. Now we're both retired, and with charitable deductions, we likely will not have enough taxable income to take advantage of the full $4007 tax credit. That was a consideration (besides trunk space) in purchasing a C-MAX Hybrid instead of a plug-in Energi.

Important notes about the Federal Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Check with your tax advisor BEFORE you purchase a plug-in hybrid!It is not a reduction of $4007 in your taxable income, but a one-time tax credit applied directly against federal taxes you owe. If you do not pay at least $4007 in federal income taxes, you will not receive the full $4007 federal tax credit available on the purchase of a Ford plug-in C-MAX Energi. It is not a tax refund either, so if you owe less than $4007 in Federal Income taxes, you lose the difference, and you will not receive the difference as a refund check, nor can it be applied to the following years' tax liability.Only the original registered owner of an eligible vehicle can claim the federal tax credit. Even if the original registered owner didn't apply for the credit for some reason, it cannot be passed along to a subsequent buyer.If you lease it, you probably cannot claim the credit.http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/taxphevb.shtml http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/the-ins-and-outs-of-electric-vehicle-tax-credits.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/cars/federal-tax-credits-for-plug-in-hybrids-electric-cars-what-you-need-to-know/2014/08/20/0ae02718-2886-11e4-8b10-7db129976abb_story.html http://www.irs.gov/irb/2009-48_IRB/ar09.html http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/IRC-30D-Plug-In-Electric-Drive-Motor-Vehicle-Credit-Quarterly-Sales

You've obviously decided the current Ford C-MAX is not an option for you. Happy hunting! Why are you still wasting your time posting misinformation here? 1. C-MAX has been produced in Germany since 2003, beginning as the Focus C-MAX, and the 2015 refresh is the third distinct generation for Europe. To my knowledge, there are no hybrids in production anywhere with a manual transmission. 2. North American C-MAX Hybrids are entering the third model year of what is typically a five-year-or-longer refresh cycle. 3. Dealerships stock what sells best, no mystery there. One in five new vehicles sold in Texas is a truck. Texas is the largest truck market in the US, and more large pickups were sold in Texas than the next three markets combined (California, Oklahoma, and Florida). Across the US, Ford sells well over 600,000 F-150's annually, MORE THAN ONE EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY, making F150 the best selling vehicle in United States for more than 30 years running. There are 10 distinct F-150 model designations plus 4WD and powertrain options. There are 8 distinct models of Fusion, including Hybrid and Energi variants. There are 3 models of Escape, plus FWD and AWD variants. There are 3 models of C-MAX: SE Hybrid, SEL Hybrid, and Plug-in Hybrid Energi SEL, with one shared powertrain, so a dealer only needs to stock 3 to offer the full range of C-MAX models. The internet makes it easy for dealers (and consumers) to quickly locate specific vehicles with the exact color and equipment group desired. 4, C-MAX Hybrid sales have been trending upward since January 2014, even without regional or national advertising, and are now about the same level as May 2013. http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/3733-ford-c-max-monthly-sales-chart/page-3 5. Dealership salespeople are paid to meet the public and to sell, not to study manuals and to teach. They are often ill-informed about the newest models and the latest technologies, unless they take personal time away-from-work to learn about "the latest thing". Simple word-of-mouth, and owner-enthusiast sites like this one have encouraged many people to come here, ask questions, find answers, test drive and eventually purchase or lease C-MAX Hybrids. 6. Ford has two internet liaisons, Rebecca, and Crystal, who are active in this forum to provide assistance to C-MAX owners having problems. 7. Ford is once again advertising the C-MAX regionally and nationally in television commercials. IMO that's a sign of confidence. 8. If Ford really wanted to 'pull the rug out' from under the C-MAX Hybrid, there not be any 2015 models produced. The same Wayne Michigan Ford plant already builds Focus, Focus Electric, and Fusion Hybrids, so Ford could switch production to other, better-selling models. 9. Your Ford Freestyle was introduced as a 2005 model and featured a CVT. It was renamed Taurus X after Alan Mulally became president in 2006, and was appalled that Ford marketing had abandoned 20 years of the familiar Taurus nameplate in favor of a series of 'F' names: Ford Five Hundred and Ford Freestyle. A 7-passenger replacement for the Ford Taurus Wagon, it competed directly against the Edge and the restyled Ford Explorer. It was renamed Taurus-X in 2007 for the 2008 model year and production continued, without the CVT, through February 11, 2009. There were 5 model years of production. That's hardly 'pulling out the rug'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_X 10. It only takes one bad experience to convince people that a company is evil, their leaders are evil, their products are evil, and that none of those things can ever change. One bad dealer experience does not mean all dealers are bad. Companies change and dealerships change as leaders and cultures evolve, salespeople come and go, global economies rise and fall, and our personal priorities change. For my family, we purchase just one car per decade, so we choose to examine vehicles from many manufacturers and many models, non-hybrid as well as hybrid. Then we selected the best choice, meeting the most of our needs the best, and within our price range. Your mileage may vary.

