Ryan McEachern

General, I hear you loud and clear. I am at 6'4" and 235 here, tried a bunch of cars, but the c-max was the only "small" car that would work for me. It is frustrating to stare directly at the sun visor on most cars, especially when they are still folded up. :)

Thanks for following up!

Hey Valkraider, who needs an umbrella when you wear raingear all winter?

I ordered mine with the factory block heater ($100) but haven't received it, so can't help with the testing. Amazingly enough, when I was pricing out the Prius, their block heater option was $349. I was floored. Maybe it is a much larger element?

6 speed automatic eh? That would be an incredibly complicated proposition with this style of hybrid drivetrain.

Thanks for the info on the tech Valk, seems like the car has about the same processing capability as my phone? I'm not as old as some on this forum, but I do remember spending my entire earnings from working all summer ($6,000 plus) on a killer new computer, with the amazing new 286, and a 300 baud modem that I used to play text based rpg games on local BBS'........

That's a cool feature.

Laurel, our Lower Mainland is an ideal place for hybrids. I watched as the entire taxi fleet switched to Prius' over the last little while. The mild winters and mild summers are a good fit, plus the fact that we have SO MUCH TRAFFIC on most routes that stop and go driving is a way of life. Plus, most of our highways are 80km, and even the freeways are only 100km unless you are heading up to the interior. I am expecting great things from our cars.

Its a much easier test. They are very clear that it is meant only for comparing vehicles and "your mileage will vary" Good job on the nice low l/100km score Laurel!

West Coast Ford Lincoln in Maple Ridge says they have sold 3 C-Max. I have yet to see any in the valley here. Still waiting for a VIN for our Energi.

Laurel, I agree that this is the way it works, and I don't think it could work any other way? If it was set to light up when you came close to the car, then the car would have to be actively scanning the airwaves and listening for the key to come within range, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That doesn't seem practical for battery life, but maybe it would take so little energy that it wouldn't matter....

I have had this same issue when discussing our c-max purchase with other families. One guy said, "why didn't you just buy the new dodge minivan, they get 36 mpg and so much more room. I told him that after happily owning several grand caravans, i knew that I would never beat 20 mpg, regardless of the window sticker. I don't know what the general public gets in those vans, but I know that I get 20mpg when i am travelling, 16 mpg just running around town. We rented a new one last time we were on holiday, there has been no improvement in city economy as far as i can tell. I think a good strategy for predicting fuel economy, if you can't rent the target vehicle, is to rent one that is close, and compare your mpg to the EPA, then compare to what others are getting on the target vehicle. For example, I know that when I drive a Prius on my daily routine, I get about 40 mpg, so I am predicting 35 mpg in hybrid mode with the taller, heavier, more powerful C-max.

That's the stock Chevy Venture Driver Information Center. Reset should be just holding down both buttons at the same time for a few seconds.

are there buttons to cycle between the temp/mpg? if so, odds are the reset will be from either holding down one, or both of the buttons.

Excellent. I love this stuff.

Wow. How would you describe your driving style to get those awesome numbers?

Very interesting. Thanks for the detailed routes.

Salsprint, can you elaborate a bit on the conditions for your commute? Congrats on the good numbers.

Not sure if the models are similair enough, but here is a portion of a thread covering this topic from the UK. "Yes it does If memory serves me right theres a self tapper on the top of the light unit and then you need a long screwdriver to push two long plastic clips that go from the front of the headlight to the metalwork at the front ofthe car. Treat them gently. I broke one and they are about £17 from Fords. Quiet a simple operation, plut it tells you haow to do it in the owners manual. Cheeers Geoff" -Ryan p.s. there is also this video, but it might be way different than the US car.

Okay, thanks for that. I'll test it on mine when it arrives and report back.

Valkraider, Bore us? Not Likely! Thanks for the excellent points. #17 surprised me, because when we test drove the C-max hybrid, before ordering the Energi, we both thought it was the quietest car we had ever been in. Is it noisy in general, or is it something to do with the noise cancelling system than doesn't work well with the hands-free?

Thanks to everyone for educating the rest of us while are still waiting on factory orders. I'll know all the tricks and features way before the car arrives. :)

Awesome! Expecting some photos and first impressions. (Please?)

Are there any hybrid specific screens to pull uip on the centrer consol display? or are they all just on the right and left of the speedometer? If there are any, can someone post a photo or two? I am facing a long wait for our Energi, and looking for eye candy to tide me over. -Thanks, Ryan

Hi Laurel (neighbour!) Up here in canada, our EPA tests are much much less realistic than the USA EPA test. Here is the page address that links to the canadian equal of the EPA. http://oee.rncan.gc.ca/publications/transportation/fuel-guide/2000/aboutratings.cfm?attr=8 Growing up here in Canada, I have always considered our window stickers to be used strictly for comparison purposes, and I think most Canadians think that way. I am following this issue with our southern friends with interest, as they seem quite serious about always being able to meet or beat the posted window number. I have never achieved the window number on any of my cars, and I'm a pretty calm driver. Edit* our freeway speeds were generally lower than the US as well, and I'm not sure if that enters into the testing at all. I think the US added a portion to their test to make it more realistic, and maybe we did not.