SCSweeney

Great question and solid answers, thanks. I'm a n00b and once it dawned on me that the the battery problems were the low v battery and not the hi v battery, I started feeling less concerned. This question "what about the big battery?" was the next question that popped into my mind. I notice this thread ended in Nov 2014 ... Are there any updates / comments / observations nearly a year later? I'm guessing no, since there are no new threads.

Thanks very much. I am getting a 36 mo / 36k mi warranty through USAA for around $1440. There was a 48 / 48 for $2200 but that seemed like too big of a jump. Betting (hoping/speculating) that if there are issues they will crop before 75k mi total. The policy is very comprehensive, though never bought extended warranties before either. Glad to hear 40 mpg won't be a stretch. I really have no sense of the % breakdown of city vs highway driving. Never tracked it and I do a lot of both.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to saving some $. The geni was great and I will miss her in many ways. Turning the page ... I should note ... this will be my first American car since college and first Ford ever. Kind of scary reading deep into this forum. Seems like there have been a lot of problems and particularly with the '13s. Hopefully I got one of the (many) good ones. My parents love their Fords and particularly their '14 Escape.

Tomorrow I pick up the Cmax. 40k miles. Platinum White. 303A option package. Any advice or suggestions or things to look out for? Bought from Texas Direct Autos in Houston, which is where I live. Soon will get it to the dealer to get caught up on any warranty recall work. Carfax clean and I've seen the Ford service record. No battery replacement. First used car I've bought. First hybrid. First four banger. Replacing my Genesis 4.6 .... so this should be interesting. If I can average 40 mpg or better I will cut my fuel costs in half. I drive 15 mi round trip to the office each day, but I do travel around town and with kids sports a fair amount. 15k or so mi per year is around my average.