Kelleytoons

Yeah, mine sits unused in our garage as well (but I don't want to sell it, as my wife insists we take it when we go to the mall, shopping for her -- I guess there is *some* value in it, but it's mostly a PITA and prevents me from putting a lot of stuff in there that would hit it).

As I said, the big thing for me is distance -- right now I can't use an EV. Perhaps when an average trip of 200 miles or so is no big deal then it might be another story, but with no way to charge it for a trip into Orlando I'd be pretty screwed. (But I also haven't been to a gas station in 3 months in my hybrid, so don't brag TOO much -- during the summer I rarely drive more than 300 miles a month. And the C-Max is very quiet -- never hear it at all myself (of course I also have the windows up all the time here in Florida).

When I was growing up we had the old "ten car lengths" rule of thumb but the problem with it OR the two second rule is the same: you leave ten car lengths in front of you, and there will be ten cars in there (and if you leave two seconds in front of you there will be TWENTY cars in there). The same thing is true if you drop your speed to the limit -- yesterday my wife and I were on a two lane no passing road where the limit was 55 and an expensive Jag literally got on our tail -- perhaps not even five feet of room, maybe even less (I couldn't see his headlights but only his windshield). I had been going 60 or just slightly under, but there was no way I was going to speed up (because otherwise *I* would be riding the car in front of me) so I did the only thing I could do under the circumstances... I slowed down to WAY under the limit (perhaps even 45 or even less) in order to give him time to react in case I had to stop suddenly. I didn't "suddenly" slow down but did it very carefully and in such a manner that perhaps he might have thought we had car trouble. Now, there are many folks who would have gotten mad at me (some even on this forum) and I'm sure he did as well, but it was the only safe thing to do under the circumstances. We stayed that way for about two minutes and then (wait for it) he finally came to his left hand turn and made it. Yep, he was tailgating at 60mph in a 55mph zone in order to save 10 seconds for his left hand turn he HAD to make (of course, by doing so he LOST more than 10 seconds when I slowed down safely). (This left hand turn was into a development, so it's not as if he had more than another minute to go before he got home). You definitely have to drop back, and keep an eye on things -- I always assume that people will do the most idiotic thing in the world and I'm seldom surprised when it happens (like that idiot).

Comfort in a car seat was a high priority for me, and the C-Max is about as comfortable as any I've tried (with my back problems I am VERY sensitive to seats that aren't). That said, I wouldn't go to a drive-in unless I could somehow go back in time, get in pajamas, and watch from my parents back seat. That's the only time I've ever enjoyed it.

Um, not necessarily -- we don't have Sony audio but we have Nav.

Navigation card won't do you any good if you don't have the Nav hardware installed -- when you look at the monitor on the dash, on the upper right quadrant, does it say something like "Nav software not found" or some such (there's a thread about what to look for here and I don't remember where it is exactly, but the monitor will definitely tell you if the Nav system is in place but the card isn't, whereas if you don't have the hardware you don't see that message). If you DO have the hardware your best bet is eBay, where you can get the latest for around $35.

I agree with Plus 3 -- AND it's always worthwhile to remember that the insurance business is BIG business, and those guys always make money. They are the Las Vegas of the business world -- the percentages work in their favor and only the very rare and few folks who suffer the extraordinary set of circumstances can "beat the bank". Save your money.

Right, that's the big issue for me -- we couldn't use an EV for anything other than my tennis "commute" since any other trip we take is at least 120 miles (round trip but no way to charge when we go there). But I could definitely see an EV replacing our Durango down the road (say three or four years from now, when my wife finally retires). I don't know what a ZEV state is, but I'm sure we're not one <g>. (And I don't believe in leasing, or buying used, since any vehicle I buy I always keep for at least a decade and a half). So things will have to change pricewise before it could make much sense for me (and that change could definitely include the price of gas sky-rocketing again).

Yeah, I guess I'd have to know what the L.A. electric rates are compared to here in central Florida (the closest I could find compared L.A. to Tampa, which had Tampa about 25% higher -- and our rates are higher than Tampa). I'm guessing, offhand (and perhaps not even in the ballpark but perhaps at least playing the same game :>) I'd have to pay close to what you figure you are saving in gas IF gas was $4 a gallon (so right now I'd be losing money driving the Energi, to the same tune as you are saving). Again, really hard to compare because, as you say, depends on the commute, etc. One thing for sure: we have no special lanes or other considerations here (given how things are, I'm actually kind of surprised we aren't penalized for trying to save money on gas :>).

