kostby

Yes, the key on SE models always mechanically unlocks the drivers' door. (It's the only one with a mechanical lock.) This gives you (or Ford Roadside Assistance) access to the hood release for a jump start using the jump start connections in the engine compartment. On SEL and Energi SEL models, there is a key blade concealed inside the Intelligent Access key fob that can be used to mechanically unlock the driver's door in the case of a dead 12v battery, or dead key-fob battery.

Just show me a 500-mile drive that is all :airquote: downhill :airquote:...

There ARE two 17" Focus alloy wheel options available in the design in your first pic, size 17" x 7" and 5x108mm bolt pattern. Painted dark with some edges machined: http://www.levittownfordsupercenter.com/ford-focus-wheels-painted-machined-aluminum-p-628.html -or- Polished: http://www.levittownfordsupercenter.com/ford-focus-polished-aluminum-wheel-p-626.html I cannot absolutely confirm that the offset specs are identical to the standard C-MAX alloy wheels, but since it's for a current Ford front-wheel-drive Focus, they should work. Also available here: http://www.partscheap.com/2012-2014-Ford-Focus-Exterior-Parts-s/471.htm Ford also offers two other 17" Focus alloy wheel options when factory ordered, in addition to the C-MAX standard alloys on the Focus Electric. You can see them on the Ford.com website if you 'build your own' Focus Hatchback.

There are 10 amazing videos in all, including a 'making of' video showing the intricate models built to do the 'pull out' Grand C-MAX video. EDIT: The "current generation" C-MAX and Grand C-MAX were introduced in September 2009, and began selling in mid-2010. (C-MaxSea: Thanks for pointing that out. I have photos of the first generation on my pc, just wasn't think about it at the time.) http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE271C71761923B8A I'm actually amazed how little has changed in the transition between continents and power train technology. Ford obviously adapted the 'grille shape inspired by Aston Martin' to much of the North American product line since 2009. I do wish they'd brought those HID headlights to North America, but it's probably at odds with hybrid battery technology.

Frankly, I'd rather have a well-sorted reliable C-MAX in the marketplace than have them add a dozen more powered widgets that sometimes don't work reliably. Fusion is not built on the same platform as C-MAX, so it's not surprising that there are some different options. Compare the C-MAX to the Focus or the Escape instead of the Fusion, because those are the global 'C' platform relatives. Focus: 10 speakers Power movable moonroof a few different exterior colors and several wheel and tire options - when there are already hundreds of choices available in the aftermarket Escape: AWDHID HeadlightsTurboDual ExhaustPower movable moonroof a few different exterior colors and several wheel and tire options Fusion: Turbo Dual exhaust Power movable moonroof Pacing cruise control Heated steering wheel Ventilated heated and cooled seats Power passenger seat 12 speakers Larger rear spoiler Different exterior colors Several wheel and tire options Most everything else is already standard in a C-MAX SE or SEL or available when configured with one of the Equipment Groups or option packages. Fusion: http://www.cars.com/ford/fusion/2014/standard-equipment Focus: http://www.cars.com/ford/focus/2014/standard-equipment Escape: http://www.cars.com/ford/escape/2014/standard-equipment But while we're making wish lists for 2016, I'd love to have a street-legal Ken Block Signature Edition 700-combined-hp EcoBoost AWD C-MAX Hybrid that still gets 40mpg overall and could outrun a 662hp Shelby GT500! Yeah, I'd willingly give up some trunk space for a bigger battery. Talk about your entertaining "EcoBoost Challenge" videos!

Here's the 'Deal of the Century' on a new Tuxedo Black 2014 C-MAX Energi at a dealer near Madison Wisconsin: $125. http://kayseronline.com/Wisconsin/For-Sale/New/Ford/C-MAX/2014-Black-Car/29976507/ In case they take it down, here's the screenshot of the price on 06/22/2014 at 9:19 pm: Of course I'm sure there's a disclaimer somewhere about 'not responsible for errors' UPDATE: I checked the VIN# for a Monroney sticker. It is an actual, unsold vehicle, because it has the June 13th, 2014 updated EPA numbers.

Searching a few random zip codes, there are two Focus Electrics in Detroit, six in Chicago, twelve in New York City, more than forty-five in the Atlanta area, and more than one hundred (nearly 200!) in the Los Angeles area. Of course getting one home, 75 miles or so per charge, would take some time...

I realize that for many in these forums, the C-MAX is their first Ford ever and often the first "American manufacturer" ever, or at least the first one in 30 or 40 years, so yeah, a little less 'car dealer jargon' in the online terms and conditions and pricing tools would be helpful. Ford was using that name (RCL=Red Carpet Lease) at least when we purchased our 1996 Taurus (18 years), and probably even our 1988.5 Escort (26 years), so the term and abbreviations have been in use "a good long while" and most long-time (sounds nicer than "old") Ford customers are familiar with it.