I found the lowest C-MAX MPG number I've ever seen while browsing Ford dealer websites: Yes, that is 4.8 average mpg with a total of 3.9 miles on the odometer! CR would be so proud! Possible explanations? I'm thinking it must've been the dead of winter when it was driven off the Michigan assembly line.

It's nice that cars and SUV's will now brake for pedestrians. Gives those big slow-moving trucks a better chance… :arrive_alive:

There is a lesser-known John Cameron Swayze commercial where "his" Timex was attached to the prop of a small boat motor in a tank of water...

Found this "spy shot" - possibly it will be a future GPS option currently undergoing testing? After all, if it's on the internet, it must be real... ;)

It's interesting that all those photos show only a single Ford logo on the nose, so it is completely debadged. It's hard to determine the exact trim level, though I would guess the red one would be a "Titanium" in most countries, from the leather seats and audio/nav system. There are so many variations among the countries so I suppose the big international reveal had to be pretty 'vanilla': http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/4337-mid-cycle-refresh-concepts/?p=49626

Just showed up in my etis.ford.com vehicle profile today also. I just checked ETIS yesterday, and it wasn't yet listed. EDIT: 2013 C-MAX SE, built April 2013

EDITS: Somewhere I thought I read the total weight was almost 3.5 tons, 7000 pounds, but calculating 2.5 tons x 2000 = 5000, not 7000. A 2014 S-500 with 4-matic weighs 4729, so add at least 400+ pounds for the battery alone, and you're easily above 5000. Haptic-feedback so the gas pedal pushes back when you try to over-accelerate in the car's judgment, radar-sensing of traffic slowing ahead so it switches to EV mode, and GPS that reads the terrain ahead to enhance downhill regen, together result in a 7000- 5000+ pound car that gets 84 MPG. That figure MUST be eMPG, since it's a plug-in. That's hard to believe, even given the additional technology, given that the C-MAX Energi weighing 3900 (1000 pounds LESS) is rated at 88 eMPG. http://www.wired.com/2014/09/mercedes-s500-plug-in-hybrid/ I STILL can't wait until CR race road-tests it...

And here are the intro details of the 2015 European refresh this morning: http://www.worldcarfans.com/114091781330/2015-ford-c-max-facelift-unveiled-with-cosmetic-and-

