C-MaxSea

We are in hilly terrain most of the time, so we allow the car to 'cycle' the battery constantly in ECO Cruise, ignoring the state of charge, other than for opportunistically taking it down or juicing it up a wee bit occasionally. 100 ' up, 150 ' down, 250' up, 100' down..............on our freeway driving. Only rarely do we see flat stretches where the car chooses negative split. We allow it to do negative split, but do not see any improvement from it (may be a detriment???) - now flat highways elsewhere might be a different story. But what's to complain about getting 48 MPGs at 68 mph? I believe we are 'topping out' on our MPGs, can't see any way higher on the freeway without mods. Gen 2 C-Max will be required to take us over the 50 mark - unaided. (BTW, we did not run up enough miles before 13b07 to see significant differences, so I'm a wee bit of a skeptic on the 'good old days' - too much work forcing sauce any way). ECO Cruise forever (with a wee bit of toggle for fun) !!! Nick (Thinking we will continue unaided until January in order to have 2 full years logged (70-80 % 'highway'/'freeway' miles), then send a check to Paul :)) ((BTW Happy birthday to Grouper (otherwise known as Starship GG), he turned 2 in August !!!))

Testdriver, our C-Max is one of the magic ones (every 3rd or 4th off the line, I guess) because it easily exceeds your 'highway' numbers by 5 MPG. ;) (all subject to .........................) Dozens of times we've driven to the freeway with 38 to 42MPGs showing for those 5 miles with about a 100' elevation gain and ICE warm up; once on the urban interstate our C-Max religiously climbs to 45-50 MPGs by the 25 mile post with 60 mph speed limits (we drive at 58-62+- mph subject to traffic), continuing with an elevation drop of around 200 feet our C-Max climbs to between 50-55 MPG at 30+- miles; continuing, with elevation regains, the MPGs settle in at 45-50, and will go 'forever', including when the speed limit increases at about 40+-miles to 70mph, and we settle in at 68 mph .....................................100, 200, 300, 400, looped miles. (last loop, 460 miles, 48.6 (47) MPG with a 2000' elevation gain) Happy we got a magic one. From "Never-Never Land" (Googieville, Seattle), Nick (Crux: letting the car 'drive itself' in ECO Cruise on the freeway, with only a little toggle play for fun! (Don't forget to steer!)

Hey Thomas, welcome & congrats on the new C-Max (???let's see, one post, no location, no car data, looking kinda trolly???) Introduce yourself, your C-Max, and say hello. Great photo there. My favorite dash (& old car) is the BMW 2002 (1962 - 1977) - the dash was mostly one open 'cubby'. I think you may get your wish on the new model in 2017/18 or whatever. Maybe not; open, visible storage has a down side, thieves love to see phones, wallets, cameras, money clips, jewelry, coins .................... all out in the open. The C-Max is a Stealth Fighter with stealthier storage. Marc & others have touched on these, and there are good threads here on tweaking the deep center console for layered storage if you like. If you did not notice, both front seats in your new C-Max have an open 'cubbie' on the door side, invisible to thieves, for dumping coin & other small items. Anyway, knowing how clever you are, I think you will come up with reasonable solutions; after all, it is not the cubby that makes the car. We all do work-arounds with all the cars we own for something. Alternatively, if you are still looking, that is a nice dash in that 2007, and at that age it should be very cheap to find another, which would be a much better financial decision as well. Cheers, Nick

Here is an alternate storage location - bottom shelf of the 'glove box'. We have last years model of Stanley and have not used it. The new ones have added features - we bought too soon, :sad:. New Stanley: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MAPFAQC?psc=1

Stratosurfer, I just wanted to say that what Kelleytoons said way up top here is correct that 68 mph, "on Ecocruise .............and you should be able to get in the 40's." easily. What is important is that you use the ECO cruise option (although I suspect simple cruise would be almost as effective). It is just that simple, ECO Cruise allows the car to select the best mode for gas mileage as the hills dictate. As you increase the vehicle speed from there, the aero drag will have significant effect on gas mileage (but nothing wrong with 70 mph & 43 MPG on cruise). For 70mph and beyond you might want to talk to PTJones here about aeromods, definitely a good way to make improvements for higher speeds. We are easily able to ECO Cruise freeways at 68 mph and get 45-50 mpgs on the dash gauge over longer looped freeway runs. We have not seen 45 since last Winter. Your Texas weather & winds (& excessive AC) will crunch your numbers some of the time, but with quiet, temperate air it is easy to move into the low 40s at 70 mph (or higher 40s if you want to back off the speed just a smidge), the better part of the year, if you just use the ECO Cruise. ((Or just talk to PT)) Cheers, Nick (Last trip 460 looped miles, 2,200 ft. elev. difference, highway/freeway speeds 60-68, minimal 'city', 50% AC, 48.6 MPG (47 at the pump) - no sweat !!! ) (OK, we sweated a little bit) (and always paced with the traffic flow; above, at or just under the speed limits - no geriatric driving)