I always wonder about the WHM is on either electrics or a hybrid like the Energi -- given how much we pay for electricity here (A LOT!) I have a suspicion that in the end it wouldn't be any more cost efficient for me than my C-Max. But having a flat charge for EV charging *could* make it worthwhile, assuming they don't just raise the rates (as HOAs can anytime they damn well choose to do so. At least the power companies have to go through the pretense of public hearings :>).

If this thread was indeed hijacked it wasn't by me -- I suggested driving procedures to get the best mileage which is what the OP was asking about. And then continuing to insist that those are the way to drive. Do I drive them only 95% of the time? Hmmm, doubtful, more like 98% or more. There is VERY RARELY a time I speed up in order to make a light I think I can make. Even then it's about 50/50 as to whether it's better for me to have slowed down and wait it out. But, no, while I don't say I'm the greatest driver in the world I can tell you with absolute confidence I *never* engage in bad driving practices (errors in driving that come with old age, like turning the wrong direction in our insane one-way roads here I make from time to time). Now, when I was much younger I was an idiot -- perhaps much more than 50% of the time. Maybe even a reverse of what you are suggesting -- I wasn't the WORST driver in the world, but I was certainly in competition for it. I drove way too fast, and if I didn't think I'd live forever I at least wasn't concerned about ending it in a car. Things changed in a big time way for me, and I have driven responsibly ever since. But I at least understand how folks (usually younger -- not always, as there are a lot of old idiots around here) drive without thinking. However, I would have thought that with the price of gas rising way up *everyone* would have learned some lessons. Apparently not -- apparently that doesn't impact in the slightest the way people see their cars like the famous Goofy short (which I won't link here although everyone should seek it out -- made in the 40's it's absolutely as relevent today). Road rage and negligent (cell phone) driving worry me every single time I'm on the road. So for the OP -- drive safely and sanely and the mileage will go up. WAY up (even in our gas guzzling Durango I was getting about twice the mileage shown on the EPA sticker, by using almost exactly the same careful principles).

If you are the sort of person who gets "mad" that someone isn't going at an absolute constant speed... then you need to seek a therapist (although I will admit you are also in the majority of the folks here in the U.S., and perhaps elsewhere as well). The same goes for folks who get upset when people are driving the limit and, indeed, anticipate the red lights. As long as you are in the right lane... (And there are at least two lanes). On the contrary, I think it's perfectly reasonable to get upset at idiots who drive dangerously (including such things as driving even FIVE miles over the limit when road conditions are bad, like in rain or poor visibility). These people put everyone in danger, not just themselves, and yes, ironically they are usually the same people who get upset when others don't drive as fast as they would like. Road rage is getting to be a bigger and bigger issue in the states, and I believe it just reflects a general anger trend (but that's a whole other topic). In any case, I am not going to let it affect me even one slight bit as to how I drive in both a safe and sane (and environmentally sensible) manner. Folks who don't like it... well, they can do what Bette Midler suggests to people without a sense of humor.

I don't think there is any other cruise option other than eco-cruise, but it doesn't operate as a "normal" cruise control would (trying to keep it to the exact speed as much as possible). Instead, it will slow down and speed up accordingly as it senses the best use of power -- it's much smarter than you have to be so don't worry about it (so you don't worry if you have it set for, say, 64 and your speed drops down to 60 for a bit -- that's part of the equation). I did forget about the tire pressure -- when I first picked up our C-Max the tires were set for 35psi, which is WAY too low for best mileage and way below the effective limit (which is around 50psi). Now I have mine set for at least 40 and that added quite a bit to my mpg without loosing much comfort. So that's another thing to keep an eye on (there are folks around here who keep theirs MUCH higher, but I think around 40-45 is a good compromise).

While there are things you can do that are peculiar to a hybrid, your best (and easiest) way to increase your mileage is just to drive like you would drive to get the best mileage from ANY car. Which is to say, keep it at 55 (or under), don't rapidly accelerate or decelerate (watch traffic flow) and don't use heat/AC (or keep it turned down). Coast when you can but for sure don't have a lead foot. Your C-Max will "learn" how you drive and your mileage will go up, but you will also learn and putting your left-hand display in the right mode to inform you as to what your current MPG is will also help. After obsessing about it for nearly a year I hardly ever pay any attention to the gauge anymore, but I also can consistenly average close to 50mpg no matter what trip (in town or highway) I take. Which is all I expect out of the car. Edit: Oh, and use eco-cruise on the highway and resist the urge to EVER take it off (unless you have to, of course). Just don't set it too high (the sweet spot is debatable, but I usually set it for 64 or so on a 65mph speed limit road).