It's always interesting to compare and contrast the models, trim levels, and powertrain options available elsewhere. It's also fascinating to see what colors are offered, and which ones are 'premium' colors. The same brown metallic paint is 1200 Euros extra in the Netherlands, only 725 Euros extra in Belgium, but only 525 pounds in the UK. Many countries also offer the Grand C-MAX models with sliding rear doors and 7-passenger capacity. US (C-MAX Hybrid - 2 trim levels; C-MAX Energi - 1 trim level) http://www.ford.com/cars/cmax/trim/hybridsel/?fmccmp=lp--mid-hp-c-max Canada (Ditto) http://www.ford.ca/hybrids/cmax/ UK (3 trim levels, up to 6 engine/transmission options, obviously ALL right-hand drive) http://www.ford.co.uk/Cars/C-MAX/Models HINT: These additional Ford sites use the same layout as the UK site, so they work pretty much the same, the primary difference is the language. If you took another language in high school or college, you can likely figure out how to navigate at least one of the following sites. Germany (6 trim levels, up to 12 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.de/Pkw-Modelle/FordC-MAX/Ausstattungsvarianten France (2 trim levels, up to 5 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.fr/Vehicule_Particulier/CMAX/Modeles Spain (3 trim levels, up to 5 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.es/Turismos/C-MAX_y_Grand_C-MAX/Modelos Netherlands (5 trim levels, up to 5 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.nl/Personenautos/CMAX/Modellen Belgium-Dutch language (4 trim levels, up to 6 engine/transmission options) http://www.nl.ford.be/Personenwagens/C-MAX/Modellen Belgium-French language (Ditto) http://www.fr.ford.be/VehiculesParticuliers/C-MAX/Gamme Italy (2 trim levels, up to 9 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.it/Auto/C-MAX/ConfrontaVersioni Poland (4 trim levels, up to 13 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.pl/Samochody_osobowe/Nowy_C-MAX/Models Greece (2 trim levels, up to 3 engine/transmission options) http://www.ford.gr/Cars/C-MAX/Models There are others, but I got tired of clicking...

I'm 99% certain that the North American 2015 C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi models WILL NOT be among the 2015 C-MAX models introduced in Paris. Some version of those updates will eventually get to North America, maybe for the 2016 model year, but LIKELY NOT for the 2015 North American Hybrid and Energi's that began production yesterday. The major change between North American 2014 and 2015 C-MAX models will be the deletion of two colors (Ice Storm Metallic and Sterling Gray Metallic) and the addition of two colors, (Techtonic Silver Metallic and Magnetic Metallic). Based on what I've seen for the 2014 vs 2015 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Monroney stickers, Ford COULD increase the 2015 C-MAX EPA MPG ratings one or two miles per gallon, but given that Ford mailed two rounds of customer satisfaction checks for the EPA ratings downgrades, Ford might just be content to delight many new owners (excluding of course, certain consumer test magazine hacks) who will find it possible to meet or exceed the EPA ratings numbers.

The fact that these are European left-hand-drive spy-shots is pretty obvious from the license plate, the signs on buildings in the background, EU tag on the windshield, the euro headlights (no orange front marker lights), two grille openings instead of three, the red (fog?) lights or reflectors on the lower rear fascia, apparent orange turn lights at the upper outside corners of the rear lights and backup lights apparently above rather than below the taillights. I never say 'never', but so it MIGHT be a 2016 or 2017 North American prototype, but I think its extremely unlikely that the current Ford grille motif 'inspired by Aston Martin' would go away on just one model immediately and remain on pretty much all the rest of the North American car lineup for 2015.

Those "low battery/audio-shutting down" messages are one of the reliable indicators that the 12-volt battery is not fully charged. The 12-volt charging system of the car is apparently geared toward maintaining a properly-charged and fully-functional 12-volt battery, not intended for fully recharging it from 'dead' in the way a sophisticated battery tester/conditioner in a dealership could do. A home plug-in 'trickle charger' has much the same limitation.

Today's the day! :yahoo:

Quoting the 2013 C-MAX Owners Guide 3rd printing, page 248: TOWING A TRAILER WARNING: Never tow a trailer with this vehicle. Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available through an authorized dealer. Quoting 2014 C-MAX Hybrid Owners Manual version 1, page 182: TOWING A TRAILER Never tow a trailer with your vehicle. This powertrain is not designed to tow.

Ford in the UK (re)sells Eibach suspension lowering kits specifically for the gas and diesel C-MAX: http://www.ford-accessories.co.uk/GB/en/6/39/575

http://services.forddirect.fordvehicles.com/inventory/WindowSticker.pdf?vin=1FADP5BU3DL528815