Konig-Wolf

Whew...just got back from the dealer...took a good three hours, even with all the prep I did in the past two and a half weeks, but it's all settled and squared away. My C-MAX will be delivered tomorrow. ^_^ Here is to the hope for a great vehicle that will serve me well for many years to come. ^_^ 

I used to drive a MINI Cooper S, so my comparison is with one of the best driving experiences ever, and I have to say, I'm impressed with dynamics of the C-Max considering what it is.  The low rolling resistance tires introduce very loud understeer when pushed hard, but if you can keep it balanced by braking just right, it actually rotates quite well, and has a pretty low center of gravity.  I took mine up and down a long winding canyon road from the Salt Lake City area over the mountains into the Heber Valley area, and was impressed with it's handling.  I assumed it would be a pig on the curves, but it really isn't.  I'm sure the CX-5 is better, as Mazdas have great driving characteristics, but for the trade off in MPG, I'm thinking I got a much better deal than I anticipated.  Although it would hurt the efficiency a bit, I'm thinking if I just replaced the tires with a stickier set, this would be a pretty fun little car.

 

Unless you are considering a manual transmission (not sure if that's possible on a CX-5), a CVT combined with the low end torque of an electrically assisted engine makes for a fun drive up a canyon - no hunting at all, just the occasional "motorboating" of the engine from time to time.  It's a lot more satisfying than I ever thought it would be.

Hearing all the good I have about the C-MAX on this forum has definitely helped alleviate my anxiety over buying one. Hopefully once I get to the dealer, the last paperwork and whatnot will be smooth sailing. I'll let you all know what happens. 

It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what the three cars are all about, and it will be up to you as to what is important.

 

I can tell you, from a mpg standpoint, that the Prius vehicles *will* average in the 50's without any trouble, and the C-Max will average in the 40's with the same careless attention (IOW, not trying to really get good mpg).  Those are mixes of both highway and city (although city you will do better in both).  It sounds as though the Mazda then will get about half the mileage so all you have to do is factor in how important mpg is to your driving and you will be able to make the right decision.

 

(Now, there are those here that can get the C-Max to at least rival and perhaps surpass the Prius, but I suspect they'd also be able to boost a Prius' mileage greatly as well.  For my own mix of highway and city I'm getting about 47 mpg with the A/C on all the time and expect it to climb into the 50's easily during the winter, which is mild here in Florida).

Hello, 

The mileage is a factor for me, but not so much to as to completely sacrifice the driving experience. Any of the three cars would be an improvement over my xB in the mileage department (I wish they'd make a hybrid xB...that would be my dream car). Thankfully, I was able to get the wife to agree to the C-MAX, so I should be getting it this weekend. ^_^  

What are your driving impressions of the three cars? :)

 

Paul

Hey Paul, 

My comparisons are mostly between the xBs, so bear that in mind. 

The Prius-V was the worst of the bunch from a driving standpoint. I'm not a big performance guy (I have a computer for that) when it comes to cars, but even driving my hamster powered xBs, I noticed the lack of pickup and go in the Prius V. The electric mode was really underwhelming too...if it could go up to 40 MPH all electric, it would be a much better vehicle. Turning was not bad though, as I had been told, and visibility was excellent. However, I didn't like having to put my foot hard down to get up to speed. It was a little scary when I test drove it on the freeway. Ride quality was good though, and it didn't feel uncomfortable; my wife really liked the ride in the Prius-V, both in the front and rear seats. I didn't feel any weirdness in the steering. I didn't mind the centrally mounted controls, as I'm an xB driver, which has a similar layout. I didn't care for the arrangement of the shifter, parking, and start on Prius V...it was counter-intuitive. Ditto with the different driving mode controls...I suppose the position of those buttons make sense if you were cruising along with you arm on the armrest, but it just seemed odd to me.  I'd imagine with time I could get used to it, but it would take time. Overall, it was an underwhelming performer, even by xB standards, but a solid ride.  

The C-MAX was a good, solid drive. Using it felt the most like my xB, which means it was fairly nimble, with good visibility more then enough power. Turning was tight and precise, and I didn't feel like I was driving a hybrid, but rather, it felt like a standard car. The car had a very planted stance, and even with the added size over my xB, it didn't feel any bulkier when I used it. The pedal feel and response was good, and I didn't have to put my foot to the floor to get the car moving, something I really appreciated. The ergonomics of the cabin were good overall, and it felt solid and study. I don't know if it was my limited time with it, but I couldn't get as much information on the car itself over to the center console like I could in the Prius. If I buy the C-MAX, I'll really need to read the manual carefully to get the most out of the infotainment system, and use it to improve the driving I do. I know you can do it with the side mounted LCDs, but I didn't really get the time to go through all the features they had. Overall though, it was considerably better to drive then the Prius-V. I wasn't scared going on the freeway, I didn't have to hammer down to accelerate, and I felt comfortable with the size of the car. 

The Mazda CX-5 was the best driver of the bunch. I used the FWD with the 2.5L motor, BTW. Despite it size, it was very, very nimble, and the controls responded extremely well. It had a very smooth ride, and smooth acceleration. I was very surprised with it, as I'm used to SUVs being more lumbering and uncomfortable. The driving position is even higher then the Prius-V or the C-MAX, so the view is excellent. Mazda's safety features are awesome too...the blind-spot indicator is unobtrusive, but highly functional. It also has more optional safety features then the C-MAX, and cost less for those features then the Prius-V. If I was more of a performance/driving experience kind of guy, I think I'd have no problem going for the Mazda, even with it's lower gas mileage (25mpg city). Ditto if I had more cargo to carry on a regular basis, because it matches the Prius-V and beats the C-MAX in that regard. Overall, it was the best driving of the lot...heads and shoulders above the Prius-V, and somewhat better then the C-MAX. 

If you all have any other questions about my experiences shopping around, I'd be happy to share them. 

Hello everyone, 

Just stopping in to introduce myself, and to thank you all for compiling these resources. I'm about pretty sure of my purchase of a C-MAX SE...just waiting for the final counter offers from Toyota and Mazda before I make a decision. 

As for me, I'm a long time Scion owner, who has owned both the 1st Generation 2004 Scion xB, and a 2nd Generation 2012 Scion xB. Sadly, my beloved little xB gave it's life for me when a driver wrongly came into my lane, and I t-boned them hard. My xB was a total loss (T_T), but I walked away with no injuries despite hitting at least 35 MPH into a solid wall of minivan.

Now, I have to get a new vehicle...buying another xB would be an easy choice, but with my family growing, I want something with a bit more space. Couple that with the fact that I drive almost entirely in the city, and the C-MAX is an easy idea for a replacement. I'm only accustomed to getting 21 mpg, so even if I don't manage the C-MAX's rated fuel efficiency, I'll still be getting an upgrade. 

Has anyone here switched from an xB to a C-MAX? If you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Right now, the only other vehicles I'm considering are a Toyota Prius-V and a Mazda CX-5. Any insights or tips you all could share would be greatly welcome. Thanks again!