I suspect a lot of folks here are going to recommend the Energi, particularly if you have the desire and/or ability to plug in at either end of your route. For such a very short commute I doubt whether you can beat the mileage (I don't like the lack of trunk space but that may not be an issue for you). You should drive one or both of the C-Maxes and see what *you* think -- no one can make a better decision than you can on what you like to drive. But many of us here feel the C-Max is the best car they have ever owned. (And I really hate to state the obvious but... two mile commute? Walking not part of the equation? I know that walking eight miles a day would be not only be easy in good weather conditions, but be VERY healthy for you. Or if at lunch if time is an issue then a bike even. I know I'd never buy a car just to commute that short a distance).

What "work done" are you referring to? You could have all kinds of things done to your car (and it should have still been under warranty anyway, so I'm not sure why you even paid *anything* in the first place). This TSB addresses some very specific things that even if done prior to this wouldn't have cost anyone around 500 dollars. So I'm not so sure what you are talking about.

Speaking of social media... I'm sure Honda has a Facebook page, and companies are VERY savvy nowadays about their image. Posting your letter and story there might be *very* interesting. If nothing more, you might get some other folks aware of dealerships and perhaps save some other money for people like your in-laws who aren't always that wise in the ways of the world.

Meagan, Maybe you could answer a concern of mine regarding this. I know this is supposed to "end" in May 2016, but I don't quite understand how a fix for a fault in the car could "end". IOW, if some time next year someone has a battery problem, are you saying Ford won't apply this fix or if they do apply it they will charge for it? My problem is I don't really want to fix something that isn't broken, due both to the possibility they make break other things (as noted here) as well as the time it will take to do this (as my dealership is 50 miles away and thus requires me to basically stay there the entire day). OTOH, if I do have a battery problem in a year or two (still under warranty) I'm concerned the dealership will say "tough".

Yeah, I don't think there's anyone older than 30 who doesn't have some horror story (or three, or 20) about a dealership. I don't even want to relate the several we had at our local Dodge dealer, who is an asshole (so much so I would never take a Dodge even if one was given to me, and I really LIKE Dodge vehicles). OTOH, we found a local repair shop that a buddy recommended and they are SO completely different it's hard to believe it -- they serviced his vehicle twice and both times didn't even charge him (because it wasn't "that big a deal" -- he had to FORCE $50 on them the second time, for fixing his horn that wouldn't stop honking at all hours of the day and night, and he's a fairly mechanical guy who couldn't solve it otherwise). Our own Dodge was quoted around $1500 for a fix that this shop did for $89 -- and they fixed it in less than two hours when the Dodge place said we'd have to leave it there at least two or three days (and my experience with them is it would have been more like two or three weeks). How can a dealership even stay in business, or at least their service department, when they are such jerks? Now, so far our Ford dealership has been very nice and kind to us... but we are still under warranty. We'll see how we feel in a few years (I'm pretty sure that after that time I'll just take it to this local repair shop and hope they can deal with all the electronics, which is what really worries me now).

Depends on what you currently have in there -- doesn't matter when it was purchased (when we bought our car they already released another version, which I eventually bought). If you have, say, A4 in there I'd definitely consider getting the update. But if you do have A5 you are likely good to go for quite some time (I will skip A6 and go to A7).

I certainly hope this isn't the case -- it doesn't make much sense they would tweak the car in any way to change the mpgs (although the more I hear about this "fix" the less likely I am to do it. I still am of the "ain't broke don't fix it" school).

Based on that photo you do not (even without a Nav card in the slot it should say "Navigation" in the upper right of your screen -- removing the card doesn't change that, although it *will* complain if you select that option without a card in the slot). I suppose the only way to be sure would be to look your VIN up somewhere -- smarter folks than I will chime in here with the ultimate solution.

It's possible it's just now more accurate (most folks have said the actual gauge "off" when compared to the real mileage found by measuring gas at fillups). That's assuming you're talking about the gauges themselves.

But it does beg the question as why the OP hasn't done this (it's a bit like coming on a health forum and saying, "Ya know, I haven't been able to get this bleeding stopped the last few days...")

Is he talking about the backup warning sensor? Because I don't think any of the C-Max's have an actual backup "beeper" (never in my life heard ANY car with that, although a lot of trucks have them standard). I thought for sure someone here had disabled their sensor fairly easily -- but I might be remembering wrong (it *seems* to me theirs wasn't working and they found out it was because it was blocked by mud or some such, which suggests it might be as simple as taping over it).