"Initial Quality Surveys" for the first 90 days of ownership always make great press for the top-rated models, especially if they have nothing else to brag about. :banghead: http://autos.jdpower.com/research/Mazda/Mazda5/2014/Wagon/index.htm So it's very interesting to 'drill down' and see that in the loosely defined 'Multi Purpose Vehicle' category, the top-rated 2014 Mazda 5 has a 5 of 5 for "Overall quality", BUT long-term reliability is predicted to be only 2 of 5. And the Mazda 5 is based on the 6/7 passenger version of Ford's global C platform, named the Grand C-MAX in Europe. Second place 2014 Kia Soul is 5-of-5 Overall, and 4-of-5 predicted Long-term reliability. The 3rd place 2014 C-MAX (both Hybrid and Energi Hybrid are listed) is 3 of 5 for Overall AND predicted Long-term reliability is 3 of 5. Identical ratings (Overall 3 of 5, and 3 of 5 Long term) go to the 2014 Prius v, although you have to search 'Wagons' to find it. http://autos.jdpower.com/research/Toyota/Prius+v/2014/Wagon/index.htm

I've seen 'break-in' estimates of anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 miles for these engines, so patiently wait a few more miles before you try to earn that first badge! I haven't earned one yet, but I've noticed our mileage increased significantly after 1000 miles. On the first two fill-ups, I refueled with 1/8 tank indicated, at about 500 miles each time, and (as indicated on Fuelly) averaged 42 mpg, dividing odometer miles by actual fuel purchased. Now we're just over 1500 miles, about 400 miles traveled on an indicated 8.2 gallons (pessimistic), at an indicated 49.7mpg (optimistic) and 271 miles to empty, so we could potentially go 700 on this tank, pretty easily surpassing 600. And that's with AC on much of the time, traveling on state roads at 55-60 mph, and lots of short trips in town, 5 miles or less. Daytime temperatures are now in the mid-80's so engine warmup time is also very brief.

I'm seriously beginning to wonder if electro-magnetic ("EMI") or radio-frequency interference ("RFI") is responsible for some of these hard-to-isolate and seemingly random electrical system problems people encounter. I know my C-MAX SE doesn't "use" WiFi bandwidth at 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz (though I think I read somewhere that the Energi SEL has a built-in hotspot function?). There are 22 visible WiFi routers I can "see" from my living room, plus garage-door openers, baby monitors, HAM radio operators, radio and TV signals, emergency response and public-safety agencies, and the like. At the risk of thinking like a tin-foil-hat-UFO-and-government-conspiracy-theorist, there's also those, uh, "government vehicles" equipped with heavens-knows-what spy gear using heaven-knows-how-much-bandwidth-and-wattage over those "government" bands of the radio spectrum. I hope I'm kidding about that last one, but every few days, my Bluetooth keyboard and mouse go 'offline' for a few minutes, and my cell-phone goes into "No Service" mode, so SOMETHING is out there interfering with it. And there are those EMI kill devices to shut down car electrical systems...

It's highly unlikely that Ford will sell out all the remaining C-MAXes by the day 2014 production ends, September 14, 2014. At the present rate of sales, just under 2100 sold nationwide in the month of May. CU's Black Spot of Unreliability Award probably has something to do with that. So it's probable that there will still be dozens or even hundreds of 2014's to select from if you broaden your search area to several hundred miles. If you have your heart set on a color that won't be offered in 2015, (Sterling Gray or Ice Storm) then you'll absolutely have to locate a 2014 from dealer stock. With the search capabilities of the internet finding the exact vehicle you want is pretty easy, though acquiring it might involve some travel. If your color will still be available in 2015, then I guess how long you wait depends upon: 1) Just how good any 'early bird' lease offer might be. 2) How many more 'bad news headlines', Service Advisories, and Recalls, C-MAX reliability studies, and EPA ratings, are splashed across the pages of the popular press between now and then to further suppress sales, and what, if any, additional incentives Ford adds to move existing inventory. 3) How much the base price, transportation, and equipment group prices rise for 2015.

Yes, the newer ones absolutely have the bar in the upper grille. The first pic I found online of a Euro-spec Grand C-MAX was from 2010. Here's another link to the intro announcement in September 2010, showing the C-MAX with a grille bar and the Grand C-MAX without... http://www.motormaniabuzz.eu/2010/09/ford-c-max-grand-c-max-pricing.html Here's the current German-language Ford.de page with the Grand C-MAX at left and the C-MAX at right. Both have the thin chrome strip across the upper grille. It will probably probably take several clicks to see the close-up... http://www.ford.de/Pkw-Modelle/FordC-MAX/Aussenansicht

Unlikely, but nothing is impossible. I'm fairly certain it's a 2011 or newer Grand C-MAX. http://www.automotorblog.com/the-new-ford-grand-c-max-at-geneva-motor-show/ It's got the 2011 and newer European C-MAX and Grand Max front grille, and roof rails, like the Euro Grand Max. With all the MPG re-rating going on, I doubt that Ford would take of another few tenths by making the roof rails standard, but they could now be a factory option.

