kblast523

Howdy all. I got WAY ahead of the curve, traded an Infiniti I30t on a 2005 Prius level 4 with Katskinz leather, drove it until May 2009...and it broke. One Toyota dealer wanted $24k difference on a $31k Camry Hybrid, so I regressed into a 2009 Ford Fusion SE 2.3. Fast forward to December 2014, drove my wife's 2012 Focus SE to Scottsdale and back. Permission granted to trade...drove a Fusion SE Hybrid in Albuquerque on the way out, non power passenger seat was the only complaint other than being OVERWHELMING in size. Wife nixed it and said keep looking. Got home and only ONE C-Max within 300 miles of me, a 2014 SE in white with black cloth and not much else. Certified Used yielded two C-Maxes, a 2014 SE in Wichita with about 27k miles, the other a 2013 SEL Pano roof and 22k. Traded over the phone, never saw the car, picked it up Dec 24. Other than nothing in the console working (Nav, seat heat, power ports, lights) it was all good. Monday, before returning home, Joe Cooper Ford Tulsa fixed it by merely plugging in a connector, apparently left disconnected at the assembly line. While there, the service manager asked if I wanted the DRLs turned off...no. Records indicate this was a Hertz car in service in the area of New Orleans, and had been on the lot at Owen Thomas Ford in Stillwater since February. We have driven this car a little over 2k miles in just two months and love it. Cold weather=observed 36.8 to 37.5 mpg. Warm weather=observed 38.2 to 39.0 mpg. This is a small town, so city driving is about the same as highway, but at 25 degrees it takes about 9 blocks to fire the heater after leaving a 40 degree garage. Loving the Ice Storm, and REALLY loving the comfort of this great car.

Hi all, newbie C-Max Hybrid owner here. My first experience with a hybrid ended abruptly in 2009 why my 'silverfish' 2005 Prius got the dreaded 'screen of death' The two Toyota dealers in Tulsa both told me to 'walk 'til we can look at it', (a week or ten days out), so I headed to Ford. ended up with a 2009 Fusion SE 2.3 that was a decent car....fast forward...so was the 2012 Focus SE, but after a trip to Scottsdale in early December, the wife decided it was time to get an 'upgrade'. Searched Ford and found one new SE white over black cloth, and not another single C-Max closer than 300 miles. Certified Used produced two vehicles, a 2014 SE in Witchita, Ks, and a 2013 SEL in Stillwater, Ok. No doubt the Ice Storm SEL Pano was the choice, bought it over the phone, picked it up Dec 24. Now for the tire pressure issue. Has anyone read the NTSB Ford Explorer/Firestone Tire report? Ford specs for the tire and tire pressure on the 1998-2001 Ford Explorer were a perfect match for disaster all in the name of ride quality. Jaques Nasser personally falsified the vehicle weight when presenting the specifications to Bridgestone/Firestone engineers who argued the tire needed more capacity AND inflation. Firestone had been asked to remove 18% of the shoulder tread which compromised the carry capacity of the tire. At recommended pressure (26 psi), a Ford Explorer with 325 lbs of passengers in the front seat, 42 lbs in the left rear, would experience catastrophic tire failure of the left rear tire at ambient temperature over 86 degrees, traveling 70 mph continuously, between 42-54 min. Tire experience I have had on recent vehicles: 2005 Prius, came with Goodyear Integrity 15" tires. Junk and replaced them with set of Yokohama Avid all season at 8k. Yokos going strong at 35k when traded, ran at 45psi. 2009 Ford Fusion had Continentals that got noisy, but held 45 psi quite well, made 25k miles with even wear and anticipated life near 40k. 2012 Focus wore Continentals smooth out at 20k, running 45psi. Replacement Bridgestones got noisy at 25k, but showed little wear and two were replaced under warranty just before trade. Also ran 46-48 psi in these with no trouble. 2009 Ford Flex with Yokohama Avid Ascent Blue Earths that have 40k on them at 40 psi and still have 9/32nds tread on all four, even treadwear, silent operation. Running 42 psi in the Michelins on the C-Max, and even though this was a Hertz rental unit in a previous life, all four tires have even wear and 8/32nds at 25k miles. Happy Motoring, all....