Kudos, welcome & cheers to many more RobNews ! With that low miles, it is just getting warmed up! Just noticed - New Brunswick, Canada, do your best to keep the new C-Max warm & enjoy. Nick

and plenty of time for someone we know to master the PE/KE energy conservation equations for those routes - :nonono: . (kidding, of course)

Eve, now you are in serious trouble you know, for many reasons. To begin with you are setting your own standards - be very careful ! Secondly, as Jus would say, you have just cooked any possibility of part time work at CR - only lousy drivers allowed on their toaster vehicle test track. IT IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE TO GET THAT GOOD OF MILEAGE - they say. (and it won't over time, but it sure is fun while it lasts, Eh !!!) Cheers, Nick

I'll take a dozen Hes with just a scosh of Kr on top, please.

Just happy to have cleaner & quieter air in my neighborhood now. Looking only at the here & now, and speaking with zero cred & little understanding; seems like minimizing (& controlling) pollution point sources makes best sense - and fewer ICEs &/or ICE hours/miles serves that end well. (Sorry for being off topic) IOWs, happy to have 'hybrids' & EVs, even if only a band aid to the future of HCVs or otherwise. Nick (sorry for the diversion) (I am biased, I prefer kayaks to motor boats ............. as well, unless, of course that's an E boat)

Key, what's a key? Push button all the way ! Keys will be long forgotten in a few years. Just MHO. Agree very much with HotPotato's write up as well, esp. that Ford has sweated the most important details so well. On a minor contrary note, we found/find the MFT system and layout rather pleasant and intuitive in design. Love the colorful and sensible four quad layout of the 8" screen. I assume all car Manufacturers will benchmark at 8" or larger in all cars in the very near future (not to mention that the 'screens' will be, or function as full featured tablet computers at a baseline as well - should be such already - argh). A long way from faultless, (and certainly a far cry from our tablets).......; but as 'lower demand' high tech users (me & my wife stick primarily with Nav, entertainment & basic telephony), we do not 'push' the system, so it works great for us, we are very spoiled with it (redundant controls / options always work for us). I believe the 'devil is in the details' for those 'pushing' the system understandably harder. Happy to be 'low demand' high tech users on this one. :) ((((voice recognition aint easy in this wild, wonderful and colorful world of ours, especially for me ;) )))) Speaking of 'not so fast' 'luxobarges': Our 93 525 had 189 hp (C-Max, 188 hp). We chipped ours for another 10-20 hp, but it did not really help; that year had 'longer legs' with a rear end gear ratio 'tuned' for better MPGs (IIRC). :) We used to get 22-28 MPGs on a regular basis cruising. More often than not, increases in HP are accompanied by additional weight and in my book 'wasted', not to mention $$$ wasted. At 3500 lb (same as the 525), our C-Max is on par or better than our ECO BMW for speed, and feels much lighter, tighter, & more responsive. Weight is almost always an efficiency detriment, but the C-Max feels just right for this time and space which demands far better MPGs, in a very safe & competent daily driver. Nick (not talking 3 series here!)

& here. http://www.hybridcars.com/august-2014-dashboard/ eeeeeeking ahead on the life support we give it here.

Regrets :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: bye bye tired old BMW ! ((trivial peeves & wishes, of course, regrets not a one)) No more BFM entry cars for us !!! (BFM = bend, fold & mutilate (me) - the C-Max may still be the only non-BFM aero car out there after two years running) Just Say No to BFM cars !

At a wee 6'1", I can almost understand your dilemma TallJeff (and sympathize a lot). The ease of entry on the C-Max was the greatest wow factor for me about the C-Max, practically took my breath away - I don't think a lot of people fully appreciate it. I just kept climbing in to be sure I was not dreaming. I have since written off all BFM vehicles for good (BFMs, being bend, fold & mutilate (me) that is)) Enjoy the new ever so sweet ride (our wow #2), sounds like a perfect fit ! Nick

Dynamite Hannah, cruise on !!! :flyaway:

Shout Out to Frosty !!! :victory: :victory: :victory: for hitting the street with immediate MPG cred. http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/c-max/2014/myfrosty/278549 They have that 2014 C-Max humming, with nothing less than 44 MPG so far ! Congrats Frosty, keep it going, conditions permitting.

Sorry Marc, but our C-Max SEL is a "cross country luxo barge" and "a drag strip queen" (as designed), thank you very much !!! A bit in the eye of the beholder, but .........pass the poupon my dear..... leather, headroom, ECO Cruise, driver feedback, Sony 9 speaker sound, HD radio, Sirius, Park Assist, Nav, ........................................ & 7-8 second sprints :) :) ((Oh, and 45 - 50+ MPG on-demand for some of us :))) that's three whole smiles for us, nick PS Marc, don't your numbers show the C-Max faster in the slalom ?