Link to 2015 Ford Fleet buyer's Preview, showing the new 2015 C-MAX colors (page 23). http://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/brochures/2015/15_FleetPreviewGuide_lr.pdf Tectonic Silver Metallic seems to be a great match to the Stone interior color. And somehow I missed this April 1st announcement of a special model just for BBQ enthusiasts… ;) http://blog.consumerguide.com/ford-cooks-new-hybrid-meet-2015-c-max-energi-kingsford-edition/

Absence (of a C-MAX in your motorpool) makes the heart grow fonder, I guess.

Unless you grew up in the muscle-car era of the 1960's and early 70's as I did. I still find my inner teenager grinning from ear to ear with tire-shredding burnouts, lightning-fast shifts to get a chirp from the tires with each upshift, and the throaty roar of a finely-tuned ICE multi-hundred-horsepower Ford V-8 filtered through glass packs to be "nice". So yeah, I do consider all that mechanically-induced hydrocarbon-producing chaos to be music to my ears. And I ALSO truly appreciate the quiet serenity of driving our C-MAX in EV mode.

That wing helped a little since there was no rear wiper, but drive on a dry dusty country gravel road, and it was pretty worthless. I don't think I drove one enough in the rain to remember if it helped or not. My father-in-law had a 1988 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser much like that one, in burgundy. It was like driving a Sherman tank, except it wasn't nearly as noisy, and you didn't have to stand up to see out… (Yes, I actually rode in a WW II-era Sherman when I was about 8 years old!) Like adding roof rack, that downturned edge probably adds enough drag to hurt mpgs a couple of tenths on a modern hybrid. Ebay is full of the those "JDM" wings you see the kids add… http://www.ebay.com/sch/Spoilers-Wings-/33638/i.html Wings probably didn't affect gas mileage significantly in 1988, because the car was already boxy and weighed two and a half tons, with a 140hp 307 4bbl and lock-up torque converter. It was rated at 15 city/22 highway, 18 combined. Who knows, maybe the rear wing actually helped handling at speeds above 140mph ;) My 2003 Vibe still has the factory-standard roof rack and crossbars, removable only with a major disassembly of the rack and some very-breakable plastic pieces and fasteners. I moved the bars rearward as far as possible, hoping to get them out of the wind because the roof peaks over the B-pillar and slopes down before the C-pillar. In 2005 the crossbars were made an extra-cost option, and I notice on Fuelly that the 05's seem to get slightly better mileage, but it could be because of a different grille design as well.

To no one in particular: If you're completely satisfied with your MPG's, and honestly believe that the Ford check could do more good elsewhere, you should pass the money on to one or more of your favorite charities. Then it becomes a win-win: An unexpected bonus check for you can go where you designate it, to help the causes you're passionate about.

This was one source, (March 2014) where the NHTSA investigated two road-debris incidents: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults?searchType=ID&targetCategory=I&searchCriteria.nhtsa_ids=PE13037 I thought I read of a third fire caused by "road debris", but I can't find that source now. It may have been the car in Mexico that ran off road and eventually through a wall. And running changes include adding more underbody protection, as well as retrofitting all existing cars: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091137_tesla-model-s-to-get-titanium-battery-shield-plus-deflectors-breaking

Like: Seamless integration of electric and internal combustion engines with the eCVT transmission for remarkably smooth power transfer among the various modes. Dislike: How loud the turn signal sounder seems when everything is shut down waiting at a traffic light!

That sounds a lot like the "old-GM" method of selling cars: 1. Keep building them and pushing dealers to order them, because the dealers with lots full of slow-selling cars NEVER complain as loud or as long as do the UAW workers who are laid off. 2. Once the product is launched, never ever spend another dollar to advertise them. Advertising only encourages knowledgable potential customers to come to showrooms and ask questions dealership sales people cannot answer, and it's embarrassing. So Headquarters discovers that the vast majority of dealership salespeople (and honestly, many Headquarters executives) have little understanding of the product, the technology, and ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE how to actually sell these things on their merits. 3. Rather than engage the dealer sales force in a training program to TEACH them the features and benefits, just offer more and larger discounts, rebates, and cut-rate financing, until they eventually clear the lots. 3. Discontinue them. If the brand is old and weak, discontinue the brand too. 4. Rinse and repeat.

The Rear Paint Guards models look smooth, instead of having the repeated ∩ pattern of the Travall model.

For one thing, Tesla uses liquid cooling. Several of the Tesla Model S fires were reportedly caused by the car striking road hazards with the under-floor area where the batteries and liquid cooling are located. (Tesla quickly issued a software update raising the ride-height of the car while the investigation continued.)

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