But it is not a good car, it is a great car !!! Some of us just can't stand the dashes, head room, materials, noise ....................................... and it is not a C-Max. ;) ((got to go with the underdog too !)) sorry, nick (((eeek, and those inane Toyota dealer showroom commercials with smiley robo people - make me want to jump off a cliff))) (not to mention we are desperate for a little fun around here, it does get a bit too heavy sometimes; sorry for that too. :))

Way to go Paul !!! Is that 894.6 I see? I could not do that 'even if I was paid a million bucks' (but I might try ;) ) Seriously, That is exceptional. (I would never have the patience to even try - Mr. ECO Cruise here) Now we have to work on your camera work, maybe just a little straighter and a scosh larger :) Wish I could go to your tech sessions on scan gauges .......... down in Athens, you folks will have a great time. Nick

and exactly why statistics get misunderstood and misused; and more importantly why we should not be dwelling on the 'first 90 days', confused impressionistic survey data. We have our own, better, 2 years worth of use data, issue monitoring and solutions right here. (( and dedicated forum space for battery issues with lots of excellent contributions from our own mech/tech/elec/ & process stars :) :) :) :) here )) ((( Not to mention we have drivers here who understand the beauty of being able to both fang their C-Max LEMON , and drive it for great MPGs.)))

Welcome & congratz Fazzman. Read up here to get to know the ins & outs, but most importantly enjoy your 'new' ride. Nick

......self censored... Exactly right Paul, as Fusion Hybrid sales are stable (modest increase +2% for July, and up for the year), and C-Max Hybrid sales are off significantly from 2013 (-40+%), we continue to whip our beloved 'whipping boy'; in spite of the two having essentially the same track record. C-Max can't do this, can't do that, unreliability nonsense, it never ends........................................ Sadly we/this forum matters, and occasionally we perpetuate premature info. ....self censored..... Thankfully again, there are a few folks out there who can read past the silly statistics, the shouting above, the CR gods, and see a compelling & desirable car ! Nick (Thankfully we are tracking battery & other issues as well in full measure)

perhaps a bit of apples and oranges here (actually more like 'hard' boiled eggs to 'soft' boiled eggs - one is smushier) . There are statistics about factual data (how many eggs does a specific bird species lay on average, car sales .............quantitative stuff), and there are statistics about impressionistic data (Initial Quality Surveys, customer satisfaction surveys..................qualitative stuff). Factual data statistics are relatively 'hard' science, and Impressionistic data statistics are at best 'soft' science. They are all about human psychology, what we read, what we see on TV, our impressions, our perceptions ............................. That is why most of us naturally question such statistics and know they are weak at best. Yes IQSs are about the 'quality' of an item, but taken when folks are still getting acquainted with the new item and extremely subject to impressions - and the more 'new' & complex the item, the more confused and unreliable the answers. (((Did Ford 'improve' on the 2014 C-Max, of course they did, but not by the number differentials in the 'survey data.' Is the 'improvement' shown by the C-Max a true reflection of Ford's better 'attention to details' in 2014 - at best 50/50 in my book; buyers have just become better acquainted with the product and a bit better at evaluating it. The bottom line is that the C-Max was just as great a car when it came out MY 2013 as it is in MY 2014 - and 99.99 % the same car.))) Again, the difference between 77% for the Audi and 86% for the Mercedes says as much about the buyers of the cars as it does about the manufacturers - and dare I say, is relatively meaningless (& car model surveys a bit less meaningless ;) (i.e. more meaningful) ). Drop a 60% or a 95% in there and I'll take note. Thankfully cars are still somewhat visceral purchases, and not just a statistical purchase; and a 77% Audi may end up a 'better' purchase for some than an 86% Mercedes - for whatever reasons. Just my 2 cents, Nick ((( as a consumer, taking new car model surveys & customer satisfaction surveys with a fair measure of caution - regardless of whether they are favorable or unfavorable. )))

Sorry to hear that Emccabe. Glad it has been a stellar performer for you. My 2 cents: 'value' is a fickle commodity at best, your dealer is trying to 'take you for a ride', and,if you want a better trade-in value, you will need to 'find' buyers who 'value' your car - some form of a private sale to be sure. I don't know exactly how you do that, but I do know that our market in Seattle would likely eat that up for at least $5k more. (The SE badge is likely a detriment, especially if its the base model) Best of luck, Nick

WOW, 44k miles, and still beating the 'impossible'. Very cool Snowstorm ! :hat_tip: The Enterprise is definitely booking at warp speed ! (Sure hope there are scads of folks out there doing something similar, just not here with the forum) Starship GG away, Nick